A walk around Anacortes: back streets

After visiting Dakota Creek Shipyard (previous post) we walked around town, just looking. This weathered old piano sat on a street corner, silent, colorful. Couldn't resist checking it out. We passed it again an hour later, and there was a kid sitting there playing it -- and not badly at all for a young guy. Fun to see.

Wherever we go now, I tend to gravitate toward these "no dumping" warnings painted at water drainage grates along street curbs. Sometimes the little plaque on them will indicate the name of the town as well, which I consider a bonus. Alas, no mention of Anacortes on this one.

And then of course I was drawn to the wonky number "0" on a door. I kinda think it would be even cooler if all three numbers weren't there, just leaving the gluey remains and the attendant screw holes. I was content, however, with their apparent decision to not fix the wonkiness.

Perfection is highly overrated . . .

All photos copyright ©Carol Leigh 2019.

A walk around Anacortes: Dakota Creek Shipyard

We took a little walk around Anacortes last week, and checked out the Dakota Creek Shipyard, as we always do.

The beauty of this place is that you never know what you'll find there. This day we saw the huge tugboat Tan'erliq, which, according to Wikipedia, is "a ship escort, rescue and oil response oceangoing tugboat." She was built in 1999 by Dakota Creek Industries, and this day was in drydock, having a bit of work done.

From my location, down on the ground and shooting up through a chainlink fence, the boat looked enormous.

The guy in the guard shack, Lee, invited us in so I could take some unobstructed views, told us the history of the boat, stories about Homer, Alaska, and other vessels that have been in and out of the shipyard. Very kind, intelligent, and entertaining guy!

Photos taken with an iPhone.

All images copyright ©Carol Leigh 2019.

A small Anacortes exploration . . .

I knew it was a long shot when I began, but I have discontinued my "Photo a Day" project. It's something that has served me well in the past, but it's not "sparking joy" for me right now, has become a small pressure, a responsibility, and is forcing me to spend even more time at the computer, which is not good.

And since I make art every day anyway, it's rather redundant. I don't need to post it all the time.

Big relief! And you know? It's kind of like the pressure I used to feel about reading books. If the book seemed to be going nowhere, and I wasn't enjoying it, I felt compelled to finish it, to honor my commitment to it. Those days are gone. Life is short and is getting shorter. Fill it with what you love, not what you feel you need to do, no matter what toll it may take on your mind and your body.

So these are some pictures I took in an Anacortes exploration the other day. Boats, boats, boats, silvery water, overcast skies, and I'm a happy photographer.

The fishing boat at the bottom is the F/V Oregon, out of Lopez Island, here in the San Juans. And above that is a view of what I believe is a fish processing plant. And the top photo? Pleasure boats moored at the Cap Sante Marina.

A good day. No pressure.

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

A good way to end the year . . .

We had house guests last week, people who were easy to be around, interesting, and interested. We had too much rain, but on this particular day we were out and about, exploring Whidbey Island and Fidalgo Island.

Our first stop was this wharf, at the end of Penn Cove, home to Penn Cove Shellfish Farm. No wind, silvery water, blue light, and pretty clouds. Ahhhhhh . . .

Later in the day we explored a bit of Fidalgo Island, where I zoomed in on a very cool letter "R" on the large fishing boat "Traveler."

Outside the nearby net sheds we poked around the back sides of buildings to find and photograph piles of fishing nets and floats, including some buoys and coiled lines that looked brand-new.

And finally a drive around Washington Park where I photographed this unidentified bird hanging around with some towhees -- shot from the car window.

A fun day, a few decent photographs, and laughter with friends.

And now it's on to 2019 . . . may we have more of the same.

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

An afternoon in Anacortes . . .

Crabbing season began about 10 days ago -- always exciting!

Crabpots are stacked up, spiffed up, ready to be loaded onto fishing boats. Not the mass quantities and dramatic vistas we had in Oregon, but I take what I can get and am thankful.

Piles of fishing nets always provide good photo opportunities. "Want to buy them? They won't fit in my net shed." Sure. Five hundred pounds of fish nets. You haul.

It's hard to miss the bright red Arrow Launch/Marine Services boats in the harbor. And they look even better up close.

We walk down one of the docks where I photograph the aft section of a fishing boat from Kodiak, Alaska -- love the texture on this one.

When the weather is good, this is what we do -- get out and explore, wander around, and feel so lucky we can do this together.

