Strawberry fields. . .for a few more days

The Beatles had the right idea with “Strawberry Fields Forever,” but it doesn’t work that way in Sequim. They come and go w–a–y too fast, and our intermittent rain this month hasn’t helped much. These are the last days of strawberry season at Cameron’s, my favorite go-to spot.

Cameron’s is selling the last of their pre-picked berries and dedicated pickers like those above can still pick their own for the next several days. I stopped by, innocently, to take a few shots. Then I innocently bought some to take home for breakfast. After inhaling strawberry perfume on the way home, remembering that there are a few square inches in our freezer, I headed back for more. Strawberry smoothies anyone?

Where’s the campfire?

It’s time to hay the fields in these parts. Sometimes it’s bundled in standard, familiar rectangles. Sometimes it’s rolled up in giant rounds with mesh on the outside. And sometimes it’s wrapped in white plastic like this. To my eye it looks like some huge aliens have come in the night and left a batch of giant marshmallows. You know, like they were interrupted before they could pull out graham crackers and Hershey bars to make ‘smores.

Poppy time

Poppies are blooming all over these days and the colors are predictably gorgeous. Red ones really pop in the landscape and orange California poppies pave roadsides. Last night I got a fistful of purple poppy seeds from a neighbor. Mixed with red ones from another neighbor (that I forgot to plant last year) I’m imagining a glorious display next summer. This time I’ve made a note on the calendar to plant them. I hope it works to remind me.

Tidepools

The tide was coming in as we explored the Salt Creek Recreation Area recently (see yesterday’s post). But my husband the fisherman couldn’t resist showing the size of some of the mussels in one of the tide pools. This one went back into the water; I suspect that gathering dinner from the pools here is a no-no. But to look at the marine life along the coast it’s hard to imagine the native peoples ever went hungry.

Salt Creek

Salt Creek Recreation Area is a county park located about an hour west of Sequim and set on a spectacular piece of the coastline of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. There is access to vibrant tide pools as well as beautiful campsites. Nearby World War II bunkers appeal to history buffs.

The tide came in as we explored the marine garden here. That’s Vancouver Island, B.C. in the distance. On a clear day like this you can see how close we are to Canada.

Who’s got the marshmallows?

We had walked on a beach at sunset. We smelled the distinctive scent of a wood fire and rounded the protection of a sand dune to find this campfire warming three young men as they enjoyed the evening.

They allowed a friend and I to snap away, but it took an effort to pull ourselves away from the warmth, the flames, and the glow. What is it that is so mesmerizing to watch a fire burning?