Magnolia and Bee

The other day as I was leaving my yard, I notice that the magnolia blossom had finally bloomed. This was tremendously exciting because it is the second magnolia tree that I planted and I placed it in the ground this spring.

You can see from the photos that I literally jumped out of my car to take in this fascinating display of nature. To my surprise I found a bee absolutely molesting the stigma of the flower. The bee was stuffing pollen into a huge sack near its back feet. I stood mesmerized and felt as if I were watching a nature film.

When I returned later that day, the lower part of the stigma lay in total disarray at the base of the petals.

This is what I captured with my camera.....

See if you can see the sack of pollen.......

Northwest Coast of Washington Trek

I have dreamed of visiting the most north western portion of Washington and walking the coastline. It is claimed to be one of the most spectacular places to see in Washington.

It lives up to its reputation!

Shi Shi Beach

My good friends, Maxine and Ray, are seasoned hikers and invited me to join them on a three night - four day trek from Sand Point to Shi Shi Beach. Having been there before, they knew the ropes (pun, tee hee). Although this is not a long hike in miles, it is very tedious and challenging scaling the cliffs, climbing over rocks, walking on rocks and in slippery tide pools, fording a river, and knowing the tides and terrain necessary to cover so as not to be trapped. Definitely not the average hike!

Here I am ready to go......

You might notice that I do not have a huge backpack.....

Instead, I had Sherpa George.*

Ray, George, Maxine at Ozette River Bridge

We were graced to share this beautiful place with many of the coastal wildlife. Eagles nested in the trees by our campsites and flew overhead, even displaying talon grabbing behavior. The first evening we watched whales swimming South. We walked along side of deer, and shared the river with an otter. There was a plethora of starfish of various sizes and colors, two octopus sightings, and an array of sea critters and sea plants.

Sea life.....

The ropes......and there were MANY!

More fabulous scenery.....

Eagle posing for photo....

*George's backpack broke before departure. In order for all of us to go on the adventure, George and I had to consolidate our stuff.

The "Maxinator" decided what goes and what does not. The next thing I knew, I had my own personal Sherpa :)

Thank you, Maxine!

Full of COLOR

I am absolutely enjoying the unfolding of color in my yard this year after three years of labor. Believe it or not, the Rhodies are the only remnants of what was a bare front yard.

Here are a few photos of what I get to see everyday!

The Beauty of Sleeping Babes

My grandson, Haeden, had his first sleep over at Nanna's house. I could not resist picking up the camera to snap photos as he napped.

What is it about sleeping babies that is so incredibly beautiful?

Morning nap


Afternoon nap in the kitties' favorite sunspot



Maybe another painting......

PERFECT!

Here in the Pacific Northwest we were recently treated to two full days of SUNSHINE. I happened to select those two very days to visit the beach and Seabrook.

Synchronicity!

AND PERFECT, I might add.

Imagine days and days of rain, a decision to go to the beach, and presto! Sunshine and blue skies. Washingtonians would say, "It's a miracle!" Especially since the weather is back to rain once again.

Here is what a Washington beach looks like on a rare sunny day:


This is the beach at Seabrook, a lovely little beach town near Pacific Beach, Washington.

Wind swept trees looking North.....


I was welcomed back home by these two Iceland poppies.

Plethora of Trillium

You do not have to go very far off the beaten path to find several dozens of native trillium blooming on the Chehalis Western Trail in Olympia, Washington.

My favorite spot for trillium gazing is the south end of the trail near Woodard Bay. As you begin to walk the path through the woods, the trillium are scattered profusely on both sides. Their little white heads are peaking out even after being battered from all the rain we have been getting. Last year I tried to take a video with my camera, but I will spare you and post photos instead.






When walking the paved trail, look into the woods on either side for white accents.......more trillium.

This is an easy to get to place for viewing a plethora of trillium.

Amazing Photos

Time to play, name that image.

See if you can figure out what each of the three photos represent.
DO NOT look at the answers at the bottom of the blog.




These pictures are from the book Microcosmos by Brandon Broll who lives in London. This book includes many scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of insects, human body parts and household items. These are the most amazing images of what is too small to see with the naked eye.

Surface of a strawberry
Bacteria on the surface of the human tongue
Eyelash hairs growing from the surface of human skin

Happy Valentine's Day Photos

Happy Valentine's Day!

Some people believe that Valentine's Day is a "greeting card holiday" and others think it is a day to express their love for the people and things around them.

Although I dislike consumerism, I belong to the second group.

Here are some fun photos I found.....

Meet the "Love Pug"


If a golden retriever ever graced your life,
this photo reflects their silly nature.

Beautiful, Chilly, Winter Day

Braving the 27 degree temperature and taking advantage of the sunshine treat, Ebony and I ventured out this morning on the Chehalis Western Trail in Olympia, Washington.

I must admit, we Washingtonians cherish a sunny day no matter what! Everyone Ebony and I encountered on our walk happily commented on the beautiful day. Pleasant way to start the day.

I took my camera along and snapped some photos of the frozen ponds and reflections. A few ducks found a small hole in the ice to swim and dive.


According to my trusty Peterson's Field Guide these ducks are Bufflehead. It is interesting that they are not listed as living in Washington. Is this a rare find?


Inspired, I came home and began a watercolor painting of this beautiful scene.