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Mother’s Day weekend

Kate Poss | With Photos by David WeltonBy Updated:2 Comments4 Mins Read
Bill Poss took this photo of golden paintbrush blooming at the Pacific Rim Institute. Native to prairies of British Columbia, Washington State, and Oregon, their numbers were threatened by 1997. At the time the species was federally-listed as threatened in 1997, fewer than 20,000 plants remained at just 10 sites. By 2018, hundreds of thousands of plants could be found at 48 sites, thanks to restoration efforts. The plants are also known as Castilleja levisecta.

Note: all photos taken by Kate Poss, unless otherwise noted.

Our Mother’s Day weekend was soul satisfying, visiting the Wings over Whidbey Bird Festival at Pacific Rim Institute in Coupeville on Saturday, and the South Whidbey Tilth Farmer’s Market on Sunday.

We were surrounded by people we know and one we just met. We all share a love of Whidbey’s natural beauty and its way of life. Our appreciation for where we live is a reminder of the gifts of simple living, and commitment to caring for our island’s birds, fish, plants, insects, marine world and old forests.

Wings Over Whidbey Bird Festival

Singer-songwriter Judy Lunn moved to Whidbey from Austin TX recently and looks forward to being a part of our music scene. She offered to take our photo while we sat admiring the Golden paintbrush, native columbine, and Northern blue flag iris. Check out Judy’s heartfelt CD “Songs that Speak to Me,” her John Denver tribute
Native red and yellow columbine at Pacific Rim Institute demonstration garden.
Deep purple fragrant lilac at Pacific Rim Institute
Joseph Molotsky of Discovery Bay Wildbird Rescue in Port Townsend tells us about one of his center’s ambassador birds, a Saw Whet Owl, which can be found on Whidbey Island. Their voice sounds like the beep beep of a backing up vehicle. This bird was injured by a car and has lost the sight in one eye.
Joseph Molotsky of Discovery Bay Wildbird Rescue holds an ambassador bird, a Gyr Falcon, who is used to being with people.

We always enjoy seeing friend artist Doe Stahr, and her inspired textile art. It was Doe who let us know her art would be gracing the Wings Over Whidbey Bird Event. We appreciate the work she and her husband Michael Clyburn do in assembling Doe’s art-meant-for big spaces–which make a place feel welcome and tunes us in to taking a deeper view of the gifts around us–then taking it down to be used for another event. Doe’s inspiration tunes us in to her art’s connection to indigenous culture, our dear Earth and its living beings.

Doe Stahr’s traveling art installations

Bill Poss peaks out from one of artist Doe Stahr’s feather panels at Wings over Whidbey May 11 at the Pacific Rim Institute. Hosted in part by the Whidbey Audubon Society
A Pacific Northwest indigenous-inspired design by artist Doe Stahr
A room-sized green, yellow and bronze inspiration with intricate stitching and beads by Doe Stahr
Hand-stitched design with a sand dollar motif
Appliqué featuring a blue jay, bringer of change, above an indigenous singer and many diverse beings
Doe Stahr as seen on her website

After being fortified with an authentic Hispanic meal at Molka Xete in Coupeville, we drove to the bluff at Ebeys Landing, a great place to hike up a bluff and take in the views of the Olympic Mountains. However, it is a much-visited tourist attraction, and on this late Saturday afternoon, parking was unavailable and the trail filled with visitors. We drove a little farther to the Admiralty Inlet Natural Area Preserve, to enjoy a quiet walk along a steep bluff among twisted guardian trees up to 300 years old.

View of Ebey’s Landing from Admiralty Inlet Natural Area Preserve
Bill at Admiralty Inlet Natural Area Preserve
Twin flower amid greenery in forest at Admiralty Inlet Natural Area Preserve

Speaking of mothers, I recommend reading Crow Talk, by Eileen Garvin. I have long believed our birds have something to say and this book explores and validates the conversations held by our winged nation relatives. Eileen also writes about autism, and the power of nature and listening, which help can help the neurodiverse people who live among us. Eileen’s love of the Hood River, Oregon location and its surrounding Cascade wilderness recall the connection we feel when visiting her world. I ordered the book from our local bookstore, Moonraker Books. This is a book whose company I so enjoyed!

“Crow Talk” by Eileen Garvin, is a can’t put down read about crows, the Columbia River/Cascade Mountain wilderness, mothering, birding and love of the wild outdoors.
Our cat Ollie sunning on a rocking chair on Mother’s Day afternoon

 

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