November 2018December 2018 January 2019

12/22 - Winter Comes to the Lake Angeles Trail

We took a short hike up the Lake Angeles Trail. We made it to the stream, but we met a couple who had made it all the way up to the lake. They said there was about a foot of snow there. The start of the trail is green, but as one rises, there are more and more signs of winter.

The stream at about 730 feet above the trailhead

The bridge over the stream, quite done up for Christmas

Icicles

Winter wonderland

The boardwalk - We expected to wind up at Santa's workshop.

Snow on the rocks

More icicles

Winter colors

The trail

Winter foliage

More winter

The trail again

There were a few fallen trees early along the trail, but they were easy to get over.

The chewn tree - a landmark of ours - We thought it had been destroyed by the high winds.

Another tree down

The stream near the trailhead

Another view of the stream near the trailhead

Keywords: lake angeles, winter

12/21 - Dungeness Dike Christmas

We were back along the Dungeness Dike again to check out the swans and the flood waters of the Dungeness RIver.

A Christmas tree along the dike

High water on the Dungeness

A side branch

The trail in early winter

Visiting swans

Keywords: christmas, dungeness, winter

12/20 - Dreamy Sky, Dreamy Water

We often walk along the Olympic Discovery Trail heading west from the parking lot near Morse Creek. We always try to walk down to the water. Starting about a mile down the trail offers wonderful water views. This day the sky was gray and dreamy, and this was reflected in the water. There were clouds that looked like islands and possibly islands that looked like clouds. There were dark patches on the water, perhaps layers of fog or reflections of dark clouds or mirages. The air was brisk, but it was the land of dreams.

Morse Creek after the recent rains

Ship traffic and dreamy water

We're pretty sure those are cloud banks, not the San Juans, but it was hard to tell.

A cloud bank or fog or ...

Mystery at sea

Sky and water

Along the Olympic Discovery Trail

Not islands, not mountains

Another view

Keywords: atmosphere, morse creek

12/18 - Christmas Party

We've been recovering from the excesses of our annual Christmas party, and we've finally gotten around to posting a picture or two. This year it was choucroute, an Alsatian dish centered on sauerkraut. This year we used 14 lbs of sauerkraut, four bottles of champagne, six pigs feet, two ham hocks, two pheasants, two smoked duck breasts and at least a yard of sausages. That's par for the course. We can only lift so much from the oven to the counter.

Our science fiction mantel and our Christmas tree

Our welcoming shaman transforming

The Kaleberg communications center welcomes you and wishes you a Merry Christmas.

The choucroute garnie

The cookie tree, Christmas Godzilla and some goodies

Keywords: christmas

12/13 - Cookie Party

We held our annual Christmas Cookie Party and set our friends and loved ones to the arduous task of decorating gingerbread cookies for our cookie tree. Thanks to the help of a timely houseguest, the big tree was fully decorated, and we had put the final touches on our science fiction themed Christmas decorated fireplace mantel.

The big tree

The cookie tree with the candles lit

Iberico ham, winter salad, chocolate persimmons and saucisson en croute

Our science fiction mantel

The cookie party

Keywords: christmas

12/12 - Christmas Swans and Ornaments

The swans are back for the season in the farm fields along Towne Road. We saw a big flock of them from the Dungeness Dike. We also saw that someone had decorated one of the holly trees along the trail. Christmas is a-coming in.

Swans

More swans

Christmas ornaments

Keywords: christmas, dungeness

12/07 - Seattle Christmas Sidewalks

Every Christmas season we head into Seattle for an urban Christmas experience. We dropped by the JDRF Christmas Gingerbread Village which was back in the Sheraton lobby this year. The theme this year was How The Grinch Stole Christmas with scenes from the Dr. Suess book rendered in gingerbread and a variety of candies. Then we stepped outside to enjoy the downtown Christmas lights.

Towards sunset in Seattle

A scene from How The Grinch

Another scene

Christmas lights and Christmas goodies

A scene from Whoville

Meanwhile, back in Seattle

More city lights

Street crossing

The carousel

The Christmas tree and Macy's star

The tree and the star again

Keywords: christmas, seattle

12/01 - Rainy Day at Marymere Falls

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you have to like rain. We like rain, and one of the great things to do here on a rainy day is to go visit a waterfall like Marymere Falls on Lake Crescent. The forest is at its best in the gloom and damp, and Barnes Creek was roaring white with foam. The falls themselves were in full spate, even spraying the viewing platforms.

The forest

Almost Jurassic

Some running water

A view down at a side stream

Marymere Falls

Water under the bridge

White water

More white water in Barnes Creek

The forest again

Keywords: barnes creek, marymere falls, waterfall

12/01 - Olympic Hot Springs Road Closed

Olympic Hot Springs Road is feeling the wrath of the unleashed Elwha River. This time, the road was closed just before the Madison Falls parking lot. We stopped at the road closed sign and watched men and machines at work digging dirt and moving big rocks in an attempt to rebuild the road. This year, 2018, seems to have been the year of "road closed", but we're hoping they'll have this small stretch repaired soon.







Keywords: elwha, olympic hot springs

November 2018December 2018 January 2019