Had to think about this. I spent my New Year’s on a two hikes in low 30 degree weather. We each have to define what a holiday is. I think walking a beautiful trail and seeing a driftwood elephant in the process (who I have since named Fee Fee, and yes there is more to that one) made it a wonderful holiday. I also saw hawks and herons and eagles and little brown birds playing peekaboo from the bushes. So, this is my first offering for the year.
 The second half of the day with the Sierra Club was brought onto my little island where I discovered another trail that I didn’t know about, Iverson Spit. The interesting thing is that my grandparents were Iversons. I may have to look into that further at some point.Coming around the bend in the road, there were some Canadian geese in the field. There were a couple of bald eagles just before that and I was stopping to get some shots of them, but the guy behind me started honking his horn and they were veering off. Not sure if it was because they didn’t want to hang around the jerk who couldn’t appreciate their majesty or some other reason. But, I guess it did prove that Sierra Club and appreciation for nature did not always go hand in hand or it did so selectively depending on how great what the sheep’s need to follow. |
 The herons are wonderful to see regardless of where they are found. Though I must admit that I prefer those rare occasions where they are found fishing. |
 It seems I am slowly starting to learn to identify even the little birds. This is and Anna’s hummingbird. I was told that they are quite stunning to catch in the sunlight (of which we had pretty much none of that day). This one was quite content to just hang around this one tree. |
 A little bit of proof that they are not always moving. |
 I do like the driftwood beaches that line my island. I believe I was told its because they funnel through the bay and they come in but don’t go out. But, it does make for some interesting fancy footwork along them to get to the water’s edge. And they can get very slick. |
 Kinda looks like a seed pod, doesn’t it? Its probably for one of those giant trees on the other side of the world that you can wrap 50 pairs of arms around and the itty bitty tops on them. |
 Red holly??? Does that mean the mistletoe will be purple? That would be cool! |
 Just cuz it look ethereal! |
 I have always know these as Manzanitas, however, it seems no one up here knows that name. I think they use Madrone. Or something like it. Difference is, up here, they are HUGE!!! |
 Blackbird singing in the dead of night! |
 They’re our redwing blackbirds. My understanding is the male has multiple mates and the stay in family units. The female is much drearier looking as is with most of the bird species save the raptors. |
 And here the Patriarch is catcalling, uhm, birdcalling the single females flitting about. |
 Just some pretty lichens that look like big snowflakes on the branches. |
 See???? Snowflake!!! |
 Particle snowflake! |
 Oh, I forget what they said this little brown one was. |
 Its a doorway to another realm. I peeked inside. They were having lunch, so I will go back later. |
 Isn’t that a cute little bridge? |
 It looked really cool sticking up from the grasses. |
 Thought it made an interesting formation and has some nice lights and shadows in it. |
 The miniature world around here is just as lovely as the big world. But, I have often noticed that many people will walk right by such things without even seeing them. |
 They’re just sooo cute!! And they can generally be found most of the time. Unlike a lot of the mushrooms that are generally only seen in the fall. |
 Little did the unsuspecting travelers know, but they had entered the darkness forest and the trees were reaching out to claim more victims for their evening meal. It was proving to promise quite the feast. |
 And the long spindly hand reached out from the bowels of the earth toward their cowering forms. |
 Now bow to your partner on the left, then bow to your partner on the right! |
 Though it does look cooler in grayscale! |
 We were pretty sure it was a Cooper’s hawk. |
 Yup, that’s what it seems to be. |
 And the darkness opened before them, daring them to enter. |
 Pretty colors, aren’t they? |
 No one else seemed to find this as stunning as I did. I still find it stunning. The reflection was just perfect. |
 Irresistible, one would think. Alas, it will have to wait for another day. The ground was so we that my boot got sucked in to the ankle on the firs step. Its been a wet year! But, I will be back for this one. |
 Now, That’s a spider plant!!! |
 I so love the color of these trees after they shed their bark. Almost looks like wounds in some places. |
Celebration! |
 Ahhh! And the little hummingbird is still there. A bit closer this time. |
 And he did a little flutter-by for us. |
 Liftoff!!! |
 Wow! I’m pooped! |
 Alas, it was a very overcast day when I went with the Sierra Club to Port Susan Bay. These are Snow Geese, though its hard to tell because of the gray skies. They come all the way from Russia to spend their winters with us. |
 I’m thinking I need to head over to Fir Island before they leave and see if I can get some shots of some really big clouds of them taking off. |
 I have absolutely NO idea what this thing is, only that it was old and the metal parts were rusty and it looked very cool. So, I did what any shutterbug does, I took a picture. |
