My Island
My Island is the place I go to when the rest of the entire world is too much to bear. It is a calm and peaceful place. Here, no one expects anything of me because there are no others here on My Island, except perhaps the occasional spirit. It is not that others are not allowed on My Island. It is that no other person wishes to come to it.
There are absolutely no kingdoms, empires, or any such entities allowed on My Island or in any of the surrounding lands for leagues and leagues. Therefore the king has no title here. In fact, I'm not ever sure Sygil knows of this place, or even Myrah for that matter.
Geography
My Island is at least five square miles—probably more. But no more than a hundred square miles. There are several lakes, creeks, and streams that flow down the few mountains that rise sharply into the sky.
I think My Island is part of an archipelego. I have no idea if any of the other islands are reachable. And, if so, I wonder if they have people on them like me.
Ecosystem Cycles
Winter
It snows in the winter here, sometimes quite a lot, and I am stuck in my little cabin for a long time. But I have books and a warm fireplace.
Spring
The first part of spring is still very wet, rainy, and cold despite the snow having melted in the lower parts of the island. The second half is much more pleasant with a lot more sunshine and flowers blooming all over.
Summer
It gets very dry in the summer, and hot. In the height of it, I can smell smoke from distant forest fires. But the night sky is clear and filled with so many stars that I want to fall over. And the sea is calm enough to consider kayaking to other places. It is a good time to look for berries and explore the island when the creeks and streams aren't so high, and the mountain peaks aren't completely covered in snow.
Autumn
Early autumn remains relatively dry, but it is my favorite season. The salmon return and the leaves change colors.
Localized Phenomena
In one mountain valley, there is a little grotto where hot springs run into little pools. It has a decent flow and the water can get as hot as 100 degrees at times. In the winter, the creek valley below gets filled with very dense fog such that it can make the grotto nearly impossible to find.
Climate
My Island lies somewhere between the forty-fifth and fiftieth latitude north. The temperate rain forests are quite similar to that of the Pacific Northwest coast. But there are also rain shadows due to the mountains around.
Fauna & Flora
Fauna
There are salmon of many kinds that visit My Island. They spawn in the larger streams. There are trout in the lakes.
There are deer and rabbit, squirrel and chipmunk. Of course, there are deer mice. Rarely opossum and skunk. Sometimes, I think I hear a moose or the bugle of elk far away.
There are coyotes and raccoon too. Just like the other animals, I think I hear the howl of wolves sometimes, but I've never seen any on My Island. If I did, it would not worry me. I believe there is a bear on My Island as well.
Sometimes, I can see the plume spray of orca surfacing far in the waters that surround My Island. I believe there is a species of porpoise that dart around the islands as well. Harbor seals and otters are more frequently seen closer to the shore.
Since My Island gets a lot of rain, the waterfowl are also quite plentiful. Geese and ducks, but also others, like cormorants. I've never been a fan of seagulls, but My Island has them anyway. I love watching the songbirds, like the chickadee and junco. If I am very quiet and up very late at night, I can hear the hooting of an owl. Pine jays, woodpeckers, and flickers fill the days with a lot of noise!
Flora
The thick forests are a mix of evergreen and deciduous trees. Red cedar is my favorite, but there are pines and firs too. I'm also fond of the maple trees whose leaves turn to fire in the autumn, and whose sap makes a decent enough syrup if I work to make it. A few oak trees drop their acorns in one section, which I use to make flour and mush.
My Island is full of berry bushes, from strawberry and blueberry to raspberry and blueberry to salal and salmonberries. There are no invasive Himalayan blackberry bushes on My Island. Ferns are everywhere, it seems.
There are also many kinds of fungi, including edible varieties. There are too many chanterelles to harvest for a good soup, but their season is all too brief.
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