The Saline Canine, Exemplified

The Salty One had quite a day at the beach. I think she was glad her Papa was home. She pulled out her puppy-like obsessiveness and chased her ball like there was no tomorrow. Personally, I was most proud of her gung-ho wave jumping. I was damned and determined early in this dog’s life to make her like the water (she did not like the water and liked waves even less). She decided this was her day and caught a few good freighter waves, even taking one in the ear which left her with a funny cocked-headed expression—though it was nothing a little full-body shake couldn’t get rid of.


One of this pup’s most endearing qualities is her ability to entertain herself. My wise aunt once told me that she admires sea otters because they play well into adulthood. Well, this little furry beast should be added to that class. Sometimes it’s rolling around on the rug making funny noises, but today it was kick-and-pounce with the ball. We watched as she repeatedly chased and batted her tennis ball up and down the sand. She’d kick it soccer-style, run after it, and pounce on it, whereby she’d knock it one direction or the other and twist herself in circles trying to figure out where it went so she could pounce on it again…and this went on for quite some time, cracking us up with every iteration!




Thankfully, although we’re leaving this beautiful beach behind, we’ll soon be established near a different one. One of the reasons…okay, perhaps the most salient reason…for working in the marine realm is that it guarantees the opportunity to live and work in fantastic places and the utter avoidance of places well, landlocked. I’m a happy tourist to New Mexico, Switzerland, and even Idaho, but I’ll take life on the coastal edge any day of the week. Looks like the pup will too!

Unemployment Just Isn’t That Fun

Okay, maybe that statement needs some explanation.

I was figuring my last week on the Peninsula to be full of Olympic wildflowers, beach walks, maybe some crabbing, and lots of visits to the local haunts I have come to know and love over the last few years—and mostly no work. I guess I neglected to consider that picking up and packing up all of our worldly goods would take considerable time and energy. Ugh. Work. Just in a different form. And frankly, I would have been happier underwater, even in the Columbia River.

We did fit in some prolonged goodbyes, a round of golf at the local duffers course, time at the pub, lots of Elevated Ice Cream and of course one last wonderful stroll on the beach with our furry buddy. And that furry, salty buddy must have known something was up because she partied like it was 1999 (and then didn’t want to stand up the next day…getting old sucks). But that part of our week probably deserves its own post.

The bottom line is, packing up is hard to do. But with the Grey Goose all shined up, tuned, up and packed up, I guess we did it.

Bzzzzzzzzzz

The Hawaiian guy must have brought the good weather—finally we’re into summer. In Port Townsend, when shorts and a t-shirt are comfortable, you know it’s warm—in fact our little household weather station registered 81 degrees F the other day. I’m no Joe Cupo, but that’s hot, especially for Port Townsend.

Besides being thrilled that it’s been comfortable to be in summer duds, I’m also thrilled that the nice sunny daytime weather has brought the bees to our lavender (which is finally fully abloom) in droves! Tons of bees. Bees of several species, drinking themselves silly in some sort of Bacchanalian celebration of the nectar. I’m jealous.

Every year I look forward to this annual event. Bees are industrious. For this reason they are super difficult to photograph. But I tried and here’s my tribute to these stunning creatures, going about their business, and doing their part to turn the sweet lavender nectar into delicious honey.

Belligerent Naturists

I'm sure I just picked up a whole slew of new readers with that post title!

Last week, for the second time in my professional career, I ended up sampling at a nude beach. Perhaps my previous field work was in the winter, when the naturists are more scarce but last week, with 85 degree weather in the area, the population was high...not a lot of tan lines going around. I instantly had flash-backs to my last nude beach sampling (the fish fauna, not the human fauna), when my rather-senior manager decided to make a field visit 6 mos. into the project, not knowing he had chosen a nude beach as the sampling site. I, being the most junior member and the only one still under 30 and therefore a kid, was pulled aside and told that if I didn't feel comfortable with the field site, we could change or I could refrain from participating there. I let out an internal chuckle...it was obviously he who was uncomfortable! Perhaps it was the man sitting on the sand with legs akimbo just over my shoulder.

Anyway, so here we were back at it. Different project, different nude beach, still mostly old men (what gives?). Thankfully, the one man who decided to inquire about our activities and why we might have been dressed in chest-waders while everyone else was wandering around in the buff had donned a towel before he approached--it just would have been awkward otherwise. In truth, we were probably the more oddly clad bunch (it being hot, sunny, summer and all).