 And to think the last time I was over here, this was dirt. Now its a cute little pond! |
 Although the small monolith in front of the prickly vines looks like it might be an unmarked grave, it isn’t. But, we’ll just pretend that it is. Or maybe it really is and we shouldn’t mention it.Look at the pretty plants in the front of the picture! |
 Oh, just because I like things like this. And no, I do not know what kind of plant it is. |
 I considered noting a few things that can be found in the curves and shadows of this driftwood root, but thought it would be more fun to make it a visual treasure hunt for everyone else. Do enjoy! |
 This is actually a prehistoric saddle for a mastodon. They used to be prolific on these shores and the native tribes had domesticated an entire herd of them for their use. Needless to say, they rarely had to raise a bow in battle. The warring tribes took one look at their woolly steeds and ran the other way. |
 From a distance its a Rorschach block. |
 One lovely thing that can be done to take advantage of what would otherwise be dismal pictures on an overcast day is to drop them to tinted shots like this. I rather like this one. And the wetlands in the distance are quite cool, I think. |
 This is actually an ancient instrument reportedly used by Hades to attempt to woo the Goddess Persephone before resorting to conspiring with her father to set an example for centuries to come, and simply abduct her. |
 Silhouettes on a misty moor. |
 And now you know giants really did walk the earth. And this is a toothpick grove they left behind. |
 They stood in fear as the Goliath began to emerge from the murky depths of the bog. But the curiosity overrode their fear as they wished to know what the final creature would be in its full glory. |
 Its a moat!No its not. Its where the critters had their party last night and danced in circles till dawn with their rain dance. It was a successful dance, as the furrow is now full.Its still a moat! |
 And flap! And flap! And FLAP! |
 Naner! Naner! Naner! You can’t catch me!!!! Plllttthhhzzzz!!! |
 Up, Up and AWAY!! |
 Yes, to most, it looks like a desolate wasteland. But wait! There’s life down there! Where? You ask. . . . . |
There! |
 I dunno. Its a little brown bird sitting on a wire. Oooh, Bird On a Wire, wasn’t that a movie? Maybe its a movie star? |
 Its so easy to find your own little private island in some places. Okay, you may not be able to build a home on it, but its the thought that counts. |
Just cuz its cool! |
 How they put nitrogen back in the soil up here. And they’re pretty too! Though I hear they will take out the electrical lines sometimes. |
| WARNING!! The next shot is not for those of a squeamish demeanor that only want to see live critters. |
 There’s a dead flicker in the middle of the road. Dead flicker in the middle of the road. Dead flicker in the middle of the road. Never again flying to heaven!For those that want to know more, its a Northern Flicker. I couldn’t help it. The colors were pretty. I was talking to my daughter when I saw it and told her to hold on. There was a dead body and I wanted to take pictures. She laughed and said she love me cuz I was so weird. Well, yes. |
 Padilla Bay is one of those rare hikes in Western Washington that has something like 0, as in ZERO, none, till flatter than the christian rendition of earth, elevation. Well, maybe there are a few inches in one direction or another. However, it is the home of many interesting birds and plant life. Though it seems someone notified them of our arrival prior to our getting there and they decided to play a prank by being virtually non-existent the entire time we were there. Or it could also have been a lucky fishing boat off to the other side of the hill that they were getting a free lunch from. Either way, it became more of a nature hike with a few interesting sightings during the course of it. |
 There were a few encounters, like this one. I believe it is a Cooper’s Hawk. Pretty little things. |
 These tracks, we were able to successfully identify as belong to a distant relative of the Dodo bird which is now extinct. The Didit bird, though rarely seen, has been known to leave tracks as it prowls for tidbits to share with its companion, the Sasquatch. Its a symbiotic relationship and adds to the mystery of Sasquatch sightings. Its also where the bird got its name. When seen, people will point to it and stutter, “he diditditdit”, which eventually got shortened to Didit. |
 Looks like this one was engaged in the mysterious two step hippity hop mating dance where they first jump one foot forward, one foot back, then straight down and bow to their prospective partner. We didn’t see any other tracks in the other direction, so she must have been playing very coy and hiding behind the reeds. Which they often do as they chortle a beckoning call to the suitor. |
 The aliens found many areas of this region to be difficult to leave their calling cards and had to improvise. So, where the Midwest has crop circles, we have wetland tribal markings. The decision was reached after a long negotiation process with the local tribes of the region, who, unlike in other areas of this country, did not lose all their lands and rights, came to an agreement that they could mark the land, but they had to use ancient tribal symbolism. It is rumored that it wasn’t tobacco that was in the peace pipe they handed the aliens and this is the reason for the rather unique interpretation of the tribal marks. |
