July, 2022
Utsalady beach … eagles #5 and #6!
Yes, more eagles, where do they all come from? It can’t be just one or two eagles flying around and landing in trees right in front of me wherever I go, no? It seems to me that if you want to see eagles, come to Camano Island!
But before we get to today’s eagles …
Right after lunch today, I drove up to the north end of Camano Island … to Utsalady Point and to the beach there. I love it there.
My aunt and uncle had a cabin/home right here, right next to the beach. You could walk out their back door, down three steps, across the lawn, and then walk right straight out onto the beach. Their cabin is no longer there (and they are gone too), but the photos below are the same as their view out their living room window, or from their back deck, or from their beach. I loved both of those people, George & Hallie, and I sure loved visiting them. 🙂 ❤️
Today, I drove to the boat launch area at Utsalady (pronounced ooht-sa-LAD-ee). I’ve heard it pronounced ooht-sa-lady, but that’s not how the locals pronounce it. It’s easy to remember … Utsalady is a “lad”, not a “lady”. Here’s information on Wikipedia about Utsalady Point, the area around it, the history, etc.
The boat “ramp” is just wet, hard-packed sand. As long as your boat and trailer don’t weigh much, you’ll be fine. Notice the boats that are anchored out.
Turning to the right (below).
Seems there used to be some sort of dock or pier here. Seemed odd to me that every piling was tilted exactly the same, as though that’s how the structure had been built originally. Or maybe it’s just “time and tide”, as they say, that changed the beach and changed the tilt.
And then, turning and looking around to the left below. The beach, boats anchored out … Whidbey Island and LOTS of other islands in view. You get a hint of some of the homes on the beach there off to the left of the photo.
And the photo below is looking right straight out across the water … hmmm, a mountain there in the distance.
Mt. Baker. My aunt Hallie called this mountain “Mr. Baker” because there is often a face on the mountain (depending on the time of year and the snow/ice pack and melting, etc). The cabin/home of my aunt/uncle Hallie/George looked right across the water and right at that mountain, just like in these photos. Mt. Baker (or Mr. Baker) was my aunt Hallie’s favorite mountain and favorite view on this planet.
And so … maybe because this was such a heartfelt place for me … I turned around and looked at the trees behind me, and yes, in that instant, an eagle called.
Eagle #5. A really special one.
Then I drove back south along the west side of Camano Island, and to my campsite. While I was walking around there, I realized I was continually looking UP, into the upper parts of the trees.
It occurred to me that maybe I should watch where I’m walking! So I don’t smash into any of the posts in my own campsite!
And then late in the afternoon, I drove down to the beach access inside this state park … no cabins, no amenities, just a quiet parking lot and access to the beach via a small path.
I enjoyed walking on this gorgeous beach, but I was also hoping to find a view of that Madrona tree that was hanging over the edge of the cliff that I’d seen a few days ago from my walk up above.
Look at this tree trunk (above) that had already fallen off the cliff some time ago. It was about 3 feet in diameter and about 25 feet long. Sure glad I wasn’t under it when it fell.
And then I found that Madrona tree above!
That Madrona tree was barely hanging on to the edge of that cliff. The angle of the photo below does not show how perfectly parallel that trunk was to the beach and the water. If I come here next year, I suspect that tree will be on the beach. Twill make me sad, but that’s part of life, yes?
I walked on down the beach a little further, then turned around and headed back to the parking lot and the big white truck (and a camper van that had parked next to me, nice folks).
As those folks and I stood there chatting … what to my wondering ears should I hear … another eagle!
Eagle #6.
Since my Aunt Hallie loved wildlife of all sorts, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit that she and my Uncle George had a hand in these two handsome eagles calling to me today.