Mostly Being Together with Friends (In Another Country)

We started out even earlier on the 23rd, to make the ferry from Port Townsend to Whidbey Island.

The ferry Kennewick (Click for larger image.)

It had SNOWED a lot right there around Keystone Harbor where the ferry lands; and no snow at all within a couple of miles north. Very odd. We hustled ourselves north across Deception Pass and up across the border to South Surrey, BC, to visit friends. Saturday—Sunday—Monday. (On Sunday PG went down to Bellingham to visit other friends.)

We ran about locally, just north of the US/Canada border, variously seeing the Peace Arch, our familiar Mount Baker from a completely different angle, and lots of birds. On Saturday afternoon after PG had a quick nap, we drove around through White Rock, Crescent Beach, out on Blackie Spit, and into Elgin Heritage Park, birdwatching all the way.

Downtown Vancouver from Crescent Beach (Click for larger image.) The owlhouse in Elgin Heritage Park, along the course of Chantrell Creek... (Click for larger image.)

Sunday PG went off to Bellingham and the rest of us had a long slow morning (three breakfasts!), then went out to Serpentine Fen for more birds and more landscape and more sightings of Mount Baker and more failed photos.

A Shoveler in Serpentine Fen. About the only bird pictures that came out were shovelers. Lots of shovelers... (Click for larger image.) What the GPS exif data says about where all those failed photos were taken (Click for larger image.)