Late Summer, Early Morning, Dappled Trees

The trees, at this time of year, are covered in leaves, their own and those from other trees, as well as the ground cover of vines searching for light, and the dappled light making its way through the woodland canopy. It's almost hard to see anything, like a "dazzle ship" in WWI crossing the Atlantic.

In the Woodland, Near the Bridge

This small fort is very hidden. I’ve visited it for several years now, but it was harder to find this year. At high tide, the water can come up nearly to it, and if you add rain, it could be a dangerous place. But right now, as you walk through the bushes and grass, the air becomes thick with bugs, many mosquitoes and gnats, and your clothing is covered with green, yellow and black inch-long worm-like creatures. When a nearby train stops and the cars shift, you are physically moved by the slack action. This noise is caused by the couplers between train cars having small gaps, allowing for some movement when the train stops and starts. As the train comes to a halt, the cars bunch together, closing those gaps and creating a banging sound as the couplings collide. The sound echoes up and down the entire train, which can be 50 cars or more long. You hear this thundering crack and boom, boom, boom, and it hits you like a wave.

In The Winter Garden

The cold has reached below zero, and the garden is empty as can be. Half-finished tasks wait to be completed. A pheasant, red ring, flies by unexpectedly and startles me. Small birds flutter from bush to bush, looking for any remaining seeds.

The Monument Without a Purpose

Looking out over the Pacific, the monument has nothing to say. People get off the road, park and walk by to see the ocean, but ignore the obvious.

The Dead Tree Tells Its Story

Cold has frozen the creek and floods from the beaver dams, along with the snow, have flattened the grass. Things usually hidden in the undergrowth are seen in the winter, and they tell winter tales. Most of the fallen trees still have large amounts of soil attached to their roots, but this one has little left other than the skeleton. Even in death it seems to have suffered.

Flooding in the Delta

The rain stopped early today and we went down to a woodlands along the Pacific coast. There the high tide and strong winds blowing inland Brough a flood inland. Pathways throughout the woodlands were flooded, some were like little streams. What all the salt water will do to the cottonwoods I’m not sure.