Tag Archives: Bainbridge Island

Bloedel on a Chilly But Sunny Day

The last time we went to Bloedel was after restrictions started to be lifted during the pandemic. They had a timed entry system and a one-way route around the gardens to keep people spaced out at that time. The one-way system has gone but they have kept the timed reservations it seems. Not sure whether this just helps them out or if it has some other reasoning but it does stop the random decision to show up.

It was a lovely day to be out and about but, since it was winter, that also meant things were quite cold. That does make for a good combination for light although the low sun angle will mean more areas are in shade. The lakes, the woods and the run down to the house are all very appealing. We also took a walk down the river to one side of the house and then back up the other side. I am not sure whether we had taken that route previously as it didn’t seem very familiar. It did have some nice falls that I may have been shooting for the first time. A great way to spend a day out (and it includes a ferry ride to Bainbridge so a double win for me!).

Generator House at Blakely Harbor

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We were making a trip to Bainbridge Island one weekend and Nancy had done some research that brought up something she thought I might be interested in. Blakely Harbor used to be the location of a timber mill. It has long gone away but there are still some remnants of the mill. There are piles in the water from the old jetties but the most conspicuous part of the old generator house.

This concrete building is obviously more resilient than the other buildings and it stands out on the shoreline, not just because it is the only remaining building, but because it has become a focus for graffiti artists. The interior and exterior of the building have been covered with work from artists of all types. Some is really intricate work and other pieces and less polished. However, the combination of colors is really striking when alongside the natural colors of the harbor.

I was interested in looking around inside but climbing in required some effort and, while I could have done it, I wasn’t that keen and I suspect Nancy would have thought I was nuts! She may have been right. There are some iron frames that are still part of the structure which have an aged look which contrasts with the recent artwork. I imagine in low light you could get some very interesting shots of this place.

Backlighting the Moss

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The Pacific Northwest can definitely be damp and the amount of moss you see in sheltered areas is impressive. What caught my eye on this occasion was that the moss was wrapped around the tree and the sun was directly behind the tree making the moss appear more like a halo around the tree than anything else. It was quite a range of exposures, so I played around with the shots a little to get the effect I was after.

Chilly Hilly 2022

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The Cascade Bicycle Club organizes a few large rides throughout the year and March is the time for the Chilly Hilly. This is a ride around Bainbridge Island which means taking the ferry from Seattle across to the island. I was going to do the ride with a friend of mine but he got injured prior to the ride so I ended up doing it alone. Not many photos from the ride but I did record some video on a GoPro and that result of that is below. It wasn’t too chilly but it was definitely hilly! No video from the big climbs. Too much effort went in to not grinding to a halt!

Stored Ferries

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Bainbridge Island is the location of Eagle Harbor. This is the maintenance base for the Washington State Ferries. Look at it on Google Maps and you will see a ferry moored up in maintenance or long term storage. However, since the onset of the pandemic, the ferries have been operating at a reduced schedule. This has continued even though traffic levels during summer have increased markedly. This reduced schedule means not all ferries are in service and a bunch are stored at Eagle Harbor. Shooting in to the sun is not ideal but it was the only available shot. Here are some of the ferries either in storage or awaiting a return to the full schedule.

Domed Spider Webs

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Anyone out there a specialist in spiders? I know plenty of people who absolutely hate spiders. They are not going to be much use to me here. Besides, a lot of them are from the UK and I never saw anything like this when I lived there. As we were walking around the grounds at Bloedel Reserve, we saw a lot of spiders’ webs that were a domed structure. They didn’t look like webs that I had seen before. They seem to have a lot of web material above them and then a dome structure to the main web itself. I think the spider sits underneath the dome awaiting its prey. Anyone know anything more about this and how it works?

Frilly Ferns

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While walking around on the grounds of Bloedel Reserve, we came across these ferns. The shape of most ferns is pretty familiar. These were unlike anything I had seen before. The ends of the ferns split out into multiple mini fronds. They looked like some sort of lace work that people would have created. Maybe this is nothing new to some of you but I was quite taken but the ornamental nature of these fronds compared to what I have seen previously.

Mossy Bench

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Wandering through the grounds at Bloedel Reserve, we came across a bench for visitors. This bench did not look too inviting and I suspect it hadn’t been used for a while. Maybe this was due to the shutdown period when no one was visiting so no one was sitting on the bench. Alternatively, maybe no one ever sits on the bench. Whatever the reason, this bench has accumulated a decent layer of moss.

The bench is located in a shady spot near water so clearly it is a moist environment. A good place for moss to grow. The bench has plenty of surfaces on which things can get established. It isn’t in the least bit remote, though, so hardly out of the way of regular traffic. Still, with that much moss now on it, I think it is probably not an appealing place for people to sit. Consequently, the moss is going to remain undisturbed. I wonder whether they will clean it off or, if we come back in a year, the bench will be encased in a cushion of moss!

Bloedel Revisited

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Not long after we first moved to the Pacific Northwest we made a trip to Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island. No surprise to know that there is a previous blog post from that visit and you can see that here. As things have gradually reopened, the Reserve was open for visitors again under certain restrictions. There were timed slots only for you to reserve and the main trail had been made one way to minimize the encounters with other visitors. You didn’t need to wear a mask except when you where near to other guests. (If you have an issue with masks, please feel free to not tell me about it.)

The visit this time was really nice. Sure, it might be that we haven’t done very much in the last few months so the chance to get out and walk in pretty surroundings on a sunny day is welcome. Bloedel is still just a nice place to visit. The variety of grounds from mossy woodland to meadows to manicured lawns to Japanese gardens makes for a good visit. An advantage of the one way system is that it ensures you visit all elements of the garden and don’t miss out on parts of it. Some areas are closed off to visitors but, on the whole, you get a great experience.

The length of the walk around the main trail is not long. It is just over two miles. We were passed by a few groups of people. I’m not sure why they were in such a hurry. We wanted to enjoy the grounds at a leisurely pace to make the most of the effort to get there (the ferries are on a reduced schedule which doesn’t reflect the volume of vehicles making the trip) so took our time and savored the beauty of the location.

Bloedel Reserve is definitely a lovely location. The fact that they found a way to open up – even if only in a limited way – is a good thing. We were glad to be able to support them when things are clearly not easy for them and we obviously got the benefit of being out there on a lovely summer day in the Pacific Northwest. Now just remember it is always raining up here so you don’t need to move here.

Eagle Harbor

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As we drove across Bainbridge Island, we took a road that passed by a very attractive inlet. This was Eagle Harbor. At the time, I only appreciated it at the last moment and we were already passed. However, we did come back along the same road so, this time I slowed down and found a place to pull in and look around. It was a tranquil spot to hang out for a few minutes. However, we were heading to other places so I didn’t stay to appreciate it for long.