Washington: Picnic Point Beach at low tide

Originating from a desert climate, Antho and I aren't exactly people who have had an overabundance of time spent exploring tide pools and beaches, so the multiplicity of them available here has been astounding. I mean, sure, when I lived in Japan I'd make a point of it to walk along the river that ran through Urayasu and I'd gawk in wonder as the decrepit fishing boats' bones were exposed as the tide retreated, revealing hulls encrusted in barnacles, but these opportunities are quite rare to indulge in the Mojave desert. Here in Washington, there's an array of biomes available to explore, from the rocky beaches dotting the Puget Sound to deep, densely green growths of forest cropping out from anywhere a human has neglected to tame. Crows, bunnies, and squirrels roam the streets of Seattle proper, and I've even spotted a herd of goats in the densely populated University District! Washington and Seattle's city streets are teeming with life, and the Sound carving up the region provides so many beaches and waterfront sanctuaries that we really have no excuse not to explore. 

When the tide's glossy grip retreats from the beach at Picnic Point beach, all sorts of life is revealed from the normally hidden aquatic world. We have visited Picnic Point Park during high tide when it's an entirely different place, so seeing it transformed is fascinating- at least to me. I was unable to join Antho on the beach on this particular outing, so he took all the photos for me and I was able to look over them later to see what I missed. He found much evidence of moon snails, a strange aquatic critter that bores holes through the shells of smaller mollusks and grows to an outlandish (to our appraisal) size. With the water retreated, crows and herons flock to the soggy shore to pluck up snacks galore, from crabs to snails to full-on fish. Sad jellyfish and a staggering, swishy drunk man join the menagerie, backed by the steady serenade of the waves dashing against the land's edge. I can just hear those tiny sea-weed dwelling bugs in their infernal hopping, clicking noise, eager to latch onto any passing food-source and leave itchy welts to remember them by. 

We'll definitely be back. Nothing is ever static, and while life is constantly changing, the changing of the tides is a good reminder that sometimes it's best to just go with the flow. You can fight the current, but if you're patient it'll change soon enough. In the meantime, enjoy the crustaceans and getting sprayed by mysterious mollusks as they flee into the depths of the sand. 

Seattle: Grey day at Greenlake

Now that summer has slid into Seattle, you'd be hard pressed to find any sunny street lacking in pedestrians eager for that sweet fix of the D (vitamin D), but those that are fortunate enough to be proximal to bodies of water grow even more densely populated than the rest and you may find yourself struggling to find a place to park. Whether it's Gasworks Park at Lake Union or Greenlake in Northern Seattle, they're going to be overflowing with the UV-light starved sun-worshippers and outdoor activity enthusiasts flocking to soak it all in while it lasts. At the time of these photos being taken, it was still a bit grey and squishy and cold out with the occasional sunny spot creeping through to temporarily dry out the mud, but there were still ample nature-lovers out and about. During this visit to Greenlake, I had only just peered out at the goofy antics of the squirrels galloping along the grassy planes from a window's safe distance, too trepidatious to go out and try to explore the park. Given this state of affairs, I hadn't developed the kinship with the local corvids and rodents of Greenlake that I later began to explore... suffice it to say, things have evolved since then!

Antho met up with me after he got off of work and we walked a portion of the lake, taking in the brilliant blues against the vibrant greens and lush spring flowers coming into bloom. It's hard to argue that it's not pretty, and now that the sun is shining more vibrant and lingering in the sky, the grass is all the more green and vivacious, the full verdancy of summer taking hold. 

If there's anything the ever-changing seasons can teach us, perhaps it's to let things go in their due time without clinging too hard to the particulars of a given season or situation. As surely as the flowers will bloom in spring, the gripping chill of winter will seep in and drain the color from the trees and sky, and eventually our own fragile little meat-machines. It's a little hard for me to reflect back on these photos because it was around the time we lost our dear sweet Ollie, the last of our hand-raised squeaks. Losing a pet is never easy, and it's taken some time for my heart to bear the brunt of that pain, the closing out of a chapter, but I'm glad that we got the time we had. Enjoy the moment and the seasons as they come. That seemingly endless summer sunlight will inevitably fade away, sooner or later. 

