Walla Walla in Winter

This week I was in somebody else’s backyard, visiting my in-laws in eastern Washington. All I have to write is fog, fog, fog. I didn’t even see an inversion layer, in which fog dissipates as you drive into the sunny Blue Mountains seeking relief from the valley’s overcast sky.

I saw only a small flock (also called a flight) of pigeons, one American Crow, two Mallards, one squirrel, and a handful of songbirds. I expected more given Walla Walla’s rural location. Of course even in this small place habitat is disappearing as city councils allow housing developments and big box stores to build over wetlands.

But I’ve just remembered to add a skein of flying Canada Geese. Another skein on the country club’s golf course. Tack on a Blue Heron standing in a flock of sheep and perhaps scanning for a gopher. Waiting to board my flight, I saw a mature Bald Eagle flying slowly over the terminal, a sight that always excites me just as the experience thrilled other passengers who saw the raptor. Finally, I recall the massive number of ducks that I had no hope of identifying as my father-in-law barreled past a large lake adjoining the Columbia River. This is just a list, though, and in retrospect, I wonder what I missed because I didn’t see past the fog.