Truly Meandering at Leadbetter Point

I had a Biosurvey at the Ohop Valley Land trust site on Saturday.  During a biosurvey we walk and record evidence of as many living things as we can see or identify.  Anything from seen and heard birds to prints , scat, marks and signs like fur or chewed trees.   I love the Ohop property and once again, the worst of the weather held off until we were done.

Since I was this far south, I would continue on to the beach for the long weekend.  This time I stayed at a little place called Shakti Cove.  One look at these little cabins and you are back in the motor court days.  The cabin was rustic but comfortable and it was SO quiet.

I had great hopes for getting my boat kite in the air.  My last few visits to the beach were without wind, but today with rough weather moving through I gave it a go.  This kite is more complicated that the others I have.  It went up easily enough  but I was really having a hard time keeping it stable.  Several crashes, but I only needed to manipulate the line just so and it would catch the wind and go skyward.  After about 15 minutes of mild frustration I felt the rain starting.

And then the wind picked up.

Holy Cats!!  Now, I spent many years working with horses.  The training activity of lungeing involves putting a horse through its gaits at the end of a 20 meter long line.  Round and round in a circle.  This kite pulled as fiercely as a bad acting horse.  I was glad for my high test line and my hand was soon crying for mercy.  I was able to slowly reel her in and hand land the kite.

Sunday morning I decided to get up early and visit Leadbetter Point at the north end of the peninsula.  A majority of the property is National Wildlife Refuge and it is home for a large population of nesting Snowy Plovers.  I passed through Oysterville before most were awake and vow to return for a good walk through the community.  Houses from 1880- 90 are lovingly preserved.

The refuge has only three trails.  One goes along the Willapa Bay shoreline then cuts into the pine woods, meeting up with a woodland loop.   Where the shoreline path meets the loop a trail heads out to the Pacific beach.  This was the trail I had planned on taking.

The bay shore was alive with shorebirds swooping in from their night perches in the ocean beach dunes.  They joined gulls and ducks.

In a few months these flocks will number in the many thousands as the migrating shorebirds from the south join our winter flocks.  Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor to the north are two places of international importance in shorebird migration. 

The beach was littered with clam and oyster shells.  Willapa Bay is famous for its oysters.  Gulls fly in with their catches and drop them from high up, aiming to crack the shells and get their prize.  I found this little still-life and could not resist. 

 

The intertidal area and grasses were silent.  No hunting raptors, no owls.  I was sorry to see Scots Broom present both here and in the woods.

The woods are dominated by small shore pines.  The forest floor is covered in moss, lichen and liverwort.  Kinnikinick joins in as a ground cover.  This plant was used as a smoking herb by native peoples. 

Kinnikinnick, Arctodtaphylos uva-ursi, is also known as Bearberry.  I did not see signs of bear but was surprised to see Elk sign.

I was happy to be in the woods and the footing was interesting.  All of these plants flourish on a foundation of sand, not the ltypical soil we are use to.  But wet sand soon turned into genuine , familiar mud.   Ankle-plus  deep water required a little detour.  It was easy enough to see a path through the trees.  I went along further and came to even more deeper water.  Rats, this time I tried a visible path on the north side of the trail.

It lead me to this

Well there would be not getting to the beach on this trail which probably no longer exists.  The dam logs appear quite fresh and new.

I returned to the junction with the lop trail and decided to take the trail to the beach that heads out from the state park.

At the junction I found this sign

 
Not a good sign.  Sure enough within 1/4 mile I encountered more deep, frustrating wading.  I had no desire to over top my boots so I called it a day for this adventure.

I headed for the beach via the conventional roadway routes.  I am glad I did.  I was able to watch some fishermen

This Raven amused me with some antics on the sand

and I found some bizarre Salps.  I had been alerted to their being on the beach a few days earlier.  They look like a clear plastic fried egg with a very hard yolk.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salp

I love the beach.  I hope to get back in a few weeks fto try for a viewing of a comet that is nearing.

Frozen Pond

I had to zip into work today.  With overnight temperatures well into the 20s I felt safest waiting for daylight.

The way was filled with rhyme covered grasses and trees.  Everything is frosted with a coat of white.  Thankfully, the main roads were safe driving.

One the way out of the business park I stopped at the little mitigation area.  This complex of meadow and pond has taken charge of controlling the runoff of the large business parks and easing it into the two large creeks that meet here.  Our roads no longer flood in the Winter and Spring when the rains are heavy. 

