Tag Archives: Photography

N is for Nests and Nature~

It’s time for the letter N with Jenny at Alphabe-Thursday! Thank you Jenny for hosting!

This past weekend I had a bloggy guest spend a few days and we were out and about in the Great Northwest. On the way and during a trip to the Sequim Lavender Farm Faire we were given the opportunity to photograph something neither of us had ever seen before, a baby Seagull. My daughter Katie spotted it off the car deck of the ferry. Later in the morning above the Dungeness Spit on Marine Drive Jill spotted an eagle. Eagle photographs have eluded me until now and then a local stopped while we were photographing the Eagle to tell us about a spot where we could see 2 young eagles still in their nest. Let’s just say that it was a glorious start to a glorious day of enjoying God’s creation and making note of that creation with our cameras.

Here’s the baby seagull that Katie spotted from the ferry dock. Mama seagull was standing over it keeping an eye on us while we clicked away.

The Eagle

He clasps the crag with crooked hands;
Close to the sun in lonely lands,
Ring’d with the azure world, he stands.

The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls;
He watches from his mountain walls,
And like a thunderbolt he falls.

© Alfred Tennyson

Nests – The shape of the eagle nest or aerie is determined mainly by the branch point where it’s built. Sticks placed in tree forks result in cylindrical or conical shaped nests. Disk Shaped nests are built on the ground or a tree branch which is nearly level. Bowl Shaped Nests occur where the tree trunk branches off into smaller upright branches.
   Bald eagles build their nests in large trees near rivers or coasts. A typical nest is around 5 feet in diameter. Eagles often use the same nest year after year.

We assumed this is one of the parents of the eaglets since it was perched just above the nest.

Beyond the Dungeness Spit is the Strait of Juan De Fuca which separates this part of the Olympic Peninsula from Vancouver Island, B.C.

The Dungeness Lighthouse. Built in 1857. Manned and maintained by US Lighthouse Society, New Dungeness Chapter. Six mile walk to the lighthouse. Open year round.

This is also the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge.

We saw other animals, too. Besides needing some serious orthodontia work, aren’t they cute? We stayed far enough away so they couldn’t spit on us.

Another first for me on this day was being able to photograph this peacock with it’s feathers fanned. Too bad he was behind the wired fence.

Hope you enjoyed my nature shots. I’ll be around soon to see what other N’s will be represented this week.

The Washington Monument

I’m trying to finish posting my Washington D.C. photos. These are the shots I got of the Washington Monument.

The Washington Monument is the most prominent structure in Washington, D.C. and one of the city’s early attractions. It was built in honor of George Washington, who led the country to independence and then became its first President. The Monument is shaped like an Egyptian obelisk, stands 555’ 5 1/8” tall, and offers views in excess of thirty miles. It was finished on December 6, 1884.

In an elaborate Fourth of July ceremony in 1848, the cornerstone was laid. The outbreak of Civil War of 1861 delayed the completion of the monument. When Lt.Col.Thomas L.Casey, Mills’ successor, resumed work on the project in 1876, he heavily altered the original design for the monument so that it resembled an unadorned Egyptian obelisk with a pointed pyramidion. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of the War Department was charged with completing the construction, and the monument was dedicated on February 21, 1885, and officially opened to the public on October 9, 1888.

They were cleaning the reflecting pond while we were in D.C. so we didn’t get the best shots from the Lincoln Memorial.

Weighing 81,120 tons, the Washington Monument stands 555′ 5-1/8″ tall. The walls of the monument range in thickness from 15′ at the base to 18” at the upper shaft. They are composed primarily of white marble blocks from Maryland with a few from Massachusetts, underlain by Maryland blue gneiss and Maine granite. A slight color change is perceptible at the 150′ level near where construction slowed in 1854.

Hope your Wednesday is going well. Only one more day of June left. Are you going to stick around for the long July 4th weekend or Canada Day Weekend or are you headed out? We are staying close to home.

Today I have a recipe posted on Mennonite Girls Can Cook for Chicken Perlo, a Southern dish.

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and photobucket stamped versions. They are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

Reflecting…

…on the rest of the week.

~Considering what to pack for my 5 day trip to Southern California. The primary reason for the trip is to supervise the packers and movers at the Condo. All of our stuff will finally move north to Washington. Where we will put all that stuff is yet to be determined!

~Wondering if the packers will be cursing me under their breath when they see all those dishes!

~Looking forward to seeing my SoCal walking buddy Willow. We won’t be doing any walking but I’m sure we’ll fit in a cup of tea together so we can catch up on what’s been happening in our lives.

~Wondering what my daughter and I will be doing with our extended family after she arrives for the weekend down South.

~Wondering when the condo might be sold. Sooner then later I hope…

~Continually thankful for being back in my house in Washington. Last night I could hear the frogs croaking. When I look out windows I see huge trees. Windows! I have way more then 3 windows here and I like the view out of every one of them.

~Talked to my middle son yesterday and was thanking God again for His mercy and grace and protection on Dan’s life.

~Making sure I don’t forget I have jury duty bright and early the morning after I get back from California.

~Wondering if I’ll be posting anything the rest of the week. Knowing me…I’ll probably find something to post.

~Hoping the stuff from California doesn’t arrive during my Jury Duty obligation.

~Are you bored yet?

~Hoping I won’t feel too all alone or bored back in Camarillo by myself…

Have a wonderful week everyone and if you don’t see me on your blogs you’ll know why.

