The Snow Geese Are Back!

The Snow Geese overwinter in Skagit Valley - just south of us.  We've never seen them this early.  Don decided he wanted to go check and see if they were here for the winter.  I doubted that they would be - but it is a fun adventure - so we set off after he got off work early.  Down to Fir Island - about 20 miles south of us - we decided to take the back route and drove along the dike next to the river.

We heard something.  Geese?  Snow Geese?  So far away sounding - probably not.  Continue around the dike - some farmers out in the rain trying to drain water off their potato fields so they can harvest - no Snow Geese.  Drive farther - I'm sure I hear Snow Geese - they sound like they are in the sky.  Nothing yet.  On past the dike - onto the main road - still I hear the geese.  Still I don't see them.  Closer - I hear them coming closer - the sky is grey and cloudy - spitting rain - no Snow Geese.

I can hear them - I can I can - and then - and then - and then

 Flocks and flocks of Snow Geese - coming in from the north - they are here!!!!

 Settling into the harvested corn fields - rest at last.

 Here they come - flooding in from the north - some flapping their wings slowly - are they tired?  Down they drift.  They come in flocks - one large flock after another.

 The noise is deafening as more and more flocks come in

The first Snow Geese of the season - and we were there to watch them landing. What a thrill.

Saturday's Critters

Autumn Webs

Early morning sun sparkles on webs in the fields on Lopez Island on a foggy/sunny morning

The fog was very heavy early one morning on our anniversary get-away to Lopez Island last month - the sun broke through just as we were starting out to explore the island that morning- making the webs in the fields glisten with drops of fog that had collected on the webs overnight.

 Diamonds of fog!

  Mosaic Monday
Nature Notes 

Would You Like a Cup of Autumn Tea?

Autumn is here - winds are howling - leaves are flying about - let's enjoy a cup of  tea.

We start with roses

Just the perfect color to go with my Sears Cattail tea set

This dish set was made in in the early 1940s; the teapot sold for $2.98 and a cup and saucer was fifty cents - of for those prices these days.

Let's have some Fresh Apple Cake with our tea

Green Bakelite handled flatware is perfect for these dishes

Come, sit, enjoy, there is tea and cake for you too

And lovely roses to scent the room

Vintage Charm Party

Friends Sharing Tea

Tea Cup Tuesday

Tuesday Cuppa Tea 

More Lopez Island Vacation

Return to Lopez Island with me - off the coast of NW Washington State, to our anniversary and birthday celebration get-away.

There were plenty of birds on the island - let's visit some.

Hairy Woodpecker - busy at an apple tree 

 Another bird with red on its head.  The Vulture has no feathers on its head so as to not get messy while scavenging, it does has beautiful feathers.

 With all the pictures I have taken of Bald Eagles  I have never seen one drying its wings before  This was an early foggy morning.

 The Bald Eagle would perch across the small inlet in front of our cabin every morning.

 Great Blue Herons were plentiful - and beautiful.

 Every evening a Mourning Dove would fly up into the tree in front of our cottage and call to other doves in the area.  He had a deep raspy voice.  The evening sunlight was a terrific highlight.

 The Hair Woodpecker flew off to another apple tree to search for lunch.

The channel behind the cottage was a great spot for shore birds.  We watched this Killdeer skitter around the beach and in the shallow edges of the water.

Mosaic Monday

Through My Lens

Tuesday's Treasures

I'm enjoying my newly painted china cabinet so much - I decided to hurry autumn along and display the autumn colors.

Filled with lovely serving pieces collected over the years

 Vintage Wild Fowl glasses - an anniversary gift from Don this year - sunflower soup bowls for warm autumn soups

 Turkey plates and bowls - I found these last year just after Thanksgiving in a thrift shop - I knew they wouldn't be there long so scooped them up and saved them until this year.

 Autumn leaf plates - and an autumn leaf bowl filled with decorative acorns

 Cabbage soup tureen

  

 Leaf bowls - found at the same store as the china cabinet

 Mini pumpkin tureens

 Great for baking a pumpkin custard - or for soups

We will certainly have a lot of soups this autumn 

  

 Pumpkin pitcher and bee hive cracker jar

Ceramic turkey I made in ceramics class years ago in California

Yellow pitcher and cream and sugar were found in a thrift store in Chilliwack, British Columbia on vacation this year.

Have you found any lovely autumn dishes this year - and do you have a favorite that you use over and over?

Tuesday's Treasures