Ebey's Landing 11-23-2019

Although it might have been nice to get a little more sleep, when the dogs got me up at 5:30am I decided to get a head start on the day.  We drove through the dark toward the Mukilteo Ferry to catch a ride to Whidbey Island.  When I parked in the Cemetery Overlook parking lot, it was only about 7:30 and the sky was tinged with orange where the sunrise could peek through the clouds.

We could see and hear Canada geese flying over the farmland.

The wind was blowing, harder as we neared the bluff, and quite cold so I put on a hat and got a coat on Luna.  The sky was gorgeous, the salty wind was exhilarating and the sea was singing its percussion song on the shore below us.  A ferry was even crossing through the cloudy sunrise.

I didn't think anything could be better.  Then I noticed a redtail hawk soaring BELOW me!  What a unique view!  It floated on the strong wind as if it wasn't blowing at all and then would catch the air currents and swoop low over the water.  I couldn't wipe the grin off my face - this was amazing!

Then - I was looking down on a great bald eagle!!!  Despite its huge size it road the air currents below me nimbly and gracefully!  WOW!!!  I had a lot of trouble with getting my camera to focus on it, but a couple turned out, and then it flew off into the sunrise sky.  I can't even say how happy and overwhelmed with natural beauty I was.  It's not often I get such a bird's eye view of the birds - especially the great hunters of the sky.

We walked along the bluff, listening to that strong wind howling through the tough gnarled firs, and noticing with surprise that there were even some flowers still blooming along the bluff.  No matter which way I looked, everything was beautiful.

I checked on the dogs now and then to make sure they were warm enough - Luna seemed fine with her fleece shirt, and Cedar runs pretty warm anyway and hates clothes, so his fleece stayed in my pack.

I could see there was no one behind me on the bluff trail, and no one below me on the beach, so when I got down to a safe elevation, I let the mutts off their strings.  They raced up and down the trail.  The cold wind seemed to turn Cedar into a puppy again and he frisked and ran off and on for the rest of our beach walk.

But first they got leftover steak bits.  : )  I even got Cedar to pose nicely for one. No treat, no nice pose.

We were having so much fun that I couldn't help but play also - picking up rocks, running after the dogs, and trying to whip with a bull kelp.  Not super surprisingly I managed to whack myself in the head and the kelp promptly broke in half.  I didn't try that again, haha.  I'll just say the kelp was rotten, not my kelp whipping skills.

I could see merganser and bufflehead in the waves, but couldn't get a good photo.  I found a couple old floats that had washed up, covered with sea creatures - anemones all over the rope.

What a great adventure!  Get out there and have one!