Saturday, March 7, 2015

a visit to my washington homeland


I have lived many places across the good 'ol U.S. of A., but San Juan Island holds an extra special place in my heart. It was my first home outside of southern California, and therefore seemed wild and totally foreign. I landed on that rock a little nervous and feeling a bit like a stranger...but initial nervousness gave way to a state of total stokedness. I loved experiencing life in a very beautiful and very different place. I then spent the next six years in and out of Friday Harbor, the main town on San Juan.

The Islands can't help but cast a bright, cheery spell on you. Even when away from them for a while, they have a way drawing you back to its craggy shores and easy living. All these years later, I still get to go back for both business and pleasure. What a lucky guy.

This past week I got to take a bunch of colleagues out there to visit the Friday Harbor Labs. My goal was to introduce them to this special place in order to get more coverage for the incredible marine research that goes on here, how it changes student's lives, and the beautiful setting it gets to sit in. The trip was successful, and everyone left totally pumped to tell the story of this great place.

The labs on a beautiful sunny winter day.

 
 View off of the lab property.

The main lab, Fernald.

 The dock and the Centennial, FHL's research vessel.

 We went nightlightling - you drop a light into the water off of the dock, and peer over the edge to watch what is drawn towards the light. Lots of things came up - fish, worms, shrimp, squirmy things. But the prize for best in show went to a baby octopus.

The algae growing off the dock illuminated from beneath.

 Sunrise over the San Juan Channel - the view from my deck!

 Tour of the labs included a fish feeding!

Sculpins in a dye-bath that will illuminate their skeletal structure.

 Several specimens - a shark, a ray and some skates.

Mt Baker popping up over Lopez Island at the beginning of one of my favorite San Juan hikes.

The view across the Straits of Juan de Fuca with the Olympic Mountains in the background. Kind of looks like the view across the Santa Barbara Channel in SoCal towards Santa Cruz Island, yes? Yes!

The Olympics up close.

In my entire 6 years living on and off the island, I only ONCE saw Mt Rainier from the south end of San Juan. There it is again, catching the setting sun - over 150 miles away.

One of the most idyllic views from San Juan Island - Cattle Point Lighthouse with the Whale Rocks, Lopez Island, the mainland, and the Cascades in the distance.

An easy day in early March - what luck.

Friends soaking up the islands and this view for the first time.

Almost looks like Monterey Cypress.

The outgoing tide at False Bay.

Sunset over False Bay.