Making Merry on the Ferries

Washington has loads of islands with lots of interesting little hamlets, so Anna and I spent the past two days exploring a few. The best part was getting across the waters, the solution? Ferries!

The ferry arriving at Edmonds for a ride over to Kingston

The mad dash onto the ferry

 I never ride a ferry without reminiscing about the Staten Island Ferry where I grew up in NYC. Love the feeling of somehow cheating the elements by a quick run over salt water. 

A bit of a rainbow to make up for all that Washington rain

Approaching a magic Washington isle

Anna's pic of birdhouses along a nice rustic fence

We got a kick out of this big ole elephant along the roadside on the peninsula

On Whidley Island we stopped at the Greenbank farm. Most of it was closed but a lovely little shop was open where we could buy a few tidbits to snack on.

Ummm... pies....

Anna and the ducks have a little photo op

At Greenbank Farms I got a kick out of the duck ponds and its metal heron sculpture

On Widley Island we crossed over the humongous bridge at Deception Pass.

The Deception Pass Bridge that gets you back onto one of Puget Sounds many peninsulas

Anna at the Deception Pass overlook

View from the overlook

We ferried to Widley Yesterday, and today we ferried from Edmonds to Kingston. We visited the little town of Poulsbo. Loads of lovely little shops antique stores, bakeries and gourmet candy & coffee shops.

Poulsbo Washington

The Aquarium, which makes a nice background for the iron kids.

Pioneer Cabin in the State Park

One of the coolest places we visited was one we didn't know existed until we spotted it as we wizzed past on the highway - the Squamish Museum and Cultural Center. It is an enormous building. 

Suquamish Museum and Cultural Center

The museum, which occupies a modest portion of the faculty, is one of the best thought out museums dedicated to the first peoples I've ever visited.

Beautiful and detailed quilt in the entryway

The museum did not dwell solely in the past of the Puget Sound Salish Tribes. Some displays wee of items as old as ancient cedar bark baskets but there was a lot of modern day art there as well.

I was blown away by the drop spindle that slowy revolved on its dias. It was, as you can see, quite humongous!

The magical Butterfly decorated drop spindle

Anna assists with canoe transport

Everything old and new and artful was displayed in the museum

Tonight I am undecided on if I'll stay on with Anna and her family, or if I'll venture out and attempt to visit Olympic National Park. V. sweet of Anna, her brother and sister-in-law to give me such hospitality. Oh well! I'll decide what I'm doing in the morning.

Oh! Must mention, no visit with Anna is complete without visiting Frankie, Anna's naughty little cockatiel. Frankie is chock full of character and naughtiness. That's him reading the riot act to his toy/lover/dinosaur. You give that dinosaur what for Frankie!

Shasta, It Hasta Be Shasta

'Shasta, it hasta be Shasta'

Bright and early When I got around to it, I left the house yesterday morning, heading north for Washington State. My goal, is to visit with buds I haven't seen in a while, and secondarily, to tour Olympic National Park, and  possibly Crater Lake in Oregon - I'll see how it goes.

Monday's drive was uneventful, save for the view of snow covered Mt. Shasta, the long dormant volcano, which gleamed brightly in the sunlight. I stopped for a bit in the tiny town of Shasta for a deli sandwich and some coffee - the townspeople were friendly and cheering. So far so good! Spent the night in Eugene. Haven't visited that town since... the 1980s? I might be wrong about that, but its been a while. No stories to tell on that account anyway. Today I got up early and headed for Everett Washington. Along the way I stopped to view another volcano, which blew its top memorably in my own lifetime - Mt. St Helens.

Mount St. Helens with her bad self

I stopped in on the visitor center and prayed the volcano would stay quite at least until I could put in my getaway. Made it to Everett where I hooked up with my long time bud, Anna. It's good to see her. She was in my neck of the woods last November, but she was kept happily busy by her California family so I didn't get to see her. This time I get to hog my bud, all to myself. We started the visit with the official stuffing of the faces at a local Asian Buffet that her family enjoys. The restaurant had a large selection of shellfish and I went wild, trying my first ever Whelk. As expected, they are rather like escargot - slightly rubbery, taking on the taste of whatever sauce they were prepared in. What a hoot it was to try something so v. exotic.

Whelk not exotic enough? Well, there is that frog leg just below it, ready for sampling.

It was great catching up with Anna on her life's adventures. We made our plans for the next day or two. Originally we thought we'd visit Seattle, but looks like we're going to take her sister-in-law's advice and visit one of the islands of Puget sound. Oooo can hardly wait.

A Little South County Birding

After lunch with a buddy today, I was near Consumnes Reserve, so decided I might as well put in a visit there. I walked the boardwalk and although I enjoyed some v. close looks at Wilson's Snipes...

Wilson's Snipe

I was taken by the number of Common Yellowthroat, a type of warbler, that were bouncing around the reeds like they were on uppers. There were at least a dozen, the males with their black masks, and the less flashy females, but they never held still for second so it was a challenge getting any shots of them at all.

How's that for a striking bird?

BOING! I'm outta here!

By the time I meandered around the boardwalk, it was getting late and it dawned on me, I wasn't too far from a spot where Short-eared Owls hunt the ag fields. Not having any shots of any kind of Short-eared Owls, I  headed on over. First thing I spotted was a big ole' owl on a post.

Around 4:30 this big Short-eared Owl was perusing the fields

I've seen loads of this species before, but today was the best looks I've had of them EVER. What a thrill! There were a pair of them, and I watched one of them with a vole, get bullied and harassed in the air by the second bird.

Fluffin' it Up

The Short-ears flew back & forth over the fields, hunting. I saw the land, though they didn't seem to catch anything with most of their efforts. Good or bad year for rodents? Don't know. When I saw one flying with a big juicy vole, the other owl chased after it for a bit, then gave up. Competition is on. Oh! And I watched one bird chasing a small song bird - that was interesting.

Swooping up

Almost got it there...

Teetering to smooth out that landing

Saw lots of new-for-the-year birds, miraculously bringing my annual total for species seen in 2013 to 100 even-steven. Go ahead. Applaud. I don't blame you.