The Advantages of Insomnia............

Sorry I don't have a photo of tonight's spectacular lunar eclipse. Believe me, I have tried taking a photo of the moon before and it just never works for me.

I spent over an hour in our backyard tonight (from about 3 to 4 am) drinking hot tea and bundled up in my hoodie patiently watching the Earth's shadow cross over the moon's surface. I set up a deck chair out on the lawn in order to get a good view and just sat. What a show! And no clouds anywhere to obscure the view.

I'm never outside at this time of night, although I'm often awake. The eclipse gave me a good reason to get out and reexperience the notion of "peace and quiet." Perfect conditions for contemplation. About how no matter how much we might screw up our environment, there's no way for us to screw up eclipses. They will still be happening long after we are gone.

Here's a web site with more info and pictures.
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/08/27/335236.aspx

Beach Sculpture

Some really cool sculptures down on the beach this morning. Someone spent a lot of time and effort on these. Our mystery beach artist..............

Keep Your Dogs off the Beach!

I haven't been tracking the baby seals too closely, but I do know they are around and are having a hard time finding peaceful places to rest.

I did spot one this morning, but I won't tell you where. He was sleeping on an outcropping which was completely surrounded by water. It should have protected him from most of the beach walkers. As I was watching from afar, he was chased off the rocks by two huge golden retrievers - off leash. Their owner just looked up at me and said, "Sorry."

I could see the baby's head bobbing in the water. Occasionally he looked back toward the dogs. I never did see the mother show up.

I'll just leave it at that. I'm not going to get all preachy. I will say that I have a dog. I walk it every day. And I follow the rules. He's always on a leash and never on the beach.

My friend Casey. (Not my dog.)

A Second Baby Seal

A huge scene down at the beach this morning at about 7 as a second baby seal appeared. He was sleeping just about 50 yards away from the first one who was there again as well. Someone has named this baby seal "Spot" and the first one "Spud."

Good samaritans have been posting warning signs, arranging traffic cones and setting up "crime tape." Some people have been keeping round-the-clock watch to make sure the seals aren't touched by people or attacked by dogs. But the Parks Dept. came and took down some of the cones and told everybody just to leave the seals alone.

This is a good time to remind people to ALWAYS keep their dogs off the beach - whether leashed or not. The beach rule is not just to keep the beach clean, but also to protect wildlife. There is a $500 fine if you let your dog on the beach and a $2,000 fine if you touch or harass a seal.

Baby Seal

Please be on the lookout for a baby seal that has been lying on the beach this week across the street from the Cactus Restaurant near 63rd SW. Most of you already know that the baby seals are left on the beach while their mothers fish for salmon in the Sound. And that the moms won't retrieve the babies if they have been touched by humans.