Lovely Lavender

Who doesn't love lavender? It's color and fragrance attract bees and butterflies and me!

Cama Beach State Park

Parking is in a lot up on the bank. Visitors walk down the trail to the water level. If you are staying, garden carts are provided for your gear.

I am thinking that the program may have been geared to city slickers, since most local folks are pretty familiar with cows. The "exhibits" seemed quite contented. A pair of bald eagles watched from above.Cama Beach is an old fishing camp, which was purchased by the state. The cabins have been refurbished and are already booked for this summer. The park opened in June. The Center for Wooden Boats, headquartered in Seattle, has opened a branch here, where they build and refurbish wooden canoes.

We had a great day exploring and enjoying this land of mountains and trees, sky and seas.

Mountains, Trees, Sky and Water

There is a strip of land north of Seattle and south of the Canadian border that is squeezed between the Pacific Ocean waters that pour into Puget Sound from the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the rugged mountains of the North Cascades. Those mountains are punctuated by the volcanic peak of Mount Baker. The water is a maze of channels around costal islands. One of those islands is Whidbey, of which I write lovingly. Between Whidbey Island and the mainland is Camano Island, smaller than Whidbey and much less developed.

Saturday we went north to this area to tour some Open Gardens that belong to members of the Northwest Perennial Alliance, a gardening organization to which we also belong. It was a chance to see some new gardens, and to visit Camano Island, which we had never done before.

Our first stops were in the community of Tulalip, named after the Indian tribe that has reservation lands there. The owners of these gardens had wonderful views west to Whidbey and Camano Islands.

From Tulalip, we drove north to Stanwood, for more gardens, and then across the Stillaguamish River estuary onto Camano Island. Camano is heavily forested, with a fringe on beach houses around its coastline and a small amount of inner-island farming and development.

As with much of the coastline in Washington State, unfortunately, there is very limited access if you are not a property owner. We were able to catch glimpses of views as we circled the island.

Looking west across to Whidbey Island and the Olympic mountains in the background.

Looking east to the mainland and Mount Baker.

Besides visiting gardens, we checked out Washington's newest state park, on Camano Island. Look for that in my next posting.

Oh, Dear

As Mr. Rodgers would say, "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood..", much too nice to sit at my computer upstairs in the den.

But it seems that my "public" is calling out for a new posting. So here's something to tide you over. We traveled to Tulalip, Stanwood and Camano Island on Saturday to tour gardens and new territory. I'll post more of that later. But in one of the gardens and uninvited lunch guest showed up. Cute, though.

Skywatch Friday - Waiting For Dark

Usually we like to savor every bit of light during these long early summer days. But a week ago, on the Fourth of July, many folks around here were in a hurry for it to get dark. At this latitude it isn't dark enough for fireworks until 10:15, and then the skys light up with bursts of man made starlight. These photos were taken from Jan's deck, overlooking Henderson Bay, which is part of lower Puget Sound. A good time was had by all.

Home Improvement

I guess we watch too much HGTV.

We asked ourselves,"What would we do to fix up the house if we were going to sell it?' One answer was a new front door. So we decided that if we would do it to sell it, we should do it to live in. And so we did.

It took most of the morning Monday to shop for and purchase the door. The box said "Do not lay flat", so we moved seats around in the van to accommodate that. The old door came out easily. The new door took lots of maneuvering with shims and adjustments to get it square. At one point Tom and I were on the same side of the door - a bad idea -and while adjusting it tipped out and fell. There was no way to catch it so all we could do was watch it fall and wait for the crash of glass as it slammed on the porch. So much for "do not lay flat"! But there was no crash. After examining it we saw a short crack in the fiberglass finish, but we'll live with our oops scar. There was more adjusting then, and I was on standby. When I was not helping, I tried to stay out of hearing range so as to miss the many "Oh, @#$%!'s. But in the end, after a day and a half, it looks good.

Oh, how I love Home Improvements :(

Sand Garden

Our Whidbey Island Cabin is on a sand spit with the bay on one side and a lagoon on the other. The logoon, in the back yard, provides many opportunities for bird watching fall through spring. In summer a high enough tide allows for canoe rides. Tom's extended family has owned this property for about forty years. Three years ago we replaced the little old original cabin with a modern beach house. That provided me with the opportunity to design a new garden, one that would have to grow in soil composed mostly of sand. It was great fun to plan something new from scratch. We combined plants with low water needs with free stuff we could divide from our Seattle garden, keeping in mind that we wanted more of a "beach" look. We brought in some compost that we made in our compost bins in town, so seeds sprouted, adding an element of surprise to what was planned. Fox gloves amazingly appeared on their own, and were transplanted to better locations. The result has been an abundance of growth that now needs to be edited to keep it in balance. What fun it has been!

Birds of the Bay

Bald eagles and great blue herons are a common sight on the tide flats of Useless Bay, and yet I still marvel at the majesty of these great birds. I feel honored to share the space with them.

Geoduck Tide - More From Useless Bay

When the tide goes way out in Useless Bay, it's time for the sturdy and determined to go after the mighty geoduck (pronounced gooey duck). Named by the local Native Americans, and not reflective of your possible reaction to them, geoducks are the world's largest clams. They are exposed only at very low tides. They burrow deep in the sand - three to four feet deep, and their long necks, or siphons, stretch to the surface. The fleshy tip of that siphon is what searchers look for to begun the hunt. Diggers use a large tube, a giant clam gun, if you will, to keep the water-logged sand from collapsing into the hole as it is dug. You don't have to be fast, just persistent, as the hole can fill nearly as fast as you empty it. Eventually the shovel is of no use, and you lay on the sand with your face in the hole, digging with your hands. Once you actually feel it down at the bottom of the hole, it might take another 15 minutes just to work it loose. They do hold on, and the water and sand continue to try to save that clam from your grip. As I said, this is a job for the sturdy and determined. We were spectators.

"Landing" a big one is quite an accomplishment. Besides being a trophy, they are said to be quite tasty. I haven't had the pleasure, but I do love the giant horse clams that are their neighbors in the muck.

Just more proof that Useless Bay isn't useless at all.

Why It's called Useless Bay

For my Skywatch photos, scroll down to the next posting, then come back to get the answer to the question everyone is asking.

This is Useless Bay at high tide, with the Olympic Mountains in the background.

This is Useless Bay at very low tide. Of course, if you are looking for a spot to build a harbor, this bay is useless. But for exploring the tide flats on a sunny day, it's perfect! Stay tuned for more Whidbey Island wonders.

Skywatch Friday

Sunset over Useless Bay, Whidbey Island, WA. The Stars and Stripes fly over our cabin on Whidbey Island, with an additional nod to some of our heritage as well. Like our country, we are a melting pot, a blend of cultures and nationalities.

Happy Fourth of July