September 2018October 2018 November 2018

10/28 - Autumn on the Sol Duc

The Sol Duc Resort and hot springs just closed for the season, but the falls are still there as is the Sol Duc River. We dropped by to check out the salmon. The ranger at the entry station warned us that we had missed the migration, but we might see a straggler or two. We stopped by the cascade and watched for a while. We did see one straggler make a mighty leap. Then we lost sight of him or her in the foam.

The cascade

Sol Duc Falls

A pretty, most likely poisonous, mushroom

Downstream from the falls

The forest

Keywords: salmon, sol duc, autumn

10/24 - Local Salamander

We nearly stepped on this salamander while tromping along the Spruce Railroad Trail.

Keywords: salamander, spruce railroad

10/22 - Seen Near Dungeness Dike

This hawk seems to be a regular with a favorite perching tree off Towne Road in Sequim.

Watching the wetlands

Keywords: dungeness, birds

10/20 - End of the Season

While Olympic Hot Springs Road has been closed to general motor traffic at Madison Falls for a while now, the road was open for hikers, bikers and park vehicles thanks to a pair of temporary bridges. Those bridges are now gone for the season. The detour hiking route is still open, but it is longer and not good for bicycles.

The mules are vanishing too. They're probably off to their winter homes. The area is closing down for the season. It isn't going to close completely. There is a trail, but the wide easy road is closed.


Click and you'll see a log across the road.

The road looks like someone has been chewing on it.

No more bridges

The leaves are vanishing too.

It's still pretty.

Keywords: elwha, olympic hot springs, winter

10/10 - Japanese Garden in Seattle

The fall is our favorite time to visit the Japanese Garden in the Seattle Arboretum. The trees have been chosen for their autumn color, and the landscaping sets off the color beautifully. There was plenty of brilliant leaf color when we were there, though we were before the peak.

View from a stone bridge

Some color

More color

Across the pond

Another pond view

One of many turtles

Even more color

Colors and pods

Another view with stepping stones

The pond again

Even more color

Keywords: autumn, seattle

10/01 - Last Paella of the Summer

It's not even summer anymore, but there were romano beans at the Farmers' Market. We made a paella with morcilla, chorizo, red peppers, rice, and romano beans. This was almost certainly the last round of local romano beans of 2018, so we made the most of them.

Summer Paella

Keywords: food

September 2018October 2018 November 2018