Marymere Falls hike; Hidden Penny Farm, Port Richmond, WA

Day 38: June 30, 2021

Olympic NP: we hike to Marymere Falls and visit a young farm

This post is heavy on photos and will be light on text. Let me just say that after living in a pre-heated oven for the past few weeks (and MORESO last weekend in Seattle!), it was the most pleasant surprise to awaken and feel CHILLY when we went outside! And, just look at these photos: CLOUDS! Overcast! We’re now on the Olympic peninsula and enjoyed an afternoon at Olympic NP. The moss, the wildflowers, another black and gold millipede, the water. I just felt so at HOME there. It’s stunning and lush and GREEN. 

I love foxglove, aka Digitalis, the plant from which the heart medicine Digoxin is derived. Having a (benign) atrial fibrillation myself, I appreciate it even more. I mentioned to Dan that I would LOVE to have some photos of the foxgloves we’d been passing at high rates of speed (I couldn’t even be certain that’s what they were) but there was never a safe pullout from which to shoot. Of course, within a couple of miles, he found one. Please indulge me several photos. Enjoy the color against the green background of this park and the speckled throat of the individual bloom. Aren’t they gorgeous? That is Lake Crescent in the background. It’s gorgeous as well.

In some areas, we could see individual stalks of these lighter colored ones, interspersed with darker colored individual stems. In some of those patches were daisies and yellow dandelion sp. It’s a good time for wild flowers in the PNW!

Maybe the lighter ones are younger stems that darken with age? Pretty, no matter.

💜

The beginning of the path to Marymere Falls; the path starts at the Storm King Ranger Station.
(What is this? A National Park or a commercial for replacement gutters??)

That is a full size human at the bottom of that tree. It was HUGE.
Question: is it one tree, one base? Or a merging of two trees?

Isn’t there a kids’ cartoon called Fern Gulley? It could’ve been filmed here! The entire hike was lush.

Marymere Falls. Some photographers don’t use their phone! 

Unusual “ball fungus” on a still-standing tree. Up til now on our trip, we’ve been in drier climates and have seen very little fungus. (Lots of lichens though.)

Storm King Ranger Station

View from the porch of the Lake Crescent Lodge. I would love to stay here, or in one of the cottages.

Lake Crescent Lodge lobby. Love those lamp shades and lamps!

Lake Crescent Lodge dock

View from the dock area looking along the shoreline

We were able to stop and visit a former Leroy-ite—Andy Brett and his fiancé, Melissa, on their farm, Hidden Penny Farm. What an operation it is! I was so impressed given that it’s still a young farm. 

Andy was babysitting for “PJ” while we were there. Such a fun and easy-going baby!

One of the girls. Isn’t she pretty? I needed eggs and was happy to get them at the Farm. Maybe some were from this hen. 

Lots of peas ready for harvest

The lettuces look so yummy!

The sow in the back is the mom of her son in the foreground. 

Sunflowers are budding

Thanks so much to Melissa and Andy for allowing us to interrupt your life at this busy time for you. You are building community as well as a life of integrity together. Dan and I wish you all the best! 
For more information on Hidden Penny Farm: Hidden Penny Farm  or— find them on Facebook.

Tomorrow: we have a day to play with and I hope we can go back to Olympic NP for more exploring. And, maybe a bike ride. Stay tuned!