Happiness is an hour at the butterfly exhibit....

 

 

Happiness is an hour at the butterfly exhibit at  Pacific Science Center in Seattle...

Global Warming or King Tides?

I took this picture while hiking Horseshoe Creek on January 22nd. I have never seen this bench wiped out in the 6 years Ihave been hiking this beautiful trail, which is located at mile marker 38.4 on WA Highway 542 (Sunset Highway). The NookSack was incredibly full that day, but I still saw one crazy river Kayaker (unusual in January!) plunging down the surging currents amidst the boulders. He looked completely happy and confident. I was above the river when I first saw him, and so followed with my eyes as far as I could. He got caught in one whirlpool, did a 360 and shot right on out of it with no more hesitation or concern than I give to a muddy trail.

A light dusting of snow

Snow dusted the streets of Bellingham last night. We will have more this week..

How do they grow them this big?

At Stoney Ridge Farm in Everson, WA:

Blaine Harbor on a Beautiful Crisp Fall Morning

Took a walk out to the Marina  in Blaine.  The Blaine Harbor is looking more refreshed than the last time I saw it. It was a beautiful Sunday morning with clear views of  White Rock, the Georgia Strait, the Peace Arch, and  even Vancouver Island.

Mount Baker August 24, 2010

Mount Baker, Whatcom County WA

More Mount Baker pictures...

The 100th Anniversary of the Whatcom County Fair

 Any county fair that features a live birth of a calf,  dozens of rides for children, and the "Quichua Mashis" in one evening is all right by me.  Personally, all this city boy really wants to see each year is all those cows... 

 

Heaven....

Tonight is the night before the July 4th celebration on the Bellwether waterfront in Bellingham. As a warm up, a local band played tunes from the '70s, '80s, '90s  at Boulevard Park while the first of the "nights on the green" started in Fairhaven.  The summer sky at Boulevard Park was perfect tonight : clear, a little cool, some gentle breeze -  just like you would imagine a summer in heaven. You live for days like that here. When they happen, they are magical.  We are predicted to have rain for the Fourth; and then some 70 and even 80 degree weather next week.  Good idea to soak it up. Might be the warmest week of the year thus far.

The Tomato Shtick...

We are finally starting to get sunny weather in Whatcom County. Some beautiful days - light overcast in the morning, sunny in the afternoon (with some surprisingly strong wind at times) and long beautiful evenings and sunsets. Voila! My tomatoes, planted in early May, are finally taking off!:

Tomatoes will grow in Whatcom County. Like all other vegetables, you need to adapt to a short (but sunlight intense) growing season, wind and rain. Some do this with greenhouses. This year I have 12 different varieties that I am growing. One, a pear tomato named "Jolly Elf ", seems popular here in the Northwest.  It certainly has a distinctive shape:

Bellingham Bay on Father's Day 2010

You won't glimpse much marine mammal life in Bellingham Bay. Plenty of bird life, signs of fishing industry, etc.   But I am guessing that because of the long industrial history of the salmon canning facilities, gas plant, pulp plant, chloroform production, shipbuilding and repair, ttreated lumber operations, the landfill/dump etc. that there may not be enough of a healthy bay to sustain what marine mammals need to survive.  But there certainly is a lot of other activity going on.  Every now and then, however, I see this sea lion...

How is your vegetable garden surviving all this Spring rain?

We are paying now for the beautiful January and February we had.  It was a rough, but I think my tomatoes are going to make it.  Next year, I won't do this without a green house.  If you are in doubt about how your garden is supposed to look, you can visit the master gardeners at Hovander Park in Ferndale from 9:00 AM until Noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Their greenhouse is currently hosting some very healthy tomatoes.

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.