Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
More of My Favorite Trees – the Maples!
I love trees – all kinds of trees and thought I would share a few more of my favorites for Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge.
How about those Maples? There are so many sizes, shapes and varieties in the genus ‘Acer’ family, they hardly seem related to one another. But then you know how families are. 🙂
I’ll start with the native Vine Maple adorning our gardens and adding bursts of color to the evergreen forests of the Pacific Northwest.
Next up is the cultured Japanese Maple – bold and beautiful inside and out – with sturdy twisted limbs supporting colorful, lacy leaves. I found these at the Washington Arboretum.
Finally here are the giant Maple trees of the Hoh River Rainforest – completely content to be swallowed up in moss!
~ Susanne
Close-up on Crocosmia
I have a patch of Crocosmia in a neglected part of my garden that I planted for the hummingbirds. Their tiny trumpet flowers bloom faithfully every year with barely any attention by me. They deserve more appreciation so today I snipped a few blossoms to share with Sunday Stills Photo Challenge, Close-Up.
Aren’t they wonderful?
~ Susanne
Day 10 is for the Birds!
WordPress notified me yesterday that I was on a 9 day blogging streak. I don’t normally pay much attention to their notices but since this was my longest string to date I thought I’d make it a perfect 10 with a post for the birds.
These beautiful nuthatches live in my yard in the evergreen trees. I love to watch them walk up and down the trees hunting for insects.
They often come down for a drink and a bath in the stream or one of the birdbaths. This one found a suitable place to drink on the picnic table where water had pooled after I’d been spraying with the hose. Those are my dahlias in the background looking rather artsy in the sunshine.
This little wren made an appearance near the stream one day. They’re so fast I don’t usually get a picture of them. They live in the nearby shrubs.
Finally, I’ll close with a couple of crows. I saw them one night when I went down the street to take a picture of the sunset. They were still there as I was coming back and I liked their silhouette.
And that will officially end this 10 day blogging streak.
See you next week! 🙂
~ Susanne
Berry Picking with Mom
Good name for a poem – if only I had the eloquence. Regardless, today I had the privilege of going berry picking with my mom. Privilege I say because she’s 89 years old and not everyone is so lucky.
Actually it was her idea. Or at least she reminded me that the blackberries were ripening and we should get them before the sun scorched them dry. And she remembered they were plentiful not far from my house.
So we went and found them in abundance on both sides of the road – a quiet road with no traffic along a right-of-way.
They were beautiful. In varying stages of readiness but many plump and juicy, ripe for picking.
“Look mom,” I said pointing to our bowls mostly full. “We picked the same amount.”
“I have more,” she said with a twinkle in her eye – because that’s my mom.
I took her back home and before she made it to her apartment she’d given some berries away. To the person at the front desk. To the person on the elevator.
Because again – that’s my mom.
The berries are still ripening so we’ll go back for more.
In the meantime we’ll be eating berries. Freezing berries. And making blackberry cobbler.
Lucky for both of us.
~ Susanne
Another Tale of Tiger and Benji
This morning I went outside to have my coffee by the stream and some quiet time alone.
It wasn’t long before Tiger emerged from hiding and approached me where I sat.
Although he’s not a lap cat, I knew he wanted to jump up but didn’t have the nerve. There were risks involved known only to him – perhaps baggage from long ago.
I spoke encouraging words and hoped he would overcome whatever held him back. He’s a sweet old boy, timid and slow to change..
While he thus pondered, the youngster showed up with no such reserve and the message was clear – “Out of my way old timer!!”
Tiger missed his chance and he knew it and headed to the woodpile – there will be other times.
‘Oh Benji,’ I sighed, ‘did you have to run him off?’
But there was no response just contentment.
Benji has baggage too. Of surviving the streets and a crazy cat house. Feisty, yes, but also sweet as can be.
Rescue cats – they’re different as night and day these two. And I love them both.
