Photo Challenge – Portage Glacier Cruise, Alaska
May 22, 2018, was our last day of sightseeing before leaving Alaska on the following day. We went on the Portage Glacier Cruise. We were fortunate to have a sunny day for the Denali National Park trip. We had a sunny day again for our glacier cruise. When we arrived at the site of the glacier, the boat stopped, and the captain gave us an orientation of the phenomena of the glacier. Toward the end of the cruise, we had photos taken with the safety ring labeled the company name as our souvenir.
As a point of interest, here are the what and why of blue ice and iceberg.
Blue glacier
In the case of oceans or lakes, some of the light hitting the surface of the water is reflected back directly, but most of it penetrates the surface, interacting with its molecules. The water molecule can vibrate in different modes when the light hits it. The red, orange, yellow, and green wavelengths of light are absorbed, the remaining light is composed of the shorter wavelengths of blue and violet. This is the main reason why the ocean is blue.
Small amounts of regular ice appear to be white because of air bubbles are inside them and because small quantities of water appear to be colorless. In glaciers, the pressure causes the air bubbles to be squeezed out, increasing the density of the ice. As it absorbs the colors other than blue, a large piece of compressed ice, or a glacier, would appear blue. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_ice_(glacial)
Iceberg
As we look around the lake, we saw many pieces of the iceberg. Iceberg is a large floating mass of ice detached from a glacier or ice sheet. It floats until it’s carried out to sea. When we see “the tip of the iceberg,” we only see 10% of its mass. We saw one piece of blue iceberg, the mass below the surface must be a large body of ice.
May is the beginning of summer in Alaska, the snow water gushes down countless twisting creeks. If we had gone back in two or three weeks, we would see the beautiful blooms.
The Showers of Blessings 
Stunning! 🙂
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Thank you so much!
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Seeing blue ice is an amazing experience. I saw it in Greenland and have hankered to return to visit either the arctic or antarctic since. Enjoyed your photos Miriam.
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Thank you, Irene. We want to go that direction to see the Aurora, hopefully in two years. We’ll go to Hong Kong next year for my nephew’s wedding.
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I was looking at the pictures of that tonight – it would be great to see.
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Yes, from where you are, it’s little bit closer to go to Alaska, than Iceland. My hubby’s niece and her new husband to a cruise to Iceland. The price is reasonable.
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I went to Iceland and Greenland in 1990 and look forward to returning but I would also like to visit Alaska.
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Okay, we can swap trips next time… I need to find out the location of the Iceland cruise starts.
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I know there are some that start in Southhampton in England. That is probably where we would go from should we do it.
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That would be fun. I have to start making travel plan since my husband is retired.
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The pictures are so stunning Miriam. I am just imagining what you would have felt seeing it in person 💖
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It was incredible, Radhika! I took probably 1000 photos and just wait to delete the ones I don’t want to keep. But this is not every day experience, so I want to keep the memory. ❤
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I can understand. No words can describe few experiences! One just needs to feel it!
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Yes, exactly. It was amazing to be surrounded by snowy mountains!
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Do visit Pakistan, We house Karakoram Mountains which are known as third pole of the world because of massive glaciers. And along with we have beautiful valleys and distinct culture.
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It sounds like an excellent travel destination. Thank you!
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It’s amazing how big these icebergs are under the ocean surface, great captures Miriam. 🙂
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Yes, 90% is under the surface. Hopefully we won’t have another Titanic tragedy ever.☺
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Hopefully 🤞😊
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Yes. ❤ 🙂
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Wow, what a lovely post.! Thanks for sharing. 🌹🌟
Reminder: I tagged you for “The Inside My Head Tag” I’m waiting for your response.😍
Xoxoxo.💖
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Thank you very much. I have been on the road for many weeks. I need to check you post. I’ll acknowledge your tag. I don’t do awards and tags anymore. I do appreciate that you thinking of me. ❤ 🙂 ❤
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Aww.😚 that’s so sweet.💖
Oh, I didn’t know that. It’s okay. You can respond whenever you want to. 🌟💖🌸💞
Have a nice day.!!! 🌷
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Thank you Jannat! I don’t have time to respond to a complete tag. I had many awards before and shared many of my personal info. It would just be a repeat. Thank you again for thinking of me. ❤ 🙂
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Aww.😚
I understand. No worries. 😀😙🌹💖
Have a nice day.! 😙🌹
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Thank you, same to you!
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Aww.😚
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🙂 ❤
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Gorgeous! And an education about the reason water and glaciers are blue! -Molly
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Thank you, Molly. I learned something new also. I just took it for granted and assumed that the color is naturally blue without thinking why. I’m glad the captain talked about that and made me do some more research. Thank you for reading. I should have more time to visit you now, at least for the next 3 weeks. I’ll be attending a writers’ conference mid June, and go see my granddaughter the end of June. Hope things are going well with you. For now, have a wonderful weekend! ❤
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How wonderful you are attending a writer’s conference. What is it and where? Next year I want to go to one. And seeing your granddaughter? Heaven! How old is she? You have a wonderful weekend, too!
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I’m going to SoCal Christian Writers’ Conference in Orange County, CA. It’s my first time going to a writers’ conference. I’m in the process of writing my memoir. I’m also interested in other publications. Just want to learn more. I’ve been wanting to go to one. It happens that this one is close to my home and I have no excuse not to go. Love to learn about the birth of your book and doll. Your publisher only publishes humor books? https://www.inspirewriters.com/events/socal-christian-writers-conference-2018/
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That is wonderful, Miriam. I hope you enjoy it and get a lot out of it. I am going to the National Society of Newspaper Columnists conference in June. I went last year and some of my blogging friends are going and I’m excited to see them. The conference is small and very good. My publisher does not only publish humor books. She has a branch of her company called ShoreHouse Books and under that domain publishes non-humor. If you want more info email me at molly@shallowreflections.com.
