Nature

Drift ice swirl, north Atlantic
Taken in 1997.

The swirl is one of the shapes one sees consistently in nature, from the shape of the galaxies to the form of a nautilus shell to the patterns of whirlpools and tornadoes. I found the pattern mesmerizing as I flew over the north Atlantic in between Iceland and Greenland. I snapped the photo, since I had never seen anything like this before. It was a very propitious trip, as it inspired my later travels to the Arctic, in Greenland and Iceland, starting exactly 10 months later. (Click on the photograph to see a larger picture on a separate picture page.)

Sunset over Seattle’s Salmon Bay
Taken in July 2014.

We have had an amazing string of clear, warm evenings. All of them produce scenes like the one here, as the sun sets over the distant Olympic Mountains and boat traffic quiets down near the Fishermen’s Terminal at Salmon Bay. (Click on the photograph to see a larger picture on a separate picture page.)

That which we call a Seattle rose
Taken in July 2014.
Taken in July 2014.
Taken in July 2014.
Taken in July 2014.

 

July means all of the roses are in full bloom at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo Rose Garden. This is a beautiful place, in the highly organized, English garden sort of way, with a diverse palate of roses arranged in the tidiest of beds. Lots of weddings are held here, which likely surprises no one. I came here right after an evening rain. I found the ambiance just right for appreciating these thorny plants that star-crossed lovers and clever florists deem to be essential elements in the critical matters of the heart. (Click on each photograph to see a larger picture on a separate picture page.)

 

The Ballard Locks, meeting place of tourists and salmon
A father and son watch migrating sockeye in the viewing area where salmon can swim up fish ladders on their way to breeding grounds upstream. (Taken in July 2014.)
It warms my heart to see people watching the glory of nature and not connected to machines and not caught in distractions that take away from the wonder of the present moment. (Taken in July 2014).
Tourists listen to an interpreter at the Ballard Locks, July 2014.

The Ballard Locks, run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is one of the most popular spots for visitors and locals alike. July is a particularly great time to visit, to see migrating sockeye, and even an occasional king, swim up the fish ladders, en route to their breeding grounds upstream from Lake Washington. Even if you live here, this is a great place to visit, often. No visitor I have hosted has walked away disappointed. For the record, the official name of this site, built originally for regional flood control, is the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. (Click on each photo to see a larger picture on a separate picture page.)

 

Full buck moon rises over the Port of Seattle
Taken July 12, 2014.
Taken July 12, 2014.

Last night, July 12, a so-called full buck moon or super moon, took light over the heavens. Hundreds of people gathered along Elliott Bay in West Seattle to watch it rise over the Port of Seattle. It was quite spectacular to put it mildly. I decided to slightly adjust the colors of one of these pictures to punch up the orange. You can see the difference. The colors of the moon last night started as light pink, turning to orange, turning to yellow in about one hour. (Click on each photograph to see a larger picture on a separate picture page.)

Summertime, and it is hot

 

This shot was taken in one of several refreshing lakes near Omak, Wash., a beautiful area about four hours by car from Seattle.

In central Washington, temperatures can push up to 100 F during the mid and late afternoon, and residents head for the nearest body of water to cool down. This shot was taken near Omak, Wash., in 2012. (Click on the picture to open the photograph on a separate picture page.)

You never forget the first time you step foot in Greenland

 

I took this shot in June 1998, on a beautiful Greenland morning.

Yesterday I discovered some nice photos taken of east Greenland, in fjords near the air hub of Kulusuk. This is the sparsely inhabited region of Greenland, a home rule territory still within the Kingdom of Denmark. I landed in Kulusuk in June 1998. I will never forget this flight, from Reykjavik, Iceland. I flew on the very tough Bombardier Dash-8 prop plane, and my captain was a wonderful Greenlander who I then hired to charter a boat trip up a fjord near Nuuk, the capital, to find Viking archaeological ruins. The air when I stepped off for the refueling stop was crisp. Those arctic low hanging fog clouds shrouded the mountains. My fellow passengers were all delighted to be back home. I was in heaven. This trip changed my life.

You can see more of my photos shot in 1998, 1999, and 2000 on my Greenland picture gallery. (Click on photograph to open a larger picture on a separate picture page.)

Rain falling on blue heron
Taken in Portland, April 2014.

Blue herons can be seen in areas in urban areas like Portland and Seattle because of protected habitat where they nest. I snapped this one in Portland on the last weekend of April, wandering through Portland’s amazingly beautiful Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, very near where I once attended college. Many poems can be written about these elegant avians.

Marine life revealed with Puget Sound’s low tide
Taken June 12, 2014.
Taken June 12, 2014.
Taken June 12, 2014.

This week, low tides are giving area resident excellent views of the diverse marine life in tidal areas just off West Seattle at Constellation Park. Volunteer guides offer tours and information to residents and young school kids. If you live in Seattle, you definitely should add this to your to do list and be prepared for getting your feet wet. It is well worth it.

Fly fishing in Newberry Caldera, Oregon
Can anything beat this? (Taken in June 2014.)

 

I visited Oregon’s Newberry National Volcanic Monument last week. This was one of my favorite finds in a long time. The area includes one of many volcanic peaks in central Oregon, Newberry Caldera.  But on this one, there are two pristine clear, blue lakes (Paulina and East lakes), scenes of volcanic explosions, cool temperatures, and some of the prettiest camping spaces I can recall. Trout and one species of salmon are stocked in the lake, and some fish swim off into some pools that tumble off Paulina Lake into a creek that crashes down Paulina Falls. That’s where I captured this, no doubt, blissful fly fisherman, who bore a striking similarity to noted fly fisherman and current Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber. Made me think of the Norman Maclean quote: “Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.” (Click on the photograph to see a larger picture on a separate picture page.)