It’s Springtime again and time to look at all the amazing plants around us. Perhaps we look and all we see is a few lily pads in the water. Or perhaps we look closely and find raindrops that didn’t quite make it to the lake yet, or a reflection on the water of clouds on a day that it trying to be sunny. Photo: Taken at Martha Lake Park near Mill Creek on 28 May 2013.
Sometimes the best things to see are the least expected. While passing a Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife fishing access point, I looked up just in time to see a Mama Duck and her flock of ten baby ducklings waddling down the road toward Martha Lake in Snohomish County. There were people around so Mama was leading her babies down the road pretty quickly. They finally made their way down to the lake where they were last seen swimming just fine. Photo: Taken at Martha Lake near Mill Creek on 28 May 2013.
I have seen a lot of pigeons in my life. I’m not sure I’ve seen one quite like this. It is brown and white — which makes it either a rare breed of pigeon or just a rare color. Our avian friend was spotted along the beach at Mukilteo Lighthouse Park with a whole lot of pigeons in more conventional colors. Anybody know what he/she might be? Photo: Taken at Mukilteo Lighthouse Park in Mukilteo on 28 May 2013.
So there is a business a couple of miles from our house that has two palm trees planted in front of the entrance. The poor things look pretty sad, especially after the long Winter. But I happened to drive by a few days ago and they were flowering like I’ve never seen a palm tree do before. At least, around here. I didn’t really know that they would do this. Photo: Taken just off of Aurora Avenue in Shoreline on 26 May 2013.
Industry is flourishing in Bellingham! Well, you don’t see a lot of it in this photo, but there is always something interesting going on at the Port of Bellingham. The fishing boat seen here is called the “Ocean Hunter” which seems to be as good a euphemism as anything for fishing. Of course, once you leave town, you get to the forests and the mountains rather quickly. Photo: Taken at the Port of Bellingham in (of course) Bellingham on 24 June 2008.
This afternoon I was thinking about libraries and books, since the subject had come up a couple of times. Then I was looking for a new picture for the blog, and came upon this one. This is the North East Branch of the Seattle Public Library. It was here that I made my first foray to the library. I remember going every Thursday at 10:00 AM when I was 4-years-old to a room where all the 4-year-olds met for reading time. My Mommy called it “Library School” since it felt like going to school. Someone read a book to us, then we got to look all over for a book to take home that week. Being a geeky boy even then, I thought the desk where they checked out books was pretty keen!
I haven’t been in that particular branch since I was about 15. I know that it has been expanded and remodeled since then, and that it would look a lot different inside now. The outside of the building, at least on the older front side hasn’t changed much though. So I can still believe that the library from when I was a 4-year-old is still there. Photo: Taken in North East Seattle on 17 May 2007.
There are a lot of sights that are worthwhile to see all over Cascadia. Many of them are right near the highway, if we only get out to (metaphorically) smell the roses. This waterfall falls into a rather large bend in the Wilson River in Tillamook County. The bridge above is a part of Oregon Highway 6 – the Wilson River Highway, about 15 miles East of Tillamook. This scene, like many others, was a lot more impressive in person than on film. But still, its pretty cool, and not viewable from the highway itself. Photo: Taken along the Wilson River in Tillamook County on 26 April 2011.
I was just returning from a trip to Eugene one day when it was time for a stop. On a nice spring day at the Oak Grove Rest Area along I-5 North of Eugene, I took a short walk to look around. Sometimes if you step away from the busy part of the highway you can find some interesting scenes. The plants were blooming along the fence, with the farm buildings barely seen in the background. Ironically, I took this by holding the camera out over the fence and pointing to the right. Photo: Taken at an I-5 rest area about 13 miles North of Eugene on 14 April 2011.
It was a cold Winter day, and the ducks wanted to take a little nap. So they found a log and stood there. Probably napping. In the shadow of Duck Island. Photo: Taken in Green Lake in Seattle on 19 February 2013.
Duck Island is a small man-made island in Seattle’s Green Lake that serves as a wildlife sanctuary. The lake and the island are beautiful in the Summer, and also beautiful in the Winter, when this photo was taken. Even on a sunny day in February, the lake didn’t have the crushing crowds that are sometimes present in the Summertime. And, yes, Duck Island is home to ducks and a wide variety of other birds. Photo: Taken on the shores of Green Lake in Seattle on 19 February 2013.
