Being a Respectful Guest

We began our week in Port Angeles, WA, exploring the Olympic Peninsula. It was a joy to be out in several different settings in nature. Each one offered something new to experience and learn. The second part of the week took us to the Seattle Area, where I continued my education in the Pacific Northwest. It also allowed us to visit family and friends. Come on along and discover with us.

Tongue Point Marine Life Sanctuary along the Strait of Juan de Fuca is a place of an extraordinary abundance of life. It fills every nook and cranny. Every niche serves the adaptable creatures at the mouth of the Straits. Tidal pools host sea stars, anemones, crabs, clams, mussels, sea urchins, octopus, and hundreds of other slippery, slimy life forms. Sea birds, otters, and the occasional black bear make regular foraging visits. Seagrasses and other plants are anchored in the deeper channels and hold fast to the channels where the tides surge. This collection of tidal pools is a universe of life where the delicate balance of predator and prey, oxygen and carbon dioxide, water, and dry land has evolved over millions of years. The key to life in these tidal pools is adaptability.

While most people were taught that evolution was based on survival of the fittest, that was not Darwin's focus. He believed that the most adaptable species would survive and produce offspring. These intertidal pools are constantly changing. The water level ebbs and flows 3-4 times a day. The cast of predators and prey shifts with the season. Sun and shade wash across the rocks, along with the frequent clouds of sea fog. Life adjusts and adapts, or they perish. But life is good for those who can thrive in these tidal pools.

 

This is Lake Crescent in the Olympic National Park. It is over 600 feet deep and fills a valley carved out by the North American Ice Sheet during the last Ice Age. Native legends speak of Mount Storm King becoming angry with the intertribal warfare among his children. He threw a giant boulder and blocked the valley dividing the single lake into two. Scientists believe that Pyramid Mountain on the left produced a colossal landslide that created the lakes and separated them into two bodies of water, Lake Crescent and Lake Sutherland. The picture shows the remains of that landslide. In time, the lake found a new outlet in Lyre Falls but trapped the native trout in the two lakes. They developed into unique species found only in their respective lakes. The water is exceptionally clear and reflects the deep blue of the surrounding skies. Despite ice, isolation, and landslides, life continues to fill these lakes. 

While hiking through the Hoh Rainforest on the Western Peninsula, we came across the weathered root ball of a fallen, ancient tree. The Douglas Fir Trees do not have a tap root. Instead, they spread their roots, like the Oregon and California Redwoods. Thus, they create a giant root ball when the wind blows them over. Over time, the rocks and dirt are washed away, leaving only a long-fallen giant's "skeletal" remains. When I first saw this natural sculpture, I immediately saw a "Dragon's Skull!"

This is not unlike the Native American Stories about how they make sense of their world. They attribute human emotions and motives to their gods and say that the gods were angry and threw a rock into the lake. Seeing this root ball, I connected it to things in my experience and immediately "saw." Our big brain has allowed us to adapt and thrive, but it also needs to understand our world. It draws on the only data it has, our realm of experience. I have read a lot of stories and seen a lot of movies that had dragons. My mind just connected this bit of forest leftovers to that legendary creature. I know it is not real, but it is fun to play with the thought. That sort of play has allowed us to live with the mystery that surrounds us as we live and move and have our being in life. Massive landslides and fallen giants are the stuff of human legend and life! They do not have to be scientifically accurate to give meaning to our daily lives.

 

The Olympic Peninsula offers ample testimony to the extravagant frugality of nature. This image shows that every square inch of space with light, water, and nutrients will support some form of life. This extravagant display of life is in every tree, crevice, brook, or rock throughout the landscape. In this picture, we can see moss and lichen hanging from the limbs of these old trees. When a tree falls, the bacteria in the soil, along with the bugs and worms, start invading it and breaking it down. The total biomass of the forest is never wasted. It is constantly being transformed, and life is moving in to utilize every speck. Nature is not only wildly extravagant, but it is also efficiently frugal. Nothing is wasted. Even the largest tree will eventually become dirt, supporting future generations of life. I find great comfort in the frugal extravagance of nature, where nothing is wasted, but life still abounds!