 And it seems the aliens also left another gift on their visit to our wetlands. One might believe these small puffs to be fallen pieces of moss, but on closer inspection, it is noted that they completely encompass the branch they are attached to. |
 And here, their nefarious intent becomes apparent. The obvious blood on this batch shows them to be a alien carnivorous dust bunnies of the vamperical extraterrarium family. A highly invasive species that will need addressing and eradicating. |
 And here we have one of the alien all terrain vessels in submarine mode posing as a stick. |
 Little does it know that the Earth protects herself and is readying herself for a light snack of alien kabobs by opening her gaping maw of doom. |
 After a quick bite, she returns to her normal and serene demeanor. |
 This tiny island, surrounded my vast expanses of mud was once home to a tiny band of mud people. It took them hundreds of years to build their mud moat around the island. A feat for which they generally get the last laugh as most people are unaware of the extreme danger that mud presents. One can swim through water. But, mud will suck you down as effectively as wet cement. Which is probably where the gangsters first got that idea from. |
 Proof that everything is made of star stuff. |
 Although they may look like the tusks of a mastodon skeleton, the closeness of them is more indicative of a rarer species of the Beelociraptor. As the vegetation began to shrink in size, so did this creature evolve to meet the ever smaller orifices it had to probe, until it became the honeybee we know today. |
 See? On closer inspection, you can see the tubular opening at the other end where this voracious creature sucked in massive amounts of nectar. |
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 Remember a while back when it was stated about the dangers in the mud zones? Well, this poor unsuspecting creature thought nothing of her trusty canines wanting to wander into the mudlands and when she saw that they were unaffected by the terrain, allowed them to venture further. The end results speak for themselves here. Poor thing forgot that god spelled backwards is dog, thereby giving them near deity abilities to walk on watery surfaces that are denied to most other creatures. You can see them having a grand laugh over the joke on their human companion. Thankfully, she also had a great sense of humor which almost got her laughed even deeper into her sinkhole. |
 Lesson number 2. Dogs that will drag you into the mudflats to begin with will NOT pull you back out if you ease up on their leash. When you tell them to come on, they think you want to go play farther out. And that is just where they will take you. |
 She did finally extract herself from the mud after releasing the dogs to their own devices. Though the bog monster did demand the sacrifice of one shoe before releasing her. That made the end of their adventure in the bay for the day, but gave them plenty of material to fill the pages of their journals that night. |
 Eureka! We found the entrance to the Bog Monster’s Lair. And people said it didn’t exist! |
 Damn! Wasn’t wearing the overalls. Probably doesn’t look the same to dangle one out of your teeth in hiking clothes. I’ll just admire them. |
 Tiny little starbursts in a sea of gray! |
 Well, at least the plovers didn’t go into hiding like the rest of the birds. Or, at least this one didn’t. |
 Lookie! Its a little fairy parasol! Bet they are hiding in the rock crevices. Though it could be trolls which can be really mean and have very sharp teeth! |
Little splatters of gold just jump out in this terrain. |
 Yeah, that would be a find I will keep a safe distance from. Not sure I have ever seen them build a home in a driftwood tree before. |
 Keep looking. I am sure there is a hidden picture in there somewhere! |
 This is the fairy dust runway where the pixies fly low over to collect the dust from the tips of the waving tendrils for use in helping young children to fly and bring back to Neverland to keep Peter company. |
 And those black pods below? Those would be the pods of zombie walking death that must not be consumed, no matter the cajoling from the fairies. Never forget that one should never eat or drink of a fairy’s offering. |
 Wow! That’s REALLY pink! |
 There! Much better! |
 And that is not a smudge in front of the mountain. Its the damn raptor that has been evading me all day. And there is no doubt in my mind that it is the same raptor! |
 Oh lookie! BUTTERFLY! |
 Not a dandelion. |
 Party poopers. |
 Oh lookie! Its a secret chest hidden in a stone tomb. Can it be claimed as a treasure hunter’s find? Cool enclosure though. Bet the person who forgot to put the stone back in in trouble. Hmmm? It could be a gateway into another realm. |
 Its the contemplation bridge. |
 I think this came out quite nicely! |
 See above. |
 Well, swifts ARE birds. The are NOT raptors. But when the raptors are playing hide and seek, you have to accept what you can catch. |
 What lies under these murky depths??? |
 Its like a house of mirrors that just seems to go on and on and on and on. Welcome to Deception Pass. And one of a set of bridges that gets you across it. We didn’t get here quite as early as I had hoped we would. First thing in the morning is one of the most magical times to see the pass as the morning mists hang over the water and hills. |
