Padilla Bay is a “Nationa Estuarine Research Reserve” run jointly by Washington State and NOAA. There is an interpretive center for both public education and for research and monitoring. Bay View State Park is located a short distance from the interpretive center.
When the tide goes out in the bay, so does most of the water, leaving miles and miles of intertidal mudflats. The top picture was taken at high tide, on a sunny day, along a 2.2 mile bike path along the bay. The bottom picture was taken on a cloudy day, during low tide. There are usually herons in the area and heron rookeries are nearby. A heronry cam is online from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saw another cedar waxwing along the bike path.
Lots of thistle around.
A year ago, $4.42 for diesel would have been outrageous. Now it is such a relief to have it below $5.00. It was $5.50 when I was in California. Know the price will just get low enough to get people driving more, then it will shoot up again, probably past $5.50.
