A DAY IN FRIDAY HARBOR

A  little group of girlfriends who have photography as a hobby in common took a full day for an outing to San Juan Island last week. At the end, we dubbed it "the perfect day."  I wonder, since we have vowed to take other forays, if we should have a name; something like Lenscap Ladies, or The Photo Four.

Definitely not, I think, Darkroom Divas or The Overexposures!

Examples of my photos from that special day are here in the following 11 posts,

down through "Flies and Frogs..."

Once on the island, it didn't take long for us to spot a grand old barn.  Problem: it was very far off the road.  But, when it comes to capturing a barn, I am undaunted.  I practically forced the other 3 to approach the place, threatening to walk to it if I had to.  But how we all scrambled once given permission to open the gate!  We went in 4 different directions to lay seige with our cameras.

Almost always one can find treasures of forgotten barn relics nearby:

 

We made our own paths through chest-high thistles and weeds:

PATOS LIGHT HOUSE

Coming 'round the point:

Another activity on the point, on firmer ground:

ON THE BEACH

Peeking through a burned-out stump:

Another peek; this time through driftwood decorated by Nature:

I'll take periwinkle blue anyplace I can get it!

Beach grass in the breeze:

ROCHE HARBOR

A veiw of Roche Harbor through a garden gate.  We enjoyed our lunch at an outside pier restaurant.

Now, this flag is really waving!

OUR LUCKY GARDEN

A walk around Roche Harbor took us to some lovely gardens attached to a Victorian hotel.  As D said, "Oh look! A miniature Butchart Garden. How lucky are we?!"

GATES

Without trying, it seems I ended up with a variety of gate photos.

Here, a barn gate:

Two garden gates:

A farmyard gate:

TEXTURES

At stops in our ramblings, various textures and patterns caught my eye.

A haphazard, unfinished sidewalk display:

Sturdy shrub on the brink of a long drop to the sea:

Weathered paint on weathered wood on a weathered barn:

The "token" pealing bark of a madrona tree:

Soft weeds cushioning a forgotten trunk in a field:

FRIDAY HARBOR LAVENDER FIELDS

Oh, yes - the lavender fields - the very reason we made the trip to San Juan Island in the first place!

Blue skies, blue, blue fields, blue water.

I loved the individual stalks hosting bees;  I loved the overall look of a purple wash from a distance, and I loved the rows up close, looking like scallops woven into a tapesty.

Oh no! A floral "fox" in the "fen" house!

As ever, I love too the anique farm machinery!  What a place to be "put out to pasture"!

FROGS 'n FLIES and LUCK

Before leaving the lavender fields, I walked around the perimeter.  A reedy pond caught my attention, but as I approached the water's edge - something else really startled me: a sing-song "announcement" called out by multiple frogs as they plopped into the water.  The shot I have of this frog represents my first ever real "patient" stance in "waiting for the shot".  I figured if they jumped in, some frog, somewhere, would have to come back up.  I silently waited for My Prince.  I could hardly believe I might be able to focus on him once he surfaced - who could guess where that would happen?  I got lucky!

The "darning needle" (was more the size of a quilting needle) is also a lucky shot for me.  I have always wanted to get a pic of a dragon fly, but I am never where they are.  This miniscule version was shot without a macro lens, but I got a good focus.