Salal is an evergreen plant that carpets the forest floor in areas where there is an opening in the canopy, and near roads and paths.
It is green, most of the time. Except in the fall, where some of the leaves start to decay and acquire a bit of individuality.
The decay patterns are interesting.
Very individual.
And lacy.
And some go very red, as a final big show…
Around the island, lots of water creatures swim about.
Sometimes, they hang around in groups, like the river otter clan in the header, above.
And they also live quiet single lives.
“You talking to me?”
Here is another shot of the East Point otter clan:
And during the fall and winter, sea lions also hang out – with bald eagles – on Boiling Reef, at the tip of East Point, Saturna Island.
Here they are, with Bellingham, WA, in the background.
Mount Baker is an impressive mountain, a volcano, actually. It dominates the sky, from the Anacortes shoreline.
Above, an early morning peachy-colored skyline, featuring the volcano in the background. Taken at the ferry parking lot, in Anacortes, WA.
Then, blue shading started to come in… This was about thirty minutes later, and the pastels were softly changing.
And this was taken from the ferry, about an hour later. I think it was just before Friday Harbor, our midway stop before crossing the international boundary, heading for Sidney, on Vancouver Island.
And below… this is what Mount Baker, the White Sentinel, looks like, from Saturna Island, in BC.
Meet Sailor on the Wind, or Velella velella. There were millions of these jellyfishes on the beaches of Oregon this past spring. Piles and piles of them. This one was fairly fresh, not all dried up. Quite beautiful, actually. I didn’t touch it, I read somewhere that they contain a mild neurotoxin…
From my house, I get to watch the sailors in the summertime. Little boats, big boats…
Sometimes, they play all together.
And when they turn around to go home, I love the colourful spinnakers.
The next day’s race was scheduled later in the afternoon. The silver afternoon light is just magic.
And sometimes, sailors prefer to work solo.
Sailing by yourself is a special kind of solitude, time to reflect, but also to react quickly to changing conditions. No one else to blame in case of a mistake.
The above sailor looks headed for the US (smile). That little chunk of land on the right is Blunden Islet, at the tip of South Pender Island, in BC. The islands in the background are Waldron and Orcas, in the US.
During the same sailing event, serious sailors competed on bigger boats. Team work and play. Less meditation, more intensity.
And sometimes, things don’t go as planned.
In 2007, on the eve of the Saturna Lamb Barbecue (a July Saturna tradition for over 50 years), the Robertson II ran aground on a reef near Saturna Island, in the middle of the night. Miscalculation, distraction, too much pre-partying? Night sailing is demanding and unforgiving.
Oh well.
Back to daytime sailing. And the afternoon light.
I caught the boat pictured above sailing “in the silver”, a couple of days ago. The late afternoon light was perfect. Then, I played with the filters and colour intensity. I think this is going to be a print. In the meantime, enjoy it online.
And go play outside!