The key to the survival of these rainforests is the understory, where the many forms of life find their most significant challenge and harmony. In this picture, there is a large trunk of a tree rising on the left. Next to it is the fallen log of a slowly decaying tree. To the right is a well-decayed stump of another tree. In between are ferns and salmonberry bushes. I am sure that just beneath the surface are bugs, worms, and slugs digesting and excreting food for one another and the plants that feed them. This is called the understory, and humans are not real fans of understories. We like to look at the leaves and the canopy that provides shade. But everything up there begins down here in the understory. The understory is where life happens. Until we learn to appreciate and support the understory of life, we will not know life at all.

 

I've looked at life from both sides now

From win and lose and still somehow

It's life's illusions I recall

I really don't know life at all.

(Both Sides Now, by Joni Mitchell)

Mosses are vital players in the understory. These simple plants cling to the trunks of trees, both living and dead, and collect and hold water from the coastal rains and fog. The tree absorbs some water to sustain itself when weather conditions turn dry. The tree yields some of its bark as nutrients to maintain the moss. In addition, as the weather turns cold, the moss offers insulation from the chilling winds. The tree provides the moss an elevated platform for claiming sunlight. When the tree dies, the moss will help break it down into soil supporting the other life forms in the forest. Moss is among the simplest of plants in the rainforest, yet it is a vital link in the chain of life. In the natural world, simplicity is a common virtue that allows adaptation and growth. Highly specialized life forms suffer extinction and take more from their world than they contribute. But simple life forms are both sustained by their surroundings and support it with their daily living. They know life!

Among the joy of full-time wandering is the opportunity to sing the song of the road. This is Bilbo’s version (Actually one of several versions.) It rose from his soul as he walked the roads of Middle Earth. 

 

The road goes ever on and on,

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the road has gone,

And I must follow if I can,

Pursuing it with eager feet,

Until it joins some larger way

Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say.

The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien

 

This picture is of a White-crowned Sparrow singing its song. Animals are not handicapped by fanciful ideas and made-up fears and dreams. They live in the eternal moment of the present. Their joy flows as naturally from their soul as the air from their lungs. This sparrow perched in the sunshine on his little branch and sang a song filled with trills and musical cadence. While I was not their likely target, the song brought joy to my soul as I to sat in the sunshine. 

 

Wandering through our full-time RV life offers us many chances to sit in the sunshine and sing the song of joy. However, Bilbo’s wandering sometimes led him to dark and lonely places. But he kept on singing.

Roads go ever ever on

Under cloud and under star,

Yet feet that wandering have gone

Turn at last to home afar.

Eyes that fire and sword have seen

And horror in the halls of stone

Look at last on meadows green

And trees and hills they long have known.

The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien

As a wanderer, he knew that the road would keep going, and there was no need to allow a time of darkness to cloud the joy that awaited him. Unlike a sparrow, we can see the future despite the view being a bit hazy. The sun will return, and the stars will shine. Thus, we can sing or sing, though it may be more bluesy than a sparrow's song. We do not sing because of our present circumstances. We know they will change. Instead, we sing just because "The road goes on forever," at least when we can walk in that same eternal presence of the sparrow. We find our place in the sun, lift our heads, and soulfully sing of the joy of life!

This is the Elwha River, just outside Port Angeles. It runs through a canyon from the Olympic Mountains and into the Straits of Juan de Fuca. In the early 20^th Century, the population of Washington was exploding with new people demanding electricity for their new lifestyles driven by technology. This river was targeted for two hydroelectric dams, and soon, the valley was submerged under deep lakes. The entire culture and ecology of the area changed. Wildlife and people lost their ways of life, but the newcomers got their electricity. In time, these small dams could not meet demand, so bigger and bigger dams were built. Soon these little dams on the Elwha were becoming obsolete, and the tribal people were able to lobby to have the dams removed. The river channel was restored in the early 21^st Century.