The once dirt trail is now paved and there are nice berms and a split rail fence to greet you.

Everything is frosted with crystals.

Birds are swarming the ground and blackberry bushes eating old dried fruit.  I noticed rowdy flocks of Robins up by the buildings where Cotoneaster is filled with berries.  The Robins were probably a little tipsy with fermented fruit.  This female Spotted Towhee was much more subdued with her dried blackberry.

As I walked along the path a River Otter came out of the pond, crossed the trail and went into a little runoff channel that meets the larger creek.  I waited and tried to capture a picture, but was not successful.  This shot of the frosty grasses hides a lump of otter, way out of focus.  That is its head at about 10:00 from center.

Ducks were clustered in one corner of the pond near open water.  There were some comical belly sliding icy landings and one duck even slipped, waddled then crashed through thin icy.

A lone Blue Heron found refuge in the tree.  I am sure the sunshine felt good up there.

The pond has obviously frozen and refrozen at different water levels over the last few days. Icy is jumbled in layers and pieces here and there.

 

 

 

It was just a little walk in the brisk sunny day.

 

 

The week ahead is forecast for sunny cold days.  A welcome relief from the persistent gray days.

For Cindy and Dave

Sending a bit of nature with healing thoughts and love.

To Market, To Market

At the first of the month I joined the Nisqually Land trust in a Scots (scotch) Broom pull on the Van Eaton property in Eatonville.  We were blessed, yet again, with fair weather for the duration of the three hours duty. 

Most of the short greenery is Scots Broom.  You can see people in and around it.

This property we have visited before and the previous two work parties had largely cleared out the majority of Broom.  The remaining plants on worker referred to as "Old Growth" Scots Broom.  Boy was he right!

The plants were tall and their bases, stout.  It was quickly apparent that we would have to tackle the plants in teams of two and three.  We used root jacks to up-end some of the brush shrubs.  Other plants required saws to pare down the bases so the jacks could get around them.  Many we had to grub into the roots with hands and tackle them below the ground level.

The soil was very soft, a saving grace.  There were several volunteers from the high school and one found this little Salamander during her efforts.

She was careful to place the little one safely out of harms way.  The students were very interested in the conservation work along the river.  Leaders from the Land Trust were very willing to spend extra time answering their questions. 

After the work party I paid a visit to the Olympia Farmers Market.  Along the way I spotted Santa and his hitch of eight RainDeeres

All the usual vendors were busy.  This market has many local food stalls.  The apple vendor had many varieties I have never heard of

The meat looked wonderful, very well marbled and not stuck under plastic

The biggest crowd, understandably, at Wagner's Bakery.

I worked with Mr Wagners sister many years ago.  My first experience with home made sauerkraut was his.  It converted me to always adding caraway seed to my store bought kraut.  For this I thank him.

Last Sunday I went into Seattle early to see the runners for the Jingle Bell Run.  Once again there was a huge crowd

but I was disappointed to not see as many people in really far out costumes this year.  Overall it felt sort of quiet and not quite as jolly.

Pike Place Market was really busy, far more so than it was last year.  The vendors were hard at work and ready to pounce on anyone taking notice.  I found some unique preserved strawberries that I am going to try in my favorite scone recipe. 

The market is such a wonderful, visual place

Who can resist the neon

I could not resist stopping and watching the donut machine

and had to breeze through DeLaurenti http://www.delaurenti.com/

The craft folks were just setting up.  I always find things I would really love to have ( I don't NEED another purse) and little hidden surprises, like this hand painted column,  everywhere.

Happy Thanksgiving

I am heading to the beach for a couple days.  I am hoping to enjoy some stormy weather, kite flying and lazy hanging about.

I will be taking my weather proof hiking gear and testing it out.

This morning I saw the linked video and felt it was something I wanted to share.  A 360 degree fly around of Mt Rainier with all of the landmark names and placed on a map for you.

Mt Rainier is THE icon for this state.  A majority of the population can see it , to some extent, from their home.  When we can see it clearly, we say "The Mountain is out."

Now all is gray and The Mountain is working up a new layer of white.

Willis Wall, a poster on a hiking forum I participate in is the photographer and creator of this excellent work.

Enjoy this stunning flight.  Willis Wall itself has always been my favorite landmark on the mountain.  It faces north and we can all clearly see it on a fair day.

Mt Rainer Overflight by Willis Wall

http://vimeo.com/53911633