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Beach Stuff

Some stuff from the beach. The blue jellyfish-like creatures are Velella velella, also know as by-the-wind sailors. Sometimes they get caught up in off-shore winds and end up on the beaches, dying and leaving a slippery and if it’s warm enough, stinky mess. Fortunately for us, it was not warm when we were there. You can read about them here. The first time I saw them, there were one or two here and there and by the time I left the beach, vast swaths of sand were covered with them.

 

Velella velella and dog
Velella velellas and crab
A good razor clam day
Kelp
Sand dollar

Days on the Beach

We spent most of last week at the beach.

One of my favorite scenes
Sand shrimp make good fish bait but first you have to catch them.
Dogs help with fishing
Ken flew his kite
Beach erosion. This used to be an easy level walk. Now it’s a ten foot drop to the beach.
Highly erodable cliffs.
And yet, they keep building.

One Amazing Tree

This ponderosa pine tree was severely burned in the Carlton Complex wildfire in 2014 and it is still alive and even vigorous. It has the remains of a metal notice indicating that it was an official bearing tree, marking an old survey line. I wonder if anyone even uses these bearing trees anymore since many people have some form of a GPS in their pockets?

Trees are amazing.

Another New Puppy

Oh! I love it when my friends get new puppies!

The roly poly blonde pup is going to another family
Are you going to be my mama?
Love.

Spring Changes

Everyday there is something to observe. With the melting snow, we can see where the dogs relieved themselves all winter. New wildflowers pop up overnight. Birds return from their winter haunts and declare their territories with loud calls and repeated banging. It rains. The mud returns. The sun shines. We go out and work furiously. And then it snowed.

Sunrise
Red-naped Sapsucker banging its beak on the wire
Northern Flickers discussing housing opportunities
Bluebells not yet opened
Vernal pond
I don’t know her
Fog follows rainy days
In Twisp, the farmers market opened
Garlic poking out of its mulch
Honeybees gather nectar and pollen from the tiny wildflowers
Promises of yellow balsamroot soon to come
Spring beauties
The steershead flowers are fading
Female Dusky Grouse thinks she is hidden
Female Dusky Grouse in flight
Finches at the feeder this snowy morning
Two mule deer
Yellow bells in the snow