Arctic Blast on North Whidbey

It's rare in Puget Sound, but it does happen.  Warm air from the south clashes with frigid air from the north and we have snow.  More frigid air from the north and it gets down to 14 degrees.  Of course, I have to venture out this morning ( a balmy 16 degrees) to get some pictures.

We only had about two inches of snow but the 40 mph winds created shear bluffs and canyons (all of an inch high and deep).

I love the early morning light and the severe shadows.  The deafening crunch of my hiking boots permeated the quiet.

The end of my morning trek yielded the view of Mt. Baker with its fresh coat of snow overlooking a quiet Oak Harbor.  Snow like this is so rare these winters the city pretty much shuts down. 

Fallen leaves on a fall day

Mushrooms of November

We had a wet fall and the mush- rooms are out in force. I am amazed at the various colors.







The mushrooms come in all shapes and sizes.

These are all ones I spotted on my regular morning walk of around two miles in circumference.

I am also amazed at how quickly they spring up,

and how quickly they are gone.

Pier 7 Glaswerks

A group went to Pier 7 Glaswerks in La Conner Saturday to "blow your own glass."  We had a great time!

These are some of the creations of owner Jeff, as shown in the gallery.

Color is added to the molten glass,

and then the glass is heated again.

More color can be added to ultimately add swirls to the color design.






The glass is then heated yet again.





 
Each of us was allowed to "blow."
Here I am adding my air to the expanding glass as owner Jeff does the shaping.




The glass is again returned to the furnace.
Jeff deftly creates a beautiful bowl.



A Christmas tree ornament could also be formed.

Jeff puts the finishing touches on our creations.







Pier 7 Glaswerks is in La Conner.  Their website is:
http://www.pier7glass.com/. 

You can go individually or as a group to blow your own glass.  You get to keep your creation, but you do have to return the next day to pick it up after cooling.

La Conner Heron

This heron was gracing the shores of La Conner the other day.

Morning Reflections

I was out a little after sunrise this morning to catch the light.  First I went to the west side of Whidbey Island. 

Then I went to the east side of the island, Penn Cove, with Mt. Baker in the distance.