Animals on the Island

I went on a short trip to Whidbey island recently and stayed a couple of days in a beach house for an early spring vacation. I've been to a handful of the islands around Seattle, and one aspect of island life I consistently appreciate is the animal spottings. On my island adventures I've seen orcas, seals, a fox, bald eagles, deer and rabbits to name a few. This island trip was no different, although a lot of my animal sightings were of the domestic variety. On Whidbey, the mentality is very laid back. People do not worry about their dogs the way they do in the city. Island dogs are allowed to wander about, free of leash or person supervision. It seems like a pretty sweet life for a dog. On the first night at the beach house, my friends and I were BBQing when we were visited by an adorable little Scottie dog. When I was little, my uncle had a Scottie dog named Charlie, and in my head, I still think of Scottie dogs as Charlie dogs. The island Scottie dog was named Duncan. The next day, I woke up before everyone else. I went out side to read on the patio with a bowl of fruit salad an a steamy mug of raspberry tea. While reading I was visited by a friendly dog named Knik. The entire time he was visiting, I pronounced his name as K-nick, and only later, and a bit sheepishly, I realized it was probably pronounced Nick and the K was silent. Knik let me pet him for a while before he went bounding off toward some adventure. Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of Knik. Our time together was fleeting as he was distracted by the possibility of fun elsewhere on the island.  Along with the always charming domesticated dog, I saw rabbits, strange Winter ducks and a obstinate looking cat. Here are the pictures of the animals I saw on my island adventure.