Today we begin the blogging of the journey that E and I just returned from: following in the footsteps of Charles Darwin and visiting the Galapagos Islands. As you will see, many wonders were found (and photographed). Our adventure began with a long day getting to Quito, Ecuador by way of Houston. Counting the 4 hour layover in Houston, it took about 12 hours.
We went for another weekend in Vancouver. We took the train north from Everett. Very easy and relaxing. Except for the hour we had to sit at the border waiting for the OK to proceed, all went just fine. We stayed in the St. Regis Hotel as we did before. Not only are the rooms and people great, but the included breakfast is really nice.
Even in the winter, there are trees that produce flowers, small though they are.
I went out with Seamus to walk the streets looking for a few good images. The subjects are never new but sometimes there is something fun to see.
Basking the sun between meals of mice or fish, this heron is really showing his breeding plumage.
Here's another view of our friends, the hooded merganser family.
Mr. and Mrs. hooded merganser sit in water surveying the situation.
This heron sat forever looking at something he wanted to eat. I never did see him move. Would that I had that sort of patience.
I know that I just showed you photos of a heron, but this one is so nicely framed but his/her reflection, I couldn't resist.
In January, we took a trip south to Ridgefield, WA to visit the WIldlife Refuge. In the summer, you can hike on the trails but in the winter, to protect the animals, you are only allowed to drive the loop road and view from your car. We like to visit this place in the winter when all the birds come to eat and prepare for their journeys back north.
Today, we finish this exploration of the wharf with a few looks at some boaty bits.
Sometimes the interest is not in symmetry, but rather in the shape and texture of the object. This dirty, frayed bit of rope really suggests the life of a fisherman to me.
There are patterns and shapes to be seen everywhere here. I find that the yellow float really complements the hand worn ropes stowed beside it.
With a wide lens, it is possible to find a nice angle for viewing the bow of a boat and it's reflection in the water. I find that this makes a quite pleasing image.
Back in October, I joined a photowalk sponsored by the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) to explore the boats moored at Fisherman's Terminal in Seattle. It was a cloudy day with a bit of rain included (surprise!) but it made for an evenly lit shooting day.
Along the edge of the creat we were hiking, stood a tree, bent from the wind and weather, holding for its life to the boulders on which it stands.
In October, Jason Mickel and I took a hike up the trail at Mt Si that leads to Little Si. These mountains that don't seem so high from the road are, in fact, quite tall. Little Si was quite enough for both of us. The image above is taken from a viewpoint shortly after we started our walk.
After our day of sledding behind the dogs, we were treated to a find banquet of salmon and mushroom soup. The mushrooms were locally foraged and the soup was to die for. Above you see the salmon staked to boards and cooked over the open fire. It was really delicious.
Bundled up in our multiple layers and the warm outerwear supplied for us, we walked next door to the lodge to meet the sled dogs and get mounted up for a mush through the snow. The kids were all loaded onto one sled that was driven by our guide.
I don't have photos of the ride itself since E was the passenger and I was the driver of our sled. Imagine a vehicle where the only pedal you need is a brake. Take you foot off the brake and it goes. That's a dog sled. These animals are eager to run and pull. The only limit we had on our sled was my ability to stand on the brake and the fact that if I didn't we'd run over the sled in front of us.
When we got back, we got to meet some of the new arrivals in the kennel. While there is no place for these sorts of dogs as pets, they are mighty cute.
Interestingly, these are all Alaskan dogs rather than Siberian. We were told that Siberian dogs are built for much colder climates and don't do well in Lapland. The Alaskan dog are much better suited to the local climate.
After our visit with Santa, we stopped at a nearby kotta to warm up and have a bit of refreshment. Here, another of Santa's elves assisted us.
After our ride through the snow behind the reindeer, we went back to the coral and fed them. Reindeer eat lichen from the trees in the forest. We were given a bin of lichen someone had harvested for us and the kids got to feed the animals through the fence. Everybody was happy.
This forest is enchanting. However, I'm pretty sure that I don't want to be here in the summer. This conifer forest must be filled with mosquitoes when it is warm here. Now, however, it is delightful.
It seems that the Finns build these small huts in the forest. This small one might be a refuge from the cold, I don't know. This small log cabins are called Kotta, huts, in Finnish. The scene sure is pretty though.
The trees here all look like they've been powdered with confectioners sugar. The cold and the frequent light snows contribute to this. As you can see from the snow on the roof of the building, the snow is fairly deep. We also find this out when we step off the beaten path. It looks relatively light out as if the sun were doing its job. But notice the lights on in the background. It is still pretty dark. The exposure of the camera is fooling you.
After breakfast we donned our serious winter clothes (provided) and headed out for a morning of play in the snow. This meant lots of tobogganing off of a small hill constructed for the purpose and a bit of riding a tethered snowmobile.
As you can see, it is still dark. Between the cloud over and the sun never really getting above the horizon this time of year, it was never very bright outside. As you can see below, it does get brighter, but not a lot.
Our destination for this adventure is Muonio, Finland. It is located about 200 km above the arctic circle. Thus, it is not surprising that it is dark and snowing.
