Pender Scenes

I've been hiking on the Penders the past three days. The hikes tend to be short but serious, with a lot of steep stretches. Not a bad workout for the Venerable Pinniped, who needs climbing to keep him honest but really can't handle prolonged vertical treks anymore. Yesterday I hiked to a viewpoint on the east side of North Pender, with a view of Mayne Island across Plumper Sound. There were a lot of nice flat spots conducive to slotation, watching the boat traffic in the sound and checking out a particularly handsome Bald Eagle cruising the trees below.

This is one of our neighborhood deer checking out brekky just a few blocks from my rental house. Several of his friends enjoy hanging out in my driveway...they've been there most times when I've returned from an excursion in mid afternoon.

I hiked up to the summit of Mount Norman the other day. It's the highest point in the Penders, about 800 feet above the sea. While loafing there, a Bald Eagle cruised by and just by chance I got this shot of him...blow the pic up for better detail.

This is the shoreline at the eastern tip of South Pender. A couple houses are visible if you blow up the pic, and it must be really nice to have one of them, in a peaceful, secluded area, wedded to nature, but only about five miles from a supermarket and liquor store.

Every day on the Penders I encounter scenes of beauty and tranquillity. However, it's rather lively; ships of all types ply the waters, and the land and air teem with wildlife. The scene is one of a landscape in balance, with a nice blend of human activity and nature.