Seattle: Partial Burke-Gilman Trail Bikeride

The Burke-Gilman trail is a 27-mile long recreational trail through the heart of urban Seattle, offering the cyclist, jogger, walker, or other recreation-enjoying-outdoors-person, a unique route through some of the city's most beautiful, or odd, sights to take in. The trail loops past several vantage points on different bodies of water, offering views of the Ballard, Wallingford, Fremont and University District neighborhoods along with several others. Given that it's such a long trail, and we'd already been out and about for quite a significant chunk of the day, we weren't up for doing the entire route on this ride- especially given that we'd have to turn around and head back towards our vehicle, eventually, potentially doubling our journey. While our LimeBikes were equipped with an electric assist, that was still an intimidating task, so we satisfied ourselves with only taking a portion of the overall trail for the day. While that might sound a bit disappointing to some, we'd already seen Gasworks park, the Lenin Statue, Fremont Bridge Troll, and the Ballard Locks, so we'd had a pretty productive day of it thus far. Coincidentally, the Burke-Gilman trail connects several of these landmarks, so it's an excellent option for an energetic sightseer! If you follow it long enough, you'll encounter all sorts of mysterious and unexpected things, from street art to architectural feats, dinosaur shaped topiaries to a monk statue asking for peace and your own small contribution towards it. 

Luckily for us, at the time of our outing it was an outstandingly beautimous day in the city of Seattle (quite a stark contrast to the dump of snow we've been enduring lately) so we had bright bursts of sun to warm our bones and, quite literally, light our way. Renting bicycles was an excellent choice, and we were thoroughly enjoying stretching our legs while playing tourists in our new home. While I've visited the city in the past, it's changed a lot in the intervening years, and there are few better ways to get to know a new city than by using your legs to walk or cycle through it! Or, I guess, skateboard, rollerblade, or scooter, if those are more your bipedally-powered modes of transportation of choice. To each their own! 

We had a fabulous time, and we hope you enjoy the photos!

Seattle: Gasworks Park Bikeride

Gasworks Park, nestled against the north shore of Lake Union, is a 19.1 acre public park accessible to the citizens of, and visitors to, the region and a unique landmark of Seattle itself. Being right up on the waterfront, as it is, there are ample water-based activities available, from kayaking to paddleboarding, though on this particular visit we were on rental bicycles made available through LimeBike, the brightly colored bikes visible on many corners and curbs of Seattle. Since the day was unusually bright, sunny and sublime on the specific fall day on which we visited, there were quite a few people out making use of the optimal weather, enjoying a picnic or simply lazing about on the grassy hills. While remnants of an industrial past linger, looming over the scenery, the actual gasification plant has long since shuttered it's doors, closing up for good back in 1956. As of January 2nd, 2013 the park joined the ranks of other historical points of significance and was added to the National Registry of Historic Places, a long-awaited designation. For fans of cheesy movies, there are lots of houseboats dotting the periphery, which may have served as the location, or at least inspiration for, some of your favorite films located in Seattle. As someone who's never really cared for rom-coms, I'm more keen on the fact that Bill Nye the Science Guy was originally based out of Seattle. Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill!

Accessing Gasworks Park is easy enough, with a parking lot as well as the fact the park abutts against the Burke-Gilman Interurban trail, making it exceptionally easy to get to via bicycle or foot. This is one of those places any first-time visitor to Seattle must check out because it's so iconic and historic! It's close to several other landmarks, like the Lenin Statue and Fremont Troll, along with many other options for the curious adventurer. On a bright and sunny day like this, I'd recommend grabbing a packed lunch somewhere nearby and settling in for a nice, relaxing afternoon enjoying the sun, but to each their own! Whether you walk, bike, paddle, drive, or even fly, there's something for everyone at Gasworks park. 

Washington: Icy Winter's Morn

Is it cold where you are or are you gliding into the dog days of summer? Here, now, it's pretty chilly, with winter's grasp holding firm over the Puget Sound and surrounding regions. Clouds in various shades of grey generally dominate the skyscape, though there are the occasional bursts of blue and hints of the sun's warmth breaking through to remind you it still dances out there, just beyond the blanket of moisture hovering above. While it's generally just shy of cold enough to snow, we still get ample rain that, in the coldest hours of the darkest portions of the evening, can freeze over to a delicate frost decorating the world when we wake. Depending on the morning after, the frost can last for a surprisingly variable window of time before dissolving into steam in the sun's rays. Like I said above, though- it's rarely cold enough to snow, with the chance of it snowing on Christmas day somewhere around 7% or lower. That's generally a good bit more likely than in Vegas, where they average only 2 inches of rain per year (whereas the Seattle area gets an average of about 37.5 inches of rain per year).  I'm no statistician, but even I can see the odds of a white Christmas in Vegas are exceedingly slim- though it has happened, once, in 2008, so it's not an utterly impossible thing, just exceptionally improbable. Not so improbable as to get your ship to the restaurant at the end of the universe, but certainly improbable enough to note. 

