The major storm is over and the creeks and rivers  are slowly beginning to return to normal.  Some of the roads are beginning to open up enough to be able to assess the damages.  I took a trip north toward Lilliwaup and was amazed to find more than a dozen mudslides and water over the roadway in countless places along the short stretch from Hoodsport to Lilliwaup.  Two places were especially hit hard.  The worst is probably Holiday Beach, where the creek came over the banks and diverted itself right down the streets.



Here is what Highway 101 looks like through Holiday Beach the next day, when the water had receded enough to even drive through.  Nearly every home in this stretch along the highway suffered damage from water and mud and the water still continues to flow vigorously across the highway down Susan Ave.  The mud is 1 to 3 feet deep in people's yards.

Up the road just a bit further, the Rest-A-While RV Park, is no longer the pleasant little getaway along the Canal it once was.  Sund Creek became a raging torrent, carrying mud, gravel, and even large stumps and trees to deposit along the way.



Most of the RVs had left before the storm started.  In fact, we noticed a steady stream of RVs heading South during a short break in the snow storm on Sunday.  I'm sure they are very glad that they got out of town while they could.



Unfortunately this RV chose to stay and is now trapped behind a wall of mud.  It is hard to imagine the once park-like setting of this particular spot.  Notice the picnic table which came to rest against the telephone pole, having been transported far from its former spot in the campground.

Much of Highway 101 is still covered in mudslides, though people have been finding ways of driving around, through, and over them.  There are so many of these slides that the highway department has been simply clearing a path along one lane and leaving the rest of the debris blocking the other lane.  It will take weeks to move all the material out, one dump truck load at a time.



For more photos from around the Hoodsport area, see my Facebook album where I have posted several more of my photos.  I will continue to post more in this album as I am able to upload them.  For those of you who looked at the album earlier, be sure and check out the new photos I added today.  I also submitted a few photos to KIRO-TV which they published in a slideshow of viewer photos.  Check out this album for some other photos from around Washington showing problems all throughout Western Washington.  There are some interesting photos here.

Tags: weather
Current Location: Hoodsport, WA

What do you get after 10 inches of snow followed by 8 inches of rain?  Floods!  The flooding here in Mason County was record setting.  I was not able to go to work because the highways in all directions were closed due to floods and mudslides.  In fact Hoodsport is still completely isolated with no way to get in or out.  The governor has declared a state of emergency, since the whole state has suffered from disastrous flooding, mudslides, and trees knocked over by very high winds which came with the rain.



This is what the Hood Canal Salmon Hatchery looked like this morning after Finch Creek flooded its banks and overflowed into the hatchery buildings.  Since all of the ponds were completely inundated with water, the fish were able to escape right out into Hood Canal.



This is what is left of the Finch Creek bridge near Lumberman's.  Unfortunately, the trees floating down the creek also took out the water main which crosses here leaving Hoodsport residents without water for an indefinite amount of time.  Flooding and downed trees also blocked Lake Cushman Road (Highway 119) in at least a dozen places and threatens to wash out the highway completely at the lower S curves.  Lake Cushman residents have been without power for more than 24 hours.  It is not likely this will be restored anytime soon since PUD #3 has no way of getting to the lines.  I also noticed two separate areas of the BPA high transmission lines were down.

More rain and high winds are predicted for tonight.  I have more pictures, but they are on my smaller camera which is no longer operational due to the heavy rains I subjected it to.  The above pictures were taken with my good camera just before it completely fogged over and became unusable.

Check back later for more details.

Tags: weather
Current Location: Hoodsport, WA

Today was one of those rare, beautiful days in Washington in which it snowed all day long.  In fact it snowed very hard all day here in Hoodsport.  While others to the north and south of us had only light smatterings of snow, our little town ended up with 7 inches by sunset.  It continued to snow most of the night, but didn't add up much, since the snow became very heavy and packed down pretty good.  All of this led to roads and highways that were quite treacherous along Hood Canal.  I made an attempt to drive 1/2 mile up to Endicotts but had to turn around.  So I just walked up later on.  The sled run there is in perfect form however.



Here the snow plow is plowing Highway 101.  Those of you living in areas where snow is a regular part of Winter travel would be surprised at how treacherous the highways are here, even after being plowed.  For one thing the don't start plowing until there is at least 3-4 inches.  They never use salt (which is a good thing for the cars) and they use rubber blades which don't damage the highways, but also don't scrape the icy stuff very well.



Many people were without power due to trees falling on lines.  While I was out taking photos, I head a sizzling sound and smelled smoke.  Here you can see the reason, an electrical line touching a snow-laden tree branch was sparking and smoking.  It might have caught the tree on fire if it had not been so completely soaked with snow.  Our snow is very heavy and wet, unlike the delightful powdery stuff folks up north get.



