Sunday, March 11, 2007
The San Juan Islands in March
Spring time comes to the San Juan Islands without too much fanfare. We witness no break up of ice on the river, no great herds migrate through our landscape, and we rarely hear much word from the ground hogs. Spring time in the San Juan Islands starts quietly, persistently, and earlier than you might think.
As early as February we are already beginning to see the signs. Red-flowering currant bushes and skunk cabbage are among the first plants to bloom. Willows are not far behind as they produce the fuzzy catkins that kids love so much. By early March the whole forest is greening up.
The weather slides into Spring in the same sneaky fashion. The cold storms of December give way to the warm storms of March. It's hard to notice the warming of the air unless you get outside, but going outside is somewhat less than attractive - when it's raining and the wind is blowing. From the living room window it looks like winter, but outside the change is palpable.
Today's air temperature was about 63 degrees, yet the wind down on Whidbey Island was gusting at over 50 miles per hour.
We were down at Deception Pass State Park this afternoon during all that wind. It was not a great day for sea kayaking, so we took our son for a walk out to Reservation Head where there are some great little pocket beaches for kids to play. The landscape around here always impresses me. Of course the iconic Deception Pass Bridge looms large in the scene, but there is so much more that grabs attention. The Strait of Juan de Fuca is the major player here, a huge body of water that is our direct link to the Pacific Ocean. Today the winds were from the southeast, but when it blows in from the west, the swells can be phenomenal.
As early as February we are already beginning to see the signs. Red-flowering currant bushes and skunk cabbage are among the first plants to bloom. Willows are not far behind as they produce the fuzzy catkins that kids love so much. By early March the whole forest is greening up.
The weather slides into Spring in the same sneaky fashion. The cold storms of December give way to the warm storms of March. It's hard to notice the warming of the air unless you get outside, but going outside is somewhat less than attractive - when it's raining and the wind is blowing. From the living room window it looks like winter, but outside the change is palpable.
Today's air temperature was about 63 degrees, yet the wind down on Whidbey Island was gusting at over 50 miles per hour.
We were down at Deception Pass State Park this afternoon during all that wind. It was not a great day for sea kayaking, so we took our son for a walk out to Reservation Head where there are some great little pocket beaches for kids to play. The landscape around here always impresses me. Of course the iconic Deception Pass Bridge looms large in the scene, but there is so much more that grabs attention. The Strait of Juan de Fuca is the major player here, a huge body of water that is our direct link to the Pacific Ocean. Today the winds were from the southeast, but when it blows in from the west, the swells can be phenomenal.
# posted by Anacortes Kayaks @ 7:13 PM 