Antho and I, of course, have been luxuriating in the cold and ambient moisture in this variable and transforming an environment. Waking to a bright, cloudless morning with our world metamorphized by a glittering profusion of ice droplets is fascinating, and new.  While we slept, a giant came through and dropped fistfuls of glitter, or perhaps a fleet of faeries flew in with an army of bedazzlers and spackled everything they could in shimmer. But again, like most of the magical things in life, this beauty is fleeting and as the rays of sunlight dance across the droplets they begin to lose form and evaporate, disappearing into the ether.  All this hydration means that the plant life, at least that hardy enough to weather the declining temperatures, is still thriving. We were surprised to find these brilliant pink blossoms bursting into abundant bloom after the rains started sweeping the area with more vigorous regularity. We hope you enjoy this glimpse into the fleeting beauty of the beads of ice on this brisk winter's morning!

Nevada: Moonrise, plus Sunrise at Lake Mead Marina

When I was a youngin growing up not terribly far from Lake Mead, you could camp out right at the water's edge overnight, but the water levels weren't so dangerously low and the city's lifeline so perilously threatened back then. These days, you can find camping near the water in one of the designating camping areas, or stay overnight nearby in the city of Boulder City, where there's several different hotels, motels, and inns to choose from. We found a spot to camp out not far at all from the lake and nestled into our van for the night. There's only so much you can see in the dark of night, anyhow, so we went to bed fairly early after having enjoyed the moonrise and set our sights on exploring the lake come the next day's light. I've already covered some of our later escapades on the road trip here, but for the evening and sunrise adventures, you're in the right place. It was a stunning full moon rise as we prepared for bed, and when the gentle rays of morning jostled us from slumber we made our way to the marina and watched the sun come up over the water. Not a bad way to start the day. 

There are, of course, plenty of options for entertainment if you're looking to spend more money and time out here than we were. You can rent a kayak, jet skis, or go out for a cruise on one of the local charters, depending on how much time and money you have to spend. There are even a restaurant and small convenience store right at the marina, so if you run out of ice, snacks, bait or booze you do have a lifeline within the Lake Mead recreational area, at least during their hours of operation. We'd come prepared and simply had to find a pleasant place to park the van before strolling out for our adventures. It was summertime when we visited, so the heat rapidly increased as the sun rose, which was a major factor in why I spent so much time splashing around in the lake later on. There's a lot of wildlife to be found out here by the water, surprisingly, from coyotes to rabbits, vultures to lizards, and so many different kinds of birds. It's always nice to get out of the city and experience some degree of nature, even at a man-made reservoir like Lake Mead!

Plenty of photos ahead!

Vegas: Lake Mead National recreation area

Growing up, I spent countless weekends out at Lake Mead national recreation area, often overnighting at some random corner of the park. Most of the time we'd be out, parked or camped near the water, with an ice chest full of drinks (beer for the adults, sodas for me) and a wind-powered vessel of some kind anchored on the beach, but sometimes we'd venture off to an island or cove. Regulations around camping were a lot looser back then, and you could freely park on the beach, but these days you're limited to the marked camping grounds. Times change! Around my ninth birthday I was "gifted" a small sailboat, which I've always suspected was more a gift for my adopted father that coincidentally happened to be obtained around the time of my birthday, since I had long expressed my near-zero interest in boats, being more of an artsy fartsy kid who spent their free-time deeply immersed in drawing, reading or writing at any and all given opportunities, but it afforded us even more excuses to get out to the water. As an adult, in many ways I really am quite grateful...the opportunity to meet and mingle with many different individuals, learning that there were different approaches to this thing called life than what I could see from my limited perspective as a child, expanded my worldview and openness to new and unusual people in ways that have profoundly shaped my life.  I also got to spend a lot of time in nature, discovering frogs, owls, crustaceans and spontaneous weather events that I wouldn't have otherwise been exposed to. For the record, though, had I actually been asked what I wanted at my ninth birthday, I probably wouldn't have said to get taken out camping with a bunch of drunk adults, one of whom sat on my birthday cake... That time spent around the water and among nature, though, has left in me a deep need to be near water bodies and untouched natural areas. It feels all the more ironic, and perhaps sadistic, that I spent as much time in the desert as I did throughout my life. 😂

