Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Category: Nature
Quartz, Minerals, Rocks, and Other Gems
Who can keep them all straight? I’ll start with the largest hunk of quartz I’ve ever seen, an 8,000-pound slab from Arkansas, newly obtained by the Smithsonian. “Quartz is one of the most common minerals in the Earth’s crust. As a mineral name, quartz… Continue Reading “Quartz, Minerals, Rocks, and Other Gems”
Little Anna’s through the Window
I have many other things I could be sharing on this dull Monday morning, but instead, I bring to you this flying jewel, a handsome Anna’s Hummingbird, seen through my office window. A welcome distraction. ~ Susanne
Lots of Activity at the Mason Bee House
The mason bees have emerged from their little house, which hangs under the eaves of my big house. Mason bees are solitary pollinators that nest in tunnels that they seal with mud or clay. They lay female eggs in the back of the tunnel… Continue Reading “Lots of Activity at the Mason Bee House”
Spring Green
Last month we had tantalizing glimpses of spring and I puttered in the yard, snipping and trimming and straightening up the garden, even planting a new rose, Ketchup and Mustard – I refuse to give up on roses. The birds were out and about… Continue Reading “Spring Green”
Surprised by Snow
Yesterday that is. We woke to our most substantial snowfall of the season and even then it was no more than an inch or two. But it was enough for me to get my seasonal pictures of snow on the berries out my front… Continue Reading “Surprised by Snow”
Rainy Day at Redondo Beach
Saturday started out clear and (mostly) sunny. We were desperate to get out of the house after a long, rainy week, so we headed to Redondo Beach in Des Moines (the one in Washington not Iowa.) But the sunshine was fleeting and by the… Continue Reading “Rainy Day at Redondo Beach”
Come with Me for a Walk in the Redwoods
I don’t know how many times I’ve been to the Redwoods – six or eight times? – but regardless, it’s not enough. A perfect road trip down the coast of Oregon to Northern California takes you there easily and scenically from Seattle. Once there,… Continue Reading “Come with Me for a Walk in the Redwoods”
Looking for Red and Pink on a Green and Rainy Day
Monday, Monday and rain is falling here in the Pacific Northwest. Though I was looking for red and pink for this week’s Sunday Stills Challenge, I firstly found raindrops on green. Fortunately, the green was surrounded by red berries, and even the droplets contained… Continue Reading “Looking for Red and Pink on a Green and Rainy Day”
A Study in Green – the Quinault Rain Forest
The Hoh Rain Forest gets most of the press for its fabulous Trail of Mosses, but the Maple Glade Trail in the Quinault Rain Forest is every bit as beautiful and definitely less crowded. Off the beaten path, on the remote southwest edge of… Continue Reading “A Study in Green – the Quinault Rain Forest”
A Charm of Hummingbirds!
That’s what a group of hummingbirds is called. I rarely see them in groups, though I occasionally see a couple sparring for rights over the feeder. So last month during our record deep-freeze, 14 degrees overnight, I added an extra one to a new… Continue Reading “A Charm of Hummingbirds!”
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 