InSPIREd Sunday

The Conway-Fir Island Church on a Friday evening.   The Church is the only building left after the town of Fir burned down in the very late 1800's.

 Excuse all the wires it was the best I could do.

To be more InSPIREd go to http://inspiredsundaymeme.blogspot.com/ and enjoy

Walking in the Tree Farm

The Pilchuck Tree Farm is able to be used--through the graciousness of the the "Tree Farm"--by horse riders,  mountain bikers and walkers or hikers.  Nothing motorized.  15,000 + or - acres and 30-40 miles of trails.  I have ridden my horse on it but now am just a walker.  In June it can be wet or sunny so the vegetation is lush.    Both Bob's house and my house are situated on the the Tree Farm.  We have walked it quite a bit--rain or shine.  So easy--just go out the door and there you are.  So for Weekend Reflections we have the almost ever present puddle.

 The Ferns are lush and over 5ft high

 We are wet here folks.  The moss is not only on the North side but all around

 But then the trails/roads are so inviting  This is one of the many logging roads and there are many smaller trails that go off into the woods to.  Watch out for the mountain bikers on the woodsy trails

To see great reflections go to http://www.weekendreflection.blogspot.com/ and enjoy

Awesome Sunset

The sun hasn't been around much.  Though after the morning rain the sun will come through the clouds and we have been having some pretty good sunsets.  So we captured this one.  Bob took this shot while we were up on Starbird North road.

To view more astounding sky shots go to www.skyley.blogspot.com and enjoy!

Potato Patch Homesteaders~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Wild Bird Wednesday

We found this nest in the row of Potatoes, with I think two babies laying there just breathing.  A parent was nearby--not in panic mode yet but letting us know that we had better leave.

 Two babies I think---could be another one stuffed in there.

 White-crowned Sparrow

To view more wonderful birds go to  http://www.paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com/

Little Red Barn for Barn Charm

Barn on Camano Island.  Camano Island is right next to Stanwood and you reach it by going through Stanwood and crossing over the Stillaguamish river on the Gateway to Camano bridge. No ferries.

Camano Island has a colorful history, first with the Native Americans who fished, clammed, and picked berries on the hillsides. The island takes its name from an early Spanish explorer, and in the 1700s Europeans mapped and named many places in the area. The Douglas firs became very desirable for shipbuilding, and by the 1800's Camano Island was a bustling community with mills, homes, and schools, and with tall ships taking cargo from the deep waters at the north end of the island.
Iverson Beach is one of the few places in Washington state where you can fish for Sturgeon year-round from shore! There is also a great trail that winds through the preserve. Looking for a sandy beach on Camano Island? Iverson Spit is where you need to go to feel the sand between your toes.
Camano Island has fishing available during every season: from Salmon in the Winter, Spring & Summer; to Lingcod, Dolly Vardens & Cutthroat in May/June; to year-round flounder, bottomfish and Sturgeon.


Do si do and allemande left to Tricia's place www.bluffareadaily.blogspot.com and enjoy!

Super Moon???

The perpetuation of the supermoon myth is mostly motivated by desire for publicity. But much of what we call the supermoon is just our eyes playing tricks on us.

 Saturday night looking east from the side yard/

 More of saturday night

 Here she is as I walked around the house to get the best shot.

Below shot is Sunday morning but we had low  clouds so the Moon is fuzzy.

Interesting article in Sky and Telescope mag. http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/observingblog/Supermoon-June2013-212330751.html

Palouse Falls and the Channeled Scablands

 Palouse Falls and rock basalt formations.  The falls are 198 feet in height. The canyon is 380 feet deep, the rock is Columbia Basin Basalt. The falls and the canyon is part of the channeled scab lands created by the great Missoula Flood that swept across Eastern Washington. The Palouse River use to flow into the Columbia River, but when the floods came through, it created a new route and now it flows into the Snake River.  Taken from my daughter Cheri's blog.  Go visit her at  ritzvilleranchlife.blogspot.com and enjoy

 Basalt rock

 Picture of Palouse Falls from up high.

 To read more about the channeled Scablands go to http://hugefloods.com/Scablands.html

 Or google Channeled scablands.  beautiful country in a different way. 

 Palouse Falls and the ring pool

 This was supposed to start this posting.  The wavy road to the Falls.