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

Mooring lines . . .

To a photographer who enjoys photographing industrial-ish subject matter, Anacortes, Washington is always a fun destination.

We walked out on a dock to take a look at this tugboat, ended up talking for some time with the captain, and took a few photos. I particularly liked this first picture, where the heavy-duty mooring lines lead your eye into the picture, creating depth.

Across the passage in Port Townsend, a sign warns us to stay clear of those heavy-duty mooring lines.

And finally, here's a close-up of those lines we've been reminded to stay clear of. Terrific texture in the photo, and the weathered blue-grey metal of the ship is scrumptious.

Have a great day. And watch out for mooring lines!

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

Watching where I'm walking

Have you noticed the small markers, usually placed alongside curbs, next to drains in the gutter? They warn us to not pollute nearby bodies of water -- lakes, harbors, oceans, etc. And they are surprisingly personalized, designed for just those particular locations.

This "NO DUMPING - DRAINS TO SOUND" marker tells us we're close to Puget Sound, and, in smaller print, that we're at the Port of Anacortes.

The message on the sewer cover, however, is simply rude! And what does ASS stand for? "Anacortes Sewer System," of course. This cover is apparently one of just a few remaining -- Anacortes won't be using this abbreviation in the future. A port employee passing by told us that it's probably the most-photographed subject at the Port of Anacortes!

And finally, the more colorful "ONLY RAIN DOWN THE DRAIN" marker shows you that yes, you're still in Anacortes, and that "Puget Sound Starts Here."

In a time when we're replacing words with cute little icons/pictures, it's refreshing to actually READ these informational exhortations. Even if Anacortes can sometimes be an ASS about it . . .

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

Around the island(s) . . . Anacortes

We had errands to run in Anacortes last week, which means we head north on Whidbey Island to Deception Pass, cross over the bridge, and we are now on Fidalgo Island. Anacortes is the hub of Fidalgo Island.

It was raining fairly heavily, so what better place to hunker down than at a window table at Anthony's for a cup of tomato basil soup?

Then we went over to Anacortes Marine Hardware, where Fauna the cat let me pick her up and carry her around. She looks small here but she's much bigger than Abby. And friendlier to strangers. A sign warns not to screw around with the screws (I think). And finally a pano view of a wall of hardware stuff.

A good day all around. I mean, boats, cats, and funky hardware? You can't miss!

All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh. Thank you for your kindness.

Nautical bits in Anacortes

I took Rich and CJ to one of my favorite areas to shoot yesterday. Luckily, they liked it!

Afternoon sunlight on the side of a ship created very cool shadows.

A thick rope was laid out on the ground, looking quite snakelike.

A window reflecting clouds and sky, bright yellow buoys, and galvanized metal are gradually being taken over by blackberry vines.

And finally this depth gauge caught my eye, the vertical column of numbers sandwiched between solid navy blue on the right and horizontal patches of metal on the left.

Fun day. Alas, we take them down to the airport this morning. It's been a week of laughing, relaxing, lots of exploring, laughing, reading, just hanging out, and did I mention laughing?

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

"Bird" photography

While walking along the dock last week in Anacortes, I spotted some scratches on the hull of a fishing boat. I'm always drawn to this stuff because I can use the textures in my photomontages. In this case, however, I found the cutest little "bird."

The top photo shows you what I saw; the bottom photo shows how I framed the "bird."

A fun and happy little moment.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Beauty, birds, and boats

A bit of nature, a touch of red, and a single flower. It was a good day Friday for driving up to Anacortes and the top of Mt. Erie to take a look around.

When the weather conditions are just right, the view is spectacular. This wasn't one of those days, but it's eagle season, and we saw maybe 20+ flying around.

(And for the past two days, at least one eagle a day has perched in the trees in our yard. How cool is that!?)

This eagle hovered overhead for the longest time. Not exactly within range of my 70-200mm lens, but sometimes you just can't care.

And then down to the marina to see what we could find. Two red boats (Arrow Marine Services) were docked, drawing me in like a crow to something shiny. Love how they had hung a ladder off the side, creating a composition that's bold but somehow skewed.

And then I noticed some hellebores in full bloom -- can't ignore pretty flowers like these.

A good day. Feeling very lucky to be here.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Things I love . . .

Wandering around Anacortes, Washington, I made two photographs that incorporate things I love:

Boats! As a Navy brat, things nautical have an appeal. I love being around boats, don't want to be ON boats (except for little harbor cruises), but I hyperventilate when I find things like this.

