January Scavenger Hunt

Don't you love a good scavenger hunt?  Me too.  Let's go!

J is for

Our son-in-law Jay and our grandson Jahn-Zyel, building our deck.  This was right after lunch - so I'm using if for 1 p.m. - cuz I can't find anything else

Measurement

These are measuring cups  -  cute, eh?

Color

Blueberry bushes in the spring - they turn red just before they blossom

A Corner

One of our favorite buildings in Eureka, CA

Hats

Hats I made for my dolls.

Stamp

Buddy E at work with me - stamping things.

Looking Down

Crowd

A flock of snow geese - the entire flock was estimated at 30,000 to 50,000 birds - this is but a portion of the whole flock

Natural

Great Blue Heron

Fruit

Raspberries from the farm stands

Roof

Wild roses on an old roof.


Scavenger Hunt 

Moss

In the far west Pacific Northwest we live in a rainy climate.  Rain is common and there is a saying here, "You can tell the tourists, they carry umbrellas."  It is just part of our lives. It does give us some very interesting mosses and lichens.  A sunny day makes the moss glow!

And Eagles

The last of our drive last weekend - and it is almost the weekend again.

At the top of the far tree - an eagle sits

Looking for lunch?

Not far down the road - another eagle - a little to the left of the top of the tree

Look closely - in the top of the tallest tree in the distance - two Bald Eagles

In the dozens of times we've visited Bay View Interpretive Center we've never seen an eagle in the surrounding trees.  Until this past weekend - right there on a branch, overlooking Padilla Bay.  There were ducks in the bay, making good hunting for the eagle.

And then, up in the trees, another set of two Bald Eagles

A mature Bald  Eagle in the tree 

And an immature Bald Eagle, the head and tail feathers have not come in completely white yet - it takes 3-5 years to develop the entirely white head and tail.

Then, right next to the road (not at Bay View any more) -another Bald Eagle - it was an eagle sort of day!

Out near LaConner we saw Snow Geese landing in a distant field. At first we didn't see them, but heard them. 

Coming in to land by the hundreds 

I captured this group with the sun reflecting off their wings as they flew right over us.

We had made a circuit of this part of the Skagit Valley on a sunny day, a perfect ride for finding eagles.

Twin Sisters Mountain Range

Another of my favorite mountains to photograph is actually a separate mountain range.   The entire range is composed of rock, which is actually a fragment of the subcontinental mantle, which has thrust up through the crust.  Because the range is made entirely of rock, it is quite different from the other mountains that surround it, the Cascades.

On our ride last weekend this was our first view as we drove down the Mt. Baker Hiway

The Twin Sister Range is the largest body of exposed Olivine (Magnesium Iron Silicate) in the Western Hemisphere.

North Twin Sister and South Twin Sister - often this range is simply called "The Sisters"

South Twin Sister, the tallest of them all, at 7,000 ft (2134m), on the right, Skookum Peak, 6,616 ft (2,017m)

North Twin Sister - 6,640 ft (2024m)

When we got to Acme, WA (yes, they used to have a Roadrunner statue on the little store there) we turned down a side road, and there they were again.  

A little different view - we had traveled over 30 miles by now.  Left, South Twin Sister and then Skookum Peakm (appears to be very small),  the next two - going right, are Hayden and Little Sister and to the right of the tree, Twin Crest Peak

A better view of Little Sister and Twin Crest Peak

Hayden, 6,480 ft (1,975m) and Little Sister 6,600 ft (2,012m)

From a side road - more views - I just never get enough of our mountains.  South Twin Sister and Skookum Peak - you can see one of the remaining glaciers to the right of the tall tree.  The largest of the three remaining glaciers is just over a mile wide and all will be completely gone within 10 years.

North Twin Sister - this is an unusually small amount of snow for this time of the year - usually the mountains are completely covered, it's been a dry winter so far 

Close up of Little Sister 

South Twin Sister and Skookum Peak

 Skookum and Hayden

South Twin Sister

Farther down the road there is a pull out, put there just so people could safely get off the road to look at the mountains.  We decided this was the perfect spot to have our picnic - in the car, because it was only 42 degrees.  We get a wonderful view across this valley of the Twin Sisters Mountain Range.  Just out of the picture - to the left, is a farmhouse with this fabulous view.

Another perspective of South Twin Sister, Skookum Peak and Hayden

Little Sister on the far right.  The peaks are easier to pick out from this view.  Skookum Peak on the left and Hayden in the middle.

Very close, close-up of South Twin Sister

First ascent of South Twin Sister was August 1, 1891 by J.M Edson, E.A Hegg, and P.J Parris.

North Twin Sister, with just the top of Mt. Baker peeking up on the left.

Close up of Mt. Baker

And even closer,showing the small peaks in front of Mt. Baker, and foothills in front of that.

It was a glorious mountain day!

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