Westport Beach

Since we are not big swimmers in any season, this visit to the beach in winter is great for us. A walk along an empty beach is always more fun than a stroll on crowded one.

From Symmetry to Shoreline

Our morning at the state park was park of our drive to Westport beach. But it was hard to leave this serene and symmetric place.

Ocean City State Park

Today, we have a fun exploration of reflections. While visiting Ocean Shores, WA, we stopped by the nearby Ocean City State Park and found a small inshore lake on a dead calm day.

A Bit of Spring Sunshine

In early April and late March we were having lots of rain in the Seattle area. Typical spring stuff for the PNW. When the sun came out I grabbed the camera and headed outdoors for a few snaps and little exercise.

Waterfall and Forest

We made our goodbyes to the waterfall with one last photo and drive on around to the other side of the lake.

Merriman Falls

Clearly, we are in a rainforest. Not only is there plenty of water from the stream, but the trees are of the sort that demand lots of water as well. Moss and lichens cover everything.

Lake Quinault

Since Ocean Shore is small and the beach is, well, a beach, we decided to spend one day driving to edge of the rainforest at Quinault. It, too, was a very small town consisting of a store (closed for the season) and a hotel and few houses. There is a road that goes around Quinault lake so we drove part of it to see what we could see.

As you can see, it is still winter and the trees are bare.

Ocean Shores Bach - II

The waves seem to be churning seaweed up from the bottom and carrying it along partway to shore. While the air was not terribly cold, the water certainly seemed to be.

Ocean Shores Beach

We found that the best breakfast for us was to be had a local McDonalds. Not wanting to sit there to eat, we got it to go and headed out to the beach.

Grays Harbor Wildlife Refuge

While at the pacific coast of Washington, we stopped by Grays Harbor Wildlife Refuge to have a look about. We saw about two birds. One was far away and the other was this sparrow.

Jetty Beach

The beaches in the northwest, whether rocky or sandy, all have driftwood on them. This specimen is weathered a silver grey and makes a nice foreground for the sea.

Jetty Beach, Ocean Shores, WA

In February, we decided to take a weekend trip to the coast for a little R&R. We drove southwest from Snohomish to Ocean Shores on the pacific coast and found a nice small ocean side town. Just south of town lies Jetty Beach. This was out first stop.

Pioneer Cemetery Continued

This grave makes it clear that Civil War officers were among the many that came west to find their fortunes.

Pioneer Cemetery, Mukilteo

While I was coming home from Mukilteo, I found this small cemetery on the cliff above the beach. Cemeteries are always interesting.

More Mukilteo Beach

Those if you who have followed this blog for a while know that I enjoy photographs that belie their era or location by hiding the clues or simply being sufficiently abstract. This image above is one of these. This could be a swirl in the mud, a aerial photograph of riparian habitat, or, as in this case, the crosscut view of the twisted growth of a tree.

Mukilteo Beach

Over by the dock where the ferry leave for Whidbey island is the Mukilteo Beach. It is a small, mostly rocky beach with lots of driftwood that has washed up along the shore. This makes it a great place to explore patterns and shapes that combine the organic with the mineral.

Rockport State Park

The state of Washington is littered with small (and large) state parks. For about $30 a year pass to all of them can be had. So I renewed our pass and headed up the road about an hour to the small town of Rockport. Located here is a modest sized stand of old growth forest.

Georgetown Steam Plant - VI

Many of the photos of this place are high dynamic range composites because it was dark in many of the corners and very bright in other places. This one is also a focus stack to get everything in focus. A total of 6 shots to make one.

Georgetown Steam Plant - V

Some parts of the plant looked as if they were just in operation that morning.

Georgetown Steam Plant - IV

The Georgetown Steam Plant is full of small details that can make for interesting photographs. For example, capturing a close-up of a valve, gauge or tool can make for a unique and compelling image.

Georgetown Steam Plant - III

I really like the way the dust that has settled on the piping has given it a bit of a 3-D modeled effect.

Georgetown Steam Plant - II

In addition to the turbine generator, visitors can see a variety of other historic equipment, including generators, pumps, boilers, and control panels. The plant also has a small exhibit that showcases the tools and equipment used by the plant's workers.

Georgetown Steam Plant

Today we start a dive into a local point of interest here in Seattle: the Georgetown Steam Plant. Located on the southside of town, it is a large steam power electricity generation facility built to power the city trams.

