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Sunday, February 25, 2018

Winter Tea Time

It is pine cone season at our house - pine cones for decorations and a pine cone tea set.  
Wintery weather is a good time for a hot cup of tea.
 All the pieces have been collected separately at yard sales, thrift shops and estate sales - yet they match very well.
 One of my favorites - shimmery and bright



Stop by for a cup of tea one of these blustery Winter days.


Saturday, February 24, 2018

Different Barns

On a recent jaunt to Marysville, WA we passed this fun barn.  Since it was winter we didn't investigate but I'll bet in Autumn there is a lot of fun to be had here.

 The we saw this barn with something on the front of it
Well, what do you know - a school of salmon swimming upstream.




Winter Birds

Juncos are stocking up on some good food at the beginning of a snowstorm yesterday

 No Hummingbird in sight - we bring in the feeder at night to keep it from freezing
Even in the snow you can see the leaves sprouting on the Oso Berry bush - they are the very first plants to leaf out in the spring - maybe a bit too early this year, but they are tough - they'll survive a bit of snow.
  There were dozens of Juncos flitting about
And just the day before, there appeared a Varied Thrush (relative of the American Robin) on the neighbor's roof.  I've rarely seen one in the winter here.




Sunday, February 18, 2018

Waiting for Spring

A few weeks ago I posted about all the things that were budding out - hoping it was going to be an early spring.
 With snowdrops popping up - and pretty things to see and smell.
 So last weekend I bought some pretty flowers to put out in the pots on the deck - a welcome to spring - Snow drops - Hyacinth - Pansies - Grape Hyacinth.
And then look what happened last night!!!!!!
 The weather had turned cold cold cold right after I bought the new flowers - so they have been living safely indoors, on the dining room table - away from the cold and snow.
 It never got above freezing today - the snow blew all around in gale force winds - the little birds shivered in the snow
 But the pretties are safely warm.
 Highs during the coming week are expected to be near or below freezing - with the lowest low temperatures expected to be near 15 degrees.
So the flowers will stay indoors - while the weather outdoors is a deepfreeze - waiting for spring.

Barns

Let's go look at the barns!
 Mt. Baker behind a flooded old corn filed - with silos beside the field


 Sad old barn

 A nice old horse stable and hay barn

 A reflection of Mt. Baker and a barn in a seasonal pond.
Again on of my favorites - the fields flood here in the winter when we have massive rain storms - the water is covering what is usually a pasture and hay field.  The ducks flock to these seasonal ponds (or lakes, as this seems to be).  This farm is on the way up the hill, heading home from the Skagit Valley - I love the views of this well kept farm from the freeway, in all seasons.


Friday, February 16, 2018

Trumpeter Swans

The Trumpeter Swans overwinter in our area - we find flocks from Birch Bay to Marysville, WA, the biggest flocks are found on Fir Island near Conway, WA.  They often feed in the harvested corn fields - muddy and mucky - so when I find them in water or in a green field I always have to stop and take photos.
 Flying overhead in a clear blue sky is wonderful too.
 The grey/brown ones are immature Trunpeter Swans
 They have a 6 foot wingspan and weigh approximately 25 pounds
 Taking a running start
And away we go!


Thursday, February 15, 2018

Winter Scavenger Hunt

Winter Scavenger Hunt - one of my favorite types of posts.  We are challenged by a list of clues for the photos we should take.  

1 PEOPLE AT WORK 

Preparing for the harvest - Birch Bay State Park

2 LUGGAGE
 Some  of my bears having a tussle over who gets to go on vacation with us 

3 DOMESTIC TRIVIA
Ingredients for making oatmeal cookies

4 A WINTER'S TALE (OR TAIL) 
Bald Eagle soaring high

5 PASSENGERS 

Shorebirds floating by on logs at Wiley Slough, Fir Island

6 WRAPPING PAPER


7 ON THE WATER
 Pintails overwintering in our area
Mallards - Birch Bay State Park

8 SILVER 
 A cell phone tower on top of an old silo
And more traditional - silverware, ready for a buffet lunch

9 IN THE MAKING 
Spider web on a misty morning on Lopez Island

10 HAVING FUN 
Dressed for Halloween (a little early for winter) and looking at a painted rock that was hidden on our deck.

11 LIBRARY/BOOK SHOP 
Tiny library in a neighborhood - they even have a chair if you want to sit awhile and read

12 STATIONERY
After painting the geraniums on sheet music I am going make lighter prints and turn them into the background of stationary.

13 A LINE OF - -
 Trumpeter Swans
Shorebirds - Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs 

14 STONES 
I painted  this stone - ready for Valentine's Day

15 BOW
 To the right of the arrow on the map is the small town of Bow, WA - a wonderful tiny town with a sweet cafe where we like to eat when out on bird watching expeditions
A delicious burger and salad fuels us up for more bird watching

16 A SENSE OF HISTORY
 The family has painted hearts with the wedding dates and names of parents and children on the side of their barn 
 My own personal history - I first saw these watermelon dessert dishes in 1964 in a cookbook illustration - and I've looked for them ever since - thrift stores - yard sales - antique stores - ebay - etsy
Recently we found them on Etsy - and they were a Valentine's Day gift from Don. 
 This is the illustration in the cookbook that sent me searching for over 50 years.
And this is the cookbook - printed in 1959 - it was a wedding gift in 1964.


17 MANY 
The flock extended far beyond the sides of this photo - it was estimated that the entire flock was 30,000 to 40,000 Snow Geese - they overwinter in our area every year.

18 SIGNPOST
A little bird told me

19 A PAIR OF -
 Trumpeter swans - flocks of them also overwinter in our area

20 DETAIL

 Full moon - taken from our deck.  My camera is a Nikon CoolPix P600 - and yes, I do use a tripod for steadiness.

21 HANDLE
 Croquet set on our deck

22 SYMMETRY
 A fence made of  snow skis

23 A HEART
Trumpeter swans

24 STEAM/SMOKE/MIST
Morning sun as the fog lifts in the woods across from our home.

25 A PEEK INSIDE

This has been fun - thanks to Eileen at A Bracelet of Days  - hop over and see what others are finding on their scavenger hunts.