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Week Thirty-three, October 29-November 4
Sunday, November 4, 2001
On this rainy afternoon, Natalie and I took another walk along the shores of Dickman Mill Park. I picked up trash that had washed up along the high tide line while we tried to identify duck-like birds out beyond the pilings offshore.
This was no day to be outside. It dripped endlessly, and although it wasn't pouring, wet was everywhere.
Saturday, November 3, 2001
Natalie and I made a trip to Olympia today, to buy the out-of-this-world cinnamon swirl bread at a bakery near the state capitol and to meet with Natalie's parents to give them a copy of our book, Insiders' Guide to the Olympic Peninsula. After having a late morning snack at the bakery, we wandered down to the Olympia Farmers' Market, where we checked out the fresh produce. I bought some carpathian garlic, which I later planted in the upper garden beds along with the other garlic - chesnok red, inchelum red and polish softneck - that I bought last weekend in Poulsbo.
With so much colorful produce around, I simply had to take some photos, and one result is the pepper-filled shot from a vendor's stand above. This shot looks great as a screen background. I also snapped a couple of similar screen background style shots of fresh apples in bins, just waiting for shoppers to pick them up for pies, dumplings and fresh eating.
Although the weather was dry and the sun was out much of the day today, that early winter cold hung in the air. It is a feeling of crisp and moist, and the slightest breeze pushes the moisture right through you. We thought about stopping at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge on the way back to Tacoma, but clouds were moving in and we opted to walk at Puget Creek on the way home instead.
Friday, November 2, 2001
Most of my Friday has been occupied with work, but I did slip back down to Puget Creek this afternoon to wander the creek, to gather some trash from the sides of the creek, and to snap today's photo that looks at the water flowing over a weir just above the first log crossing. I cross this bridge every day right now as I check the creek for returning coho salmon.
Thursday, November 1, 2001
I am doing my best now to take daily walks of the lower shores of Puget Creek, and on today's trip I walked with Natalie. While out on the walk we spied the beetle in my photo above. It was wandering over the fallen leaves on the wet pathway that runs up the middle of the gulch.
No salmon to be found yet, but according to Scott Hansen, it is still a bit early. We are more likely to see some fish return next week.
Wednesday, October 31, 2001
Halloween is off to a nice start. Natalie caught glimpse of a bald eagle sitting on a post off the shore at Dickman Mill Park on the way to taking her to work, and though it was gone by the time I returned, I was able to watch a small raft of common goldeneye through the binoculars. I think Natalie and I will stop and take a look at shorebirds and ducks again when I go to pick her up from work soon.
* * * Natalie and I did stop to look at the birds along Ruston Way on the way home from downtown Tacoma this afternoon, and I was not only able to confirm that the birds I saw along the park were common goldeneye, but I took the photo above to prove it. There were between 30 and 40 of the birds in the sheltered area along the shore, and as we walked out along the shore we also found eight killdeer right along the shoreline.Later this afternoon I took a walk along the length of the trail in Puget Gulch. My inspections of the creek didn't find any returning salmon just yet, but the water is running high and clear and everything looks ready for the return of the coho...
Tuesday, October 30, 2001
I kicked off my morning with a walk along Puget Creek. I stopped at the creek on my return trip from taking Natalie to work and walked up the trail far enough to see another tree that had fallen in the recent winds. It fell from the same cluster of maple trees where another tree fell in May, but this time it didn't take down many trees with it. I snapped the photo above as rain fell.
The creek itself is running strong this time of year, but I haven't seen any signs of salmon returning just yet. Regardless, I am trying to get down to the creek for a daily walk to check for returning salmon.
Monday, October 29, 2001
We had another light frost overnight, but it was warmer during the day and by the evening hours clouds were rolling in with their associated higher temperatures. Other than taking a morning walk, I didn't spend much time outside today.
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