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 Holy Bat Monsters Robin! That’s the biggest fish I’ve ever seen! Doesn’t this thing go any faster? I think he’s gaining on us. |
 Have crack or crevice, will grow. Stony mountainside? Not a problem. If there’s the tiniest fissure, green will happen. |
 Tiny lichens hanging on the branch. Tiny lichens grabbing any line to cling to. |
 And when you find that the forest floor is too populated for your liking, you can always take root on the side of the trail. The added benefit of this is to create worry of crushing by the hikers that walk alongside. |
 For those that need to know if they really want to take on a hike of a certain magnitude. One is, after all, a daunting .7 miles distance. Of course, what they don’t tell you on these signs is the elevation gain and drop on any of these. So, the .1 mile could potentially be .1 of cliff climbing. |
 Can’t you just close your eyes and imagine those roots reaching up and wrapping around your ankles to drag you screaming into a gaping maw of earth before closing in over your head?? |
 It just looks more ancient when you strip the colors, doesn’t it? |
 There really, really needs to be a swing from the center of this!!! That would be an E-Ticket ride if ever there was one!!! |
 And it looks much the same after a trip backward in time. |
 And way off in the distance, you can see the prodigal son. Looks like he is trying to figure out some fancy setting on his camera to show his mother up. But, he is missing the gaping maw before me, which no fancy setting is a match for! |
 And there is even a treasure hidden deep in its depths. They may look like simple beach stones to the average person, but they are really coins dating back to the caveman days and still used by our local Sasquatch communities. They have found that the exchange value isn’t quite as good as they like when trading with the locals though. |
 Bout all you can say about this little plant is Oooooh, Ahhhh!!! Pretty!!! |
 One more time – Ooooh!!! Ahhhhh!!! Pretty!!! |
 Filters are fun to play with! |
 They’re even pretty in shades of gray! Ooooh! Ahhh! |
 Gotta love those determined cliff clinging trees! Its nature’s way of showing off and letting you know She can put her trees anywhere and they will be fine. |
 As it rises from beneath the rocky shores of the island, reaching out its green mandibles for unsuspecting bare toe blood sport! |
He’s just a shell of his former self. |
 Okay, now if this doesn’t look like something from a scene in Dune, I don’t know what does. |
 For those who are wondering where it is the flower fairies hide when the humans are around, they have these little clifftop retreats. This also explains the tiny acorns that get dropped on your head even though there is no wind nor oak trees around. |
 What luck! It seems we have the fortune of being witnesses to the ever elusive dance of the wood nymph! |
 And they are known for dancing to full exhaustion. |
Cute little guy, isn’t he? |
 And the nurse tree that had the boy so fascinated. Next time, I’ll have to take him to one of the old growth trails. |
 Blends quite well with the natural wildlife, doesn’t he? |
 Peek-A-Boo! |
 Breathtaking, isn’t it? |
 Pretty little flowers, all on a vine. Pretty little fan leaves, following close behind. |
That quite a long way down!! |
 Wild roses!!! Pre-thorn era. |
 Now you didn’t think you’d get through one of my wanders without a shot of something dead or decaying, did you? |
 Its a miniature little land within the great above. |
 Rollin, rollin, rolling down the river!! |
 And this was where I learned that my son has issues with heights. Now, I am sure I never dangled him out of a window, so I am innocent for implanting that fear in his mind. But wait! He flies all over the country. He doesn’t have an issue with that? Well, that could be because it brings back fond memories of his first plane trip where he threw his tray of food all over the stewardess. Yes, there was a time where they did feed people full meals on flights and not just in first class. |
And yes! The water REALLY is that color! |
Its one of those linear things again. But, it does gt you to the other side! |
 Day two of Blunami’s visit to my little corner of the country and I thought we would go on a hike somewhere that is unlike anything she has down in the land of beige. So, we went to Big Four Ice Caves. |
 Even without the caves, it is a beautiful hike. Old growth with windfalls, towering skeletons and lush growth. |
 You have to stand in awe of a storm that can rip a tree out of the ground of this size and just lay it down. |
 And to get a sense of just how big it is. . . . . . |
 And the Road is Long, with Many a Winding Turn . . . . . . lalalalalalalala! |
 And pretty skunk cabbages all in a row! |
 A peek at one of the surrounding mountains. And no, I don’t know the names of the various mountains. That’s on my to learn list. So rest assured, there will not be a quiz at the end. |
 So, it begs the question. If you fold it just right, could a body be stashed here??? |
 I am relatively certain that the plant on the left is wild ginger. But, since I am not 100% certain, there will not be a quiz on this one either. |
 And you though it was all in the minds and imaginations of people like the Grimm Brothers to come up with a haunted forest populated by laughing evil trees. Well, it actually was. But, many of us understand that such tales are cautionary tales that have their foundation in reality. Or at least the perception of reality that exists after a night of drinking ale and whiskey and passing out on the forest floor where you wake up to this hovering over your body. (Makes you want to rethink that next drink, doesn’t it?) |
