Summer serviceberries

Serviceberries summer

Last spring I posted pictures of the abundant blooms of these native bushes here. Today’s shots are an update on what those blooms from the serviceberries have become. As we might have guessed from the masses of spring blossoms, we have a bumper crop of berries this summer.

Serviceberries bush

Bushes are covered with berries. And though I haven’t always found them tasty in the past some of the trees are bearing pretty palatable offerings this year. I’m sure the local birds are grateful.

It’s a thing

Sequim rocks

Some months ago I posted photos of a series of painted rocks that I’d discovered while walking around Port Angeles, Sequim’s neighbor to the west. Now I’ve discovered it’s become a thing here, too. Sequim Rocks.

I found this rock — no, it’s not a forgotten Easter egg — alongside a trail at Dungeness Recreation Area recently. I didn’t learn until later that the idea is to pick up found rocks, photograph them and post it on the Sequim Rocks Facebook page, then nestle them elsewhere. Some people have painted and beautifully decorated rocks and children have gotten into the act with their artwork, too. By the time I got back, this rock had moved to a new home.

Sequim rocks!

Paddle to Nisqually

Canoe journey

This summer there is another more-or-less annual canoe journey undertaken by groups representing Northwest tribes from Vancouver Island, B.C. and Washington state. The most northern group from Vancouver Island began their paddle on July 13, stopping each night along the western coast of the island and joining with other canoe groups heading south. Click here to see a map of journey starting and stopping points and layover dates. The journey will end in August in Nisqually at the southern end of Washington’s Puget Sound. It’s a long voyage, testing endurance and showcasing Native pride. Many of the canoes are made in traditional fashion and showcase the beautiful lines of large, seaworthy vessels.

Canoe journey drummer

Gale force winds last Friday morning forced some paddlers to trailer their canoes for a leg of the journey from Port Angeles to Jamestown Beach in Sequim where the local S’Klallam Tribe would welcome them. Others braved the journey on the big waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Paddlers headed next to Port Townsend.

Much to my disappointment I had to miss the event. DH took these shots in my absence. Pretty good, no?

File under “miscellaneous”

Hoh tree face

Do you see the face formed at the bottom of this tree? There’s a prominent eye, nose and chin and it tilts to the left.

Hoh trail mud

It had rained for a week before we went to the Hoh Rainforest. And it rains from 12 to 14 feet per year on average. It may be a sunny day but it’s not a bad idea to prepare for mud.

Decomposing forest life

Hoh tree fungus

Life in the Hoh Rainforest bursts forth both as new growth and as decomposition. They go hand in hand in breaking down and building a forest. This fungus is one of many kinds that we saw. It decomposes and absorbs organic material.

Hoh slug

Slugs are another type of decomposer. They eat and break down plant materials. They are voracious and can daily eat several times their body weight.

Hoh bear signs

What’s this? It’s a rotting log and it’s been helped along by one of the top predators in the food chain, a bear. Bears paw through soft dead wood like this, searching for grubs and other little critters that feed on decaying wood. We just missed seeing a bear on the trail where we saw this log. Other hikers excitedly described their sighting further down the trail. It was gone by the time we got there. Phew!