Pre-trip musings

I awoke at 3 this morning to the sounds of coyotes yipping, or humans partying, I'm not certain which. Anyway, I couldn't get back to sleep, and then at 3:45 the violet-green swallows started their morning hunting rounds, chattering to each other all the while. Soon followed by the rest of the dawn chorus, at which point I decided to get up and sit in the midst of it, and watch the sun come up.


One week from today I will be on my bike, heading east from Anacortes, with Minneapolis as my ultimate goal. I'm alternately excited and sad about leaving here. Its hard to leave at this time of year! My previous two long bike tours have left in March --which was ideal, and I was back home by May -- and in May, which was harder but still before the Swainsons Thrushes are singing. Now, the Swainsons' are in nearly full throat, I'm harvesting fresh greens daily, my deck railing is full of blooming flowers. And we've just had two precious, glorious, clear-blue-sky, sit-on-the-deck days. I find myselft trying to soak up every detail of this place. I keep reminding myself that I'll be back, I'll be back. But still, leaving is hard.


How I love this place!


I finally got around to looking at some of the pictures I've taken this spring. Without a lot of explanation to go with them, here are some of the best:

Lupine near Plain, WA

Along the I-90 bike trail

Switchbacks on I-90 bike trail

Ebey's Prairie

Ebey's Bluff

Rainbow Riders at Longhorn Cafe

Skagit Valley Tulips

Skagit Valley Tulips

$1000 worth of sand dollars!

Rhody at Greenbank