Our Place in the World

Just a brief visit to the magic of the San Juan Islands is an emphatic reminder of our place in the Natural World. Forests of madrone and cedar trees defy the coldest, wettest winters, wild deer swim between islands across channels running with 12-knot tidal rips, and dense, tangled bushes exploded with flowers and berries in the summer.

Canadian Coastal Islands just to the north are so inviting, but one must consider the rips and tidal exchanges. Best to stay close to shore, yet a narrow passage like Danger Rocks is where the rips can be the swiftest.

Even the most populated town on the islands, Friday Harbor, is carved out of encroaching forests on the edge of San Juan, where residents struggle year round against cold, wet, harsh conditions on land and sea for their livelihood. Tourists in the summer see it at its best, when the sun is shining and fresh local produce is abundant, murals are freshly painted and craftsmen show off their work at county fairs.

Summertime means the sun sets after 8 p.m. and twilight lingers till 10. On the full moon, with the lunar eclipse happening across the globe, extreme tides sucked entire lagoons out to sea. And we wonder, where does the water go? Is it piled up in a heap somewhere in the middle of the ocean, only to return to us six hours later?

The wild red wheat hid the island foxes while the foraged for whoever they would eat next. Bald eagles needed no such protection. They boldly scanned the surfaces of land and sea for their next prey. The young ones were scolded to get up out of bed and find their own breakfast.

Greens from the garden meant less trips to the store, but riding a BMW sidecar was definitely the way to cruise the island.

Whether we are there to experience it or not, the San Juan Islands, surrounded by the Olympic Peninsula and the Canadian Islands, will always be one of the more spectacular places on Earth.