Seems like I often spend time wandering around or waiting for my husband at the Northwest Maritime Center. On this particular day I enjoyed reflections in the window of the chandlery, a source of high quality marine supplies.
The pulp mill
It’s nestled off the main road into town, but you can see the Port Townsend Paper Corporation facility from Old Fort Townsend State Park. After Port Townsend’s economic boom and bust cycles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the mill’s arrival saved the local economy and provided needed jobs. This facility produces kraft and containerboard papers. I know there are scrubbers and various controls to protect the environment, but sometimes you can really smell this place as you drive by, as we did just yesterday. If you’ve never smelled a pulp mill, count yourself lucky.
Back in action
Today marks the end of a six-week recuperation for our dog. He sustained a back injury in the pursuit of a tennis ball. In addition to being restricted to no walks, the vet put him on a diet. After bleary eyed days on pain killers and muscle relaxants he recovered enough to passionately lobby to hit the trail again. Dogs may not speak, but they can definitely convey demands. The vet relented and allowed him out on gentle one-mile walks. It was a relief for all of us. Until then my husband and I hid our boots, hats and jackets in the garage so we could guiltily sneak out without him. We can now resume our three mile route. And in the meantime we’re beginning to see his puppyish waist again.
(This is a Labrador action shot. His tail was caught in motion here and looks shorter than normal. And the white spot on his snout? Happy slobber.)
Happy face
Marigolds seem like workhorse flowers. Nothing exotic, but bold and reliably pretty shocks of color wherever they’re nestled in. I read somewhere that they discourage cutworms in a garden, so I’ve put them in among other plantings. I’m not convinced that they work for that, but they’re plenty cheerful. That’s good enough for me.
Summer's end
I expect fewer sightings like these as summer comes to a close.
Sand sculpture resurrection
Last summer I posted a version of this sand sculpture here. The sculpture, entitled “Violet Picking Lavender,” was a volunteer effort by Kali Bradford who spent over 200 hours on the work to celebrate Sequim’s annual Lavender Faire and Festival. I posted a photo of the work on July 7th. A week later vandals destroyed the top of the castle and smashed “Violet’s” head off.
Bradford returned to work on the sculpture last month, adding the lion to protect Violet. And she rebuilt Violet’s head.
I don’t think this dragon was part of the earlier sculpture when I saw it; it’s not in any of the photos I took.
Although there is rain erosion, you can see some of the human-caused damage in this shot. To call it senseless is an understatement.
Bradford admitted she didn’t have the heart to rebuild the sculpture after the vandalism but said in the newspaper last Friday getting back to the sculpture was a way for her to heal from the vandalism. “That’s the great thing about sand: I can always rebuilt it.”
Sidewalk art
The new esplanade in Port Angeles is also part of a trail system that hugs the waterfront edge. The emblems above are recessed into the sidewalk.