Musings


Flying Things

One of the big events during August is the Orcas Island Fly-In, and we attended in 2015. I have to admit, though, that what really pleases me most is when I get to see the jet fighters in our skies. I know some aren’t fond of the sound nor of their purpose, but […]


Madrona Rain

A gentle breeze causes the Madrona tree to drop some of its mature blossoms.  As they land on the asphalt, they make a sound a bit like rain.  It is the end of April and, around the base of every Madrona tree, there is a drifting carpet of yellowish-white blossoms. For […]


Water-loving Wildlife

Jennifer’s Review: We went whale-watching yesterday with some friends celebrating a birthday! It was our first time, and we really enjoyed it. Deer Harbor Charters is an excellent family business with knowledgeable captains and naturalists. Nate was our captain, and Trey was our funny — even humorous — naturalist guide. […]


Contrasts, Part 2

In July, we enjoyed visits from family! We took ferry rides, played games while watching the scenery and sunsets through our windows, gaped at the view from Mt Constitution (the smoke had mostly cleared), climbed Turtleback Mountain, made food, beachcombed (and saw algae-camouflaged crabs), wandered Eastsound, visited Obstruction Pass State […]


Contrasts, Part 1

We’ve been enjoying visits from family the last several weeks! None had been to the islands before, so it was fun to watch them explore and experience new things. It has been warm here this summer, but they come from the HOT regions of America where triple-digit temps are part of […]


Orcas Feeding

Phil Nicklen took multiple photos of Orcas feeding off of the coast of Norway, and the National Geographic has a nice story in the July 2015 issue that also references the Orcas of the Pacific Northwest. The story is worth a read.  Also, google “Phil Nicklen” to see many of the images that […]


Smoke Trail

The past couple days, folks back in Nebraska have been telling us that they have smoke in the air there. Figuring it was from a prairie fire that would be snuffed out, I’d not thought much about it.  But, tonight, one Nebraska buddy wrote to say that the haze smells […]


Still Smoky

June 6, 2015 It was still smoky today. An islander friend said this is the worst he’s seen it here. When the smoke isn’t so thick that it obscures the sun, there are some interesting streaks of color produced. Steve captured several photos to share:


Smoke and Splashes

7/5/15 Today, there’s smoke!  It is amazing to see how quickly the islands are engulfed in it!  On his post, Steve posted his series of hazy photos he took this afternoon, once an hour in order to show the progress of the smoke.  He also posted his photos of the Fourth […]


Smoke

Today, the sky is full of smoke. There are a number of fires to the east, as the summer of 2015 is very dry. Some of the smoke obscuring the sky is from a fire on Portage Island, but it is likely that a good portion of it is from the fires […]