Mama and Baby doing fine.....

This little cow was having a time trying to have her calf and then she prolapsed so the the was called and he did a C-section.  Mama and baby are fine and now Mama has a zipper.  MB

Ritzville Rogues Gallery

Cle Elum Bridge

I took this picture last week on my trip over the mts.  This bridge is on the backroads between Cle Elum and Thorpe.  Very beautiful country.

To see more bridges from all over the world please click on the bridge in the upper right hand column.  Participate if you want to and Enjoy!

My front door.....

Well part of it anyway...

And snow it did.......

It happened!!  We got SNOW!  I have been so smug about not getting any snow and having such a mild winter---basking in the glory as it were.  I get home from Ritzville and it snows on Tuesday---well ok just a bit but then we get a bunch--yep-a foot and a half of the fluffy white stuff.  Now down the hill they get none so it is a hit and miss effect.  We we got the most  Well the girls made it to work and Stanwood schools closed.  My car is stuck in the snow.  How that happened is a whole ;nother story.  So anyway we got snow---boo! hiss! and pride goeth before a fall.  MB

 The pond from the deck

 Part of the deck--the gate and the side yard

Out the front door...

Ritzville Sunset~~~~~~~~~Sky Watch

Wheat fields at sunset.

To see more skies from around the world go to http://www.skyley.blogspot.com/ and enjoy.

Steptoe Butte Wa.--Colfax Wa.

Last Sunday we drove from Ritzville to Steptoe Butte.  It is in flat wheat country--this 3600ft lump of a mountain.  One can drive up to the tiptop and see for miles and miles. Snow on one side and almost none on the other.   

Steptoe Butte is a quartzite island jutting out of the silty loess of the Palouse hills in Whitman County, Washington. It is contained by Steptoe Butte State Park. The rock that forms the butte is over 400 million years old, in contrast with the 15–7 million year old Columbia River basalts that underlie the rest of the Palouse. Steptoe Butte has become the archetype for its type, and steptoes are defined as isolated protrusions of bedrock, such as summits of hills or mountains, in lava flows.

Native peoples attained to sacred spirit quests here at their power mountain. It was customary for Indian youths entering adulthood to undertake a special journey, or spirit quest, in order to receive a special guardian power from the Great Spiirit that would protect the person thoughout their life. It was traditional to be alone on such a quest to some remote place and remain there for several days without food until the spirit was revealed in a sacred dream.

O'Sullivan Dam Eagles

Kylee and I were in Ritzville in Eastern Wa. for 4 days and coming home we went by O'Sullivan Dam and the Potholes Rec Area.  By the dam I saw the first Eagle and stopped and took a picture and off we went when Kylee said there is one on the rock in the water.  It was on here side so I handed her the camera and stopped the car.  Just as she was going to take her pic the Eagle took off and she got two nice shots over the water.  Nice!!  MB

To see more birds from all over go to http://www.pineriverreview.blogspot.com/

Calving time

Kylee and I have been over in Ritzville the past few days at my daughter's husband's family ranch.  They are busy around the clock with calving operations.  So far 100+ calves.  some easy some not so easy but they are arriving.  the weather there has been perfect.  No snow, no rain, just sunny skies but pretty cold and when the wind whips up it is very very cold.  It is supposed to snow tomorrow so we will see what it brings with it. Here are some baby pictures and one with Kylee telling one newborn that life will be fine.   Mama's like to hid their babies so they can wander off and eat hay but they know right where they are. See the one in the right hand lower corner--he was hard to see but what a cutie.  MB

To view more mosaics go to http://www.dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/ and enjoy

A day for clouds~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sky Watch

The clouds have been so wonderful yesterday and today.  The first picture is in the morning and the next around 2:00.  the last two were taken early evening above the waterfront just before the sun went down.  Glorious.  Well I love clouds!!

