Klawock, Alaska (May 2016) – ALERT: Boring picture – BUT look at the roof closely. Do you see the young tree and the couple of inches of moss growing on it? I believe the other plants beside the tree may be devil’s club which can become quite large by late summer.

Southeast Alaska is a temperate rainforest with significant precipitation. Klawock receives 100 inches of rain annually, while Ketchikan’s rain meter can hit 160+ inches. Bring a windproof, insulated rain jacket if you plan to live or visit this area of the state. The southeast is a popular destination for cruise ship enthusiasts, hunters, and fishermen.

A thick layer of moss grows on everything not maintained, especially on wooden objects like this roof, and it even hangs off wooden road signs. Moss and mold accumulate on windows, vehicle windshields, and car door handles, and mildew will coat the inside of a car if it goes unused for weeks.

The discoloration of the building’s siding is typical; a power spray washer was used on our house every other year to get the growth off. And, see the puddle on the ground beside the building? It is most likely wet 90% of the time. These puddles blanket Prince of Wales Island neighborhoods, parks, streets, and highways.

Now, for the rest of the story.

I drove by this little building at least twice a week when I came to pick up Joy Weber for shopping, lunch, and to sew with the ladies at Dina Merchant’s quilt shop in Craig. The senior housing is just down the street, and this building is at the top of the hill above the totem pole park. Joy and I drove up and down the steep hill and joined other ladies from around the island for lunch at Papa’s Pizza, Zat’s Pizza, Dockside Cafe, or Annie Betty’s. Sometimes we dined in and chatted, while other times, we ordered out and sat around the tables in Dina’s garage discussing the latest events before breaking out our quilt projects or, in Joy’s case, embroidery.