A Walk in the Rain

I do hope for fair skies at Halibut Point, but there are days when the urge to get there overpowers sketchy weather.

White Oak over the Bay View Trail

And so I found myself at the Park one recent morning carrying not the usual telephoto lens for distant wildlife but a standard lens suitable for dim light and close-up subjects. Parts of the landscape had a luscious quality brought out by the rain.

The quarry rim, muted by the rain

As a tradeoff, some terrain features that would have been picturesque on clear days looked dull in the gray light. My vision needed some re-orientation.

Oxeye daisies

White flowers that would ordinarily be lost in the glare of sunny days splendidly brightened the gloom.

Surf line

White traces of surf at the shoreline contrasted merrily with recessive tones of the sea, sky, and stone.

Common mullein

Felty leaves of mullein plants glowed glaucous to mint-green alongside the Bay View Trail. Their rain-beaded geometry shone from the shadows.

Catbrier leaves and flowers

I found muted microcosms in the diffused light that might easily have been overlooked in the expansive vistas of sunny days.

Gray Catbird

A Catbird kept up its banter to fill the void with birdsong borrowed from absent or quiet species. 

Baltimore Oriole

A Baltimore Oriole, one of that mimic's few vocal companions this morning, was recognizably part of the Catbird's repertoire. Its neon plumage and sharp whistles pierced the fog.

Soggy Oriole

The Oriole kept singing from its treetop perch despite soggy feathers.

Wild geranium

Late spring still offered colorful spots on the woodland floor.

Cinnamon fern and raindrops

Fern fronds, reflections, and raindrops livened up patterns at a pond.

As I emerged from The Back Forty eye to eye with a deer who seemed curious at my presence and purposes. I wonder....