Fe.b 1st Theme Day--fountains

Maybe a spaceship or????

Found at the Everett Arboretum.

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What do I see in the Eastern Sky at 8:30 Am

It's the sun!!  Yes it is!  Shining through the fog as it came up over the trees.  The fog did burn off early and turned out to be a nice day.  Chilly but nice.  MB

Sunday Bridges-

Bridge over Whatcom Creek

To see more fine bridges or to participate click on the bridge in the upper right corner of this page

winter-time at the beach

But oh what fun!!!

Dawn to Dusk for Sky Watch

This is sunrise this morning thursday Jan.27th at 7:41

 This is Mount Rainier at 11:00 also Thursday.  See the sun shinging on her eastern flank and it is raining up above her.

And this is sunset same day at 5:01

This is Sky Watch and to view more skies from around the world go to http://www.skyley.blogspot.com/
Enjoy

Do you see what I see.........

Do you believe little fuzzy toes Pussy willow. 

I took this and others just this afternoon.  Yipes!!!

Northern Shrike

This is a Northern Shrike AKA butcher bird. I was surprised by this rarity of a bird. Very interesting fellow.  He dines on small rodents and other small birds.  He will impale them on branches or barbed wire and come back and feed later.  Notice his hooked bill.  I was sitting in the living room at my daughter's house in Ritzville, and this guy landed on the chair back on the patio.  My camera was at my side (of course) and I quickly took a couple of pictures--through the blinds and window.  I am surprised it turned out so well.  He had actually dived down to another smaller bird that was on the table---the motion caught my eye--and the other bird cowered under the table until long after the Shrike left.  So while the quality of the picture may not be the best---I'm liking it!!  MB

To view more birds fly on over to http://www.pineriverreview.blogspot.com/

Well tended outfit

This farm in the Valley is well taken care of with love.  MB

To visit more charming barns stroll on over to Tricia's at:
http://bluffareadaily.blogspot.com/

Where shall we go???

Hmmmmm I never can remember which way to upload these pictures and it seems different each time----so, this is my story.

A friend and I decided to go to Mt. Baker and do some snow-shoeing but it was raining out but we decided to point the car in any direction and we ended up at the beach.  Always fun on a dreary day.  We had lunch at the Beach House restaurant right next to the golf club and the beach is just across the street.  The tide was out and coming back in.  I like the look of the sand all wrinkled.  so........The end.

Ritzville Bridge

I took this picture of the I-90 freeway overpass near Ritzville I thought it was kinda cool looking with all the snow and a sky to match.  The snow was all gone the next day.

To see more bridges from all over the world click on the bridge in the upper right hand column.  Enjoy!

The MV Chetzemoka is a 64 car, 750 passenger Kwa-di tabil class ferry.  It was recently built at the Todd shipyard in Seattle for the Washington State ferries.  It was put into to service on November 15th 2010 on the Keystone (Whidbey Island) to Port Townsend run.  It serves about 10,000 passengers a week. 

Chetzemoka was a Klallam Chief. The Klallam were led by Chetzemoka's older brother S'Hai-ak when white settlers first arrived in their territory around 1851 and it was he who granted permission for their settlement, Port Townsend. When S'Hai-ak drowned soon after, Chetzemoka succeeded to leadership of the Klallam. Chetzemoka was friendly toward the new settlers who dubbed him Duke of York. In the early 1850's he traveled to San Francisco impressing Chetzemoka and solidly placing him as allied to the Americans. He was instrumental in resolving the 1868 Dungeness Massacre when Klallam raiders killed 17 Tsimshians. Chetzemoka died at about age eighty. In 1904 the Port Townsend city park was named in his honor.

Eagles and a Kestrel

While I was out on Thursday and before I went to Whidbey Island to visit my Mother I cruised through the Valley to see any flooding and to check out the Eagles.  At least a zillion eagles and other Raptors were out that day.   The young immature in the tree I got about 20 feet from---well he was up a small tree---to get his underneath picture.   They never move when I get close.......well so far........

I hope you aren't tired of Eagle shots I could throw in a Gull picture though.  Next time!!  MB

 He's got lunch down there.

 Majestic!

 This guy I got real close to--right underneath of him.

Isn't this Kestrel (falco sparverius) just too cute.  They are very fast and expert hunters and hard to get a picture of one.  I believe this is a female.

Dike Breached

A dike on the Samish River broke away and water covered the roadway and some fields.  Fortunately not too much harm was done.    Believe it or not yesterday was a beautiful day and water is going down everywhere.    I will be back tonight.  Mother is fine.

Herons in the nest for World Bird Wednesday

 My daughter took this picture on the ranch.  They have a Heron rookery on the creek.  Do see the other babies in with this young one?  MB

Wing on over to http://www.pineriverreview.blogspot.com/  to view more beautiful birds

I will be gone for a day and may not be able to comment but I will be back.  MB

Cattleman of the Year~~1979~~~~~Barn Charm

Read the small sign on the barn.
To see more barns--old and new--from all over go to Tricia's at http://bluffareadaily.blogspot.com/

Dirty Bird

I went to the store up in Burlington about 30 minutes north and I circled back home through part of the Skagit Valley.  It was wet, windy and muddy and I found lots of dirty birds.   Eagles love this kind of weather and I saw lots today.  The Trumpeter Swan love the mud too.  Sorta ruins our image of the elegant Swan gliding through the still lake waters.  True life here.

The Eagle must be changing from immature to full Bald and he just looks dirty.   And you can tell by the ruffled feathers that is a bit windy out.

Fighting a head wind......

Could you tell the wind was blowing???  MB

It's kinda blurry for some reason. Dirty windshield I suppose.  I was sitting in my car at Bay View Park at Padilla bay and these guys were right in front of my windshield.

Summer Eagle

I took these pictures of the same Eagle last Summer at my friends house on Camano Island.  Some smaller birds chased the Eagle and it landed in the tree over the house and then just glared at everything.  The little birds quickly disappeared. 

Ah the sky was so blue that day---I miss it.  MB

Winter Sky for Sky Watch

Ritzville sunset.  Cold, crisp and dry.  No more snow.

To see more skies from all over the world or to participate go to http://www.skyley.blogspot.com/

Roaming Ritzville

 Some range horses

 Fields of dreams

 Rolling hills

 Snow in the wheat field furrows and the very best sign in the whole world. 
When I got to Ritzville there was snow on the ground but it was gone by morning--well mostly.  Here are some scenes from there.