I expect that partial rainbows are much more common than full rainbows. We get both kinds pretty often here in Port Townsend … one of the advantages of our frequently rainy weather (and there aren’t many). But I saw several in a couple of days the last week or so. The rain plus broken clouds did the trick.
Bull Kelp is a very common seaweed in Puget Sound and provides some important protection for young salmon … and important nutrients for the food chain. It is an annual … what you see here is just the top of a mass of kelp (you can see some of it in the water running down to the left lower corner. A lot of the bull kelp will wash up onto beaches where young kids try to play crack-the-whip with it.
Our typical weather in winter is clouds and drizzle. When it clears off and we have sunny weather, it’s a special treat. And it can be spectacular.
Happy New Year, Everyone … and may you have many spectacular things to enjoy in the coming year.
Port Townsend (where I live) is at the northeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula where the Strait of Juan de Fuca meets Puget Sound… and at the top of what is referred to as the Admiralty Inlet area.
This image shows the area where the two bodies of water meet. In the distance is Whidbey Island and above it Mt Baker, the northern-most of the stratovolcanoes of the Washington Cascades. Tidal currents in the area can reach 6 knots. (Canoes and kayaks beware!)
Most of the forest in western Washington is Doug Fir and Hemlock … they typically have a pretty vertical growth pattern. On the other hand, is the Pacific Madrone, winding its limbs in sinuous patterns. Maybe that’s why they attract my attention.