The 2010 Ski to Sea

The Ski to Sea was pretty low key for us this year.  I thought it was less well attended than other years, but I did not stay for much of the afternoon. We had great fun anyway...

Prelude to the Ski to Sea

Bellingham's Memorial Day"Big Event" is on . Below are two pictures from last weeks Junior Ski to Sea Parade, one of the Bellingham High School Red Riders Band from today's Ski to Sea Parade, and one of all the Kayaks lined up tonight at Zuanich Park, awaiting tomorrow's final leg of the Ski to Sea:

A blustery spring time storm

Good Heavens, did a spring storm blow through last night:

A wonderful first day of Spring at the Woodland Zoo

Last Saturday was a beautiful day at the Woodland (Seattle) Zoo.  Take your children and lovers there and recover your own soul.

North Fork Stone Sculpture

In places of great beauty, artistic spirits cannot suppress their contributions:

Storm Surge MLK 2010

This is a picture of the storm surge at the northwest corner of Boulevard Park in Bellingham on Martin Luther King Day 2010. More pictures here :

City of the Rogue

Shasta from I-5 Vista Point

Stopped in City of the Rogue (Rogue River, OR) on my way to Oakhurst, CA. tonight. Everytime I take the Siskyiou-Shasta passes, I am reminded of what rough, stark and (essentially unpopulated) beautiful country this part of the world really is. The snow levels are predicted to be high tomorrow, so I should make it over in my 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid fine. I did these passes in my 2000 Honda Insight more than a few times, but only once in a sleet/rain/snow storm. There are multiple 6% grades coming through the Roseburg, Canyonville, Grants Pass Area that I came through tonight - not too much problem with the new 2010 Insight (98 HP total). It does rev pretty high when climbing in 2nd gear. But I drive it carefully. I have learned from experience on Mt. Baker highway not to leave in 2nd gear too long when climbing slopes. I special ordered the 175/65 R-15 chains before I left. I hope to not use them at all!! 48.6 mpg for the 515 sometimes rainy miles today from Bellingham to City of the Rogue. That's 11 hours road time for me, I am tired and wishing for advances in holographic communication...

What a wind storm in the Pacific Northwest looks like...

This time of year in Bellingham and the Pacific Northwest, we live with "Chinooks". At ground level, these are relentless windstorms consisting of 30 - 60 mph gusts (occasionally much higher) that blow for hours at a time. They are usually followed by large-scale "Pineapple Express" (this is an ENSO year) weather systems  that dump lots of rain at comparatively warm temperatures.  This melts the early  snow in the mountains and lowlands, creates flooding and havoc all through the county. It also creates a terrifying/exhilirating "acoustic" experience. In Bellingham, this phenomenon happens regularly enough that damage is somewhat limited: the weak trees fall, the dead branches drop, the Nooksack floods enough to discourage building (almost!) and encourage flood prevention.  Still, the weather is exceptionally dramatic. I have been in short story buildings downtown and felt them sway from the fourth floor. Note the 150 knot winds below at 300 MB. From satellite, voila ici:

[Pictures credit to www.nrlmry.navy.mil and squall.sfsu.edu]

Fall Day on Orcas

Beautiful Day to be on the beach on Orcas. Our stunning summer has bled over into a wonderful fall.

Lotus Roadster at the Farmer's Market

Today's Farmer's Market in Bellingham had a line up of electrical cars including this Tesla Roadster.

Spring has arrived to Whatcom County

We have Spring in Bellingham and Whatcom County. Praise the Heavens, El Sol has returned.

Give thanks....

This time of year is the toughest to survive in Western Washington especially if you grew up in sunnier climates.  You get one glimpse of the sun every now and again.  You know it's weird when a full shot of light glancing of some puddle shocks your senses: "What the hell was that?" you react.  I made myself sit in front of ray of sun coming down the mountain from Fragrance Lake today.  Just sit and absorb it.  There's nothing to do but give thanks you weren't a flood victim, put on the Goretex and prepare for another two solid  months of grey days without the big yellow dude in the sky. Sigh... Below are some exellent flood videos from the web. People are suffering this winter here.  We give thanks for what we have.

Whatcom County:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV8mf5H6TAE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgdfOdrYP6c&feature=related
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6740437536549097675&hl=en
Carnation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYl2U7gVkkA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nweWdsFPwhA&feature=related
Fall City:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSVBvHROPOg&NR=1
Snoqualmie River and Falls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1tnjpTrFGE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exHvYi26byw&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3CzYf3saP0&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6P1oThpm8g&feature=related
Seattle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwObcsfoeT4&feature=related
Issaquah/Maple Valley:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSJyKCUeUSs&feature=related
Centralia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KdIOtfX6yI&feature=related
Chehalis:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acARb72u40I&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_NnhC_QsTI&feature=related

Seattle Times video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVgdFi6aMdM&NR=1
What we do in Western Washington during flood stages:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyNFAxiSBWg&feature=related 

January Flooding on the NookSack

We had the big snows. Now we have the "Pineapple Express" rains in Western Washington. Problematic combination. This is some grainy Cell Phone video from January 07, 2009 at about 11:00 AM near Deming, WA.

Cold in Bellingham this Holiday Season

A more peaceful and beautiful life

Hello All:

I spent the summer and fall hiking and thinking and reading about life, love and parenting. I am hoping a more peaceful and beautiful life is what follows.  You can see photographs of some of most beautiful hikes at http://picasaweb.google.com/rferrisx.   I think this paraglider on Tiger Mountain may have been the most interesting thing I photographed all summer: http://picasaweb.google.com/rferrisx/TigerMountain#5243318988214946834.  But the rest of the collection is certainly worth a look.

Ryan

Still Catching Up

Nothing quite like Orcas Island Pottery and the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in one beautiful but still stormy month.

Catching Up...

It has been over one year since I last posted. Last month has been busy. Do you like the Portland Zoo (Polar Bears!) or the Seattle Zoo (Cool Carousel) ? Or both? In Bellingham, we are about to do the "Ski to Sea" again (Kayakers and more!).

Skunk Cabbage flowers off Fragrance Lake...

Skunk Cabbage flowers off Fragrance Lake....

Portland: The Last Great Refuge of the American Middle Class

Portland: The City That Works or The Last Great Refuge of the American Middle Class We visited Portland, OR this weekend. I lived in Hillsboro, OR for 6 or so months while I contracted with Intel in 1998. I should have stayed. I should have bought a home there. I have no idea what all the property rightist idiots are complaining about in Oregon. Portland is by far the most beautiful, most friendly, most livable core of any West Coast Urban Area that I have ever seen. Cheaper than San Francisco, more safe than San Jose or Oakland, more transit and park friendly than Seattle, more expansive, safer and just plain more child-friendly and middle class than Vancouver, B.C.

How did their planners do this? In Bellingham, we want to do this. But seemingly, our planners don't have a clue. In Portland, urban and suburban dwellers seem to have it all: well-paying high tech sector (67.9K median income ),copious public transportation, lots of urban attractions: family centric-transit available museums, zoos, exhibits, and an urban walkability that surpasses anything I've ever seen on the West Coast. Why, oh why, did I leave?...When the post-industrial world collapses amidst terrorism, peak oil, die-off, and an aging population, I will bet that Portland will do innovative things and prosper. I would like to know how they positioned themselves so well. I would like to meet the planning geniuses that made it all work. Maybe I could convince them to move to Bellingham.

Snow on last Friday's hike up to Fragrance Lake. Granite Face around the North Side of the Lake.