 Never fear! For just a short way down the trail is this nice tree offering a safe haven from the evil flesh rending tree that was laughing at your pitiful countenance. |
 The lesson to be learned from these beautiful evil darlings is that when you see them first coming up from the ground to always check and realize they are NOT dandelions. Though their leaves can somewhat resemble them, they are NOT. Do NOT with your bare hands attempt to extract them from the ground. They will embed their little prickles into you as badly as will nettles. They will show up everywhere, even in cracks in the cement where they are especially difficult to remove. Other than that, they are just beautiful throughout their entire life cycle to photograph. Which is probably why I have left one monster plant growing in my back yard. |
I just liked the way it split three ways. |
 One of the surrounding hills when you reach the clearing to the Ice Caves. As opposed to a desert island, its more like a desert hilltop. |
 And here we have the Emerald Palace. Doesn’t it just look like a castle made of trees sitting up there. Or it could be trees imitating Meerkats looking out over the valley. |
The clouds make this hike so much prettier!  |
And for that Timeless Look! |
 Now, how cool is that? A coffin shaped stone and it was even covered with some dirt. It was a bit heavy to heft out of there, so we left it. Who know, maybe someone would want to bury someone under it. |
 One of the fascinating things in this valley is the walls of sheer rocks with tiny waterfalls all along them. These are also the source of the ice caves. And the closer you get to these walls, the colder the air gets. You might be wearing a tank top before entering the valley area, but you will be reaching for a bit more covering as you make your approach. |
Ooooh, Pretty!!! |
 I’m thinking she was a bit fascinated. Alas, it was a bit early in the year for the true ooh-aah of the caves. I now understand why we always went in the fall to these. Guess Blu will have to come back then to see how wondrous they are! |
The staircase of falls! |
 You can just feel the frigidness of the water falling down these steps |
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Just makes the breathing deeper when you look on scenes like this.  |
 You just have to be careful of the pacific gators hiding in the waters. They tend to particularly like the skunk cabbage. They find it hides their scent from the prey. |
 Pretty tiny purple flowers. Yeah, I should identify them. Maybe later. |
Wild leaf day? |
Beautiful Solomon’s Seal. They are all over this trail. |
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 The winds ONLY stripped one side of the tree? |
 She almost looks reluctant to be heading back down the trail. Guess she’s going to have to come back! |
Lonely little bell. |
Nature’s yo-yos!!!  |
Queen’s cup, Bead Lily |
Dance of the woodland ferns. |
 And in every crevice, you can find life taking up residence. |
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Sweating tree mushrooms. They form the most interesting shapes.  |
 And then we have the infamous alpaca tree. Legend has it that wild herds used to roam the hills till the white man came where they began to capture and tame them so they could sheer them of their soft piles to make socks for their tender feet. But, they missed one, the king of the alpacas. When they realized he had been missed, that his coat was rumored to be softer than that of any of the others, they set out on an expedition to find him. The Spirit of the Forest felt they had taken enough and asked the Alpaca King if he wished to stay and become one with the forest. He heartily agreed and was transformed just before they threw the net over him. Well, they had no use for a moss-mop, so they took back their nets and he stand next to the trail to this day, mocking the passing humans for being outsmarted by an alpaca. And once in a while, he has been known to spit on a passing human. Though, it is generally one that doesn’t show sufficient respect for the forest. |
 Many a sacrificial victim has met its end at the maw of this ancient spirit of the forest by the little forest sylphs within. |
 Okay, all together now – Oooohhhhh – Aaaahhhh!!!Pretty!! |
 So, we decided that a single falls hike was not enough for one day, so we added a second trail to the list. I have never been to Franklin Falls, but it was a very nice, mellow low elevation hike. We didn’t hit the trail at the beginning of it, because after driving halfway through the park area and not finding the trailhead, we went back out and asked at the ranger station. They told us that we could park anywhere that there was a pullout and could see the trail and start there. So, that’s what we did. And that’s where I got my first shot from the trail. Combination waterfall stream and snow stream. |
 There is something deeply amusing to me that one of the first blooms in the forest is the skunk cabbage. This plant never ceases to amaze me. The leaves are just massive, but it seems that they don’t get so very huge until after they have bloomed. But, the blooms are just so unique. I am guessing it only qualifies as a single petal that forms a hammock cup that shoots out what appears to be a corncob spathe on a stalk. |
