Rosario Beach

I never turn down an opportunity to travel the six hours to be at our university's marine biology research station on the Puget Sound. This most recent visit for an alumni gathering was no exception. We sang together as the sun set on Friday evening, and listened to an encouraging devotional talk by the university president.

I had brought along with me a new student from Shanghai, China. We went for a walk along the stony beach after sunset, looked for fluorescence in the water by the pier, and gazed out over the quiet bay.  It's the kind of place where you feel closer to God.

In the day time, it's just as beautiful. What a place for Biology students to spend their summer doing research and taking classes! The place was bought for $53,000 in the 1950s, when a biology professor put his own savings on it as a down payment. The college board nearly sacked him for that, and at one point the president said to him, "Ernest, I think you just bought yourself a beach resort." But eventually they ante-d up, and we still have that beautiful place with cabins, classrooms, a dining hall, a chapel and many little cabins on 100 acres.  What a blessing!

I walked down the pier to meet Jim the Summer Director who had agreed to take us out for a boat ride to Deception Pass, and there were all these little jellies floating past the pier. "Aequorea Victoria," Jim the Summer Director said. I took dozens of pictures, trying to capture their beautiful translucence.  This was one of the few that turned out well.

The station at night, as seen from the beach. As always, I was terribly reluctant to leave for the drive home. But I'll be back!