Life on the Outer Coast

My Bear Mtn hiking partners elected to go to Starrigavan ridge for an overnight adventure which I wasn't up for, so I went back up to the berry patch on the Harbor-Gavan trail. It didn't take much effort to convince Steve and MB to come along.
The picking site may deserve the designation of "The Platonic Ideal of a Blueberry Patch". Since that shouldn't really be attainable in this earthly world, I guess it will just have to be the next best thing. Picked another 2 quarts or so of early blueberries. Today there were several people along the trail, but only one group was in the favored patch. I checked all of the V. caespitosum in my immediate area and didn't see any sign of fruit. Not sure if it doesn't flower often or just not this year.
Still a few Aconitum blooming, the Erigeron and Senecio still look quite nice, but the Gentiana is starting to fade.
The leaves of Chamerion angustifolium (someday I'll remember the new name without looking it up) had turned red. The slopes below the trail were dotted with them, it looked rather nice.
Once again I had to be dragged off the slopes, not sure what it is about me that I always want to stay out longer even when I'm tired and hungry. I was accused of being an "adventure junkie" this week, but I don't think that is the issue. There is just so much out there to explore and always one more hill to climb or corner to turn. Maybe it is not really believing that I'll ever get to go back again. Once I've decided to head in, it's fine, but I'm always reluctant to make the decision to leave where ever I am.

Had to drop the van off at the airport after we got back to town. Found some Spiraea douglasii along the road. Not sure absolutely how to tell that species from an escaped domestic variety, but it looked right.

Ate some golden chanterelles for dinner that I was given in exchange for identifying them yesterday evening. Seems like it is a good year for them. I've been asked to identify a few batches and have heard about a few more. The ones growing on the island are coming along nicely, they should be ready to pick next week. There has been a steady supply of Amanita pantherina and A. vaginata. I haven't seen any A. muscaria on my travels, but I haven't checked the most reliable spot.
A multitude of robins, varied thrushes, chickadees, song sparrows and a Sapsucker in the garden this morning. Keep hoping for a nuthatch, but no luck. A large flock of ducks flew over late this evening, it was too dark to tell what they were.