 Love the mossy covered branches!! |
 And they take on a surreal look when you strip them of the color. |
 Seems like there may be more than one set of falls here. This one is for the smallest of the fey creatures. The dark crevices alongside are part of a complex network of pathways that weave through all areas of the forest for them to monitor the conditions. Rumor has it that there are additional pathways that will spirit them to the neighboring forests and possibly all of them. This has not been proven though. The entrances of many of them are guarded by a particularly viscous sect of trolls whose teeth are not only barbed and sharp as razors, but also have a caustic bile in their mouths that can dissolve every known fabric. |
 Beware gifts offered by the spirits of the forests. Especially if they are black and and the hand offering them is protruding straight up out of the ground. |
 And for those that are wondering how they keep those little fairy outfits so clean and stain free, please observe the community washing stream. It is equipped with old growth agitators, stone tumbling action and no need for water softeners with the patented pure glacier fed water system. |
 There were some issues between them before emerging from the ground. Consequently, even though they were conjoined at the hip, they stubbornly stared of into other directions. |
 Tiny bells, ringing in the forest. Tiny bells, ringing through the silence. Tiny bells, sounding just like Yuletide. Tiny bells, ringing wings onto fairies. |
 Rounding the corner, we find the little alcove where much panning for gold, or silver, or maybe it was agates. Well, they didn’t have much luck till they got back into town where they opened up a store to sell off their tools to the burly men heading up to Alaska where for a small additional sum, they included a map to the homestead where it is reputed that you can see Russia from the back porch. |
 Ahhh, a quartet of skunk blossoms. Just looking at that lovely shiny petal and cob-like center, you are certain they will work so well with any of a number of those recipes you were looking at in that new cookbook over the weekend. |
 This is what is known as a forest ruins. All that is left is a mere shell of what was once a majestic tree. However, unlike the ruins of humans, life still prevails in the ruins of the forest. Look closely and you will see the dripping hills of moss, the ferns peeking from the crumbling bark. Tiny insects make it their very own gingerbread tree house that they will live in and eat their way through. Its a termite foodie wet dream! |
 Nature reclaims all. From the death and ruins of even the skeletal remains of a tree, there emerges new life. |
 And for those that were wondering what ever became of Ratatoskr? Well, he made a wrong turn and found himself in the PNW forests where he foolishly attempted to convert the heathenish fairies that inhabit these lands. They laughed at him and called him names, such as squirrel-zipper-nut-catcher. Well, he couldn’t resist reacting with the anger the Norse are known for and raced up and down the trees spewing threats of calling down the anger of his gods till he ceased to be an entertainment and moved into annoyance On his next scurry up a tree, he was caught by the sap and by the next morning had been sucked into the bark, an eternal warning to any who came upon him that one should use caution in dealings with the spirits in the trees. |
 The guardians of the forest. They were here before you came. They will persist after you have gone. Just walk up to one of these Golliaths and breath in its magnitude. Quietly waiting, being, watching. And you cannot but be filled with their soft peace when you stand next to them and breath in the spikey green of their perfume. |
 There she is! First glimpse which brings a swift drop in temperature. The slick rocks from the spray serve to hold back all but the most determined of the hikers. Alas, my son was not wearing shoes that allowed him to count himself in their numbers. |
 Stripped of color, you can almost feel the chill of her presence. The falling locks of the Ice Queen. |
 The truth is, it was very easy to convince me to go on a double hike given they both involved waterfalls. Its yet another of those things that my son and I share in common. Our love of falls. He has always been my favorite running around with buddy. That hasn’t changed. He still is. |
Just stunning! |
 Oh my! There’s a lady in this falls too! A bit heavier than the one at Boulder River. And she might be expecting. |
Yup, she’s still there! |
 And a rather surprised little monster at the base of the rotted trunk. Okay, I have a wild imagination, but you can see it there. Two eyes over the gaping mouth! He’s kinda cute, don’t you think? |
 This IS my idea of worship. I don’t know that I believe any of the Gods really exist, but if any of them do its not in a building you will find them. Its in “this” that they will call any earthly home. |
 And there he is! That’s my son! Geek to the core. Even wears his Google goggles out on the trails. But, at least he is mostly able to tune out the outside world and enjoy the woods. I did really good. He is a success in his life and doesn’t work himself into a grave doing it. He makes sure he enjoys life. And not waiting to do so. I am proud. And I still don’t know what I did to deserve such an amazing son. |
