Views of Sequim, the Olympic Peninsula. . .and beyond
Around here it seems that if you leave anything alone long enough Mother Nature will step in and reclaim it. She’s doing a handy job here of two pieces of equipment that ordinarily would hold their own. Do you see the smallish blue tractor on the left?
Behind the blue tractor is a larger piece of equipment that looks like an excavator.
They’re sitting by a one lane road, looking like they soon might be swallowed up and become a hedge.
These mourning Eurasian collared doves were not far from one of the eagles that I showed you last week. They were a mere wingbeat or two from talons that could make quick work of at least one of them. I didn’t stick around to see if I was correct that they were in peril.
While the dahlias are at their peak in Carrie Blake Park the bees are making the most of the pollen they offer. It looked a little like a “Happy Days Are Here Again” party as sometimes multiple bees would land and work their ways across blossoms.
They were such pretty additions to the already gorgeous blossoms.
I learned on this trip that the dahlias at this garden, the Sequim Botanical Garden, are donated by Lee Bowen who deserves a big thanks. They’re a beautiful addition to the landscape.
While dahlias are front and center in the landscape right now there are also some gorgeous old fashioned roses. And healthy but slowly fading lavender.
It’s a nice place for humans — and insects — to visit for a flower fix.
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Before I moved to Washington state I was always impressed with how beautifully dahlias seemed to grow here. They seemed to be in every other garden, thriving.
The other day I went to Carrie Blake Park to see how the Sequim Botanical Garden is doing during dahlia season.
In a word…great. Even on a grey day the flowers looked perky and colorful. I’ll show you some of my favorites tomorrow.
Clallam County, where Sequim is located, has kept a relatively low, stable COVID infection rate for months. In addition to protecting our population that low rate is essential. Our small hospital could be quickly overwhelmed with an influx of seriously ill patients.
But things have been changing, and not for the better. While initially most of our cases came from people who visited outside our area, local cases caused by community transmission have steadily increased over the summer. First it was a handful of cases after Memorial Day. Then came Independence Day and cases jumped, many from a single large party where first several, then eight, then five erupted. And the numbers have continued upward. We have had our first death and yesterday’s newspaper announced 11 new cases, all traced to a Port Angeles Bar.
Our COVID infection rate is now up to 94 cases per 100,000 population and is considered “high risk.” I was told that matches the rate seen in Los Angeles, California, a U.S. hotspot. And, of course, our schools cannot reopen.
I can barely express how discouraging this is after six months of religious mask wearing, self-quarantine, and forgoing any semblance of a social life.
Where does it lead?
A while back I posted a shot from a local graveyard with a nice view of the Olympic Mountains. The graveyard is located on a bluff. Here is a view of the valley below if you walk to the bluff edge. It is a classic view of Sequim that has found its way into many a camera.