Weekly Top Shot

 Glorious pink roses!!!!

Weekly Top Shot   

Simple Things Sunday  

Welcome Summer

As is typical of our summer in the Pacific Northwest - today it is raining - it will be 71 and rain so that is very pleasant.  We have some rain here in the summer, but when it is sunny it is the most glorious place on earth.


First day of summer we packed a picnic and headed for Birch Bay - picnic, lawn chairs, small folding table, napkins, tablecloth, jug of ice water, cameras and tripod.

There were clouds out over the mountains in Canada - but at the beach it was sunny and very warm 

We found our favorite spot - behind a big tree and down on the beach.  We only saw a few people walking on the beach - this is the quiet end of Birch Bay State Park 

 I found some very nice, smooth rocks - I think I'll paint something on them.

We had a visitor - looking for something to eat I think. 

Gentle waves on the shore - I could sit and listen to it all day. 

Up in the trees were great flocks of little birds - I have no idea what they are - but they sure were fun to watch as they swirled in and out of the trees. 

Oh - look what is going by - a vintage Dodge Coronet.  Love the rumble of the old cars.  There are fuzzy black dice hanging from the rear view mirror.

The sky was so blue - the clouds so white! 

Two young men were floating and paddling about on a driftwood log 

Good summertime fun! 

We had our picnic - took a short walk - sat and talked for hours.  A peaceful way to start summer.  As the sun began to set the clouds out over Canada turned the most wonderful shades of yellow and gold.  Look for the heron - the left side, right above the beach line, just a little to the right of the bunches of small beach grass, it looks almost like a piece of grass.  

Sunset over Drayton Harbor

While watching the sunset I looked up and there was a Bald Eagle sitting in a tree 

And then in another tree - another eagle.  Several people stopped and were taking pictures of the sunset - and I pointed out the eagles to them. 

 The colors changed each minute - I think I took about 60 pictures of the sunset

There was a heron off to one side - that was what first drew me to this location - always looking for another heron to photograph. This is the same heron I tried to point out earlier - a tiny dot on the water's edge. 

 Just a silhouette because of the light from the sunset

Turn around and there were some fabulous reflections in the slough that runs into Drayton Harbor

 Watching the sun finally set - it was a glorious day.  We spent over six hours at the beach.  We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful area.

One last look - and there seems to be a whale in the sky over the sunset.  Perfect first day of summer!

Did you do something special on the first day of summer!

The good, the random, the fun  

Summer Roses

 Roses -  the waves of summer scent!

Weekly Top Shot

Six Words Friday   

Honeysuckle Hedge on Guemes Island

 The scent of one honeysuckle blossom is unbelievable

Oh how good this whole hedge smelled - we drove very slowly past.

Zoom In - Zoom Out

Garden Tuesday  

Rurality

Almost Wordless Wednesday  

Pop of Red - Ruby Tuesday

I've never done this one before - looks like fun.  Then I realized that I don't often take photos with much red in them.  But I take a few.

Back at Diane's greenhouse - a flowering maple. 

Calibrochoa - petunia-like flowers that don't need constant deadheading - what wonderful colors.  I shall plant some next year. 

And dahlias of all sorts - dark reds and bright reads 

I especially like the radiating colors in the center of these Dahlias 

And a pretty strawberry jam pot!  Guess I do have reds!

Ruby Tuesday  Too

The Good - The Random - The Fun!

This past weekend was all of these things - good, random and fun.

Father's Day was celebrated with a brunch with our daughters and their families.  What could be better than two good grandsons.

The Good

Jahn-Zyel 

Ben 

After brunch at Joy's Bakery in Sedro Woolley the grown ups sat and chatted - the boys went outdoors to run off a little energy.  But it was chilly and breezy so they found a little alcove and had a chat.  This is the view of them from inside the restaurant. 

The Random

Three red picnic tables sitting in a driveway of a house

The Fun

Ok - this is quite random - a hamburger and a hot dog at a picnic table - or maybe they ARE the picnic table.  You can buy local beef burgers at this little stand along the road.  We've never eaten there - but the tables look like fun. 

The Good, The Random, The Fun  

Flowers on Guemes Island - Mosaic Monday

The yards and gardens on Guemes Island are some of the prettiest around - and then there are all the wild flowers.  Such beauty all around.

White wild flowers and garden flowers 

The Oriental Poppies were spectacular this year 

 Roses on fences - with a background of California Lilacs

White Poppies - I'd never seen these before 

Mosaic Monday