Laundry Day

As the sun peeked over the horizon, we awoke to a pleasant chill in the air, prompting us to lace up our shoes and embark on a walk along the scenic Ebey Waterfront Trail.

It is a beautiful trail right along the water in Marysville with an interesting back story. The trail offers views of the Qwuloolt Estuary. 

Qwuloolt is a word from the Lushootseed language, meaning 

"marsh," "salt marsh," or "great marsh". It's used by the Tulalip Tribes and other Northwest tribes who speak part of the Salish language family.

For more than 100 years, the area had been cut off from the flows of salt and freshwater. In August of 2015, however, a levee was breached, allowing the area to return to a more natural habitat. Interpretive signs along the way tell the interesting story of the area. And even though the trail starts right in town, it features stellar views of the estuary, the Snohomish River and the Olympic and Cascade mountains.

Mama and baby mallards 

As we meandered past the water-treatment plant, an odd mix of fascination and an unwelcome whiff enveloped us. Fortunately, the scent didn't linger for long.

With eager anticipation, we scanned our surroundings, looking for glimpses of wildlife—river otters frolicking, blue herons gliding gracefully, and a chorus of other birds serenading the day.

Red Elderberry

Rose hips 

Musk mallow 

Hedge bindweed

Boat buried in the blackberry vines

The trail is wide and paved, making it great for either walking or biking. The trail passes under a bridge before continuing upstream.

Himalayan blackberry

From the poem:

In the Realm of the Red-Winged Blackbird 

Oh, how one should have witnessed the vibrant crimson beneath its wings, 

As it soared into the azure expanse, a fleeting whisper of grace, 

The moment it took flight, a flash of fiery elegance, 

A ballet of nature, painted against the canvas of the sky.

This couldn’t have been more fitting as I watched it take flight. Stunning!

Birds-foot trefoil

Blue heron

White clover

Broadleaf cattails 

Female catkins (cones) of the alder tree

Giant hogweed

Pea

Rose spirea

The trail continues on, with a number of convenient benches along the way, until it dead ends at a nice view of the estuary with a picnic area. Then we returned the way we came.

Many different animals call this special place home, including salmon, beaver, river otter and more than 350 different kinds of birds. 

Before levees were built along Ebey Slough, the area was a tidal marsh full of interconnected tidal channels, mudflats, and streams. 

Today, less than 20 percent of the Snohomish River's estuaries remain intact. The restoration of Qwuloolt Estuary is the second largest tidal marsh restoration project in the Pacific Northwest.

This morning, after our walk, I was fortunate enough to enjoy hearty steel cut oats paired with luscious, freshly picked strawberries from the neighbor’s garden. What a delightful contrast to yesterday!

After a leisurely late breakfast (due to that lovely walk), we dove into laundry duty before hitting the town. First stop: the Box Outlet! It was a treasure trove of goodies—everyone snagged something, thanks to those irresistible Costco brands and snazzy clothing. Next up was the grocery outlet, where we loaded up on snacks and all sorts of travel treats for our exciting San Juan Islands escapade tomorrow!

The rest of the day was all about packing our bags and whipping up a delicious dinner—a pre-trip feast!

Roasted veggies and chicken 

Rainier cherries we purchased on the long road to Cathie’s yesterday. 

I’m just going to end with this CS Lewis quote because it is so me 😁.
“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”