 Just cuz it was cool looking. That’s why! |
 Love these mushrooms! Sometimes they can get absolutely HUGE! Of course, the tree is generally dead that they are on. I’m not sure if they grow on dead trees or kill the trees. |
 You can just hear the tunes from Little Shop of Horrors playing in your head as you look on it. Maybe that’s what sucked the squirrel into the bark. |
 Black branches stretching out from the trunk like dark lightening issuing from the depths of the tree. |
Reclaiming as nature always does. Nurse trees on a fallen mother. |
 And yes folks, that is indeed snow at the end of May. We almost forgot to stop and get a few shots of that on the way out. Luckily, we didn’t have to walk back too far when we found a place to park. |
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 Saturday, I ventured out to take my first hike of the year, sticking close to home and going to the Camano State Park. Though the morning started off brisk and cloudy (around 34 deg at the start), the weather people has assured me that the clouds would clear and provide a beautiful day. |
The park is a very lovely place with lots of little trails scattered  throughout it. I only made it through a partial of them, so will have to return on another day or three or dozen to finish them off. The trails take you through the woods and down by beaches. |
 Wandering along one of the beaches I saw this guy just plowing along through the water. I couldn’t make out what he had in his beak till I got home and blew the picture up. I wonder if he’s going to decorate the nest with the starfish after he is done dining on it? |
Okay, the twisted part of me looks at these (they were littered all over  the beach!) and thinks, “Now that’s a projectile weapon to scare the most seasoned warrior” |
 Just have to love the gelatinous creatures that issue from the foaming mouth of the ocean! |
Someday, his ship will come in. And I shall be here to greet him.  |
 How can you not love an old tree? Especially one with a yoni in it? |
Then we have the hag tree. “I’ll get you, and your little dog too! “ |
 Love the little mushrooms that litter the trees and ground. These were so delicate and lacy looking. |
 Allright, I saw this and saw a witch on a broom. And thanks to some charming friends of mine who saw “something else”, I shall now not be able to look at this without seeing what their perverted minds conjured. *sigh* |
Tiny bubbles, tiny bubbles on the tree!!!  |
I don’t think I shall ever tire of the clouds. |
 I personally thought it was very thoughtful of the park authorities to place this near the community center so parents (and other affected adults) would have a place for poorly behaved children. Why, you could leave them there safely tucked away while you explore the trails without worrying about them taunting the wildlife or falling into a ravine. Now, that’s intelligent Huzzah! |
Now, don’t you just feel like you stepped into a time machine and  went back to the old west days?? Black and White does so much for the ambiance of some pictures, I must admit. |
 I couldn’t get enough of this one. How I hated those signs ordering me to stay on the trail. And though I am not one for being “obedient”, I understand these signs are to protect the nature. And so, with a sigh of regret, I comply. But, to stand in the center of that ring of trees!! Oh my! |
Little mushroom, little mushroom growing in the moss. How the micro life loves you for the shelter you bring! |
Just cuz it was pretty! |
See? The clouds did clear! And what lovely colors they painted as  they slipped away. |
Well, these were a bit slower at moving off. |
The colors!! And in the dead of winter! |
I’m thinking its the tree’s version of warrior pose. |
Just cuz it caught my eye! |
 Leaving. |
 What light through yonder tree line break? |
The curious sculptures trees make when they get bored . |
 Spider webs in golden leaves sparkling like diamonds in the sunlight. |
The lonely marsh. |
 Can spend some time finding some interesting things in this on. |
My Bokeh shot of the day. I rathe r like the way this one came out! |
 Maybe he was looking for the same ship as the gull? |
*Happy Sighs* |
 I believe they are loons. The loudly announce they are coming in for a landing the entire time until they touch down. Was very entertaining! |
And then they did a repeat performance! |
I do love the sleeping plants of winter! |
And these little ones were just having the time of their life playing in that puddle! |
 Coming home, I had to turn down to the wetlands and get a few shots. |
Aren’t they just the cutest couple?? |
Fuzzy butt!!! |
Marsh again |
And one more before heading home. |
| Fir IslandOne of the amazing things about living here is the diversity We have everything from heavily wooded old growth forests to quiet beaches to marshy wetlands. Fir Island is one of those wetlands that is favored by many of the local and visiting birds, from bald eagles to swans and snow geese. According to Wikipedia, over 180 species of birds have been sighted in this area over the last year. It also says there, “Important internationally, this population and one that winters in California, are the only Snow Geese that migrate between Eurasia and North America and the only remnant still extant in Eurasia.” |
 Upon entering the area, one first casts eyes on the barren trees reaching up from the marshy pools under them. A wooded dancer in a private ritual to entice the sun to join her in her silent revelry. |
