
A shot of Mt Rainier showing mud flats on the Nisqually River Delta at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. This was taken before the dikes were breached and this was turned into tidal salt marsh.

Here’s another image from the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge from before the breach of the Nisqually dike system (which opened up acres of salt water marsh for young salmon habitat). I love the monochrome of this image … monochrome, even though in full color. Click on the image for an enlarged view and see the interesting texture that this one ended up with. (just don’t ask me what I did!)

This is a road that runs through the Nisqually Natural Wildlife Refuge … or did before they breached the dikes to provide for salmon habitat. It was a wonderful spot for bird watching … with an occasional other critter … like a long tailed weasel that was carrying a sparrow in its mouth and ran right alongside me. Now visitors are channeled on an elevated boardwalk. You can see water birds from the boardwalk and lots of others in the woods near the visitor center, though. Still worth a visit if you’re in the area.
Here’s a close up of frost on the native blackberry:


Well, it isn’t UW Husky purple … but it comes sorta close if you squint hard enough.
This is a road in Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend WA. Covered with Doug fir needles and a few W Hemlock and W Red Cedar’s mixed in. This is the road that I walk regularly for my exercise program. It’s only used for service vehicles, so no danger of getting run over (except by a speedy occasional bicycle enthusiast).

These were taken a while ago, but we still have a few maple leafs left on a few of the maple trees. It’s interesting how there is so much difference between trees in a grove. It’s my favorite time of year for enjoying maples: when the leafs are bright yellow/orange and the sun shines through them.
