Fidalgo Island Crossings

Happy Thanksgiving Ah lichtige Chanukah

Photo:   Wikimedia Commons

On Fidalgo Island, we can actually drive to the sky over a steep, narrow and winding road.  At 1,273 feet/388 meters Mount Erie is the highest point on the island.  This is where the sky begins for us.  The harrowing drive is worth the effort, but don't try it in ice and snow.  The views up here are spectacular making this Anacortes City Park a favorite spot for photographers.  These photos were taken November 19, 2013. Southeast:  The body of water in the foreground is Campbell Lake and beyond is Skagit Bay.  This is the same view as most of my other Skywatch photos , seen from a different vantage point.  The best time of day for this shot is late afternoon when the sun has moved over to the left.  The islands in Skagit Bay as viewed are as follows:                                                     ...

Last Friday, a classic November wind and rain storm passed through the area.  It rained fairly steadily all day.  My weather station measured 0.67 inch (17 mm).  All in all, it was a pretty miserable day.  On Saturday, however, the clouds parted to give us a nice sunny morning.  I headed over to Deception Pass State Park.  I have been watching the big rock near the West Beach parking lot .  It seems to be a favorite roosting spot for sea birds.  If the rock has an official name, I wish I knew what it was.  In the meantime, I have dubbed it Fraggle Rock after the Jim Henson/HBO TV series from the 1980's.  It's a little world apart where different creatures live in a complicated ecosystem and are  dependent upon each other for survival.  Beyond is Lopez Island in the San Juans on the horizon. The aftermath of the storm from the previous day was still apparent.  West Beach faces the Strait of Juan de Fuca and it was...

Holy crap!  That's what I said.  I was upstairs in my study working on the computer.  I came downstairs and literally thought the house was on fire.  The living room was glowing orange. Even though the view is southeast, this is sunset over Skagit Bay off South Fidalgo Island about 4:30 PM today.  I normally don't see sunsets because they are way over to the left hidden behind trees.  But on rare occasions I get front-lit sunsets like this.  That orange cloud formed a glowing band over my head from south to north.  This event lasted less than five minutes before it was completly gone.  Luckily, the camera was ready to go.

This weekend finally brought a break in the thick and persistent fog that has characterized our weather for more than a week.  A bit of sunshine today provides the opportunity to photograph the fruit-bearing Pacific Madrona in my yard.  The so-called "Strawberry Tree" continues to amaze me.  The fruits are arranged in clusters like grapes and are the size of large peas.  The surface is slightly rough, similar to orange peal.  Right-click the next photo to enlarge it and you'll see what I mean. The color of the fruits is becoming more red as the days pass.  I have seen images on the net that show them a deep red color.  I am curious to see how far and for how long this will progress on my tree. A Rose by Any Other Name... I received some comments in a previous post  about the tree's name.  I have read they are called Arbutus in Canada, Madrones in California and Madronas in Washington and Oregon.  Apparently it is not that ...

Well, not really nowhere, but early on a foggy morning, you might get that impression.  This is the Deception Pass Bridge and it takes us to some very important places, including several sites in Deception Pass State Park . I have discovered that I enjoy taking photographs in the fog.  Ordinary things take on a different look that can be interesting.  Also fog, like snow, is a weather event that can be photographed.  It is not possible to photograph wind.  Only the effects of the wind can be shown in a picture.  I have not found a good way to photograph rain, but I'll keep trying. We have had several days now that have started with thick fog like this.  Then by afternoon, it clears away giving us sunshine, only to return again after nightfall.  October is often our foggiest month. On a Saturday morning, you will find Pacific Northwesterners playing outdoors, regardless of the weather.  This is Deception Pass from North Bea...