Our Wonder Boy

My grandson Mike will be graduating from College this week.  Eastern Washington University.  We will be there for him.  He is graduating cum laude with a BS in Psychology and a minor in Philosophy and anthropology.  On to Grad School it is. Who'd a thunk???

Here he is posing in the old School house on the Ranch.

 And  in the back yard at the ranch.

I am going to be away from the computer for a few days but will return refreshed---I hope.  'Til then, MB

Good Girl graduate

We went to Bob's Grand daughter's High School graduation.  She is a wonderful young lady and graduated with honors with the class of 2013.  There she is in the middle.

 She got a scholarship to college and will be playing fast pitch softball.
Bottom picture she has just received her diploma.

Good for you, Alyssa, we are so proud of you.

What's for dinner???

Homemade soup that's what!  Everything organic or natural grown and local.

Bob made soup for dinner last night.  It was a perfect meal after a day of working in the yard and just enjoying the day.
He started with saute-ing onions and then adding some garlic in the saute pan.  In the meantime he had started some beef broth carrots and celery in a soup pot.  Let that cook up and tenderize the veggies.  Add the sauted onion and garlic to the pot with some Orzo (yummy good) salt and pepper.  Then Brown some good hamburger in the frying pan add a shot or two of Worcestershire sauce and some diced tomatoes.  Add that to the pot and keep simmering and as a final touch add some Herbes de Provence. (thyme, fennel, basil,savory and Lavender).  If I have forgotten anything Bob will let me know.
Wowee Zowie extra good.
If you would like it vegetarian just omit the Hamburger and us Vegetable broth---just as good.

We maka da Wine~~~~~~Raspberry Wine

Actually we bottled the wine Bob's son Jim made last Fall.  Raspberry Wine

 Here's the big jug of the wine caressed over the winter.

 We washed the bottles.  I missed a picture of us siphoning the wine into bottles.

 We cork the bottles and shrink wrap the fancy tops

 Here's some bottles done.

 Ready to go.

And Raspberry Wine---Hey pretty good!!!

Blue Skies for Sky Watch

We have been having wonderful weather the past few days.  Warm and sunny.  Shorts and sleeveless shirt weather.  And see! the sky is very BLUE.

This picture is on the North Fork Skagit River Bridge---There is a South Fork Bridge a couple of miles down stream.  I have always wanted to get a picture of Mt. Baker and the river and the bridge is a perfect spot.  But I couldn't do it by myself.  So Bob got out of the car and practically hung over the rail and snapped away.  As he said "We do it right once in awhile".

To see more sky images go to www.skyley.blogspot.com and enjoy!!

World Bird Wednesday~~~~already

I started to zero in on this Woodpecker---I think it is a Hairy Woodpecker---when just as I clicked the button, zip off he went. But when I saw the pic I decided I kinda liked it.  Artistic--right???

 This is a male.  the Downy (Picoides pubescens) and the Hairy (Picoides villosus) Woodpecker are so similar except the Hairy is bigger, has a longer beak and a much different call.  I usually can tell a Hairy when it lands on one of the smaller feeders----he is too big for it.  But in this case I am not sure.

Wing you way over to Stewart's at http://www.paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com/ and view more of our feathered friends and enjoy!

On the way to town.......

This barn is in Stanwood.  It's on a backroad and we pass right by it all the time.  The yellow flower in the pasture is the 'dreaded' Buttercup.  The cows won't eat it.  It is everywhere in damp fields.  After Spring the Buttercups die back and grass will grow. 

Jog them ponies on over to Tricia's www.bluffareadaily.blogspot.com to see more charming barns.  MB

More babies!!!

Kylee bought some baby Ducks in the early spring.  They started laying eggs and one duck disappeared.  Well last Thursday she appeared in the driveway with 14 babies.  We thought what are we going to do with these guys.  The dogs will chase them or the cats will stalk them or the coyotes will eat them.  But Mama just took them down to the pond and they to to it just like "ducks to water".  Amazing!!

 Pretty cozy but not enough room

 Let's go for a swim

 Faster--faster!!

Time to get out now!

Frozen reflection for Weekend Reflections

This is Picture Lake with a little bit of ice on it  and in the reflection you see trees and a watery and frozen Mt. Shuksan.

To see more reflective shots go to www.weekendreflection.blogspot.com and enjoy