To view more skies or to participate go to http://www.skyley.blogspot.com/
I am going to be gone until Monday so everyone have a great week-end.  Enjoy!!  MB

Wind Surfer

Went to visit my Mother on Whidbey Island and drove down to Double Bluff to view the beach and just enjoy the water.  This fellow was having a grand time.  The wind was great.  MB

Eagle in a tree for WBW

I was in the Valley on a quiet country road watching this Eagle pair playing and dancing in the sky.  I wanted to watch them and I knew I could never find them in my view finder to take a picture---so I just watched. Finally one flew off and the other landed in this gnarled old tree.  So here I am stopped in the middle of the road watching and decide to take a few pictures--which I proceed to do when I notice that he is preparing for lift off and I am focused and ready.  I look up and here is a car heading for me--I AM practically crosswise in the road so as I look back the Eagle takes off and I lose a major (for me) photo op.  Life, as it happens.

It is almost lift off.

Join the fly-in over at:http://www.pineriverreview.blogspot.com/ to see more birds.  Enjoy!

Barn Farm~~~~~~Barn Charm

Pretty nice looking farm.  Took this picture last Friday  when we had some sunshine ---rain ever since.  MBBoot scoot your selves over to Tricia's http://bluffareadaily.blogspot.com/ to see some more barns.

I'm Full

Fuzzy Tuffy says Whew--I'm full!!

Reflections on a winters pond~~~~~Mosaic Monday

Pictures of my pond on this winter's day.  MB

To view more mosaics hie thee of to:http://www.dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!!

Lady of the Sea

Here is the lady of the Sea watching for her husbands return from the sea.  Located at the Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes Wa.

W.T. Preston

This is the Snagboat W.T. Preston.  It is in dry storage at a marina in Anacortes--about 20 miles from my house.  It is at the Maritime museum.  To read more about the Preston and snagboats go here

http://museum.cityofanacortes.org/preston.htm

And these are the women that loved the sailors.  LOL!!

Morning and Evening for Sky Watch

This is a view of Stanwood from down the road from my house.  Down over the trees you can see Stanwood and then the water is Port Susan Bay and next is Camano Island and then the Olympic Mountain Range.  The next picture is close to the same shot only at early sunset.  And you can still see the mountains.  I don't show these mts. much because they aren't out much.  Very shy.

 To see more sky pictures go to http://www.skyley.blogspot.com/
And Enjoy!

Pretty moon tonight

Nice moon out tonight in the cold crisp sky.

 Feb. 10th is Kylee's 17th birthday.  Happy Birthday Kylee

Little Jo the Wrangler

This is my youngest about 3 or 4yrs with her pony Mousie.  They were quite a team.  I scanned this from a photo so it seems a little fuzzy.  Jolene is 35 now and has a horse named Vegas.  And we still call her "Little Jo the Wrangler".

Isn't she just the cutest......MB

Another Barn Collage for Barn Charm

Different barns around the area.

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

Lummi Nation for Mosaic Monday

I took these pictures at the Lummi Nations Reservation.  Except the Salmon Woman and Rraven totem.  It is further up the road at Squalicum.  The carver of that totem is Morrie Alexander Lummi carver.  Enlarge the picture to read the legend of  Raven and Salmon Woman.

In their own words,
"We are Lummi. We are Coast Salish people with a rich history, culture and traditions. We are fishers, hunters, gatherers and harvesters of nature's abundance. We envision our homeland as a place where we enjoy an abundant, safe, and healthy life in mind, body, society, environment, space, time and spirituality; where all are encouraged to succeed and none are left behind."


To enjoy more mosaics go to http://www.dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/ and enjoy>

Sailing on to Seattle

Caught this ship heading to Seattle as I was on Whidbey Island. 

Captain Whidbey Inn

When I visited Mother on thursday we had lunch at Captain Whidbey Inn on Penn Cove (home of world famous Penn Cove Mussels) in Coupeville.  It is a very historic Inn built in 1907.  It was built from the local Madrona trees.  It was built as a romantic getaway for the wealthy Seattlites.  One could get there only by boat.

Reflective sky for Sky Watch

This picture was taken Tuesday on Bayview-Edison Rd. in Skagit valley, looking west out towards Skagit Bay with the sunset reflected in a still flooded farmers field.

To view more magnificent skies from all over the world or to participate please go to http://www.skyley.blogspot.com/
Enjoy!!

More birds from the Valley

Besides Eagles I did take some pictures of other birds and here are some of them

The Heron didn't fly off but just stayed frozen to the spot.  Probably hoping nobody saw him.

 There was a huge field of Trumpeter Swan and they were busy chomping grass and practicing take off and landings.  Always nice to watch.