Diagonal lines. They imply movement and power. They lead your eye from one part of an image to another. Both these photos contain diagonal lines, and, in the top image, repeating diagonal lines.

Quick note: The second photograph is of a "pilot ladder" hanging off the side of a ship. They're built to strict specifications, and every four to eight steps there's a "spreader." Why? To keep the ladder from twisting around in wind and weather as the pilot makes his/her way up or down. Never knew that.

Numbers. Numbers have intrigued me since I first began in photography.

Abstract simplicity. I'm not especially a "big picture" sort of photographer, but rather a "move in close, see what others don't, and keep it simple" person. So, voila! Weird pictures.

And there you have it. Two souvenirs from a wonderful time spent just wandering around and looking.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Found in Anacortes

Anacortes is quickly becoming a favorite photo destination for me. I love wandering around the older section, looking for this and that. Loved the vibrancy, energy, color, and movement of this creatively painted "door."

Still in Nova Scotia. Hoping to find equally vibrant, energetic, and colorful things to photograph.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Local signage

In my days of stock photography, I trained myself to look for (and photograph) signs. And they sold. Some still do. I've sold a "No Parking" sign I shot in Breckenridge, Colorado a number of times. Same with tsunami evacuation signs I shot in Waldport, Oregon. "No Pets" signs. "No Minors Allowed."

So if a sign seems interesting to me, or humorous, or colorful, I tend to photograph it. It's become a habit.

Here are two I found lately. The "Antiques" sign was in front of a shop in Langley on Whidbey Island. It was a bright, sunny day, so I was looking in the shade for possibilities, and I liked how the light was rather muted, letting the warm colors of the oars and the basket stand out when combined with the greyish blue and green colors of the metal sign and the old wicker. (And look at how everything diagonates from upper right to lower left. Love that.)

And then the "Welcome to the Third Room" is a terrific sign I found inside the Marine Hardware store in Anacortes. We bought a bag of old rusty flanges. And of course you're thinking, "who wouldn't?", right? Chris and I are going to be making some assemblage art and yeah, old rusty flanges will be just the ticket! We shall see...

I should make a large print of this sign and put it on the studio door. "If we don't know what it is or what to do with it, it's in here." Open the door and there I am. With the cat.

Perfect.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.

Around the island . . .

A very good day yesterday. We went exploring.

For the past year we've looked across the passage into the distance to see a large-ish mountain. Looking at maps, we couldn't quite find it, didn't know what it was, so we just referred to it as the "un-mountain." As in, "Look, there's some snow on the un-mountain."

Turns out what we've been seeing is Mt. Erie off in the distance, and yesterday we drove up to the top. It was high noon, so please forgive the first two awful photos, but they do show you the lay of the land. We live way out there on the horizon line (red star in the second picture).

The views from the top are quite spectacular, stretching from Naval Air Station Whidbey and the coast along the west side of the island, south toward Coupeville, and then the Skagit Valley to the east. This is a prime sunrise location. Prime.

Back down the mountain and then to Anacortes to meander among the boats. "Red" was the theme yesterday, apparently.

Returning home, we saw a regatta taking place in Penn Cove -- 56 sailboats with spinnakers billowing out. I texted my friend Paige, "Sailboats in Penn Cove! Sailboats in the cove!" I get a very laconic "Yep. They were there yesterday, too. Stop by for a beer?"

We detoured to the wharf, but the race was almost over and the boats kind of too far away. No matter. Colorful and fun. Walking back to the car, bumped into Eric, husband of the woman who cuts my hair. He's an excellent photographer, had a longer lens than I (damn!), and had also been shooting the boats. He was off to Oak Harbor to see if he could photograph them arriving at the marina. Meanwhile, there was a beer waiting for us at Paige's house, and that's where we ended our day.

The best part of the day? Sitting quietly on top of a mountain hearing/watching eagles soar above and below us. Watching a raven soar, then suddenly tuck in his wings, flip almost upside-down, chortle, then right himself only to do it again. And again. Having a bird's-eye view of this land where we live.

And then, of course, serendipitously encountering a fellow photographer. And having a beer with Paige wasn't too shabby either!

Wishing you a moment of silence today, as you watch something miraculous right in front of you.

©Carol Leigh
All text, photographs, and other media are ©Copyright Carol Leigh (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from Carol Leigh.