The Hoh Rainforest gets an average of 140 inches of rain every year. That's more than 3 times as much as stereotypically rainy Seattle, only 100 miles away, gets. The Olympic Range catches all the moisture coming in off the Pacific and dumps it onto the westward slopes, generating the famous temperate rainforests, of which…Read more Washington With Bones – Part 3: Hoh Rainforest
Beach
Washington With Bones – Part 2C: Sol Duc and Rialto Beach
It had already been a long day by the time we navigated the windy road down off Hurricane Ridge and traveled, once again, along the south shore of Lake Crescent. The lake is beautiful, but I was really starting to feel stuck in this one little area. We'd been back and forth along this stretch…Read more Washington With Bones – Part 2C: Sol Duc and Rialto Beach
Assateague Island National Seashore, MD
Running for 37 miles along Maryland's eastern shore, Assateague Island is wild Atlantic coast. It's a barrier island, long and slender with the Atlantic Ocean on on the east side and a shallow saltwater bay on the west. In between, several different ecosystems and habitats shift with the seasonal ebb and flow of tides, coastal…Read more Assateague Island National Seashore, MD
Iceland, 2019 – Part 2, Snæfellsnes Peninsula
This is part two in a series outlining my family's exploration of Iceland during the summer of 2019, pre-COVID. It was a mostly outdoor experience, exploring the wild and natural sights of a beautiful country during the height of summer. For the full journey, and notes on places to go and things to see, check…Read more Iceland, 2019 – Part 2, Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Ka’anapali Beach Sunset, Maui, HI
On our first night on Maui during our 2018 anniversary trip with the family, we arrived at Ka'anapali Beach just in time to watch the sunset, and play in the surf.
Hawai’i, 2018: Day 2 – Snorkeling and Sailing
Way back in the summer of 2018, in the "before time", we could travel, and hang out in large groups. Remember those days? Ah, innocence. Little did we know... https://youtu.be/0vVjpJMvzRw After we'd spent the first day driving all over the Big Island to see the sights, we decided to stay close to home on Day…Read more Hawai’i, 2018: Day 2 – Snorkeling and Sailing
Storm Surge
Along the barrier islands of North Carolina, storms regularly inundate the shoreline, undercutting and killing trees, which then fall into the sound. The actual shore shifts back and forth as erosion takes its toll. In some areas, fewer and fewer trees remain, as high water has become common enough that they can't get a foothold.
Winter Casualty
Every year this time I see relics of those who didn't survive the winter. I'm not a forensic expert, but based on the thin orbital bones (around the eyes) and the occipital ridge (across top of head), this appears to be a striped skunk whose remains were probably scattered by vultures. The skull, but nothing…Read more Winter Casualty
Grounded
The shed flight feather of a common gull. Simple and elegant in its design, part of an intricate machinery that enables flight - even with a few parts missing. Photo Credit - Lynn Abbott This post was published in response to the Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge - "Ascend". See more responses here.
Downeast Maine, Part 4 (Final) – Oceanarium, and Points East
This is the last installment of our summer Maine adventure. (Hooray, the crowd goes wild!) At this point, I was facing a little bit of mutiny from the boys. "No hiking today". Well, we all have our limits. So instead, we went to the Oceanarium, home of the US's only lobster hatchery, and some good…Read more Downeast Maine, Part 4 (Final) – Oceanarium, and Points East
Transforming
This week's photo challenge was a tricky one - how to portray change and transformation in a single shot. Where water meets land, there is an uneasy truce. Tides, storms, and the wind-driven waves are constantly altering the shoreline. It's not often visible in a given moment, but this tree bears witness. After years of…Read more Transforming
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 