~ Susanne
Pink Sunset
After looking for Pink yesterday I realized how hard it is to find – at least at my house. Even in my garden – except for the dahlias – pink was in short supply. I guess I could have waited for last night’s sunset – it’s as if someone heard me lamenting the lack of pink in my life and said, ‘o yeah? you want pink? I’ll show you pink.’
So there you have it – last night’s Pink Sunset.
~ Susanne
In the Pink
Who thought it would be that hard to find Pink? Not me. But I looked high and low and found pink to be in very short supply indeed.
Except for the obvious – my Dahlias currently in bloom.
After that there was no pink to be had anywhere on the premises.
So I went rummaging through my archives and found these lovely hula dancers in Maui.
Any excuse to post a picture from Hawaii. 🙂
For Travel with Intent’s, One Word Sunday Photo challenge, Pink.
~ Susanne
Cedar River Walk and Surprise! – It’s the Blue Angels!
My walk on the Cedar River Trail today yielded more than steps on my Fitbit. For it’s Seafair Weekend and the Blue Angels took to the sky just after I made it to the southern shores of Lake Washington. I wish I could say it was perfect planning on my part – but no – I stumbled upon the occasion and enjoyed it along with the rest.
It was perfect weather – sunshine – blue skies – and a little breeze to cut the heat – so I took a seat and waited for the show to begin.
A festive atmosphere prevailed among those of us gathered on the dock. Pleasant chattering, oohs and ahhhs, listening for the roar of the jets which was out of synch with the visuals.
Lots of birds gathered too and they occasionally took to the sky and got into the picture.
Next up are the Hydroplane Races, part of Seattle’s Seafair history and tradition – part of my husband’s history too. You many remember his story if you’ve followed my blog for a while; if not, feel free to look back at an earlier time – It Happened at Seafair.
~ Susanne
CFFC – Animals
I love animals and am always thrilled to see them in the wild.
I saw this herd of Roosevelt Elk at Dosewallips State Park on the Olympic Peninsula.
I watched from a safe distance while they were feeding and this handsome boy reminded me it was the right course of action.
I enjoyed these traffic-stopping Bison (more commonly known as Buffalo) at Yellowstone National Park. Don’t be fooled into thinking that because they are abundant in the park they are tame. They are not. They let us visit them in their habitat and it is wise – even imperative – to always give them the right-of-way.
I saw these fearless, nimble-footed Desert Bighorn Sheep inside the South Rim of the Grand Canyon where they were completely at home.
Last but not least, I was happy to see this Grizzly Bear at Glacier National Park.
Happier still to see him from the safety of our truck.
I’m thankful there are still places these beautiful animals are allowed to live wild – mostly in preserves and national parks which demand protection.
Shared for this week’s CFFC photo challenge, ‘Animals.’
~ Susanne
Rialto Beach Walk to Hole in the Wall
This week we visited Olympic National Park for what should have been four days of camping but ended up to be a simple overnight stay. Bob came down with a bad cold and after a rough night we decided we’d head back home – but not before I managed to sneak in a walk.
I left him resting in the camper and headed for Rialto Beach where the sky was blue, the sun was shining and visitors were out enjoying the elements.
I headed north up the beach on a mile and a half trek to see the giant sea-carved arch aptly named Hole in the Wall. My steps were slow and clumsy as I sank into the slippery rocks and pebbles forming the beach;
but I continued on and soon enough the sand became smooth and compact.
I picked up the pace remembering my husband back at camp. Well, as much as you can when you’re stopping to watch the waves crash onto the shore – who can get enough of that? – and seagulls overhead and seals bobbing in the water, all the while looking for whales (I saw none.)
As I approached my destination I passed by beautiful sea stacks and saw an eagle take flight.
Finally I scrambled over giant drift logs to reach Hole in the Wall.
The tide was in so there’d be no walk through the arch which was probably a good thing. It was time to get back to the camper and head for home.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 