Atlanta Aquarium - III

Sometimes I get the exposure right and the water is just about invisible with little hint of the bluish tint and the fish just seem to levitate in front of us.

Atlanta Aquarium - II

There are plenty of large tanks of water here hold large schools of fish...

Atlanta Aquarium

Our last stop on the way back to the cool and wet Northwest is the Atlanta Aquarium. As in most of these places, the jelly fish are among the first things you encounter and they are almost always under colored lights to make them look really cool.

University of South Carolina

Columbia is a place with lots of memories for our family. Most of you gentle readers know that I was once on the faculty here at USC. Elizabeth earned here Masters degree in Library Science here. And, just across the Congaree river in Lexington, Anna was born. We had to stop and just have a look about.

A Playground in Columbia, SC

Our trip through the South involved many days of sitting in the car. This little ones don't deal well with that sort of sitting still, so we took them to a nearby playground to blow a bit of steam.

Polkville, NC

Just a short entry today to show you a couple highlights from the (very) small town where by father grew up. This is Polkville. In 2010, the population was 545 people. The building shown above is what remains of what once was the bustling center of town. This was the cotton gin.

Mast General Store, Valle Crucis

I really enjoy finding a place to get a photo that steps out of time. This view of the store barely belies the modern age.

Valle Crucis, NC

After Leaving Staunton in early January, we headed south to North Carolina and spent the night in Boone. I wanted to show Anna and Set where I went to college. But, alas! Appalachian State has grown so much in 50 years that it is hardly recognizable. Who would have guessed?

Not far from Boone is the very small wide spot in the road called Valle Crucis. the main features here are few B&B's and a tavern and this general store. It was the first here and remains a central attraction.

A Cold Winter's Afternoon

The old YMCA building has long since been converted to condos. It retains its noble exterior. It has never been clear to me where these people park. Probably in a lot next door, but parking is sometimes tight, even in this small town.

Late Afternoon in Staunton

With the sun out and the chill diminished slightly, I managed to catch some of the play of the late afternoon sun on the buildings. 

Staunton Streets

Beverley Street remains the place to see store fronts. Small towns always have an antique (=junk) store or two to display local 'items of interest'. Often there are few such items to be found in the sea of unrelenting junk.

Finding Details in Staunton, VA

During December, we house and cat sat for some friends back in Staunton. In spite of the bitter cold spell that we experienced, I was able to find times to get out the house and walk the streets of Staunton looking for some interesting bits to shoot.

Mt. Shasta and Important News about the Blog

We stopped for food and gas in Redding on our way north out of California toward home. We've have now passed from desert wasteland to snow covered peaks as Mt. Shasta looms in the background.

The Last of Our Time in Southern California

Windswept and largely barren. This is not a place to stop and rest after cross Death Valley.

Leaving Death Valley

 Driving west from Death Valley, we cross over/around the Panament mountains and down into another valley similar to, but less spectacular than, Death Valley.

Badwater Basin - II

It is clear why this place got the name of badwater since it is it is filled with only salty water. This view across the valley is a good reminder of what those in the gold rush saw as they tried to cross into the California gold fields this way. Just imagine how awful it would be to try to walk across this without water.

Badwater Basin

Into Badwater Basin we head next. This is the location of the much advertised lowest point in North America.

Dante's View

As the sun moved up in the sky, we headed for Dante's peak to catch the panorama from there.

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes at Sunrise - V

As the run breaches the horizon and crests the hills to the east, the tops of the local hills are lit and the mood on the sand begins to change.

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes at Sunrise - IV

Think of it as environmental portraiture. There are actually a couple people in most of today's photos. Once you find them, you can't not see them.

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes at Sunrise - III

That this vast expanse of sand has any plants in it is remarkable. Yet, life finds a what. Clearly, the little rain that falls here (usually this is the case but 2022 saw flooding) seems to be enough to satisfy these drought resistant plants.

In fact, they seem to be spreading with the small fronds reaching the top of the local dune.

But not all are so lucky. Some expansion attempts don't work out well and we just get bare stems in places.

 

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes at Sunrise - II

By carefully picking the directions to shoot, I could, in spite of the footprints everywhere, make it feel quite empty.

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes at Sunrise

One of the things that the photo workshop offered that inspired this visit to Death Valley was sunrise here on the dunes at Mesquite Flat. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to do it on my own.

Death Valley - Devil's Golf Course

As we end our excursion along Artist's Drive, I found a place where it seemed as if gold was just lying on the ground everywhere. Rest assured, it is not gold.