Skywatch Friday - Cap Sante Park

Last Saturday, I found a new park in the town of Anacortes, Washington called Cap Sante Park. It is primarily a viewpoint overlooking the marina, the City of Anacortes, March Point, Fidalgo Bay and the Cascades. You almost have a 360° view of the area from the overlook. The park is maintained by the city of Anacortes.

The skies were bright blue on this very windy day. I'll be sure to visit this park again.

 Looking West Towards the City of Anacortes and Cap Sante Boat Haven

 Looking East Towards March Point Refinery Dock and Padilla Bay in the Background

 Looking Northeast Towards Mount Baker and the Northern Tip of Hat Island

The great team behind Skywatch each week is Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Sylvia and Fishing Guy. Click on the banner above to go visit other Skywatchers around the world.

World Bird Wednesday - Eagle!

I think this is my best eagle shot so far. Two Saturdays ago I was in the Stillaguamish Valley just driving around looking for birds and saw this handsome fellow on a telephone poll. "STOP!!", I screamed to myself. Good thing there weren't any cars behind me. :) The wind was really blowing that day as you can tell by some of his feathers but he hung in there.

Quit staring at me, Crazy Lady!

Springman at the Pine River Review is our host each week for WBW. Come birding around the world by clicking on the logo above.

Barn Charm - Skagit Gem

It's Monday which means it's time for Barn Charm. Hosted by Tricia at Bluff Area Daily, come barn hopping with us by clicking on the barn logo below.

I found this charmer in the Skagit Valley over the weekend. I like the cleanliness of it. So much so I turned around after passing by it just so I could take a picture on the side of a busy road. It is actually a very pale green color but it doesn't show well in the photo. Bummer. I was so excited about seeing this barn I forgot to check my camera settings before snapping away. Oh well, it is still a fine looking barn.

Skagit Valley Barn

My World Tuesday - Trumpeter Swans

On Saturday, I spent about twenty minutes on the side of a country road, engine off, window down, watching the swans in the farmer's field about seventy to one hundred feet away. Just listening and taking pictures. I love to hear the swans honking to each other, especially when a bicyclist passed by. They'd get up, move a few feet in one direction, and then settle back into the tall grass. Occasionally a few would fly in and join the group. It was wonderful to just stop and enjoy.

Skagit Swans (Click to Enlarge)

Wren, Sandy, Sylvia, Louise, Fishing Guy and Klaus are the team behind My World Tuesday. Click on the logo about to what's happening in other blog worlds.

InSPIREd Sunday - Blessed Sacrament Parish

This is my 400th post! I'm still inspired to take photographs and share them on my blog on a somewhat regular basis.

Blessed Sacrament Parish - Seattle, WA

Weekend Reflections - Window Webs

I don't know about you, but it looks like giant spider webs in the windows to me. It is actually a reflection from Qwest Field stadium in Seattle on warehouse windows across the street. I wish my own windows were this clean!

Come join James at Newtown Area Photo for Weekend Reflections by clicking on the logo above. Every week, participants show off what's looking back at them.

Skywatch Friday - Qwest Field

Just another typical Seattle day - gray and cloudy. This one's for you, Jeannette!

Qwest Field - Seattle, WA

The great team of Klaus, Sandy, Wren, Sylvia and Fishing Guy bring us Skywatch Friday each and every week. Click on the banner above and go visit other Skywatchers to see what the skies looked like in their area of the world.

Street Art, Seattle Style

Seattle, WA - February 13, 2011

World Bird Wednesday - Green Heron

We made a short stop at the Pine Island Conservation area on North Merritt Island during our trip to Florida. We were not prepared to do any hiking so stayed fairly close to the rental car. Karl heard a rustle in the bushes along the small canal where we were parked. Finally we spotted this guy down on a branch overhanging the water. I had to do more research at home to identify this one.

A cool fact (courtesy of allaboutbirds.org) - The Green Heron is one of the few tool-using birds. It commonly drops bait onto the surface of the water and grabs the small fish that are attracted. It uses a variety of baits and lures, including crusts of bread, insects, earthworms, twigs, or feathers. Clever!

 Green Heron

Springman is the host of World Bird Wednesday. Come bird watching with us by clicking on the logo above.

Barn Charm - Camano Island

I rounded the bend in the road and shazam! There she was.

Camano Island, WA

 

Tricia at Bluff Area Daily is our host each Monday for Barn Charm. Click on the logo above and go barn hopping!

