Earlier this spring, while crossing the Hoquiam River on Simpson Avenue Bridge, I watched a goose couple wander along the riverbank, seemingly looking for a place to nest.
It was close to sunset, so I'm not sure if they were searching for an evening nest or maybe a spring brooding nest.
You can see 11 more photos from my walk that evening, including a few of an airborne flock of geese, in this post.
I caught the river at low tide, as you can see from the exposed mudflat. One notable feature there is the driftwood stuck in the mud: the town gets its name from that wood. According to popular history, Hoquiam is derived from a Native American word that means "hungry for wood"; they called the river that because of the driftwood that gathered at its mouth.
It was an apt name for the white immigrants to adopt, since Hoquiam was established as a logging town.
The timber industry is still a major part of life in Hoquiam. Most of the land surrounding town is owned by timber companies, and during the work week, I see countless log trucks rolling through on the way to the lumber mills or the Port of Grays Harbor. The industry influences the architecture too: there's a lot of heavy, exposed wooden beams used in the interior design of public lobbies, and on Simpson Avenue Bridge half the support columns are wood instead of concrete.
Then there's the annual festival, Loggers' Playday, where loggers can compete and show off their Paul Bunyan skills.
All possibilities for future Picture A Day posts.
Stay tuned!