Pilophorus Acicularis

Day 263: Anyone who comes to visit me should know to expect at least a few botany lessons, so when Rob, Mike and I went up to Longmire, I just had to introduce them to Pilophorus acicularis, aka "Devil's Matchstick Lichen." It's one of my favourites. A "pioneer" lichen, it is one of the first to colonize the surfaces of freshly broken rock, although the definition of "freshly broken" can extend twenty years or so into the past. This particular specimen is on the road cut just south of the wooden bridge between Longmire proper and the volunteer campground. The bridge is currently in need of repair, and Rob and Mike checked it over thoroughly, studying the architecture and welds while I worked my way along the ditch trying to remember exactly which bump of rock held my pet Pilophorus. When I finally found it, I called Rob over to show it to him. Pffft! I don't think he was sufficiently impressed! But then, National Parks hold different attractions for people with a wide variety of interests, don't they?

Rob and Mike at Reflection Lake

Day 261: Yesterday was Rob and Mike's last full day here, so we went on a whirlwind tour of the west side of Mount Rainier National Park, hitting iconic sites such as Christine Falls and Reflection Lake (above). Even at 8:30 AM, the parking lot at Paradise was jam-packed and people were already parking a mile down the Valley Road, but I had expected that. Visitation to the Park has grown exponentially since covid. We walked the loop at Box Canyon, took photos of the Mountain from several spots, including Backbone Ridge which was our turn-around point. Rob was intrigued by the engineering, particularly of the stone bridges which occur throughout the Park. Mike (an avid gardener) and I talked botany while Rob studied bolts and welds. A brief visit to the Longmire gift shop finished the tour except for a stop at Kautz Creek and again at the Nisqually Entrance which they had not yet seen (I'd brought them in through the "employee" gate), and of course Rob took photos of the arch framing the entrance. We stopped at home for an hour or so, and then it was off in a different direction to have Chinese food after viewing Mossyrock Dam from both sides. It was a long day for us all, but hopefully, it will have been an unforgettable experience for them.

Friends From New Zealand

Day 257: Friends from New Zealand are staying with me. Two of them will start the journey home on Monday, but these two will be joining my family. The one on the left is a Kakapo, a nocturnal parrot which cannot fly. In nature, they are critically endangered, and the few remaining birds are confined to predator-free islands. The one on the right is the iconic Fantail, a hoppy, happy, chirpy New Zealand native. Oh, the other two? You want to know about the other two? That would be Rob and his dad! Rob and I have been internet friends for something like 15 years, and this is the first time we've met in person. They've been on a 'round-the-world whirl, and this is their last stop before catching a flight out of Los Angeles. Even though they've been travelling for almost a month, they have not seen the one thing they most wanted to see: the stars of the northern hemisphere. With any luck, we'll have clear skies Saturday or Sunday night, and if the clouds disappear, they may even be able to see the elusive Mountain.