Fisherman's Terminal - IV

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.

Fisherman's Terminal - III

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.

Fisherman's Terminal - II

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.

By the Sea

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.

Mt SI - III

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.

Mt Si - II

The fog comes and goes as we climb ever higher.

A Hike on the Mt. Si Trail

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.

The Last Hurrah

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.

Sled Dogs!

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.

My face got pretty cold, but the rest of me did OK. Elizabeth was seated and covered by a blanket so she stayed reasonably warm. But the sleds have no springs and the ride was bumpy. So she got the good out of every bump and dip. There were even a few bruises where the sides of the sled banged against her legs.

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.