  Met a cool caterpillar
I haven't figured out what it is yet. Too fuzzy to be Mothra. Feel free to e-mail me if you know.
 THE Cure For The Common Cold
For me, this works wonders. When I have trouble shaking a cold, I kill it off with a shot of whisky and hard running while smoking a cigar. Running in a cold, driving rain is even better. You may laugh, but the fact remains that the combination of alcohol, tobacco, elevated heart rate and increased core temperature convinces the cold it will die before I will, and victory is mine.
  
  
Fawn and raccoon rehab release
Participating in the release of these fawns and raccoons back into the wild after their successful rehabilitation was a rare and humbling privilege. The dedicated people at NWRC work long hours for moments like these. For me, being close to such amazing animals as they recover, grow and re-enter the wild more than makes up for coming home once a week smelling like raccoon s#!t.
  
  
Lake Whatcom North Shore Trail
Three miles out and three miles back, this is a beautiful easy hike along the old Blue Canyon Mine railroad grade on the north shore of Lake Whatcom. The trail hugs the shoreline and there are several places to swing over the water on ropes or to sit on a bench and contemplate life, made all the more worthwhile when you can catch some afternoon sun on a crisp fall day. Just the thing to chase away the blues or to get lost in them a while, looking for answers in a safe place.
  
  
Lake Samish Salmon Row
I paddled the Salmon Row again this year, a 5.5 mile race on Lake Samish held at the end of September. This was the first time back in a kayak since the CR100 and I was struck by the similarities (paddling tandem, getting soaked, great teammate) and the differences (50 degrees, windy, 94.5 miles shorter). We even got 2nd in our division! (OK, only three boats out of 108 were in our division, Sea Kayak 2x Open.) I was also drawn to the faster racing tandems and outrigger canoes pictured above. Hmmm... I don't think they're legal on the YRQ but maybe the CR100... Hmmm...
 
Kayaking Bayou Petit Anse
I drove through southern Louisiana after the CR100 and stopped at Avery Island to see the Jungle Gardens across from the Tobasco plant. While there I asked about the alligators. They said they had 4-5 footers in their ponds and they "threw the bigger ones out into the bayou." I asked if anyone ever paddled kayaks in the bayou and they said they hadn't heard of that, but figured it would be OK and that the alligators would leave me alone just like a fishing boat. With a little anxiety I unstrapped the solo kayak, lowered it into the murky water and paddled out into Bayou Petit Anse that borders Avery Island. Several 4-5 foot alligators appeared right away and I quietly drifted within a few feet. Watching them move with such fluid motion under the boat was fantastic. I had fried my camera during the CR100 (see below) so all I have are these cell phone photos. The first photo is an alligator resting on Avery Island; the second is an alligator off the port side near the submerged branches. My son and I paddled with bigger alligators in the Everglades (see the Kayaking Florida page) but being with these gators on my own felt different, a bit more intense and focused and peaceful if that makes any sense. I could just watch them and silently marvel at them as long as I wanted. I would not have paddled there unless the local folks were sure it would be OK. I was very impressed with the land and people of Louisiana so I'll be back.
  
  
  
  
Colorado River 100 race and road trip
For more details on the race check out the 2006 CR100 page and the race web site. The road trip was fun, the river was fast and my teammate was better than words can describe. My camera got dunked halfway through the race so I have no cool boat photos from the finish. This year instead of slogging solo for hours at the end we finished in a flotilla of four boats filled with great people sharing the pain of the race and the joy of a billion stars. It was wonderful.
Row one: Road trip sunrise, jackalope on dash, curious antelope. Row two: Aliens blocked the radio near the Roswell UFO crash site, parked at the UFO museum, camping at McKinney Falls State Park in Austin. Row three: Austin squirrel, pre-race pre-dawn prep, dawn on the water. Row four: Smithville checkpoint at 25 miles, a swamped boat stuck in the river, a butterfly companion.
 Bellingham sidewalk chalk art
 
 Mexico Mission
I went back for a fourth year of playing with bugs and lizards while helping to build children's homes with Birchwood Pres. Church and Mount Of Olives Children's Village in Uruapan, Mexico, about an hour south of Ensenada in inland Baja. I love working with these people. I love sleeping outside and waking up to the choruses of roosters, cows, dogs and donkeys. I love seeing the kids in a safe, happy place. I don't love the spiders. I don't love them a lot.
   
