That’s virtually all it takes to contribute to the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), an annual survey of birds sighted throughout the North American continent over a four-day period. This year’s bird count is scheduled Feb.12-15, when birders of all levels of experience are invited to count the number of birds they see in a 15-minute period and enter their tally, by species, on the GBBC website ( http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc ). Participants can conduct their count in their own backyards, in a neighborhood park or anywhere they choose.

“Taking part in the Great Backyard Bird Count is a great way to get outside with family and friends, have fun, and help birds – all at the same time,” said Judy Braus of the National Audubon Society, which sponsors the GBBC along with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  “Even if you can only identify a few species you can provide important information that enables scientists to learn more about how the environment is changing and how that affects our conservation priorities.”

Birders looking to venture away from their backyards can head out to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge , where numerous birds are often on display. A recent visitor to the refuge spotted dozens of different species, including tundra and trumpeter swans , a cinnamon teal , a pair of great-horned owls and a northern shrike . “Loads of harriers and other raptors as usual,” the birder reported on Tweeters website ( http://www.scn.org/earth/tweeters/ ).

Buoy 10 has a chance to play at the Showbox SoDo in Seattle at Soundbite 2010. 44 bands entered and only 3 will be selected to play at the Showbox on April 8. Please pass this along to your friends and ask them to vote for the local buoys, Buoy 10. Cast your vote for Buoy 10 by Feb. 28.  www.seattlesoundbite.net

42nd Street Café will be offering a special five course “Lovers’ Menu” designed to ignite the flames of love:

Lovers’ Menu

Amuse Bouche
A black bean and artichoke croquette with
Roma tomato slice and goat cheese.
*
Baked Brie cheese in puff pastry
Served with fresh red grapes and strawberries, basil puree
and a raspberry vinegar port wine reduction.
or
Pine nut-floured Willapa Bay oysters pan fried, served over plantains
with avocado and tomato ceviche and home made
jalapeno honey drizzle.
*
Bisque of tomato, oranges, basil, butternut squash and lobster nectar
topped with saffron crème fraiche
or
Salad of wild flowers, basil and spring lettuce
tossed with red grapes and pine nuts in
a strawberry honey vinaigrette.
*
Lobster medallions oven-poached in champagne, paprika and lemon and
served with artichoke asparagus risotto, roasted shallot and Roma
tomato salsa and a red grape and basil beurre blanc.
or
Grilled Filet Mignon with roasted beet and port mashed potatoes, asparagus
sautéed with pancetta and a rosemary port demi-glace.
*
Chocolate chili brownie with capuccino ice cream
and Mexican hot fudge sauce.

Again, this menu is only offered to couples.  We will not be responsible for individuals wandering the streets overwhelmed by passionate desires.  The price is $120 per couple.

This special menu for two will only be available Saturday and Sunday, February 13th and 14th – Valentine’s Day! – Presidents’ Day Weekend, “Lovers Weekend”.   The regular menu will be available to singles and the temperate.

Rooms and reservations will be hard to come by.  We suggest making plans now.

Valentine’s Day is smack dab in the middle of Presidents’ Day Weekend.  Thousands will head our way for this three day holiday and everyone will want to do something special on Valentine’s Day.  Reservations will be hard to come by.  Start planning now.

Click here for a collection of activities at the beach over this special weekend.

The giant squid have returned…with many of the squid being caught by fishermen weighing in at 20-30 pounds. The giant squid can reach up to 7feet long and weigh up to 100 pounds.

The giant squid…like to live in deep ocean water but they have been making their way inland more…in the Fall of 2004, there [were] between 1,000 to 1,500 squid washed up on the Long Beach Peninsula in southwest Washington.

They best time to fish for a giant squid is at night time. This species can be dangerous to fish, because they can be aggressive when they are eating. They have been known to attack fisherman and divers. That is why Mexican fisherman have nicknamed the giant squid the Red Devil. They have a red color to them that shows when they are attacking a fisherman.

Read the full story.

Chocolate Lovers Savory & Sweet Guadalajara 3-Course Special….Mardi Gras 2-Course Special and Valentine’s Day Only LOBSTER Special!

Depot Restaurant
On the Seaview Beach Approach at 1208 38th Place & L, Seaview, WA
360-642-7880

Join Anchor Realty North and Bette Lu Krause for an Art Reception and Open House at Anchor Realty, Surfside, WA,

January 29th, 3:30 – 6:30 pm.

Refreshments.  All are welcome!

31605 I Street, in the Surfside Mini Mall

Leadbetter Point State Park trailhead parking area is closed due to a hazardous tree. Park staff are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

Leadbetter Point State Park is a natural area open for day use. The park features beach frontage on the Pacific Ocean and Willapa Bay. It borders the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge which has about five miles of ocean beach and several miles of bay beach. There are views of the Pacific Ocean to the west and Willapa Bay and hills to the east. The park is part of the Willapa Bay Water Trail. Visitors can enjoy hiking, fishing and clamming at the park.

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission seeks public comment through March 31 on the new “Gaia in Your Backyard” interpretive panels on display at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center located in Cape Disappointment State Park near Ilwaco.

Once finalized, the panels will be placed along an interpretive trail connecting the five artwork pieces of Confluence Project located at Cape Disappointment State Park. “The panels will balance the historical themes of the Confluence artwork by providing insight into the unique ecology of Cape Disappointment’s fog forest.”, said Aaron Webster, interpretive specialist for the center. Three-dimensional models and photographs of the Confluence Project also are on display to help visitors understand the context of the interpretive panels.

“Gaia in your Backyard” refers to the exhibit’s main theme, the Gaia hypothesis, which states that the conditions of the Earth’s surface are actively influenced by life on the planet.

Initiated in 2000 through the collaboration of a group of Pacific Northwest Native American tribes and civic groups from Washington and Oregon, the Confluence Project was envisioned to evoke the history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, highlight the tremendous changes it brought to the Pacific Northwest, and encourage action to create a future that preserves and protects the area’s natural and cultural resources. When complete, the project will have transformed seven places along the historic Columbia River Basin with significant landscape restoration and environmental enhancements, all of which complement permanent art installations by world-renowned artist Maya Lin.

The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center tells the overall story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It concentrates on the journey through Washington state, especially the days spent at the mouth of the Columbia in November 1805. It also provides more opportunities to learn about the recent history of the area, including shipwrecks, lighthouses, life-saving stations and jetty construction.

Cape Disappointment State Park is a 1,882-acre camping park on the Long Beach Peninsula, fronted by the Pacific Ocean. Located two miles southwest of Ilwaco off Highway 101, the park offers access to an ocean beach, lighthouses and hiking trails.

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission thanks the public for supporting state parks. Donations made to State Parks through the vehicle license tab renewal program will keep state parks open in the 2009-2011 budget cycle, provided adequate revenues are collected. The Commission manages a diverse system of more than 100 state parks and recreation programs, including long-distance trails, boating safety and winter recreation. The 96-year-old park system will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2013.