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Bird is the word Palmer artist Francois Girard stands by art from his show, “Alaska Wings,” at the First Friday opening on July 6 at the Art Shop Gallery in Homer, Alaska. Girard creates sculptures he calls “Bird Blocks” made from prints adhered to wood and varnished. He also displays some of his original paintings. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

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After a late spring and subsequently late summer, the Betster is finally starting to see some happy results,…

Killer whales from several pods swim in Kachemak Bay on July 9, 2018 near Seldovia, Alaska. About 40 resident whales were seen in the area. Emma Luck, a University of Alaska Southeast marine biology student saw the whales while working as a naturalist for Rainbow Tours. “I’ve personally never seen so many killer whales in one spot,” Luck said. “It was a sight to behold.” (Photo by Emma Luck)

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Wherefore art thou, nice weather? Hath Mother Nature forsaken us so easily?

Kite boarders play in Kachemak Bay while a fog bank covers the south shore last Saturday afternoon, June 30, 2018, in Homer, Alaska. When the afternoon bay breeze kicks in, Homer’s kite boarding community can be seen off the Mariner Park beach. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

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If the glint of motorhomes on the Homer Spit or the difficulty making a left turn off of…

A golden crowned sparrow hops along through the gravel and grass just off Lake Street on Monday, June 23, 2018 in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)

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According to a press release from WalletHub that popped up in the Betster’s email, the top-10 beach towns…

A golden crowned sparrow hops along through the gravel and grass just off Lake Street on Monday, June 23, 2018 in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)

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According to a press release from WalletHub that popped up in the Betster’s email, the top-10 beach towns…

Crossing guard A cow moose helps a calf get out of a ditch and cross the Homer Bypass late Friday, June 8, 2018 in Homer, Alaska. Motorists should be on the alert for newborn calves and momma moose, even in downtown Homer. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

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Ya know what? Sometimes even the great beauty held by the Kenai Mountains and Mother Kachemak Bay aren’t…

A cow moose and newborn twin calves graze in the grass on the side of Diamond Ridge Road near Shelton Drive on Saturday evening, June 2, in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

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The dog days of summer are here, folks. Do you, like the Betster, find yourself scrambling about the…

Members of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars hold flags on Memorial Day, May 28, 2018, at Hickerson Memorial Cemetery, Homer, for services there. (Photo by Michael Armstrong / Homer News)

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This past Monday, Homerites young and old took time to remember the veterans who gave their lives for…

An American Legion flower wreath decorated the Ninilchik Cemetery at a 2106 Memorial Day service to honor those fallen in battle. (Homer News file photo)

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Blame it on a cold spring, a ripping and gnarly break up, or just being too darn busy,…

Isla Brown, age 5, sits on Wildheart, the Giving Salmon, sculpture Saturday, May 12, 2018 at the ribbon cutting for the Homer Boat House in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

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“Skjdfsdan,” one of our hotshot reporters wrote as a draft lede to Best Bets. No, that’s not the…

Western sandpipers, dunlins and maybe a few least sandpipers feed in Mud Bay on Tuesday, May 7, 2018 in Homer, Alaska. A pulse of about 8,000 sandpipers flew in Tuesday night.

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Homer has really gone to the birds lately. Apologies, but this is the only time of year the…

Two sandhill cranes walk across a yard on Crestwood Circle on Thursday, April 26, 2018 in Homer, Alaska. Report sandhill crane sightings to the Kachemak Crane Watch at 235-6262 or reports@cranewatch.org. Date, time, location, behavior, and number of cranes is helpful. Leave a name and number in case the group needs more details. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)

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Our erstwhile editor escaped to Europe last month. Yes, he brought back chocolate, souvenirs and a copy of…

Local resident Theresa Engebretsen’s boxer, Miller, has a peaceful interaction with two moose Sunday, April 22, 2018 at her house in Homer, Alaska. They touched noses six or seven times and then hung out for awhile, Engebretsen said. “I’ve never seen an interaction like this with a dog and moose,” she said. (Photo by Theresa Engebretsen)

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Spring has sprung! And with it, all that mud and gunk that spent months in the back of…