Yum, yum

One huckleberry bear claw for now; one for later and coffee

More goodies from the ovens

The field mice love this guy!

WEST GLACIER, MT - - It was time for another trip to Polebridge. ..Mainly for their delicious huckleberry bear claws.  But the assortment of baked goods always makes for a hard choice.  That's why I got two claws...one to eat right away and another for breakfast tomorrow.

Fire and rain

5:30pm today.  clearer

Howe fire (center) and snow (upper right) on peak at 9am this morning

WEST GLACIER, MT - - A light rain which lasted all night cleared the worst of the smoke away.  Early this morning,  Lake MacDonald was clearing of heavy smoke.  Check the Howe fire blog to see just how smokey it was three days ago.  It was also cold enough for snow to fall on the high peak to the right in the photo. We don't expect the clear conditions to last as a strong wind as blowing across the lake at us as I was taking photos.  But we checked back at 5:30pm and were quite surprised.

Train fare

WEST GLACIER, MT - - Izaak Walton was British and an astute fisherman in the late 1500's.  So how does his name grace an inn in Essex, MT?  In 1939, the Great Northern Railroad was casting about for a name for their newly completed staff lodging and hit upon it.
     The rail line which runs through Essex and West Glacier and Whitefish is a stretch of the Northernmost transcontinental railroad.  And, as such, needs to remain open year-round.  To this end, the GN staffed Essex (a settlement of 150 at the time) with 60 workers in the winter. They were tasked with keeping the rails snow-free from West Glacier, over Marias Pass to Essex.  Their lodging was abandoned rail cars and tents.  Not much fun ...or warm...in nasty winter weather.
     The GN finally built a 29 bedroom structure as housing for the workers and, later,  tourists in summer.  79 years later the inn, now privately-owned, still caters to tourists. And train plows now clear the rails in winter.

Rest stop

WEST GLACIER, MT - - River rafters take a break while floating (organized) on the West Fork of the Flathead River.  Low water levels don't provide the 'scary' ride some folks want.  However, comfortable and dry are probably preferred.

Mathilda struts her stuff

WEST GLACIER, MT - - The resident turkey struts across the dsriveway at Glacier Campground.  She's been dubbed 'Mathilda' and thinks 'she/he/it' owns the place.

The Howe fire continues to grow

Looking across Lake MacDonald at a smoke plume

WEST GLACIER, MT - - The fire continues to burn.  The winds are gusting.  There is rain in the forecast.  So we continue to hope that the spread of the fire will be halted and eventually extinguished.  Until then,  we watch the smoke...and hope the get pics of the 'air force (choppers and aircraft) helping to battle the inferno.

A six-pack and some spares

Party time...always stay well hydrated when riding

My kind of place

Coffee cures all

A 100 car freight rolls by close enough to touch

Unfortunately, we have a wildfire..not close enough to touch- - -YET

WEST GLACIER, MT - - We've returned to our favorite place in Montana:  Glacier Campground and Glacier National Park.  If we were still working as shuttle drivers on Going to the Sun Road,  we'd be out of jobs.  A lightning strike eight days ago grew from a smouldering spot into 11,000 acres of wildfire and keeps growing.  It hasn't gotten us a "be ready to evacuate" order yet, but it could.  The GTS road is closed (on this, West, side), Lake McDonald Lodge and three major campgrounds have been evacuated; numerous small businesses with the park are closed. Mother Nature is a b.... sometimes.
     The town of Whitefish might be a bit smokey, but things haven't slowed down.  Montana Coffee Traders still puts out a 'mean' brew and the Burlington Northern keeps the freight moving from destination to destination.   

Ghost power

Smoke!  What smoke?  Near Grand Coulee Dam

An earlier stop along the Wenatchee River

SPOKANE, WA - - We left Anacortes under hazy conditions...hazy, as in smokey.  It was a given that heading East toward Montana the air quality would NOT improve.  We didn't figure it would get this bad. 
     In the second picture, a forest fire a couple of years ago is still evident by the dead-fall trees which did not completely burn to cinders.  Farther down the road, the smokey haze really settled in. 
     In photo one, visibility, at this point, is about half a mile.  If what you're looking at is big and has a recognizable outline.  Generally, at about a quarter mile,  you begin to identify objects better.  At 100 yards and closer, objects (like cars and pickups) are/were much easier to check out..  Fortunately, while the road was rolling, it was generally straight.

Color at the weekly farmer's market

Fresh cut flowers...

...an assortment of berries...

...and add veggies...

and more veggies.

And for breakfast...a savory crepe

A last look at Cap Sante Marina

Over 900 slips...

...and almost chock full

...plus an area just for commercial fisherman (or crabbers)

Blue bottle art with 'guard' kitty

Soaking up the sun

You've been warned

Pink chair with plants

Sunrise on a smokey morning

The sunrise is colorful with smoky skies

Noon yesterday. We'd like to ride the ferry to Friday Harbor...but

ANACORTES, WA - - There are wildfires in California, Oregon, Eastern Washington and to the North, British Columbia, Canada.  So, there's smoke and more smoke which makes everything seem gray.  It could be worse.  We'll hang out in Anacortes a few more days to see if it clears enough to make the ferry ride to Friday Harbor more scenic.
     And then head East to see friends at Glacier Campground outside Glacier NP.  All the while monitoring the weather and fire reports as Montana and Glacier NP aren't faring much better.

Fill 'er up!!

