Full moon setting at Seaview, Washington

Seaview, Washington sunset

Sound of surf overwhelming

I do not know why, but occasionally the sound of the surf in my apartment is more pronounced than on most evenings. A look at the tides table for today, September 7, 2011, tells me that high tide comes at 10:16 p.m.--a bit more than an hour from now.

The sound of the surf at this time is transformative. I am drawn to it, though a 55 degree temperature, a fog, and a north wind will probably prevent my being there.

But when the full moon is setting over that magnificent beach on September 12 near dawn, I doubt anything could prevent my being there.

All human activities and misadventures pale into appropriate perspective when the elemental sound and power of an incoming Northern Pacific tide is pounding at one's doorstep. This is good--a welcomed diversion.

D. Grant Haynes

Gulls at Ocean Park, Washington

(Photos by D. Grant Haynes) (Click to enlarge and view.)

I have acquired a high definition video camera capable of producing high quality images as still photographs. But I now know E-Blogger doesn't cotton to HD images. They are displayed as little more than thumbnail photos. One has to click on each image to see the detail. What a bummer! I need to find another venue for posting photos.

Also, I have joined the local Audubon Society chapter, hoping to clarify which species of gulls I am seeing most often. I believe them to be either Herring Gulls or California Gulls in varying degrees of immature plumage, mostly. The gray and white birds are adults, but all the quarrelsome and mottled ones are immatures.

I assume their survival in the nest depended upon their fighting for a share of whatever was brought to them. The young ones squawk and fuss with one another much of the time--especially when food is offered. -- DGH

Oysterville continues to beckon

The Oysterville School, built in 1907, served the community for 50 years--until Pacific County consolidated its schools in 1957. Thereafter, the thereafter, the picturesque building has been utilized as a community center. Public education came to Oysterville with the first settlers in 1860. A two-story schoolhouse provided a forum for reluctant students to learn reading, writing and arithmetic from 1874 until it burned down in 1905.

(Photos by D. Grant Haynes) (Click on images to enlarge.)

Back to the kite festival...

Photo by D. Grant Haynes (Click on image to enlarge.)

The International Kite Festival at Long Beach continues to gather steam and enthusiasts as the weekend approaches. Participants in the various kite flying skill contests are permitted to camp on the beach and many have pitched tents. There will be fireworks and much merriment before the festival is over Sunday afternoon. -- DGH

(See this blogger's Facebook page for today's video.)

No more kite festival--not today!

I set out in earnest this afternoon to walk down to the beach and photograph kites, tourists, corn dog stands, and rows of actively used portable toilets--the usual human stuff.

But along the way, my attention was arrested by something much more interesting and appealing and I never made it to the beach.

I saw the quiet and timid visage of a young mule deer watching me from a brushy field not 100 yards away.

While all the tourists streamed to the beach, I detoured past a small stand of pines and into an open space where I was fortunate to view three mule deer for half an hour or so. I believe I saw a doe with two fawns.

After the deer tired of entertaining me, I drove down Highway 101 toward Ilwaco, Washington, stopping at a local landmark called "Black Lake".

There, I saw gulls taking a break too from the kite festival and the noisy and restless Pacific Ocean. Black Lake is beautiful in its own quiet way.

D. Grant Haynes

Kites everywhere...

Photo by D. Grant Haynes

The annual Long Beach, Washington, kite festival began today, August 15, 2011, in Long Beach. Beach skies were filled with exotic kites most of us could only have dreamt of in our childhoods. The festival will continue all week, concluding on Sunday, August 21.

Young gulls vie for handouts

Best viewed on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pXzjJRFkG0

Thousands of blackbirds perform evening ritual at Long Beach

Can be viewed more effectivly directly on YouTube at:

http://youtu.be/ZWxSnHZ7ntY

Gulls, terns at Ocean Park on Long Beach Peninsular

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z35yqi3g3c

July days long and pleasant

Photo by D. Grant Haynes (Click on image to enlarge.)

Wilbur's sunset came at 8:39 p.m. today, July 20, 2011. A month ago on the summer solstice--June 21--the sun lingered 12 minutes longer, setting at 8:51 p.m. But summer's days are still long and delightful, with many more hours of daylight than of darkness. We won't worry at this time about the winter solstice--December 21--when sunset will occur at 4 p.m. in Wilbur. One day at a time. -- DGH