Gibban

I paddle a good long distance, all the way to the upper piece of Gulf Pond before I stop to write.  I put in down in front of the house, launching from the talus that forms the bottom of the sea wall, a project that was more clunky and clumsier than I expected.  The wind is out of the north or east and so the land protects me from some of it and the rest is a very light following breeze.  The foot high waves are more than the wind predicts, it is just that in that direction there is little out there until one gets to Europe. I found some buffleheads in the salt water today.  I figure that the cold weather must be icing up the protected brackish waters where I usually find them.  Short spells of cold doesn't usually affect wintering birds behavior, unless that cold brings snow or ice, which is what are recent weather has done.  It's the phase shift that gets you. I paddle up to the mouth of Calf Pen Creek and discover that I can enter it at this almost high ...

A pattern of ever changing weather is around for most of the week. It is in the 50F's with a moderate wind out of the south with large puffs of cumulus clouds and plenty of sun. I start out in Lake Union, first crossing the lake and then cruising downwind towards Gasworks Park. The centerpiece of the park is an old coal gasification plant from the early 1900's. It is what was thought to be "clean coal" at that time. It is illegal for me land on the shore here because of toxic sediment on the bottom of the lake surrounding the plant. One generation's "clean" is not really "clean" if it is poisonous to their children and grandchildren. I doubt that the new "clean coal" proponents can meet that standard. After preaching to the choir, I continued east into Portage Bay, along the way picking up a plastic lawn chair that was blown into the lake during last nights storm. There is little boat traffic and the air is very fresh. I plan on just...