The mud swallows my toes and creates slurping noises between my sandals and my bare feet as I walk toward the grassy meadow of the estuary. Around me lies an abundance of butter clams, common littleneck clams and large horse clams. I absorb the beauty of the tall surrounding peaks and the medley of trees welcoming my presence. This temperate rainforest is home to mountain and western hemlock, red and yellow cedar, shore pine, sitka spruce, amabilis fir, red alder, pacific crab apple and more, creating a fantastic contrast of vibrant and rich greens. At the meadow I crouch down so that I may get a closer view of the floral fantasy.
Summer is in the air and with it, fragrant wildflowers dance, perfuming the air.
The sweet smell of the purple fairyslipper, white bog orchid and field mint, entice me further into the rich bounty of the land. I venture on to the thick surrounding forest. Delighted by the sight of succulent berries practically dripping off the oval-leaved blueberry bushes and red and black huckleberry bushes, I quicken my step. The sweet berries burst in my mouth and satisfy my thirst with their juices. Beyond me lies a dense magical land of mossy forest floor with a thick green canopy and lush plumed ferns.