   
   Lake Chelan hike to Stehekin
The Lady Of The Lake ferry dropped us off 17 miles from Stehekin, a small town on the north end of Lake Chelan. No roads lead to Stehekin; you have to take the ferry, float plane or hike in. We followed the "lakeside" trail thinking it would be easy to get water, but the trail often wound high above the lake, very dry and very hot. The photos show the ferry, the trail, a cool 10-lined June beetle, flowers, one of our scenic camp sites, the Visitor Center, and the relaxing beverage(s) I enjoyed upon arrival in Stehekin. We met some very nice people on the trail. Thanks for the note. :)
  
Sauk Mountain family hike
Driving out past Concrete you can find the Sauk Mountain trailhead. This is a beautiful day hike that was great for our family. The first photo shows the switchbacks that wind up through lovely wildflowers. (The trailhead and parking lot are visible in the distance.) At the top we found snow that would have been unwise to cross in tennis shoes so take care on the ridge. The view of the lake below and the marmot playing in the rocks was a nice reward after all the switchbacks.
   
   
 Crystal Lakes hike on Mount Rainier
My second hike to test my ultralight gear. This hike had more beautiful vistas than a sane person could enjoy. Row one: The steep trail, Mount Rainier and the White River with the swath of flood destruction plainly visible, my REI model shot at Crystal Peak, and a clip of the 360-degree view from the peak. Row two: a stream near Upper Crystal Lake (beautiful wildflowers!), a marmot guarding the trail, Upper Crystal Lake reflecting the evening light, a Sears catalog photo of me having supper. The last link is a clip of a coyote howling in the early morning as I left the lake. That was a powerfully stirring moment. I live for moments like that.
   
 Lake George hike on Mount Rainier
This was my first real test of my ultralight gear. The photos above are the beautiful Lake George reflecting in the evening, the Fish Creek washout after the crazy storms, a columnar andesite formation (the cone of the volcano is made of it), my ultralight tarp and comforter combo, and a pika seen at dusk.
  
Beach Naturalist volunteering
Another great summer of Beach Naturalist volunteering came and went. This is a great way to get to know the sea shore and connect with the area, especially if you are new. Great people, hands-on instruction and a wonderful excuse to hang out at the beach. What could be better? The photos above show a rock crab acting fierce, a brittle star, and a giant pink sea star.
 
Flowering Plum and Honey Bee
 Dan Harris Challenge
In April I raced my Chesapeake 17LT sea kayak in the 8.5 nm Dan Harris Challenge rowing and paddling race in Bellingham Bay. The photo above is taken from Boulevard Park looking across stacked stones to the start of the rowing division. The majority of the boats in the race were surf skis and rowing shells, much faster than sea kayaks, so a sea kayaker has to get used to bringing up the back of the pack at these kinds of races. I don't mind that at all, but a sea kayaker occasionally must suffer the misplaced sympathy of rowers and surf skiers who believe you would rather be paddling one of their ultra-modern single-purpose contraptions than a lovely wooden craft that can take me camping to the islands after the race. Still, the rowers and surf skiers mean well and paddle other boats, too, and are some of the nicest people one would ever hope to meet. Maybe I just haven't been bitten by the surf ski bug yet and I'll change my tune.
 
  Wildlife Rehab volunteering
I had no idea how cool volunteering could be until I learned about wildlife rehabilitation from a good friend. She rehabs baby rabbits, a difficult and sometimes heart-wrenching endeavor that requires more love and commitment than I could give. But I could volunteer a few hours a week at our local rehab center, the Northwest Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, and have been privileged to give aid and be closer to more wonderful critters than I could ever have hoped. If you love animals I encourage you to volunteer and donate to your local wildlife rehab center.
  
  
  Kayaking the Black Canyon of the Colorado River
In the spring we paddled and camped along the Black Canyon of the Colorado River below Hoover Dam. The canyon was beautiful and natural, full of side canyons to explore with caves and hot springs and wildlife. Pictured above are the Hoover Dam, Sauna Cave, a chuckwalla, climbing to Boy Scout Hot Springs (I'm pretty sure that was the one), a momma and a baby bighorn sheep who wandered into our camp, Dragon's Back rock formation and Emerald Cave. Desert Adventures of Boulder City were great (see Hiking the Havasupai) and ferried our kayak to the foot of Hoover Dam since you need a special permit for that.
 Hiking the Havasupai Reservation in the Grand Canyon
Clicking the photo above takes you to a page that describes one of the best hiking adventures we've ever enjoyed.
 Sandpiper at Ocean Shores
 Bellingham Bay sunrise
Three NOAA ships at Fairhaven Docks and several anchored sailboats bathed in morning sunlight, photographed from the Taylor Street dock.
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