This picture was taken at about 1pm, when the snow had just started.  I never did venture out to get another picture at the peak depth.  Although I had several things I planned to do today, they all involved driving somewhere.  Needless to say I just stayed home snuggled by the warm fire, listening to Christmas music and getting organized with my Christmas cards.  I think it took this snow for me to realize that Christmas is really almost here and I'd better get moving.

Tags: weather
Current Location: Hoodsport, WA
Current Mood: relaxed
Current Music: A Piano Christmas by Stan Whitmire

Lately I have not had much chance to get out into the wilds of Washington and enjoy my scenic hikes to familiar and favorite places.  I realize how much I miss these weekend journeys into the woods and hope that I can soon find time to get back to the things I truly love.  The following excerpt from a book I was reading expresses some of my thoughts rather well.

"The woods are so human that to know them one must live with them.  An occasional saunter through them, keeping to the well-trodden paths, will never admit us to their intimacy.  If we wish to be friends, we must seek them out and win them by frequent, reverent visits at all hours; by morning, by noon, and by night; and at all seasons, in spring, in summer, in autumn, in winter.  Otherwise we can never really know them and any pretense we may make to the contrary will never impose on them.



They have their own effective way of keeping aliens at a distance and shutting their hearts to mere casual sightseers.  It is of no use to seek the woods from any motive except sheer love of them; they will find us out at once and hide all their sweet, old-world secrets from us.  But if they know we come to them because we love them, they will be very kind to us and give us such treasures of beauty and delight as are not bought or sold in any marketplace.



For the woods, when they give at all, give unstintingly and hold nothing back from their true admirers.  We must go to them humbly, patiently, watchfully, and we shall learn what poignant loveliness lurks in the wild places and silent intervales, lying under starshine and sunset, what cadences of unearthly music are harped on aged pine boughs or crooned in copses of fir, what delicate savors exhale from mosses and ferns in sunny corners or on damp brooklands.



Then, the immortal heart of the woods will beat against ours and its subtle life will steal into our veins and make us its own forever, so that no matter where we go, or how widely we wander, we shall yet be drawn back to the forest to find our most enduring kinship."

~from Thistle Harvest by John Foster

Tags: hiking, weekends

Autumn is here and the leaves are turning.  Actually many of them have fallen by now, but just before that happened I was able to get some photos of some of the colorful scenes around Hoodsport.



Driving through Potlatch past powerhouse #2 of the Tacoma Power Cushman Hyrdo Project, I spotted this beautiful maple tree in full color and had to stop and take a picture.



This tree is much larger than it looks in the picture because the powerhouse is very tall.  If you consider that the lamp posts you see are about nine feet tall it gives you some perspective.  I love the way the water from the creek was diverted to run right down through the lovely old cement railings along here.  It makes a pretty waterfall I think.  It is amazing to look at this beautiful building and the graceful curves and majestic arches that were incorporated into the architecture.  This was built at a time when beauty was something that was revered.  Sure, none of these arches are really functional, but they are a delight to the eyes.  Now, it seems, the only value in architecture is to be either purely functional or completely meaningless and bizarre.



Sailboats are another thing that are lovely and graceful, while still being very functional.  I caught this picture up in Port Townsend while taking a ferry across to Whidbey Island.  The people on the boat appeared to be having a very relaxing sail around the harbor, not really going anywhere.



Here you see some of the old Victorian architecture of Port Townsend in the buildings behind the sailboat.  In the upper right is the original fire station bell tower from the 1800s.  The homes on the bluff are also from the late 1800s.  I recently was on a tour of homes, which included the one on the left.



It was amazing to see the architecture of this home, with 12 foot ceilings, huge rooms, and many artistic touches throughout.  As you can imagine, the view from the enclosed porch or the upstairs windows was quite a treat too.

I haven't had time to blog here much since becoming involved in at least 3 Bible studies during the week.  Most nights I go straight from work to Bible study and then straight home and to bed, only to arise the next morning and go back to work.  Sometimes I take time to eat at least once or twice during this time, but I haven't really had a chance to even sit down for several months.  So you'll excuse the fact that there are not many blogs and not many pictures left to show.  If there are any things you would like to see or hear, feel free to leave a comment.  Thanks to those who have left comments in the past.  It is nice to know that someone is actually reading this.  I do think of you when I see your comments.

Tags: weekends
Current Location: Port Townsned

Once again, I was driving along last night on my way to Bible study and noticing the beautiful world around me.  This time I happened to spot this rainbow just south of Hoodsport and had to stop the car along the highway and snap some photos.  Once again, the cars went racing by, barely noticing the weather, and I was just stunned by the changes that were happening.



The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.
Psalm 19:1

Tags: weather