Camano Lutheran Church

InSPIREd Sunday

 

Camano Lutheran Church

Camano Island, WA

Established 1904

So I've been thinking this might make a nice meme on Sundays. Like we really need another one. But I've been seeing some great spires in shots from around the world in the Skywatch Friday meme along with ones in my own town. What's your opinion? Leave me a comment below.

Juvenile Eagle

When I was out and about today, I was pretty stoked to be able to capture this wonderful juvenile eagle.

Whatchu lookin' at, Willis?

Weekend Reflections - Dashboard Donettes

Hitting the archives again and pulling out one I'm calling Dashboard Donettes. It is from our cross-country last year. It's never too early for chocolate, right? :)

 Dashboard Delights

James at Newtown Daily Photo is our host each week for Weekend Reflections. Click on the logo above and see what others are sharing.

Skywatch Friday - Tuesday Sunset

We had a nice sunset on Tuesday. Unfortunately, my vantage point is not the greatest. But here it is anyway!

There is a wonderful team behind the Skywatch meme each week - Klaus, Wren, Sandy, Fishing Guy and Sylvia! Click on the banner above and go see what skies others are sharing from around the globe!

World Bird Wednesday - Royal Tern

Last week, I posted about the Black Skimmers we saw in Cocoa Beach, Florida. In the same group of birds, I captured a picture of this one. At first I thought it must be the female skimmer since males have a tendency for brighter and showier plumage. But through research at allaboutbirds.org, I was able to identify this as a Royal Tern. These birds are only found along ocean beaches. They are close in size to a sea gull.

Royal Tern - Cocoa Beach, Florida

Springman at the Pine River Review is our host each week for World Bird Wednesday. Come bird watching with us by clicking on the logo above.

Barn Charm - Mazama Monitor

Its been cruddy weather all weekend so I am diving into my archives. This photo was taken as we drove home one weekend from the CDR last November before the North Cascades Highway closed for the season. The barn is in Mazama, Washington, and is in the Monitor style. I've always thought if, or should I say WHEN, we put up a barn on the CDR, I want a Monitor barn. In the background is the fabulous snow-covered Goat Wall.

Mazama Monitor

 

Tricia is our wonderful host of Barn Charm each week @ the Bluff Area Daily. Click on the logo above and go visit her site and others sharing in the Barn Charm meme.

Weekend Reflections - Legs

From a car show in Stanwood last June. Shiny! Shiny!

Legs

James at Newtown Area Photo is our host each Friday for Weekend Reflections. Click on the logo above to see more great shots from around the world.

Skywatch Friday - More from the Beach

I couldn't decide which one to post, so you get them both! These are from our recent trip to Cocoa Beach, Florida. I love the beach at sunrise.

Cocoa Beach, Florida

Why be satisfied with watching TV when there are awesome skies being shared through the Skywatch meme each week? Klaus, Wren, Sandy, Fishing Guy and Sylvia are the team behind Skywatch Friday. Go visit by clicking on the banner above.

Dig!

Oh, the lessons keep coming at the Chicken Dance Ranch. This past weekend's lesson was we need tire chains (or a tractor with a snow blower-hehe). We got both trucks stuck trying to get up the driveway Friday night. We got our truck dug out and on Saturday, freed Jim's Ford from the axle deep snow. Then he chained up and was able to make a path up to the house. Good thing, too. We brought over a loveseat and for a while there I thought we'd be taking it back home with us. No way were we going to lift and carry it up there through the snow!

Now we have real seating in the house other than camp-style or folding card table chairs. Comfy. :)

Karen, Karl & Jim "Playing" in the Snow

World Bird Wednesday - Black Skimmers

Our attentions were captured by a flock of birds one afternoon in Cocoa Beach, Florida. We saw them on a previous visit to the beach, clustered together on the sand near the surf line. When someone would walk by, they would fly up, circle around and land back where they started. We had to go investigate.

There we found not gulls but Black Skimmers. Their unique bills were what helped us identify them when we got home. These tern-like birds are the only species in the United States that has a larger lower mandible than upper mandible. The black skimmer drags it's lower bill through the water as it flies along, hoping to catch small fish.

Black Skimmer

I don't know why they all lined up facing the same direction on the beach. If you know the reason for this, let me know in the comments.

Attention!

Springman at the Pine River Review is the host each week of World Bird Wednesday. Come bird watching with us by clicking on the logo above! Hopefully I will do a better job visiting this week than last. Where does the time go so quickly?