Two Herons and A Kingfisher

We have many Great Blue Heron rookeries in this area.  It is always a thrill to see them.  This one was far out on the sandbar in Birch Bay State Park.

A Belted Kingfisher on a very windy day - Willy's Lake 

  

 And a Green Heron - looking for lunch at the boat launch in Blaine.

  

Success!

Scenery

A lovely old barn

And cattle in a field of buttercups.

This is summer for sure in Western Washington!

Summer Wild Flowers

Wild flowers abound this time of the year - here are two of my favorites.

 Fireweed is everywhere - I want some growing in my yard - I think it grows thick enough and fast enough that there would be some left to bloom after the deer graze through - at least that is my hope.

 Such a pretty flower - it is the first flowers to bloom after a wild fire - or after logging.  The seeds are light and fluffy and float on the wind.

Another is wild Sweet Peas - they grow in masses alongside country roads - the biggest wave of them we ever saw was almost a mile long - they are amazing.

 

A nice backdrop for waves of Sweet Peas.

 Pinks and purples.  I planted some seeds in pots on our deck this year - when they go to seed I will save the seeds and hopefully get some that will survive the deer who visit our yard regularly.

What wildflowers bloom in your area?  When we lived in Burney California there were Bachelor's Button growing in wild masses.  Our kids would pick pretty bouquets of them on their way home for lunch.

Oh Deer!

Down by the clubhouse there is a small pond, with grassy areas and often the deer can be found there.

 A muddle of deer's ears

They are very tame and one has to watch for them when driving - we've seen as many as a dozen in our yard - grazing about on the lawn or taking a rest.  They are one of the reasons I only garden on the deck - we love seeing them, but don't want them to eat up all the flowers and vegetables we grow.

Summer Flowers

There is a small plot that is full of beautiful Irises that we love to visit.  It sits in the middle of large blueberry fields - you can go there and choose the ones you want to purchase and in the Autumn you will pick up your order.

 There are lots of photographers and painters who visit there - as well as the ones who want to purchase the rhizomes for their own gardens.  

 The plot is only about 25x25 feet and is crammed with every color of Iris you could imagine and is definitely one of our favorites when the flowers start blooming.

 Rhododendrons grow profusely here too - beautiful colors and we once saw a hedge that seemed to go for a mile - all hydrangeas.

 Our roadsides are lined with wild roses of all sorts - this pale pink one blooms in the early spring.

The rose hips give overwintering birds lots of food.

Horses

A few miles south of us there is a Polo Club - we see the sign every time we go to our favorite farm stand in LaConner.  I need to look up some information about when they play polo - I'd love to see a game, or even a practice.

 There are dozens of beautiful horses in the fields and we stop and take photos almost every time we pass.

 These were in a different field a bit down the road - they were enjoying a snack off that big bale of hay.

 Such pretty horses.

I've only ridden a horse one time - and it decided to lie down against a bank and my leg got painfully squished - have you ever ridden a horse?  I love to see them when they are running through the fields.  My lifelong dream is to see wild horses running free.  

Gardening Update

Bachelor's Buttons are so dark blue - but the color didn't come through on the camera.  One of our wooden crows like to sit in the shade of the flowers

Since the lockdown we've not been anywhere - except Don goes to do the grocery pick-up about every three weeks - and we've taken some nice rides - otherwise it is stay at home - and we've been enjoying it a lot.  Don is working full time from home, it is good to have him here every day.

I decided that since we couldn't go to the nursery to get plants for the deck, that I would plant some seeds.  Some I ordered from ebay - so many choices and good prices - non-gmo and organic seeds easily available.  Some are seeds I've had for several to many years - some from even before we moved to Washington in 2001.  But everything sprouted really well - and it seems these plants are growing far better and much faster than the plants I used to buy from the nursery. 

 Yellow Pear Tomatoes - these need potting up into much larger pots this week

 One of the Yellow Pear Tomatoes has little buds on it

 The Cherry Tomatoes have flowers - soon we'll have some tomatoes setting

 I planted two pots of Dwarf Sunflowers - from seeds that are over 20 years old

 And they have big buds already.

 Can't wait to see the flowers!!!

 Two pots of pickling cucumbers

 One plant had a blossom yesterday morning and last evening there was a teeny tiny cucumber!

 I ordered some wild Sweet Pea Seeds from ebay - they have sprouted and are beginning to climb their little stakes.

 Fireweed - seeds from ebay - those seeds are super tiny and you don't cover them with soil, just place on the soil and water - and they sprout amazingly well.

The Marigolds are growing into trees - these are the ones with large orange and/or yellow flowers.  Several of the plants have buds and I expect flowers any day now.  The crow is keeping watch to make sure the squirrel stays out of the flower pots.

Are you doing any gardening this year?  I'm really enjoying the plants.  I garden on the deck in pots because we have families of deer that roam our neighborhood and especially love flowers.