Quarry Pond~

Nika - with Dad's flag flying~

Our anniversary weekend!  Butch took an extra day off, we wanted some time to kick back & didn't want to spend it on the road.  We'd made a reservation on Whidbey Island - so close, with hardly any traffic to get there.  It was almost lunch time, I'd told Butch about Seabolt's Smokehouse in Oak Harbor - fish & chips always sounds so good when you're near the water :-)  After a yummy lunch, we drove back to the park - where it didn't take long to set up at our favorite spot in the Quarry Pond camping area.

Late afternoon sunshine~

The wind was blowing, clouds moving in - we wanted to get out & onto the trails.

As you can see, the trails are easy to find :-)

Cornet Bay is tucked away behind this camp ground.  It's a private camp, with cabins & a large kitchen building.   This was the first time we'd seen a group actually using the camp, so we skirted it & headed out toward the bay.

Cornet Bay

Though heavily used, it retains the beauty of this amazingly diverse area.  Last time we were here, there was a Great Blue Herons near the water.

Here he is!

Just as we said it, we saw this guy - not too far away.  I'd only brought my small camera - but it has a decent zoom.  I was happy to snap this before with a swoosh of his big wide wings, he took off across the bay.  The sound of his flight over the still water was eerie~

Butch with Nika & Rascal~

We'd found a perfect spot to sit & watch as the setting sun turned the trees on the far side of the bay to shades of golden brown.

Marina on the bay~

It was almost dark as we hiked back to camp.  It was a perfect evening, stars coming out in the blue/black of the sky.  Time for a bonfire~