Between the pandemic and politics, it has been hard for me to stay creative and focused. Getting outside with my camera always grounds me and helps me to appreciate the natural world all around us that keeps on keeping on, ignorant of our human tragedies.

Winter in the PNW is when our extreme low tides happen at night. Getting motivated to bundle up and head out into the cold, winter darkness is always a challenge! Once I am out there, I really do forget about pretty much everything, including how cold or wet I might be. The focus of a flashlight, taking careful steps and paying close attention all provide a meditative and mindful experience.

I was by myself, taking photos of a truly stunning Sand Rose Anemone, when I a gurgling sound. I thought it was a clam at first, expelling water from its siphon. But I kept hearing this sound, and it really didn’t sound like a clam after all. I shone my flashlight behind me and I saw this beautiful squid, half in and half out of a tide pool, struggling to make sense of where all the water it lives in had gone! I moved it to a deeper tide pool and admired its flashing chromatophores and beautiful skin patterns. The tide was coming back in as I left, filling its pool even further, and it swam off.