Skip navigation

Tag Archives: sunset

149 Steps

Sky and I went to an agility event last weekend and had a chance to stay with friends of a friend who live on a bluff overlooking part of the Salish Sea. It was really very nice of them to take us in. Their little beach is 149 steps down from the their yard and we didn’t mind the walk at all. Sky was excited to smell the saltwater and chew on salty pieces of driftwood. It was pretty chilly so I didn’t throw anything into the water for her to chase. We enjoyed sunset and sunrise colors over the rugged Olympic Mountains. It was a good way to wind down in the evening and to wake up in the morning.

Don’t even ask about our agility results.

149 steps

 

Alpenglow at sunset

 

Morning waves

 

Morning light

Camp Life

Odlin County Park on Lopez Island is a delightful campground with 31 camp sites, some right next to the beach. We enjoyed campfires til the last night when a fire ban was instituted by the county fire marshal due to high fire risks. We can relate to that and did not complain. The sandy beach is great for going barefoot and beach combing. The dogs found some sticks and two tennis balls so they had everything they needed to stay busy when they weren’t napping. Our friend took Ken fishing for escaped Atlantic Salmon. See this article  and this one too for more information about this non-native species. And then he loaned us crab gear so we could catch and eat dungeness crab!

Life was very good to us on Lopez Island. No doubt, we will return!

Sweet campsite right on the beach
Luna met another labradoodle named Grover. He was about her size but obviously did not get a summer cut like Luna did.
This Bald Eagle kept a watchful eye over the campground
Atlantic salmon
Pretty outhouse from another one of the county parks
Trying to catch a salmon from a kayak. What if he caught one?
This Great Blue Heron enjoyed the sunset
A young seal watched me in kayak
Going out to set crab traps
Ready to drop it over the side
Well look at that! Crabs!
Can’t keep females.
Males have to be big enough
Crab trap float
That golden moment…..
Great Blue Heron on floating kelp.

Summer Vacation

Day 1

We hooked up the tent trailer and headed across the mountains, leaving behind hot weather and smoky skies and allergies generated by the smoke. At Happy Creek we all enjoyed a little walk and cool water before heading back out on the highway bound for Anacortes and the big ferry dock. While waiting for our boat, the girls enjoyed a walk on the beach and the scent of saltwater and seaweed. It was Sky’s first ride on a ferry and she overcame her fears of new things and enjoyed the trip to Lopez Island. We arrived to find two of our dear friends from Twisp camped right next to us! After setting up camp, I got out in my kayak for sunset and Ken joined our friend David in his boat just in time to pull up the crab traps! Dinner was served.

Happy Creek
Did you see that stick?
Maybe she ought to find a smaller stick?
Purple Martin boxes on the old pilings
Unusual jellyfish
Luna enjoyed the water
I found a stick!
Yummers!
First vacation sunset!

Evenings on the Beach

The best place for sunsets.

 

 

 

 

What Happened to June?

June 25 and what have I done this month? One hike. Two sets of visitors. Designed the cover for Ken’s soon-to-be-released CD. Walked my dogs. Two weddings that you can see here and here. Time flew by and now it’s nearly July.

We had one week of hot weather and then it returned to often windy and cloudy and even some good June rains. The grasses on our hill are taller than the dogs. Lupine continues to bloom along with the beautiful mariposa lilies that I cannot quit photographing. Bluebirds and swallows have fledged. A raven family spent a couple of weeks terrorizing the nesting birds. I do admire ravens but really I wish they did not eat eggs and other baby birds. Smokejumpers from the airport across the valley trained in the hot weather and in the windy weather.

Sunrise
dew drops on spider web
Tiny fawn
Raven breakfast
The vernal pond is still there
Eastern Kingbird
Sky
wild aster
Lupine and a dusting of new snow on the mountains across the way
Serviceberries
Currants
Dusky Grouse displaying to me and the dogs
Tree Swallow
Western Bluebird
Western Bluebird
Buckwheat
Mariposa
New growth on sage
Lupine and yarrow
tall grasses and yarrow
Lush grasses and dead trees
sunset