Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Benji – A Day in Pictures
Too High Up
Fishing
Hunting Moths
Reflecting
Resting
Another good day.
~ Benji
Rainless in Seattle and the Orange Sun
As if it wasn’t enough to break the all time record for rain earlier this year (144 wet days, and almost 45 inches of rain between last October and April) we are now set to break the record for most days without measurable rain (51 days) tomorrow. To top it off, the uncharacteristically hot weather and the smoke from wildfires up north have made for vivid orange sunsets.
About an hour before the sun went down tonight it hovered low in the west looking like a blood orange. I don’t know how to capture that kind of color; maybe some day I will. In the meantime, I found the glow through the trees quite beautiful.
But I sure do miss the rain.
~ Susanne
It Happened at Seafair
As Seafair is in full swing in the Emerald City, I thought I would share again this story from the past, from a simpler time, when Seattle was a Boeing town and Seafair was the face of the summer.
The Gone Tiffany Park Woods
I must say that was fast. Not only have the trees and shrubs come down in what was formerly known as the Tiffany Park Woods, but the area has been pulverized into submission (and yes, dirt) with not a single green thing left, except for the few promised patches. Surprising? Yes.
I knew the trees would go but I guess I held some notion that shrubs and understory would remain. I mean, why take it all? Wouldn’t new homeowners want that vegetation around their houses? (Obviously I know nothing about construction.) Anyway, it’s all gone and the land is being leveled for the infrastructure and houses to come. On the bright side, I won’t need an alarm for awhile since the heavy equipment rolls in around 7 and the noise and vibration shake me out of bed.
I’m also happy to report that Benji and Tiger are coping surprisingly well with all the commotion. They still want out all hours of the day and seem content with the new confines of their territory. (No more sneaking into the woods for them.)
I’m sorry the woods are gone, but I’m thankful my backyard still has enough trees on both sides of the fence for shade and privacy. And more sunshine in some spots where the tree cover was heavier.
So it’s time to move on and say goodbye to the Tiffany Park Woods. Still, if I had it to do over again, I would fight a little harder, maybe hug a few trees, to try to get the woods preserved and added to the city’s park system; an urban park where woodpeckers and owls could still live, with access and trails for all to enjoy.
Maybe next time.
~ Susanne
End of a Hot Summer Day
Nearing the end of another hot, dry, summer day, with temperatures soaring and no rain in sight, skies otherworldly, milky and dim from the forest fires north in British Columbia,
all is well in the backyard, where I turn on the stream
and the chickadees come down to drink and splash and enjoy
and are refreshed.
~ Susanne
A Walk in the Woods at Flaming Geyser State Park
Another summer day and another walk in the woods, my first at Flaming Geyser State Park. Now before you get too excited, I must disavow you of the notion that there’s an actual flaming geyser in the park. No. Sorry. It petered out many years ago; see empty depression in the ground below for confirmation.
But I am promised by the brochure that it did in fact exist once in this very spot. Yes, in 1911 some miners tapped into methane gas and saltwater 1,000 feet underground, and fire and water shot up 25 feet in the air! I wish I could have seen that! They also say that the fire continued for many years until the methane gas finally ran out, so all that’s left is the name, Flaming Geyser. But no matter what they call it, the park is still quite wonderful. First of all the Green River flows through it with good accessible shoreline for swimming, fishing, boating and inner tubing. It has a designated area for remote control model planes (and drones these days), as well as horse trails and large grassy picnic areas.
And there are wooded trails with river access! What more do you want?
And so we walked the easy path through the woods, alongside of giant ferns and berries and shrubs and trees of all sizes and shapes, most of them dripping with moss.
Along the path I saw this tiny orchid like flower which added a nice splash of color to the mostly green landscape. It’s called impatiens capensis, or more commonly, orange jewelweed or orange balsam. Pretty isn’t it?
After a mile or so the trail connected to the river and we stopped to rest and watched the happy drifters go by.
We also watched a flock of ducks swim furiously upriver in the opposite direction. They seemed to take turns being the leader, running to get to the front of the pack while the others hung back. They bobbed underwater when the mood struck them (for food I assume) and stopped by the pools to hang out. They seemed to be having as much fun as the human drifters in their innertubes.
The 65 mile long Green River flows from the west side of the Cascades, passes through the Green River Gorge, then through Auburn and the Kent Valley, and finally becomes the Duwamish River which flows into Elliott Bay in Seattle. Last week I walked an urban trail next to it in Tukwila. I seem to keep bumping into this river and it’s all good.