Window Views ~ Seattle Pioneer Square

 

This was taken at Occidental Park in downtown Seattle in Pioneer square.

To see more Window Views and Doors Too visit Mary here.

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Who Knows…

…what a day may bring?

 

Unlike the apple tree my pear tree has pushed out a few of it’s buds to full blossoms. So delicate and pretty.

We had one of those dreaded phone calls last night. Lana…”Pop is on his way to the hospital”. Then I ask , “He’s not driving himself, is he? She says, “No, Aunt Anna is driving him. We’re headed out the door to the hospital now and will call you later.” So then I call back and ask, “What are the symptoms?” He had chest pain during the day and used 2 of the nitroglycerin pills the doctor gave him and the pain didn’t go away so they decided to go to emergency. Then I’m thinking why didn’t they call 911. Three people in their 80’s driving to the hospital which is about 7 miles away. Oye!

Then the waiting from 1200 miles away. Talking to God while I’m waiting. Realizing my parents are at that stage in life when you don’t know how much longer they’ll bless this earth with their physical presence.

The doctor finally comes out and lets my sisters know that Pop has Angina (duh…that’s why he came to the ER) and that they think he might have blockage somewhere and they’ll be keeping him overnight for further tests on Tuesday. I wonder if my mom was able to sleep at all last night.

So today I’m tired and dull in the head and still waiting, knowing my Pop’s life is in the hands of our God. Also knowing my life is in God’s hands and I can trust Him.

Isaiah 33:2 (English Standard Version)

O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you.
Be our arm every morning,
our salvation in the time of trouble.

Psalm 5:3 (New International Version)

In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation.

Psalm 88:13 (English Standard Version)

But I, O LORD, cry to you;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.

Psalm 143:8 (English Standard Version)

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.

Round Robin Photo Challenge ~ Look Up/Look Down…

Time for an all new challenge! This time around it comes to us by way of our friend Steven. “Look Up/Look Down” is scheduled for Saturday March 13th, 2010. For this one, the perspective is up to you. Link up to the Round Robin Blog to see more of “Look Up” or  for the next Photo Challenge which will be in a couple of weeks…

My first two shots are from Pleasanton, California on our roadtrip from Cali to Washington. I looked up and saw this despicable image looking down at me…

 

but the fact that it’s not the fairest image in the world didn’t keep me from zooming in…

 

Now on a more serene note…while I was at the Japanese Gardens in Seattle last Saturday I took this shot looking down…

 

Happy Saturday to you Robins! I’ve seen Robins in my yard this week and I have a goal to capture one in a photo…

If I don’t get to you today it’s because Dear is taking me off for a massage and overnight to celebrate my birthday which is tomorrow! I’ll see you soon…

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Finding Beauty…

 

Short and sweet this week. This shot was one of many I took last Saturday at the Japanese Gardens in Seattle.

Hope you found some beauty in your world this week. Visit Claudia at Dipity Road to see more beauty. She has lots of sweet bunnies to show you…

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Daffodils ~ William Wordsworth

Daffodils ~ William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.


Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.


The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:


For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.


Ode to Emma Wood…

Here’s a photo of Dear and me at Emma Wood State Beach this morning at Sunrise. We love this early morning walk and we’re going to miss it.

Ode To Emma Wood (Think “Harriet” from So I Married An Axe Murderer”)

Emma sweet Emma

You thrilled us each week

We hardly could speak

We listened to waves crashing near

Emma Sweet Emma

We’ll miss being here

Each week of the year

To see all your Tides High and Low

Your waves crash on shore

The pelicans soar

The Godwits and Sanderlings dig

Emma Sweet Emma…

Hope your Saturday is going well…

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.

Friday’s Fave Five ~ January 8th

Looking back at this week and remembering some favorites. Visit Susanne at Living to Tell the Story to join in with your favorites!

We arrived back in Southern California on Sunday night and began the task of getting used to being here in the south.

 

1. On Tuesday morning Willow and I resumed our walks in her neighborhood. It was good to walk again and to push ourselves up those hills. We had clear, sunny, crisp weather for our walk.

 

2. On Wednesday I drove to Pt. Mugu because I wanted some winter shots of the beach. I never tire of seeing the beach and hearing the waves break. God has really created beautiful things for us to enjoy.

 

3. I made a quick stop into the local Goodwill and was able to pick up 7 Johnson Bros. dinner plates in the Asiatic Pheasant pattern that my SIL has been looking for. I asked them to lower the price on each plate since I was buying all 7 and they agreed! Yippee…

4. I made Ree Durmmond’s White Chili this week and it was really good. I recommend the recipe to you. I forgot to take a picture for you but click on over and you’ll see lots of pictures…

 

5. NEW SHOES! I’m so happy with my new shoes that I found at good ole Fred Meyer when I was in Washington. I wanted shoes I could slip on and wear with jeans that weren’t white tennies!! They are very comfortable and give me the support I need. They are Sketchers and I got them on sale with an extra $10.00 off.

Hope you are having a good week. I’m trying real hard not to get Dear’s ick that has been keeping him home from work this week…I just might be losing that battle, ugh!

Photobucket is holding all my photos that I stored on their site from 2007-2015 hostage replacing them with ugly grey and black boxes and asking for a large ransom to retrieve them. It is a slow process to go through all my posts deleting the ugly boxes.