Lake Mead, however, is a man-made reservoir about 40 minutes to an hour's drive outside of Las Vegas, so it's a bit of a respite from the desert climate, if only temporarily. Due to a severe drought over the past couple of decades, the water levels have dropped measurably, leaving a sad ring around the lake, like soap scum on an under-cleaned bathtub. While opportunistic animals, like coyotes, rabbits, and vultures, have managed to thrive, the dwindling water levels could bode badly for Las Vegas residents, along with those from some of the other nearby cities that depend on the Colorado River and Lake Mead reservoir for hydration and electricity. Things aren't exactly looking to improve in the coming years, either. Maybe it's the desert's way of saying we weren't supposed to settle here? It's dry, and maybe global warming is making it dryer... this isn't going to prohibit Las Vegas from growing, of course, with the acquisition of the Raiders, new stadium, and all that. I'm curious to see what the future holds for Vegas, but I'm glad I've settled somewhere a little less devoid of one of the most necessary components of life.

Behind the Scenes: Tie-dye photo shoot at Mount Charleston (part two)

A necessary evil of running any sort of online business (like, say, our Etsy shop full of tie-dye) is that eventually, you're going to need to provide photographic evidence of the items you are trying to sell. Not only do these photos need to clearly showcase the item itself in a clear and well-lit manner for people to judge the merit of this thing you're trying to sell them, but the photograph needs to be interesting enough to distinguish them from all the rest out there. There's no shortage of places to shop online, after all, and we're definitely not the first or last duo to ever make a tie-dye t-shirt. The trick is to find what sets us and our creations apart, and to try to capture some of that in the photographs. I don't know if we really accomplish that, at least as well as I really aim to, and I'm certainly not at the point where I would hang up my hat and consider myself a smashing success, but it's all part of the process. With each new photoshoot, and every photograph I go through and edit, refine, and polish I'm learning. If we can have some fun along the way, I think we're on the right path. 

Part of what makes us who we are, in my estimation of such, is our love of travel. I can not long live without some form of travel, lest I become bogged down with pervasive cabin fever and start to go a little nutty. Getting outdoors and into nature is absolutely necessary for our well-being, along with being a known boon to human health. Given as much, we try to get as many of our shoots done outdoors among nature now as we possibly can. More often than not, this gives us an excuse to go camping, though for this shoot we ended up making it a single day excursion rather than staying overnight. This was more a practicality, as camping locations at Charleston are mainly pay-to-play, and we're trying to be judicious in our spending as we prepare to take off for a new location. That's right, kids, this summer might be our very last in Las Vegas for awhile, because we're sick and freaking tired of all these motherf**king snakes on our motherf**king train! Haha, I kid... more so we're just sick and tired of the heat out here, of it, of how it saps the life from our pets, our plants, and us, not to mention all the additional vehicular stresses it adds. I've been driving the same car since college, and I've had to replace the radiator more than three times in the last decade. That seems....excessive...to say the least. My previous car suffered from a water-pump malfunction that left me overheated and stranded on the side of the road on my way to work (at the mall) on Black Friday, of all days. Suffice to say, it's hot, and I'm tired of being hot the majority of the time. Mount Charleston, while a nice respite from the heat of the city, is still not far enough away to break the umbilical. We must go further! And we will. Soon. 

But for now, enjoy these photos of the lovely Mount Charleston, a short drive from the Vegas valley. 

Behind the Scenes: Tie-dye photo shoot at Mount Charleston (part one)

If you've been following this blog for any extended length of time, you may have noticed that Antho and I will take just about any excuse we can to get out of dodge. While we both grew up in the fabulous city of sin, aka little old Las Vegas, and have a lot of nostalgic memories in the city, we're always happy to stretch our legs or put some miles on our vehicles if it means taking in some new sights in a new location. We've gone to San Francisco and walked from one end of the city to the other (or damn near it), driven out to Mesquite together, explored Santa Monica and Venice beach together, not to mention all the time I spent exploring in Japan and South Korea all by my lonesome. There's a deep-seated wanderlust in us, needing to be satiated, so outward we go seeking adventure. There are certainly worse addictions to have, like crack or heroine, and our adventures in the great outdoors often lead us to discover fun new things we can capture on film. Like, check out this spiky little dude below- I think he's a tachinid fly, which is a fancy way of saying he looks like some kind of punk-rock alternative bee, but is actually a fly, because nature is a weird one with an endlessly inventive imagination. 

