Foggy Morning

Fog rolled in early, then slowly began to burn off. View from the driveway.

Oh Deer!

After leaving Iverson Spit, we were heading back toward Sunrise Drive on Iverson Beach Road. This deer wondered why I came to an abrupt stop. Good thing Toby didn't notice what was outside his opposite window. He'd have barked his fool head off and scared away the deer.

Pile-O-Drift Wood

Ok, Iverson Spil is on the east side of Camano Island, and Saratoga Passage is on the west. Not sure why this sign was posted at Iverson Spit.

Loose Poodles

Chi-chi & Toby . . . Off Leash. . . Shhhhhhh!

Beautiful Mount Baker

Mt. Baker Behind

Darn! Forgot the the tripod. . . Toby doesn't have thumbs, so a piece of drift wood worked fine. Behind us is Livingston Bay, and of course Mount Baker in the background.

Sunday Outing

Habitat: 300-acre county natural area w/ salt water, mud flats, beach, marsh, shrubs, agricultural land, and forested hillside.

Birding: Among the 125 species recorded here, Bald Eagle, Pileated Woodpecker, and Chestnut-backed Chickadee stay year-round. Common Yellowthroats, Rufous Hummingbirds, and Swainson’s Thrushes are here spring through fall; Cedar Waxwings and Caspian Terns come for summer. Spring and fall migrations bring shorebirds and warblers. In winter, look for Common and Red-throated Loons, Brant, Peregrine Falcons, and Long-tailed Ducks.
Viewing: Walk along dike to spot birds of open water and salt marsh, or take trail behind dike for sparrows and warblers.

Access: From I-5, take exit 212 (Hwy 532 West/268th St. NW). Drive west 9.4 miles. Turn left (south) onto East Camano Dr. Drive 0.3 mile. Turn left (south) onto Sunrise Blvd. Drive 2.4 miles. Turn left (east) onto Iverson Beach Rd. Drive 1.1 miles to parking lot. (from: explorewashington)

Salty Marsh

Saltwater marsh.

Teens?

Not sure where the teens went. We looked. There weren't any.

C'mon man . . . hurry up!!!

These very well behaved Boxers were sitting in their truck outside the QFC in Stanwood waiting for their people... who finally showed up with a case of Rolling Rock.

Flying. Looks too easy!

This shot was taken at English Boom. Certain he was scoping out the shoreline looking for an appetizer.

No Splinters

This collection of worn-soft logs can be found at English Boom.

Sunset

From the deck, looking left is the tip of Strawberry Point, Whidbey Island. Looking farthest out you see the lower part of Fidalgo Island. During the day you can see the smoke plumes from the refinery at Anacortes.

Morning hunt.

This shot was taken from our deck. Canon 70-300 zoom. But still, he was REALLY close. Yeah, he looks pretty intense. Dogs. . . get in the house!

Robbie & Dana

Free Range Poodles

Toby & Chi-Chi really needed a bowl of water. Fresh water. Although totally eagle bait, the dogs thought they were "Free Range Poodles"

English Boom

English Boom. One of our first trips beyond the driveway. North end of the island at the end of Moore Road. . . . past the airport. Camano has an airport? Ok... no commercial flights. Below is some info taken from an article in the Seattle Times:

Seattle Times, October 26, 2006:

Location: Camano Island, Island County.

Walk length: Over a quarter-mile round trip.

Level of difficulty: Short, level paved path runs from the parking-lot shelter out to the beach; a gravel-turning-quickly-to-dirt trail heads east through the marsh with boards bridging tidal channels (trail often mucky).

Setting: This achingly peaceful spot on Skagit Bay was the site of a bustling timber industry in 1922-1945. During the 1920s and 1930s, the English Lumber Co. logged the forests to the east of Stanwood and Mount Vernon. The logs were then transported by rail to the water, and corralled together into log booms in Skagit Bay. Tugboats then hauled the floating logs to sawmills all around Puget Sound. The pilings rising out of the water were pounded into the tidelands around 1922, and are all that remain of the settlement of piers and shacks now immortalized in photos at the historical kiosk at the trailhead.

Highlights: This six-acre park with 900 feet of water frontage is part of a wildlife habitat area, and is backed by an upland forest that rises up at the southern edge of the salt marsh. This combination of habitats makes it a perfect place for eagles, kingfishers, great blue herons and falcons to hunt (bird-watching groups frequently plan field trips to this spot). The northern exposure of the park protects it from the direct force of winter storms out of the south, although thick jumbles of driftwood in the marsh attest to years of offerings from the sea. On a clear day, you can see Mount Baker and Mount Pilchuck. Future trail plans include ecological interpretive signs and short bridges across the tidal channels.

Facilities: None.

Restrictions: Leash and scoop laws in effect.

Directions: From Interstate 5, about 18 miles north of Everett, take Exit 212, and head six miles west on Highway 532 to Stanwood. Continue west, and after crossing over Davis Slough onto Camano Island, turn right on Good Road, which eventually curves left and becomes Utsalady Road. After 1.8 miles, just after the small airfield, turn right on Moore Road, and follow it to the end.