Thursday, August 25, 2011

Travel Days

August 19-21. The ferry eastbound was chaotic, traffic heavy on Whidbey Island; and it was hot in the Fraser Delta. C and me mostly hung around inside, near fans, and let the world proceed without us.

Tagged along with J on his Sunday morning routine. Went for a bit of a walk with his walking group; we were on a boardwalk trail in the coniferous area of Burns Bog, squoze between the highway and the railroad tracks. The boggier areas are a Preserve not open for hiking.

August 21. From the Boardwalk in Burns Bog, Delta, BC (Click for larger image.)

On the paved path, before you reach the boardwalk loop, there were vast numbers of a mystery flower. It was elaborate and delicate enough to look like a runaway garden flower, and certainly must be invasive rather than native. But—after hours of online research, and much paging through plant books, by all three of us— it remains a mystery.

What is it? (Click for larger image.)

Sunday morning, part 2: off to the White Rock Farmer's Market. Wonderful produce from the Fraser Valley, gorgeous fruit and berries from the Okanagan. Music, cool breeze off the water, just perfect wandering weather.

Whale Wall at the White Rock Farmer's Market (Click for larger image.)
From the Okanagan (Click for larger image.)

Having drawn a false conclusion about summer weekend conditions from the trip north, I left early and allowed hours and hours of extra time for the border crossing, traffic, and mischance. Arrived on Whidbey with lots of time to spare, and detoured down into Deception Pass State Park, to see the bridge from below. Unexpectedly encountered people swarming the shore and the Pass to catch pink salmon (humpies, everyone called them, not pinks) (1)(2). It was slack tide, which I don't understand but I could see with my eyes: no visible current and the boats were just bobbin' around out there close enough to talk to the folks casting from the shore. They were catching fish.

Deception Pass, August 21, 2011. (Click for larger image.)
Fishing at Deception Pass (Click for larger image.)

About the currents: Thanks to JL for finding me the Currents at Deception Pass. If I stare at this long enough I almost get it. The animation at deepzoom.com was no help at all.

 

Those fish had a job to do, to get on through the Pass and up the Skagit River to spawn. They fought against the lines. They flapped and wriggled determinedly trying to get themselves back down the shore into the water again. I'm not sure I want to eat salmon anymore.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

My gosh - a photo of yours that included the color red! It was so unexpected I was slightly stunned for second!

mb said...

Hey, can I help it if my life is all grey skies, blue or grey water, green forests? Huh? Huh?

Anonymous said...

yes.