Olympia Farmers Market and Nisqually Delta

Yesterday began at the Olympia (WA) Farmers Market. It was a lazy, overcast morning, but the brilliant colors of peppers, apples, pears, carrots and other produce brightened the scene.

But what really caught my eye were the bakeries and chocolatiers. I got so excited making my selections that I forgot to take pictures, except for this sign. I ended up with a slice of Swedish almond cake, an apple Danish, a chocolate cookie and a Kahlua truffle. Only the truffle remains.

There was laid back music by some old guys -- funny how everyone my age looks old now.

Then I walked off the sweets at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. By then the sky was a soft blue around the clouds and temps had climbed to almost 60 degrees. The tide was out, revealing a muddy estuary bottom.

The Nisqually River Delta is Washington's largest relatively undisturbed estuary. The confluence of freshwater from the river and saltwater from the south Puget Sound has created a variety of unique environments and is home to more than 300 different species of fish and other wildlife. 

The cloudy appearance of the river is from silt in the glacier melt that forms the river. The river starts 78 miles away on Mount Rainier with the melting of the Nisqually Glacier.

I saw a pair of bald eagles perched high in a tree, but they were too far away to photograph. I also saw a Great Blue Heron stalking lunch in the water, but again it was too far away for a good photo.

This naked white tree stood out starkly against the sky, with the Olympic Mountains in the background.

It was a very peaceful few miles of leisurely walking through shady glades and along boardwalks through the wetlands. By the time I got home (after lunch at the Ram), I was comfortably full and tired and had a nice nap on the couch.

Have a colorful day