Random Skagit – Volume 3

The sun finally came out. The waters receded, and we did not get trapped on the island. Saturday morning I awoke to a glorious sunrise and decided that I had to get out into it. I did and early morning photo trek, then headed back out for later morning afternoon. I didn’t cover any new territory, but I did catch a few good photos.

Actually, the adventure started Thursday. The rain had stopped, but it was still a bit cloudy. That was starting to clear, though. Those “widely scattered sun breaks” were starting to come together, forming a rather large sun break. Laura had an appointment in Bellingham, so I decided to head over to the Skagit County Museum in La Conner. I’d been wanting to visit for quite awhile, and this looked like a perfect opportunity.

The museum wasn’t where I expected it to be. I thought it was in one of the old buildings on the street above Front Street. Turns out that it was in a much more modern, much larger building at the very top of the ridge overlooking La Conner.

Sadly, about the same time I arrived so did a school bus of middle school students. I decided to go in anyway. The students divided into two groups and parked with their instructors right in front of the two displays I really wanted to see. I was impressed with what I was able to see in the museum, but I’ll have to come back.

I drove back home through the farms on the flats. The daffodils were already showing a bit of yellow. Soon these fields will be covered in flowers, and later the tulips will take their place. On the other side of Bayview Ridge the fields were still flooded, but the water was going down.

By the time I got back to the island the skies had really cleared and the sun was out. I decided to walk down the hill to the beach below the house. At one time the cabin at the bottom of the hill had been owned by John Hopley, a close friend of Laura’s parents. Now it was owned by some folks in Bellingham. When I talked with Bill, our neighbor on the other side, he said that the road to the beach could be used by all of us since it crossed our property. I decided that was good enough for me, and decided to walk on down.

It had been years since I’d been down there. I had forgotten how steep the road is. There were some other hazards. With the heavy rains there had been mud slides that now blocked the road. I was able to walked over and around them easily, but they would have to be cleared before anyone could drive down here.

The beach area was much as I remembered. The cabin looked like it had been painted and was in good shape. The only time I’d been inside was in 1990. We stayed there when Laura’s father was sick and when he passed away. Even so, it struck me as a cheery, peaceful place. The cabin is almost directly below our house on the cliff.

The beach is pebbled and huge pieces of driftwood mark the high water line. I filled my pockets with smooth rocks that Laura might want to paint.

That evening as we walked the dogs with Duff and Linda we were treated to yet another spectacular sunset. I lingered to take a few more shots.

Friday Laura and I took advantage of the nice weather to do some work around the house. That evening we had a wonderful meal at BowEdison Cafe to celebrate. This week marks five years that Laura has been free from cancer, and we though it a big deal that needed celebration.

Saturday morning I awoke early to capture a crescent moon rising over Mount Rainier. The sun hadn’t quite come up, but the colors were getting brighter by the moment. The fields that were still flooded reflected the morning light light lakes.

I decided that those “lakes” would be perfect for photography. I wanted to catch some reflections of Mount Baker in the still water. There would also be lots of birds (and birders) out and about. I grabbed a cup of coffee and headed out the door before Laura was out of bed.

I came back to the house to warm up, then headed back out as Laura decided to go shopping. I drove on back toward Fir Island. Across from the Snow Goose Produce Stand in an open field there was a large flock of…snow geese. Who woulda thunk it?

Lots of folks had pulled over to watch. We were all waiting patiently.

What we wanted was a mass lift-off. It would especially be cool if Mount Baker or some of the Cascades could be in the back drop. I didn’t get the ideal shot, but there were some that were close.

I continued on around to the Skagit Wildlife Area. There weren’t many birds out this time of day, but the scenery was still great.

I drove on over to Conway and had a later lunch at the Conway Pub. The constituents were mostly bikers, but the food was still good. I wandered into a couple of antique stores before leaving town.

I headed back north toward Mount Vernon. I had one more stop to make before heading home. I drove on up to Little Mountain Park to catch the views of the area. Once again, the flooded fields really stood out as they reflected the afternoon light.

Sunday was another beautiful morning, but not quite as spectacular as Saturday. Laura and I walked along the dike on Padilla Bay, but I didn’t take many photos. I took her up to Little Mountain so that she could enjoy the views. It was her first time up there.

So far the weather is holding, but I know the rain will return. Until then, I hope to get outside as much as possible.