Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Fun With Watercolors
One of my worst memories from grade school was when we had to paint something in Art class. Afterwards the teacher showed our work to the class one by one while asking who the artist was. After seeing what others had done I was so embarrassed when mine came along I didn’t raise my hand.
Speak or sing in front of the class? Yes, gladly. Admit to an inferior painting? Um, no!
So I was delighted to find a setting on my camera called Watercolor which turns already lovely landscapes into beautiful works of art.
Here are a few photos I took recently using this setting.
The trick is remembering to turn the setting off when you’re done or you will continue to get unexpected results as I did at sunset later that same day.
What do you think? 🙂
~ Susanne
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Rambling through the Garden Rain or Shine
Summer is in full swing in the Great Northwest but you wouldn’t know it by the weather. It seems we used up our allotment of sunshine earlier in the year and so are left with mostly gray skies and rainy days. Still, life continues in the garden.
First there are the dahlias. I’ve been trying to capture their color since they started blooming but got my best picture today in the rain.
Two weeks ago I tried and the color was lost – yet I was rewarded when a visitor dropped by.
These tomatoes were just beginning to ripen a few days ago –
but now are ready to pick.
And the nasturtiums we planted in the spring? I was afraid we’d only get a crop of leaves.
But flowers finally appeared.
Here’s a shot of the whole blooming mess! 🙂
That’s all from my garden for now.
~ Susanne
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A Look back at the First Moon Landing
I was at the neighbor’s house babysitting and the kids were already in bed. Walter Cronkite was on television misty-eyed, pondering whether we’d ever view the moon in quite the same way, now that Neil Armstrong had stepped onto its ghostly surface. I watched as the pale images played behind him. Was it really fifty years ago?
I recently visited Seattle’s Museum of Flight and the Destination Moon Exhibit, the centerpiece of which is the Apollo 11 Command Module, the only part of the spacecraft to return back to earth intact. I was surprised at how small it was – 10 ft. 7″ high and 12 ft. 10″ in diameter, and yet it once sat on top of a 363 foot Saturn V rocket that hurtled three men into space.
It was home to the astronauts on their historic journey and orbited around the moon, piloted by Michael Collins after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left in the Lunar Module for the moon’s surface. It received them back again, then carried crew, equipment and lunar samples back into Earth’s atmosphere before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. It’s come a long, long way.
While at the Museum I picked up Michael Collins’ book, Carrying the Fire written in 1973. If you’d like to know what it was like to be an astronaut during the sixties and learn about the mission to the moon from the inside, then this is the book for you! Collins writes candidly and with humor, and leaves you with appreciation for the magnitude of the mission and the brilliant minds of those who tackled it.
But back to Walter and his musings. Would we ever again view the moon the same as before men walked on its surface?
I admit I do. To me, it’s still the same beautiful, glowing orb best seen from earth – full of intrigue and mystery.
Still, it’s good to remember – and be proud I think – that this happened once.
~ Susanne
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Resting with Cats in the Garden
I needed a break from pulling weeds and sat by the stream for a rest. It wasn’t long before Tiger and Benji emerged from their secret places to join me.
Benji is fast and got to my lap first –
while Tiger patiently waited his turn.
~ Susanne
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More Favorite Sculptures
I like finding art in public places, especially quirky sculptures.
I took the picture below in Washington DC many years ago, but we also have one of these in Seattle. If I have to tell you what it is you’re not as old as I am.
I found the 25 ft. couple more recently – on the waterfront in San Diego. You either know what the kiss is about or you don’t. And the lady really does have a head.
Wild horses couldn’t keep me from stopping for these stallions, galloping on a bluff high above the Columbia River in Vantage, Washington.
And last but not least is one of my favorites – the Monopoly Iron. I never liked to iron but for some reason it was my token of choice when playing Monopoly. It has since been replaced by a cat – the Monopoly piece not the sculpture – so if I ever play the game again I will choose the cat. Which seems rather fitting.
~ Susanne
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Backyard Birds
I never get tired of watching the birds in my backyard – especially the chickadees and the nuthatches – as they flitter about the trees and drop by for a drink and a bath.
The chickadees are friendly and unafraid. I love to hear them call to one another as it reminds me how they got their name – chicka-dee-dee-dee. I saw this one waiting in the trees till the coast was clear –
then drop down to the stream for a bath.
The red-breasted nuthatches are smaller than the chickadees and seem to be more solitary. But they’re just as charming with their aannk-aannk voice.
This one was waiting for his turn –
then down he went –
too fast for me to catch in the water.
~ Susanne
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Over Seattle and Under California
Summer is the time to travel and if you have to fly there’s nothing like Seattle from the air, where on a clear day you can see forever – at least across Puget Sound to the Olympics.
And if you’re lucky you’ll have close-up views of Mt. Rainier, as I did on our recent trip –
To Southern California.
Where we didn’t go to any amusement parks but didn’t need to – this time the rides were free.
A shake, a rattle and a roll – twice in fact – to the tune of 6.4 and 7.1 on the Richter scale. It wasn’t the first time I’ve been in an earthquake – I’m from Seattle and have passed through two major ones here.
Still, you never get used to the floor moving under your feet and the lights swaying overhead and you hope and pray it will stop sooner than later. Fortunately for us it did – there were no casualties or serious damage where I was.
All in all, I’m happy to be home again where all is cool and calm.
~ Susanne
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Sweet Sleeping Benji
I’m taking a few days off from the blog but here’s a picture of the sweet Benji to tide you over.
Happy Fourth of July!
~ Susanne and Benji
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Nascar Hall of Fame
I think I can count on one hand the number of auto races I’ve seen in my entire life. Still, last year in Charlotte, we visited the Nascar Hall of Fame when we realized it was a few blocks from our hotel. Why not?
NASCAR stands for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, and grew out of the Prohibition era when bootleggers modified their vehicles to outrun the federal agents who chased them.
It was worth the visit.
For this week’s photo challenge from CFFC, Letters or Numbers.
– Susanne
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Enjoying the Great Outdoors at Federation Forest
We passed by this beautiful spot many times on our way to somewhere else but finally made Federation Forest our destination. According to the brochure, “the park is home to stands of majestic, old-growth evergreen trees – some more than 1,000 years old. Visitors can enjoy 12 miles of easy to moderate hiking trails that spread through cedar groves, along marshy wetlands and display the beauty and strength of the White River.”
Yes we did! We found many lovely trails through the thick forest and its carpeted floor that made walking – even in the rain – wonderful. We started out carrying umbrellas as we took the trail to the White River.
The air was fresh and clean and wildflowers of all sizes, shapes and colors brightened the way. Can you smell their sweet scent?
The aptly named White River comes from snowmelt off the Emmons Glacier from nearby Mt. Rainier.
The milky river was difficult to access so we didn’t stay long and soon were off on another trail among big trees, this time with splashes of sunshine and no umbrellas.
The forest is comprised of Douglas-fir, western hemlock, Sitka spruce and Western red cedar, all wonderfully fragrant. Vine maples are scattered throughout and mosses, ferns, salmonberries, devil’s club, salal, and Oregon grape make up the understory.
We saw no one else on the trails though we did see animal droppings – whether deer or bear I don’t know – I only know I paid more attention after that.
Federation Forest is on the Chinook Pass Scenic Highway on the way to Mt. Rainier, which I suppose is why we never stopped before – our usual destination is the Mountain. Still this is much closer to home and now that we have discovered it we’ll return again to walk through the old-growth forest and enjoy the Great Outdoors.
Shared with Sunday Stills.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 