One of our favorite places to go near Las Vegas is Mount Charleston. We've been going there together for years, and find something new everytime we find ourselves there. Not only are the beautiful trees and flowers always changing with the seasons, but wildlife like deer, wild horses and burros all make their homes out in these parts, so sightings are not entirely unexpected. We even saw a batch of burros on the trip out, as you might remember from a previous post! While we typically make our way out to Charleston for recreation, of which there's a bounty of options (hiking, camping, skiing, etc) but this trip we were specifically aiming to try and get some tie-dye photos so we could update our shop inventory on Etsy. Of course, we couldn't help but to have some fun in the process! 

Vegas: Charleston 03 - Scenic drive

Despite stopping to take photos of and greet the wild burros down the road, we still had some ways to go before we actually reached Mount Charleston proper and all the things it has to offer. The drive to get there is beautiful, though, and in and of itself quite a worthy inclusion on the blog. The higher the elevation climbs, the more the desert landscape recedes to make room for the mountain trees and all the lush foliage the snow melt provides for. It's always fun, to me, to see the drastic change so close to home. You can see a similar change in the scenery on the drive out to Los Angeles once you pass the state line and start ascending into the mountainscape. Here at Mount Charleston, you'll find yourself quickly elevating out of the Joshua trees and dry, desiccated shrubbery of the lower desert, to find the shuddering leaves of cedar and pines predominant. The temperature dips into a more comfortable chill as you leave the valley bowl, no longer scorching the goodness from the earth with as much rapidity as the harsher elevations below. It's still rough terrains, with a gravel-rich soil forming the base from which the life grows. Even so, life, uh, finds a way. Always. And the life in this area is especially rich and green, especially after the many small rainstorms that worked their way through the region over the summer months.  I mentioned it and then Antho kind of paused, before reassessing the scenery and thanking me for calling it to his attention. The desert is a landscape of extremes, after all, and it's not exactly one to boldly proclaim it's resources to those without eyes. If you know what to look for, though, it's quite beautiful. 

Blue skies provide a sharp contrast to the greens, tans, and greys that proliferate below. After decades of living here, I've grown to love the desert scenery for what it is, but I can't acknowledge it's beauty without also giving nod to the scarcity it exists under. While deserts make up a fair portion of the landscape of the United States, the conditions they exist under are extremely fragile. Lake Mead is already down to 38 percent of it's capacity, and while it's an unnatural addition to the landscape thanks to the workings of humans it has provided an important facet to the area since its inception. Charleston, though, is its own locale...

Vegas: Charleston 02 - Wild burros!

Believe it or not, the extremely arid and seemingly inhospitable desert of Southern Nevada plays host to a large variety of wildlife, from large and impressive fauna like wild burros and horses to the smallest of insects and ants. And lizards! So many happy little lizards running among the heated stones, warming their creepy cold blood and wiggling their little legs. To endure in an environment as tough as this, many larger species have adapted to the surroundings, thriving on succulents and water-rich grasses to survive.  They do pretty well, actually, and there are signs all over the area warning against feeding the wild animals... After all, these are wild animals, right? We don't need them becoming dependent upon humans for their survival, wandering into the roads and cityscape looking for scraps and snacks. Even though the speed limit is only 35, even that speed can be extremely dangerous when an animal as large as a burro has wandered into the middle of the road...

So, seriously, be careful out there! We went slow and found this group of wild burros grazing alongside the road, but even in approaching them without the vehicle we were extremely trepidatious. These are large, strong, aggressive animals capable of wrecking a several-thousand-pound vehicle, let alone a fragile human skeleton. While I've been around domesticated burros during my childhood and gotten to know and love their stubborn, sassy, independent attitudes, they're definitely not an animal you want to underestimate in the wild. Sure, they're cute- they're adorable! They remind us of Eeyore, and wasn't he just such a lovable grump? But the thing is, these are fully grown wild animals and not some cute cartoon character... they can wreck your shit, and you. So be cautious. We were. We shot these photos from a safe distance, after pulling the van off into a safe side area away from the main road and out of traffic. We walked back roughly half a mile to find them and then used the zoom feature on my camera, and even so, we got a few aggressive grunts from the main male in the area before we turned and started heading back for the safety of the van. On the way back out from the mountain at night, we passed at least four or five burros just along the periphery of the road, and a wild horse grazing alongside the road that scared the ever-living-crap out of us. Even with our high-beams on, the winding roads and the camouflaging nature of their coats made it difficult to spot any of the animals until we were really close.  Be careful guys!