~ Susanne
Cat Trials
This is Benji and there are still some things I don’t understand about humans. Sue is my favorite person in the world (don’t tell the others) but even she can be unpredictable.
Today after all our normal rituals (morning loves and scratching, fresh canned food with gravy, etc.) she was acting in a suspicious manner. While scratching the scruff of my neck she sneakily left behind some foul goo which interfered with my own cat smell, and which I tried my best to lick away. It was unfortunately just out of reach. Tiger had the same noxious smell yesterday and that I can understand as he is not nearly as fast as me. I shall have to confer with him about this peculiar human behavior.
Of course I forgive Sue this anomaly. She must have her reasons for changing my scent for the day. Perhaps I can sleep it off.
~ Benji
P.S. from Sue ~ If I could avoid this part of cat parenting I would. The boy is a fighter for sure!
Cute Sleeping Cats
Don’t you agree?
Goodnight from Benji & Tiger
An Urban Walk on the Green River
Today I went to the big warehouse store in Tukwila and noticed for the first time that it was directly next to the Green River Trail. (Costco, you heard of it? And no, I really don’t shop here much, too crowded.) Anyway, back to the Trail.
Hmmm, I said. I need a walk today and this will have to do.
Of course, I much prefer the Green River where it flows wild nearer its source further east as seen at the Green River Gorge earlier this year.
But I was here not there and so after my shopping I decided to block out the industrial noise and walk along the river like I meant it.
There were many colorful wildflowers in bloom, and I especially loved the bright yellow yarrow,
and the sweet peas, which for some reason grow more happily here than at home.
Around the bend it was quieter, and I found some shade and a lovely pond.
I even enjoyed the dry grass where lived this little blue flower.
Beauty is where you find it. The Green River Trail right next to the Costco store. It will have to do for today.
~ Susanne
Sol Duc, Rialto Beach and Sequim
I promised to finish the story and so here we are, at Sol Duc Hot Springs, deep in the heart of Olympic National Park.
It rained overnight and we wake up to gray skies and drizzle. It seems a good bet that more rain is on the way, so we decide to take a chance elsewhere and head for the rugged Washington coast.
We stop by Forks and it’s decision time as there really is a fork in the road: head west or south? South would take us to Hwy 101 and Kalaloch, the more traveled route and most popular beach in the Park. Beautiful yes, but we’ve done it many times before. West will take us on 110 and the promise of new, unexplored beaches. We opt to take the road less traveled and head west to Rialto Beach. We’re glad we did!
Rialto Beach!
How did we miss it all these years? Where coastal forest spills onto the beach and ghost trees stand next to giant drift logs, making you feel you have entered someplace prehistoric.
Yes, it’s off the beaten path; in fact the road ends here; further travel north on the coast will be on foot only. Equipped backpackers make that trek carefully, monitoring the weather and tides.
We walk the beach a mile or so under sunshine and clear skies, ever closer to the giant sea stacks off shore.
Afterwards we drive south to La Push and First Beach on the Quileute Indian Reservation for more rugged beauty.
In the end, we’re glad the dismal weather inspired us to seek out new places. That’s what travel should be; a change from the familiar, a bending with the wind (or the rain in this case.) After our fill of the ocean, it’s back to Sol Duc where we will make the short hike to the falls before dark, rain or shine.
Sol Duc Falls
Less than 2 miles round trip, it must be the easiest hike in the park for the most payoff; a trail through old growth forest to one of the most beautiful and accessible falls in the state. A very light rain accompanies us but only makes everything fresher.
Content with the day’s adventures, we head back to our cabin for a light dinner before turning in for the night.
And then there’s Sequim!
Our third day and it’s time to leave Olympic National Park and head home. But we’re not done yet. We have to pass through sunny Sequim and timed our trip to coincide with the Lavender Festival. Sequim is a lovely community in the rain shadow of the Olympics, receiving an average of 16 inches of rain per year. In the last twenty years dairy farms have been given over to lavender farms, making the area a top grower and home to the largest lavender festival in North America. Did I mention that I love lavender? We take in the street fair and stop by several farms to enjoy the festivities there, but especially the lavender.
This may be too much lavender for some, but I can’t seem to get enough of the wonderful herb’s fragrance and gorgeous color. To me, lavender makes everything better, even a trip to the Olympics.
Thanks for following along.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 