Now, a week later, we get word of a belligerent nudist at our very field site on the very day we were there! I don't know how we missed it! But as one of my compadres pointed out, "The only thing worse than a creepy naked guy is an angry creepy naked guy." Amen, sister. Looks like we'll have to add belligerent naturists to our list of field hazards (oh, won't the legal department have a field day with that one...)!

Royal Basin

A couple of Februaries ago I was doing my annual discount wall calendar shopping at Swain's and ended up with a nice little ditty picturing various scenes from the Olympic Peninsula for about $4. When it came time to flip to March, the featured scene was from Royal Basin. I thought, "I have got to get up there and check that out." And thus, a Life List item was born.



So, last week, with precious little time on this Peninsula remaining, I gathered my gear and convinced a friend to make the trek from Seattle for the overnighter. At 11pm on Thursday I was still locating all of my gear, but by 7:45 the next morning we were underway.

With the cold spring and late onset of summer, rumor had it that the snow had only been melted from the Upper Basin for a few weeks. The flowers just seemed to be getting their game on too. We wound through lots of forest, noting several plants from the "Oddballs" section of the Northwest Plants book. Severe winter storms in December 2007 created some amazing slides and debris fields along the trail, where a few rogue plants were trying to lay down roots in the disturbed sediment. The walk was nice and gradual for the first 5-6 miles, with the real huffing and puffing occurring in the last stretch--luckily this also happened to be the most visually rewarding!

We made it to Royal Lake and had our pick of campsites. While the bogs around the lake were full of flowers of all colors, the blueberries were sadly weeks from being ripe...bummer. As we set up camp, some low clouds settled into the basin and we opted to lay low and rest our aching muscles instead of heading to the Upper Basin.


The next morning dawned with bright blue sky, and some REALLY cold air!
After packing up camp, we headed uphill to Upper Royal Basin. This is where the real rewards began. The views were stunning, once we slogged up a really steep, but short, section of trail that reminded us what a great idea it was to leave our full packs in the campsite. With each step the views of the basin kept getting better--this was some serious payoff!

The surrounding peaks were stunning with their snow-splashed flanks and dark peaks kissing the bright blue sky. The view back down the valley was of a beautiful alpine meadow complete with many meandering and wandering creeks carrying ice cold water down to Royal Creek.

I Like Turtles

While I've been busy exploring alpine peaks, the Salty Hubby has been getting his last little fill of warm, salty water. This is a guy who didn't even really swim before living Aloha and now he's signing up for competitive swimming events...okay, he is the only swimmer in the Mask and Snorkel Division, but at least he's playing.

In his off hours, he captured some great honu pictures! I sure can't wait to get the good camera back! But for now, I'll be content with pictures of peacefully swimming marine critters.

For a taste of ridiculous humor and the source for the title of this post, click here.

Sweet, Sweet Phlox

I turned the Saline Canine into the Alpine Canine for the day. She and her buddy and I made our way up Mt. Townsend, one of the best wildflower hikes in the Olympics (and one that also allows 4-leggeds, for those seeking such options). With the late onset of summer, almost everything was just hitting its peak, so our timing was perfect. Even the native Pacific rhododendron, Rhododendron macrophyllum, was still in full bloom.



I did this climb a few years ago from the other direction and remembered it being beautiful (and a lot shorter), with views of the still-snowy bigger Olympic peaks and Puget Sound. A late start had me wondering if we'd even make it out of the rhododendron forest into alpine flower territory, but we did. I knew we were getting close to open alpine scree when I smelled the sweet and fragrant phlox that I knew to be scattered around the mountain.

One of my first real flower finds was a chocolate lily, Fritillaria lanceolata, one of my favorite alpine flowers. I saw only one plant, but I was able to snap a few shots of it...albeit using the cantankerous macro function on the old clunker--can't wait to get the Canon back!


While not as rare, the columbine were gorgeous, their reds and yellows especially bright in the late afternoon light against the green backdrop of the forested lower elevations.


While I didn't linger long looking for every last species, I did see more than a handful of flowers in different hues and was able to breathe some clean, phlox-scented, alpine air while I was at it. And at least one of us kept the Douglas squirrels on their toes.