Natural beauty

With so much horrid news in the world, I feel so fortunate to be in a gorgeous safe place and today needed to immerse myself in that beauty.   And I was due for a good row.   Not exactly wonderful conditions but I set out in my new boat, the Swan, to see the harbor seals and look for newborns in the Ballingall Islands about 2 km north of here.   (on the map)  The Ballingall Islets were designated a provincial nature park to provide protection for double crested cormorants that nest there and are often seen in this windblown juniper tree.  OH my what a lovely trip…altho I didn’t spot any nursing baby seals, I saw cormorants, surf scoters(!) pigeon gillemots, and these 2 eagles in the tree (could it be more picturesque?)   The extra is more of this island with lots of seals but I couldn’t resist the eagles for the blip…missed them flying off however, too busy watching seals.  It was very choppy out there.   Slow row back against the wind and current with an incoming tide. Kept getting blown off course… Good exercise tho.  Then the afternoon in the studio with the Sat radio opera, Andrea Chénier (1896) by Giordano, full blast!   Beautiful music..about the poet and journalist executed in the French revolution for criticizing France’s post revolutionary government .. Somehow this 1794 story seemed relevant to some current events.      Also was reminded yesterday that our younger son,  his wife and 2 small boys were on the beach in Nice 8 years ago on Bastille day with the crowd watching fireworks.  Is it a different world now?  


Put a set of seals and birds and a few scenes of another island on flickr…just beautiful grey Pacific northwest nature…