 Rounding a bend the sun had broken through the clouds, a small family of ducks tracing the edges of the sparkling reflection. |
 Diamond spark of the sun breaks through the winter bare branches straining to see if their reflections have begun to show even the smallest hint of spring on their edges. |
 Stripped of color, the barren branches ignited by the sunlight draw thoughts of an alien terrain and ghostly wanderings. |
 The first sighting, a heron gazing about its home and bathing in the warmth of the sun. |
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| Almost seems to be a common occurrence for me, particularly when I am trying to go somewhere. I was looking for somewhere to go for my first hike of the new year. So, an estuary with a bird sanctuary sounded like a wonderful place. And it is not as if I got lost. I didn’t. I actually found it. But, I reached a point in the gravel road where it said it would dead end and there would be no parking which meant I would have to backtrack to find the parking lot. |
 As I turned the car around to head back to the parking areas, I had to make a pre-stop and grab the camera from the trunk and get a few pictures of the mist hanging over the ground and the muted colors of the vegetation. |
The parking lot was part of Langus Rive rfront Park and it looked like a pretty good place to start. So, I parked, grabbed my gear and gave a quick look at the thermometer. 28 degrees. Okay, this could be a bit nippy.The lack of wind was going to be such a blessing for shots here. The water was just glassy, the mirror images showing the alternate univers in the watery depths. |
 The dying strands of the river weed, stripped bare of their color and kissed with frost made such a stark comparison to the surroungind landscape. |
 Winter blooms reached out to the frost from their branches along the river’s edge. |
 The soft light of the sun ignited the ice speckles on even the finest branches and leaves, melting tiny drops of water not quite heavy enough to pull away in release. |
 The rotting tree trunk had such a spectral look to it and became even more start when I got home and pulled the color from it. |
 One of the fascinating things about living in the Seattle area is how you can travel trails that seem to be in remote nature and turn a corner and get a glimpse of a corner of the city. Even more breathtaking when the clouds decide to dip and hug the buildings in the distance. |
 This towering giant was amazing on her own. Imaged in color did not do her justice but brought to light and shadow, its easy to see her reaching her branches up to the heavens. |
 Rounding another corner, I got another glimpse of the mist dotted hillside. And the birds were starting to come out to play now. |
 This was a stunning view. Between shots, I just stood and stared and allowed the beauty to wash over and through me. |
 I just couldn’t decide which of the two pictures to use. After going round and round trying to decide, I made it easy and placed both of them in. |
 As I came around a bend in the trail, I came across this man that I had seen earlier on the trail. I was looking around the area seeing what begged to have a picture taken and he was sitting on the bench eating his lunch. I snapped a couple pictures of him, not thinking much about it. But, when I got it downloaded, I was rather pleased with the way this one looked. |
 Around another bend, and the terrain shifts yet again. The river snaked through the distance with the trees and brush reflecting in the mirror surface of the still water. |
 What a truly amazing site overhead! I had to get home and blow the shots up and do some checking to find out what they were. I knew they were raptors, just not what kind. The skies held the majesty of young bald eagles. I was told this adolescent was about a year old. |
And another one! |
 The bridge going over to Spencer Island. It took a couple hours of wandering and shooting pictures. The mistake was a double one. Wearing new mud clompers and not wearing double socks had produced a blister on my foot that had been hobbling me for probably the last half hour or better. I was tired and knew I needed to put an end to this day. But, there, right in front of me was the gateway to the destination I had set out to find. The bridge into Spencer Island. *sigh* |
 Well, I couldn’t come this far without at least venturing inside. So, I cross the bridge. And immediately I am not disappointed. There, on the tree in the middle of the muddy expanse is a majestic red tailed hawk. Yes, I have seen them from the window as I drive down the road. But, this was close. This was his home. This was where he ruled. |
So very beautiful! |
 And still, after this many hours the frost was still there. How lovely the fragile sheets of ice spanning the dry weeds. |
 Another turn in the road and another look at the river or a stream shooting off from it. |
 And a flock of Canadian geese coming in for a landing. Hopefully, they know better than to go near the lake with the duck hunters. |
 As I near the parking lot, I spied this old structure, logging house, fishing shack, something. But, it just looked off and yet right nestled in before all the new dwellings. A stark portrait of an area where there is a place for the old to live alongside the new. |
 One final shot before getting in the car. Next time I will wear the right shoes. next time, I will tour Spencer Island. |
