Life on the Outer Coast

Friday was the last day this season for the park project. I'm hoping that there is a little funding to do a bit more on the garden, as it isn't even vaguely complete and I should have more plants to do the necessary improvements. The lupine and valerian seedlings are growing well in the greenhouse. The lupine already has recognizable leaves. No sign yet of Dodecatheon, Sorbus or Anemone sprouts. Spent my last few work hours struggling over a list of photo recommendations. Not many easy choices and no doubt the person who does the layout work on the signs will use different ones anyway.
On Saturday my intended short trip to town for dance class and a brief trip to UAS was thwarted by an extremely high tide (11.8'). A person with a tall cabin who needs to exit under the ramp should know to check the tide book during the fall and winter. Looking at the tide book, there will be a few tides to avoid this fall; there are 5 tides equal or greater than 11.8' beginning on the 25th of October, another set beginning on the 22nd of November and the last big ones of the year beginning on the 23rd of December.

Ended the day singing pseudo opera in the parking lot..."ravioli, spagetti, zamboni" Was inspired by the Juneau Lyric Opera's performance of "Tosca" (or maybe by cartoons). I 'm happy to report that they did a very nice job, great playing and singing. I regret not having done my part in dressing appropriately, no tiara, gloves or fur. Operas must be the ultimate form of musicals. Where else but the opera would people be entertained by a soprano singing " Ti soffoca il sangue?" or "Muori dannato, muori, muori, muori".

Sunday afternoon was inspired to seek birds in Aleutkina, Camp Coogan and No Thorofare bays. Not too exciting, but it is always nice to try. There were skiffs coming out of every bay as we were going in, so I'm not too surprised by the dearth of ducks. Did see one Horned Grebe in Camp Coogan along with Glaucous winged and Thayer's gulls. No Herring gulls that I could identify. There are 10 floathouses in Camp Coogan and Bird's Nest bay, not sure how many are occupied year round, but it looks more like a rural suburb than a bay.

Went ashore in No Thorofare for a brief look for mushrooms. The Hydnum repandum were gone, but did find several Lactarius deliciosus var. olivaceosordidus. Several of them were growing at the very edge of the highest tide line in the little cove. It is a very gentle transition between forest and beach at that spot, but I was still surprised to see the fungi so close to the water line. This subspecies has very scant orange-red (muddy) latex that stains the flesh green. I haven't seen one without a mixture of green and orange regardless of size or age. They must bruise while growing through the duff layer. They look like carrots that have come above the soil line and developed chlorophyll. The Mushroom expert site has a good discussion of the species and each subspecies. http://www.mushroomexpert.com/lactarius_deliciosus.html
Made me a little homesick for Oregon when I read that the type locality of our common form is Pacific City, Oregon. Did have alot of fun hunting mushrooms in the forests on the north coast in the past. The biggest boletes I've ever seen.
Also found the yellow stemmed peppery bolete (C. piperatoides) at the forest edge on the channel side under hemlock.

The majority of the alcids I saw were common murres (2 marbled murrelets and about 18 murres). Didn't see a murrelet on my commute this week. I'm wondering where all the murrelets and auklets I was seeing in August went.
The birding was a little slow at home as well. The garden sparrows also seem to have wandered off (the hawk perhaps?). There were chickadees and a junco eating at the feeder, a winter wren was singing and several varied thrush in the alders on the island this afternoon.
Finally planted the garlic today. Hideously late, but hopefully the garlic and the weather will be forgiving.