Going down to my boat project at the Everett Marina this morning I found the marina water to be whole shades of murk beyond the usual. In fact it looked like the scene of a possible industrial accident, as if a Starbucks Dam had burst upstream and sent a billion gallons of latte down to Port Gardner Bay. That's about the color of the water right now- latte.

Of course it's just the results of the latest Snohomish River high water and flooding, the murk being soil from banks, clearcuts, roadcuts etc., from a big chunk of King and Snohomish counties ,along with suspended cow flop and god knows what else washed down the river. That's delta buildin' material!

Didn't see the usual Cormorants today but was treated to some close looks at five Barrow Goldeneyes. In my mind I associate these birds with clear water, so it was strange seeing them swimming around in milky coffee. They were vigorously feeding as a group right along the dock floats - getting something off those surfaces. Perhaps they were getting mussels or something by feel because I don't know how they could see anything in that stuff. Of course I always wonder how any diving bird around here can see anything in the general dark murk - but they do.

Jeff Gibson
Everett Wa