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It sounds fun of going to the Columnists conference for you. I saw that you won the award. Congratulations.
I joint this Inspire Christian Writers group a couple months ago. They publish an anthology once a year, Each member can submit 3 pieces of fiction and/or nonfiction. The theme is year is Kindness. I submitted mine and will know by July 1 if they will include any of my pieces.
I just emailed you. No hurry to reply.
I took a Children’s Literacy Writing Course and wrote several stories. Each one is less than 1000 words. I would like to expand them and turn into children’s books. I would like to find an illustrator. I published 4 Children’s magazines in Chinese when growing up in Hong Kong. I worked closely with my illustrator. I draw and paint, but I’m not good in drawing portraits.
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The Inspire Christian Writers group sounds intriguing. I hope you have pieces included in the anthology. I will get back to you via email. Was the children’s literacy writing course online? I am interested in writing a children’s book, too.
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I paid for a program and it provides ongoing training for publishing, but each training would offer you to buy more packages. I watch them but do buy anymore. Last week’s training was on Children’s Book Formula. I’ll email to give you more detail.
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Hi Molly, here is the website.
https://www.instituteforwriters.com/courses/writing-and-selling-childrens-books/
When I took it 12 years ago. It was $395. Now it is $935 plus shipping in 10 payments. It’s getting too expensive.
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Thank you, Miriam. It is pricy but you thought it was worthwhile?
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I don’t know what they are doing and what they offer right now. When I took it, I had a personal mentor who corrects my writing and makes suggestions for changes. This time around, they say; that at the end of the course, you’re complete 3 pieces of 300 words each or 1 piece of 900 words literature. You can get on the site and click through the tabs and see if that’s what you want. It’s a personal thing of what you want to do.
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Miriam – thank you for sharing such beautiful and amazing journey with us….simply incredible and amazing,
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You’re very welcome and thank you so much for reading!
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This is so beautiful Miriam. I had no idea this is why they have the colour that they do. Thank you for sharing your trip, and taking the time to teach me something new today. LORD, thank You for continuing to bless Miriam :):)
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Thank you, Margaret for reading. Yes, I learn something new also. I paid more attention to the details during this trip rather then just taking photos. Looking at the photos of many trips, I don’t remember the where and what. Have a blessed weekend! ❤ 🙂
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It’s always my pleasure reading your posts. I mentioned you today in my post. I pray you don’t mind but if you do I will edit it, of course :):)
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Oh Margaret, I’m honored. Let me look at it right now! My goodness, Margaret, what a great post you did. Thank you for your hard work. ❤ 🙂
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Thank you for the kind words. It is my pleasure, and I am happy you liked it :):)
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I like it sooo much. Thank you again! ❤
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This is very interesting, Miriam. What a lovely trip.
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Thank you, Robbie. It’s interesting to me also. This was our second trip. I’ve never thought of why the glacier is blue until the captain talked about it. I’m glad to learn something new. We use the idiom “the tip of the iceberg,” and I now found out the percentage of the tip!!
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Spectacular!! ❤️❤️
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Thank you, Lynn. We’re glad to be home also. ❤ ❤
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Hi Miriam. Very interesting post. I felt cold just looking at your photos!
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Ha, Kim. Thank you so much. I will surely look at the photos again when it get hot in the summer here in California. How are things going in your town?
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It is late autumn, early winter here in Durban, South Africa and we are having warm sunny days and cool nights. It gets very hot here in summer so winter is a welcome relief from temperatures of 30 degrees celcius and more. Our weather is probably a lot like California weather.
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I looked at the Google map, it looks like a big city. Do you live close to the ocean? Or how far are you from the ocean?
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Hi Miriam. As the crow flies my house is about 2 kilometres from the ocean, but by car about 7. As a child I lived only a few hundred metres from the beach. The city itself is not very big but it is surrounded by a large area of suburbs and industrial sites. Durban was a small, quiet homely city when I was a child but is now big and dangerous, unfortunately.
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Hi Kim, I saw some skyscrapers when I googled. Recently I watched the news of some violent scenes. I don’t know if it was in a small area or affect the south Africa in general.
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Violence is common all over the continent, but there are episodes all over SA, especially in the eastern part and the middle of the country – the major urban areas.
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I hope you’re safe!
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I am fine. Four fierce dogs and security fencing, helps. Thank you.
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Yes. It sounds like good security to me. How long have you lived in SA? When we went to Spain last year, we met some tour members from SA. They love living there.
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Wow Miriam, great captures!!!
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Thank you, Paulo! We’re home now. We like to travel, and glad to be home also!!
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Lovely and interesting blog, Miriam! Looks like you had a fabulous trip. Love the pictures, too!
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Thank you, Pete. Yes, we had a wonderful vacation. Enjoyed the trip as well as glad to learn something new every time we travel!
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You are welcome, Miriam 🙂 I am glad you had a good time!
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Thank you very much Pete. 🙂
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Thank you.
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Thank you Miriam for his beautiful tale from your journey. I am fascinated how the various wave lengths are absorbed by the ice or reflect.
So beautiful and so cold.
It has been fun following your cruise and your fantastic pictures makes it so real.
Miriam…
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Thank you so much for reading, Miriam. We had a wonderful vacation. This was our second trip to Alaska. I didn’t realize how much I forgot, so I took a lot of notes this time. I’m glad you like the photos and my post. Thank you again.
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