Archive for the ‘Stanwood’ Category

More from the Skagit area

Wednesday, September 24th, 2008

Mount Baker from Iverson Spit Preserve.

Common mergansers at Iverson Spit Preserve. Thought they were grebes at first. Very cute with their ducktails. There were some grebes there, but they were to far away to get a good picture.

Drove by where I saw the hawks in Stanwood again. Saw the one above. It hardly noticed me, it was so busy scanning for prey.

Corn field by where I’m staying. It is looking south towards Camano Island and Skagit Bay.

Finally found out what has been growing in the field outside my window: cucumbers! They are harvesting them in the pictures above. The top picture is looking west towards Whidbey Island.

Magnificent man in his flying machine. Don’t know if he was flying for pleasure or to check on farmland. I have seen several small private planes and helicopters fly low over farmland.

I’m getting ready to leave the area next week. Had hoped to stay to see the geese and swans start to arrive, but it’s best if I start south. I would like to revisit some places, like the San Diego Zoo and the sandhill cranes in New Mexico, and also see some new places, maybe Big Bend Park in Texas. I will try to return to this area early in 2009, while the migrating birds are still in the area.

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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