A tanker docked at the Andeavor Anacortes Refinery on Fidalgo Bay

The schooner Adventuress

The other half of Cap Sante marina

Berthed and awaiting the next assignment

ANACORTES, WA - - The weekend turned out to be a time  for sailing vessels...and rain and sun and then cloudy conditions.  You can tell it was grey in the shot of the marina.  While the sun shines on the Tall Ship and the docked tanker.  It dawned grey on Sunday when we found the tug.
     The Andeavor Anacortes Refinery sits about a mile from the marina across Fildago Bay.  It can turn out 120,000 barrels of crude oil a day.  Hence the tankers which fill up and ply West Coast ports.
     Fancy a cruise on a schooner?  The environmental Tall Ship, Adventuress, offers on the water schooling to the public as well as dockside tours.  The 133' Adventuress is listed as a National Historic Landmark.  The schooner spent time in Anacortes last summer.
     Harbor side we noticed a new looking tug docked.  Closer inspection revealed some fancy looking exhaust stacks.  The give away was 'tractor tug' lettered on the sides of the hull.   The vessel was somewhat similar to a tug we saw being refurbished at the main boatyard last year (7/31/17).
     This tug, built in 2017, belongs to Harley Marine Services and has more grunt than previous editions. The double marine engines, a  Caterpillar Marine Propulsion System with azimuth thrusters, is the first tug in North America to utilize a complete system. 
     Dr. Henry Kaplan, whom then tug is named for, is chief medical oncologist at the Cancer Institute of Seattle.  A giant pink ribbon (signage), the identifier of breast cancer organizations, adorns the vessel's structure on both sides below the captain's bridge. 

Oh deer!

Look both ways before crossing the street...

...as the rest of the gang checked out this side

A half view of Cap Sante marina at low tide. Campsites are far right

ANACORTES, WA - - A few sights while out wandering on Friday.

The Cat's Meow

We're innocent.  Let us out of here

ANACORTES, WA - - The Cat's Meow is a place we always wander by...sometimes every day...in Anacortes.  The shelter rescues cats, gives them medical care and feeds them.  They also hope you will adopt one (or more) of the feline residents. 
     There were at least 10 residents this morning with some, like this fluffy one, ready to bolt to freedom if given the chance.

Twins on the ferry

VW twins hang out on the ferry

ANACORTES, WA - - No way could we have posed this pic as loading vehicles on a ferry is random to where you end up.  We left Sequim and rode up to Port Townsend and the ferry (MV Salish) to Whidby Island. As we pulled into our assigned loading line, we spotted another member of the VW family. 
     Sure enough...same color, same model (Eurovan weekender), same year (2003) but with about half the mileage.  We talked to the (much younger) couple and traded van-tales.  On load-in they were slotted off to the right side and we were held up while other lines loaded.  Our turn to load came and we followed the instructions the close up the line to about the rear bumper of vehicle forward.  And that's how we ended up as 'twins' traveling on the ferry.

Wandering around the Olympic Peninnsula

Lavender in full bloom

This totem tells then legend of 'why the sun always shines in Sequim'

Olympic Peninsula humor

The Polar Discovery and the marine layer off-shore i Port Angeles

SEQUIM, WA - - Over the weekend we had time to check out a lavender farm, wander around the farmer's market in Sequim, head up to Port Angeles and make a cut-short trip to Olympic NP.
     After checking out one of three Olympic NP visitor centers (hey, the park is big) we set out toward Hurricane Ridge.  But road construction created a big traffic jam (even on Sunday) and we finally turned around and headed out.  Our last visit to Olympic NP, maybe 10 years ago, wasn't as bad...just cold with iffy skies.
     About 20 years ago, Sequim was just a small town with a dry climate...something rare in Washington.  Then someone figured out the climate was like that of Provence (France) and Provence is the world leader in growing lavender.  This fragrant plant/flower gives aroma to perfume, soap, sachets, and lots of other products.  Now, in Sequim, there is a Lavender festival, tours and cut-your own options at nearby farms and plenty of lavender-themed businesses.  The town calls itself "The lavender capital of the US."
     Port Angeles is a major West Coast harbor/stop off point.  This was evident by the huge crude oil tanker Polar Discovery riding anchor off shore.  The ship, built in 2003, is part of a fleet of ConocoPhillips-owned tankers hauling crude oil from Valdez, Alaska to US West Coast ports and Hawaii.  Full speed ahead gets you 16 knots (18.4 mph) from 15,000 hp  diesel power.

We can see the light

Trail marker 'art' and the Strait of Juan de Fuca

The Dungeness Spit stretches into the distance

The little white dot in the center is the Dungeness Light Station

SEQUIM, WA - - We've moved on to the top of the Olympic Peninsula.  Sequim (pronounced squim) is a lively, small town between Port Angeles and Port Townsend.  We're at a small county run campground (Dungeness Recreation Area) within a federal area. 
     The Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge is a haven for nesting (and resting...as they migrate) birds.  There are also harbor seals and their pups. Of course, we are here at the 'wrong' time of year.
     The magical part of the refuge is a National Historic Site, the Dungeness Light Station... a lighthouse well over 100 years old and automated now.    Look at the photos and imagine working the lamp during a heavy winter storm when you are surrounded by breaking waves.  The lighthouse lies at the tip of a long, narrow spit of land...a 5 mile hike from the Dungeness Bluff and safety.  It separates the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Dungeness Bay
     You can hike out to the lighthouse but you better pay close attention to the tide tables.  You definitely don't want to get caught half way with a rising tide coming in.

Layover in Bremerton

BREMERTON,WA -- We're spending a few days in Bremerton while we get some work done on the 'Bus.' There is a shop here we've used before so we schedule any work needed.
    The previous two summers we've done a house-sit in Poulsbo, a short distance from Bremerton, so we've blogged just about all the good stuff.  But we're looking for more.