Archive for the ‘Anacortes’ Category

Am I Dreaming

Saturday, September 20th, 2008

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On Wednesday, when I was in Anacortes, I was surprised to see diesel for $3.99. The last time I saw it priced at $3.99 was more than 6 months ago in Junction, Texas. It seemed to hang at $3.99 for the longest time. Passing the $4 mark had the most affect on me. After that, $5 and more didn’t phase me. There is a Shell oil refinery in Anacortes. So, my first thought was is Shell trying to give Anacortes a break? Then, on Friday, I saw diesel for $3.95 in Stanwood, a small town you pass through on the way to Camano Island.

It is so unusual to see prices go down. Once prices go up, they tend to keep going up. I am crossing my fingers that this pricing is present elsewhere in the west, especially in California, where it is traditionally the highest.

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There are a lot of madrone trees in this area. They have reddish bark that peels away to green. It is a tree mainly seen in the west.

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The roadside berry stands may have closed for the season, but there are still wild berries all over the place. At Iverson Spit Preserve on Camano Island, they are almost consuming the trail. From the scat seen along the trail, a lot of animals are enjoying them.

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Heron in a cabbage gone-to-seed field above; below, a heron in some driftwood at Iverson Spit Preserve.

Saw a group of three hawks hunting in farm fields in Stanwood. Almost ran over one as it swooped down to get its’ prey in a corn field.

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Fir Island, Skagit County

Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008

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The crop outside my window has really grown in the last month. It has flowers like a zucchini plant, but the plants are so close together, it must be some other type of squash. Boxes of bees have been set out in the field to help pollinate the plants. I have never seen the field being watered. The intermittent drizzle and the more significant rain we got this past week seems to have provided all the water needed.

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This is the barn seen in the distance in the top picture. Old barns like these are all over Washington. It would make a good photographic project to photograph all the barns you come across. Some are almost totally collapsed, but still being used.

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The farm I am next to is the last one on the block, so to say. Beyond it is marsh land next to Skagit Bay. Across the bay is Whidbey Island and the Naval Air Station. (Still enjoy seeing the jets fly overhead.)

There are two small islands near the shoreline that I just found out you can walk out to when the tide is low. I’ve added this to my to do list.

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Corn field to the east of me. Won’t be long before it is ready to harvest.

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Above: Mount Vernon, Washington looking west towards Anacortes. You may be able to see the Skagit River winding through town. Fir Island is considered part of Mount Vernon, albeit in the boondocks.

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This house is along the main road to Fir Island. The DirectTV dish caught my attention. Most of the old homes in the area look so great I wondered if there was an ordinance that you had to paint your house every year. The above house is really an anomaly.

What you can’t see above, there is a tidy yellow house right behind this old one. Really!

Skagit County, Washington

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008

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I am in Skagit County, Washington, an incredible place. It is around 40 miles from Port Townsend, but of course I took the long way around on the #101 and the #5, to avoid paying a large ferry fee. After driving through overcast Seattle and then coming to the beautiful, sunny farmland in Skagit County, I knew this was someplace I would like to stay for a while. The rv park I’m at is on Fir Island, with the Skagit river on one side and farmland on the other. There are places all around to explore. Whidbey Island is just to the east, with Deception Pass State Park. There is also a naval air station there and their jets fly right over where I’m staying. It’s like a free air show. I have to jump up and look every time a jet goes by. It is probably a reflex from my childhood.

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The city of Anacortes, on Fidalgo Island, is 11 miles away. They have a beautiful park, Washington Park, that has a scenic loop road you can drive, but be forewarned, don’t drive anything longer than 20 feet. I drove my truck and had to back up and maneuver to get around sharp curves.

The two pictures above were taken at Washington Park. It is the first picture I’ve gotten of a Cedar Waxwing. It was eating berries, as I guess they are prone to do. The deer below it was eating the same berries.

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Black Oystercatchers.

Anacortes is a tourist town and seems to want to develop every square inch of their land. There is a subdivision next to Washington Park and another subdivision is in the process of being built next to it. (OK, step off the soapbox).

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Also at Washington Park, a wooden ship with the ferry to the San Juan Island in the background.

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Barn swallows enjoying the sun at my rv park. Skagit Flats, the area I’m in, was named a birding hotspot a few years ago, but fall and winter are the prime times for birding.

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View from a hang gliding spot above Skagit Flats. Guess the goal is to get past the trees and land in farm land.