Birds in my Hood

This has been an amazing spring for birdwatching. I've observed pairs of European collared doves, red-winged blackbirds, goldfinches, crows, sharp-shinned hawks, and a family or two of house finches -- all near my front porch feeder. (The hawks swung by to pick off a couple of those house finches while I was sitting quietly on the porch watching. Yikes!) And I have been privileged to listen to some barred owls, sometimes in my own back yard. Another yikes! Most of these birds were visible because I've been at home. A lot.

Once in a while, walks have been allowed. Yesterday, needing to get OUT, I went to a nearby natural area to walk and take photos of flowers and maybe birds. As it happens, the birds were out in force, and several of them posed for me. Yay!

Pretty sure I heard this Anna's hummingbird feeding her babies!

All right, not a bird -- but it was flying.

Just hanging out here, having a flicker moment.

Song sparrow in full-throated splendor.

Done! I'm outta here.

In plain sight!

Common yellowthroat kept chirping, but was hiding in the tree except for this one-second opportunity.

I didn't focus well, but I think this is a turkey vulture.

And now I can't remember what this towhee was saying...

Penthouse Real Estate in Heronville

I went walking near home today... and even though I'm not ready for spring to start, it's clear that other folks are more than ready. Here's the local heron rookery, sizing up the nesting situation and occasionally bronking at the neighbors. Amazing to see so many herons at once. That's part of the beauty of winter, you know -- no leaves on the trees, obstructing the views.

Because Theresa Asked for More...

For one of the few people I know of who checks in on the dogs' blog OF HER OWN VOLITION, here are some pics of my birthday-time hike with son #3 this fall. We were privileged to be able to take a seldom-open path down to the river, then went up the hill as planned. Enjoy -- and THANK YOU for coming! 

The Cascades are out there. Somewhere.

No whitewater was harmed in this telephoto shot.

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.

Let the sea roar and all it contains, the world and those who dwell in it.

Let the rivers clap their hands; let the sing mountains together for joy!

So Many Distractions!

Today, I had to drive way out to Small Town Library for work. Rough commute, with scenes like this in the foggy sunshine...

By the time I got to work, my usual parking spot wasn't available and I had to park under this tree...

(The last one is doctored. Do not adjust your monitor.)

Instead of sneaking a nap during my lunch break, I had to drive to Very Large Flagship Library for an interesting (and rather short!) meeting. On my way back to work at the third library of the day, I had to sit in traffic...

(This shot looks odd, but I liked the repetition of the beams on the overpass. 

Trying to enhance the shadows also darkened the drippages from above.)

After work was truly done for the day, I went for what was supposed to be an aerobic walk. I'll upload my phone photos later, but catch this from a street near my house...

I lost count of how many times I paused for photo ops today. As I said, so wonderfully distracting!

Days of Well-Spent Youth

I never considered us "weekenders". Sure, we mostly visited our cabin on summer weekends, but we owned that piece of paradise. Owned it. Every tree, every rock, every high and low tide.

My grandparents bought a derelict farm, acres of woods, and several beach lots on lower Puget Sound back in the 1950s. They fixed up the house, tried their hands at raising a steer, and cursed the deer that kept eating Gramma's roses. All my aunts and uncles had a beach lot, and a couple of my dad's cousins came along and built nice cabins there, too. If anything, it was the non-family full-time residents down the road who were "outsiders".

I spent many, many happy hours combing the beach, digging clay and making tiny pots, walking in the woods, hanging out with my cousins, eating hotcakes cooked on an outdoor griddle, and digging clams. Oh, and watching Dad and my brothers fix the tractor. There was always a project to be done, and the machinery was never ready to run immediately. For me, this place and time were idyllic. (For my brothers, perhaps not so much. The benefit of being the much younger sister.)

Many years later, after most of the property had passed out of the family, my Aunt Margret said that she hoped all of us could hold some woods and beach in our hearts where it wouldn't go away. I think this is why I crave quiet, natural places and wild flora. I'm always going back there, to where life was gentle and the silences were companionable.

Following are a few photos from the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. I had a wonderful, quiet, spectacular day there yesterday, and I'll be going back again and again in my mind. Hope you enjoy these little glimpses of our temporary home.

Looking to Sea

Olympic Mountains

THE Mountain

Little Singer

Narrows Bridge from Nisqually

Good Photos on Good Friday

This sunny day had to have photos taken. Later, as the sun goes down, it will be time to focus on the irony of Good Friday's true significance.

Elephant Toes!

Growing on My Knees

I arrived early for a meeting one day, and took a 20-minute walk in the neighborhood. These are a couple of sights I considered to be noteworthy.

The apple tree was one of four in a row, probably from an old homesite. Although the wind knocked it over, it was determined to keep growing, to keep bearing fruit. Even on its knees.

It would be easy to make a kind of schmaltzy comparison to prayer, as if I could assume the position of appeal and be guaranteed growth and help. That tree, however, didn't voluntarily fall down to ask God's favor. Instead, it was pushed down to a place of disadvantage, and kept doing what was required of it.

As long as I have breath, I will praise and pray to the God who sustains me.

My Brother Watches Ax Men

Please try to keep this under wraps. He probably doesn't need this news to be leaked to his professional colleagues. I mean, have you heard the language on that show? It's full of bleeps, up one side and down the other! I heard a great quote last night, however, that I may turn into my signature catchphrase:

"Okey-dokey, let's get started!"

It was beautiful -- a whole sentence without a single bleep. Even better, it was delivered in a sing-song, dopey voice. The speaker intended this to be a silly comment. All the more reason to make it my catchphrase.

Our dad often used his chainsaw. We had 20 acres of forest, a large semi-wooded beachfront lot, and neighbors with the same AND who were members of the family. It was a wood-cutter's paradise.

When I watch Ax Men, I can almost smell the fresh-cut wood and the chainsaw exhaust and the raw earth. I try not to think about my father's disdain for OSHA regulations -- he always figured he was safe enough.

There was one time when Dad's disregard for safety precautions came back to bite him. He went to the property alone, intending to cut firewood for the day. Somehow, in taking down a tree or freeing a snag, he got pinned beneath a big log. No one knew exactly where he was, no one was watching out for him, and we weren't expecting him to return home for several hours.

Dad would've enjoyed Ax Men. He would've loved romping through the forest with a big, sharp saw. He might've been a little more careful than usual. He would have been thankful all over again to have made it home that one afternoon.