A late afternoon post today, mostly because my mom and I have spent all day doing this…
Yup, that’s right. It’s peppermint patty making day for all those generous souls who have donated so far to Pigs Peace Sanctuary through Peppermint Patties for Pigs Peace! We made 186 peppermint patties (15.5 dozen) and we still have about 6 dozen left to make. Phew! Don’t worry—if you’d still like to donate, it’s not too late. Mosy on over to the Peppermint Patties for Pigs Peace page and donate and I will be delighted to whip up some peppermint patties for you.
Before this flurry of candy making, on Sunday Eric, my mom and I went on a nature walk. We drove down to the Nisqually Basin and went to the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge .
The refuge is one of the largest in Washington State and is home to a range of species, including many birds, small mammals, insects, and snakes (like this one!):
The refuge is located where the salt water of the Puget Sound meets the fresh water of the Nisqually River and when the tide is out, the whole area is a large mud flat that provides food for many of the birds who live in the area.
We saw several bald eagles, great blue heron, seagulls, ducks, Canada geese, and some other adorable little birds whose name I don’t know.
The walk (it’s not really a hike) is almost entirely on an elevated boardwalk above the mud flats and you can see the birds and scenery without disturbing the ecosystem.
It was cloudy when we arrived in the morning, but the clouds burned off quickly, revealing yet another gorgeous Northwest summer day—75 and sunny with a nice breeze. Mt. Rainier was visible on our walk back—love that mountain so much!
This is a great walk for the whole family. There were people of all ages out on Sunday and the boardwalk makes it wheelchair accessible, too. We’d like to go back when the tide is high to see what it’s like when the water comes in. Definitely not a strenuous, spectacular hike like last summer’s hike in the Olympics with my mom, but a lovely day out nonetheless.
Did you do anything fun for labor day weekend?
Follow
