A Midsummer's Scavenger Hunt

Amy-Lynn Bell, at Flandrum Hill is hosting a Scavenger hunt - let's all have some summer fun.

Here are the basic rules -

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to photograph five natural subjects that each captures the essence of one of the following elements. Each one is characterized by one or several colors that may be substituted for a literal image of the element. Post to your blog - and send a link to Amy-Lynn

1. Fire (Red)
2. Water (Blue or Black)
3. Metal (White, Gold or Silver)
4. Earth (Brown or yellow)
5. Wood (Green)

I love scavenger hunts - always did as a kid too - and I've had a grand time searching out some wonderful things in nature to photograph - and then choosing my favorites - I could have posted a dozen of each category - but here are my final five.

1. Fire (Red)

I heard this Pileated Woodpecker before I saw him. His drumming was loud enough to draw my attention even indoors with the doors and windows closed. He was across the street near the woods and this photo was taken through the window so I wouldn't disturb him. I sometimes hear him calling from the woods, but this was the first chance I had to actually see him.

2. Water (Blue or Black)

The moon rising over the farm we lived on - the sky almost looks like water, with the clouds at the top of the mountains looking like surf, and even the air seemed blue that night. It was a magical night - the planet just above the moon showing up so brightly

3. Metal (white, gold or silver)

This little donkey is one of my all-time favorite photos. Taken in N. CA, she almost looks like an angel with the silver light reflecting off her back. We stood and talked for a long time, she seemed very interested in talking that day.

4. Earth (brown or yellow)

This cave appeared as we rounded a corner on a curvy country road. The brown above the mouth of the cave almost shone in the sunlight, with the nice contrast of the dark entrance. This photo could be for every element except red for fire. We see the (2) blue in the grasses on the left for water, (3) silver grasses on the far left for metal, (4) brown for earth and tiny yellow flowers, and (5) green in the ferns hanging from the ceiling for wood. Using our imagination we can almost see red at the top of the cave - almost.

5. Wood (green)

A funky old car in a farmer's field. We stopped at the barn for a yard sale and when we were parked we were right in front of this lovely old relic. The tree sprouting is an Elderberry, just finding a place to thrive.

I hope you enjoyed your travels with me on my scavenger hunt.

Outdoor Wednesday

It is time for outdoor Wednesday again - and I have some glorious flowers that I've seen around town.

Stop by and visit more Outdoor Wednesday entries - have fun!!

I'm not sure what these yellow flowers are - but they are everywhere - anyone have any ideas?

The azaleas are blooming at the houses by the lake - blooming like crazy!

Alld different colors!

Even lovelier close up . . .

And rhododendrons of every color - they seem to be in almost every yard . . .

purple and pink . . .
hedges of them . . .

I just can't seem to get enough of them . . .

And my favorite of all time - the Golden Chain trees - there are almost as many of these as there are rhododendrons.

Get closer - you can hear the bees . . .
Get right up in the tree - they are glorious!!!!

It's been a while - how about a trip to see some old barns?

It's been quite a month - since I last posted. I have posted on my other blog - about what has been keeping me so busy - Don's open heart surgery to repair the mitral valve. He got home from the hospital (after nine days in the hospital) two weeks ago today. His progress has been nothing short of miraculous. He's had almost no pain, and what pain he has had has been in the form of muscle aches, he is walking up to 35 minutes a day without tiring, and is planning to go back to work part time (with the surgeon's permission) on Monday. He'll try a few hours at first and see how that goes - he is so excited to be going back to work.

So - in celebration - I 'll share a little trip we made not long before the surgery.

When we are out for a drive Don knows that if we approach an old barn that I simply must stop and get photos of it. I often make up stories about the barns and the people and animals that have lived there - and loved the barns.

This sweet old barn sits rigth on the road . . .

The elderberries are beginning to take over - along with some other weeds . . .

Part of the roof is gone and the doors probably haven't been opened in years . . .

Haul that hay up there - watch that it doesn't swing out too far and hit the side of the barn . . .

After chores - a few games of basketball - shall we play "H-O-R-S-E"?

Lovely old hinges . . .

And a sliding door . . . the farmer was so proud as he pounded the last nails in . . .

Down the road just a little ways is a very long, sagging barn . . .

Sagging like an old horse, ridden too long . . .

And bits of the roof are beginning to peel in the wind - it never lets up on this hilltop . . .

A lovely old barn, used for summer recreation at a county park . . .

Another old barn, lovingly restored at a living history farm - there are animals to pet and antique farm implements to wonder about and even climb around on . . . and then a picnic . . .

This barn was on the property of a house we rented when we first moved to WA in 2001 . . .
Barn owls nested in the hay loft, and students from the university would come to the door and ask permission to gather the owl pellets . . .

And that winter it snowed - quiet and soft and calm - and oh so cold . . .

Hope you enjoyed the barns - do you have any old barns around your area? Do you take photos of them too?