 

In this picture, you see the downstream portion of the river where the channel had been protected from the enormous flows that followed the implosion of the dam. Several species of Salmon have started their annual spawning journeys along with trout and other fish. The tribal people who live along the recovering river have slowly begun recovering their way of life from the elders' memories and the stories passed down through the Shamans and storytellers. These wildflowers offer a visual cue to the joy that has returned to the area. The destructive changes that our culture has imposed on this area are not the final word. And the birds, fish, and beasts await our decision to fix what we have broken. The Native people are working to move the Federal Government to do the right thing. Here along the Elwha River, we have ample evidence that it is merely a matter of resolve. I look for the day when we decide that blooming wildflowers along a newly restored stream are more important than the short-term benefits of destroying so many lives.

After a beautiful week in Port Angeles, it was time to move on to Lake Pleasant RV Park in Bothell, WA. We had two choices for routes. We could take the shorter route involving a ferry ride across the Sound or backtrack to Gig Harbor and go down and around the Seattle Area. After some research, I decided that the benefit of the ferry was outweighed by the cost and risk to the rig. So, we made the 2-hour drive through Tacoma and up into Bothell. 

 

Our son and his family live in Seattle and are 30 minutes from the campground. I have some good friends who were only 15 minutes away. We spent a delightful evening with our friend and a couple of days (so far) becoming reacquainted with our grandchildren, son, and his spouse. We will enjoy friends and family here for a week and look forward to spending the 4^th away from the crowds and noise of public parks and attractions.

After going through a fascinating air museum in Everett, WA, we went to a store called Funko World HQ. This place celebrates American Pop Culture with figurines and collector items of many social icons of the last 30 years. There are 6-inch plastic figures of Anime, TV Shows, Sports Figures, and Movies. There are huge sections dedicated to Asian Anime (including Pokémon), Hogwarts, Star Wars, etc. The shelves are filled with smaller collections of Friends, The Simpsons, How I Met Your Mother figures, and every popular TV series since the 1960s. These figures allow people to connect with their youth and bring together Boomer, Gen X, Millennial, and Gen Z.  People carried out baskets filled with figurines, small dioramas, and other Knick knacks. Some will become well-loved toys and décor, while others will be kept in their packaging and displayed or stored away as collections. Some may be quick to label this as a frivolous indulgence, but from seeing the mixing of ages in that store, I celebrate this store. I see very few places where Grandchildren and Grandparents can laugh, share, and remember together. I rejoice at anything that helps each generation learn from the other and tell their stories. Funko provides a common ground where we can overcome generational conflicts and celebrate our differences. Thank you, Funko!

Our campground has a series of trails. They wind through the forests on the hills surrounding the park. The ground is covered by ferns and flowers, strange spikey bushes, and huge patches of ivy. Among the lush greenery, there are many trails for the creatures of the forest. We saw a small garter snake slithering across the path. There was a scat of many small critters. And then there were the bunnies. Marlene saw many on her first walk through the forest. On a second journey, we saw two, including the one pictured here. 

 

It is always important to remember that this is not our home. We are guests who have not been invited but intruded on their daily lives. Some residents, like this bunny, will occasionally welcome us if we respect the space between us. It is also essential to recognize that we are under watchful eyes during our stay. We must be on our best behavior whether we can see them. From the moment we step into their home, we must tread lightly and give them plenty of room to respond as they feel appropriate. It is easy to see the logic when visiting Yellowstone or the Rocky Mountains. In these places, the Bison and Bears are big enough to take care of themselves. But here in this little wild wood, the harmless snakes, birds, and bunnies are vulnerable. We must recognize that we are responsible for those living in these places. Walking softly and laying aside the big stick, we can make the time spent with our companions in the forest a blessing. I hope we make each visit a joy for all involved.

 

This was a full week. We explored new places and spent time with family and friends. For the next few days, we will celebrate the 4^th with our son and his family and have dinner with our friends. Then we will be off to Burlington, WA, for a weekend with our son and his family before exploring the Northern Cascades and the northern part of Puget Sound. It promises to be another great week. Hope you come on along.

 

Bob