My Everyday Photos

Last week Ken and I and the dogs got away from home for a few days. Whidbey Island was our destination. Whidbey is over 50 miles long and lies at the north end of Puget Sound, otherwise known as the Salish Sea. You get there by taking a ferry or by bridge across Deception Pass at the island’s north end. We took the bridge. It’s a good place for beach walking, exploring small towns and history and eating good food. We did all that and I got to take my kayak out in Penn Cove (where they grow the wonderful mussels) with Ken’s brother.

We camped at Fort Ebey State Park in a beautiful forested setting. It was a short walk to a bluff trail that provided wonderful views of the strait and good birding opportunities. It’s part of a large system of trails for walkers and mountain bikers. Fort Ebey is one of a series of forts that were constructed for coastal defense beginning in the 1900’s. Several of these installations were converted to state parks in the 1960’s.

The dogs had a great time on the beaches and the sunsets were marvelous. Driving across the pass we enjoyed the first dusting of snow in the North Cascades and a walk in the big cedar trees along the Skagit River at Newhalem.

New snow

Liberty Bell

Moss-covered limbs on the Trail of the Cedars at Newhalem

I was so pleased to see that Sky’s big stump didn’t burn in last summer’s fire at Newhalem

Bridge across the Skagit

Ringing the bell

Look both ways before crossing the highway Luna

Deception Pass

A bird’s eye view of a seal from the Deception Pass bridge

The gulls and kelp make an interesting abstract as seen from the bluff at the state park

Beautiful views of the strait were a short walk from our campsite

A great kelp bed on the west side of Whidbey

A boy and his dog

This old boat could use a little work

This is where the mussels are grown

Getting the platforms ready for new mussels

Seals like the mussel platforms

Arriving in Coupeville for lunch. Mt Baker in the distance

There’s Carl

Sunset on the bluff

Morning on the bluff

Mt Rainier

Kelp

A dog and her stick

Limpet on driftwood

Lake Pondilla

Fort Casey ruins

This is how they used to protect the inland waters

A freighter travels towards Seattle

Kites

Crows

Fort Casey lighthouse

Ebey’s Landing beach

Mt Rainier and a ferry.

Birds use the kelp bed as a platform to hunt for food.

What’s that NOISY intruder?

This noisy parachute with a lawnmower engine was quite the disturbance. All the birds flew.

Luckily, he didn’t stay too long.