Hurricane Ridge

It was rainy on my last day in Washington last week and I found myself in Olympic National Park, Hurricane Ridge to be specific.

I didn't mind at all that our view was obstructed. When you are at your final destination on a trip, one that you've dreamed of seeing for ages, you're just happy to be there. I'm sure these guys felt the same.

We did see a glacier up close and personal. That counts, right? Because it's October and the ice is still there? Anyone?

This was our view, which didn't showcase the Olympic Mountains at their peak, but I still found it to be pretty spectacular.

It started to clear up as we headed down the mountain.

And just beyond that ridge ... Canada!

We drove around Lake Crescent towards the other side of the park and the other natural treasures in store.

Moved by the Spirit

On the morning we left Yakima Valley, our family finally got together for a group picture, and also to show off some pumpkin carving artistry, namely from my dad.

It's been years since we carved pumpkins together, so I was pretty happy that we got it together enough to even get the pumpkins.

My dad has a puncture-holes-around-the-pattern-then-connect-the-dots approach, which is very effective with complicated designs.

I let him trace mine, but kept my batman logo pretty simple.

We found a great spot on the patio to show them off.

And just when I thought pumpkins were the greatest thing ever grown, I fell in love with the apple tree in the front yard, weighted down by its own branches and kissed by the lawn mower.

Happy Halloween and happy fall!

Mount Saint Helens or Bust

After cruising along the Columbia River Gorge and heading into Washington state on our way to my aunt and uncle's house, a mysterious mountain loomed ahead.

Actually, we had to exit and drive a ways first, but then we saw it ... Mount Saint Helens, the stuff from geology class made of legends from the 80s.

It's been over 30 years, and the treeline is still barely starting to recover from the famous volcanic blast.

Here you can see the once snow-capped mountain that blew its top in a nine hour stew of gases and ash. Well, the build up to it lasted much longer, as you can imagine.

Eight foot diameter trees were snapped off their roots and the sound barrier was smothered for 30 miles around. My uncle remembers his apple farm getting covered in ash over 100 miles away, and a visitor from Ohio told me that ash snowed into her pool from that fateful day.

That's one mountain I think I'll skip climbing.

Red Tide at Dawn

 

I went to the coast earlier this week and finally saw the thing I've heard so many talk about. Do you ever think you know something because you hear it so much until you actually see it for yourself and realize you had no idea what you were talking about?

 For me, that was a red tide. This algae bloom was the first I'd seen, and you can see for yourself how it gets its name.

And fishing just a week before showed no trace of it. Even a mass as infinite as the ocean can change quickly.

 The algae blooms are part of the season and provide food for lots of species- just harmful to us if we eat shellfish from the water during a red tide.

 

During my hike with Chuck on a glorious sunny day, we looked out at seal rock to see whales feeding and seals barking their heads off. Here's a little video I shot so you'd get a picture of just how loud those cute little flippery fur-balls really are.

Signs of Spring

The daffodils are here, making it officially spring in Bodega! 

Here's to longer days and more sunshine.