Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
National Take a Hike Day
November 17th – who knew?
I suppose that means I should be out hiking, but instead I thought I’d share pictures from a few hikes I went on this year in Washington State, my home.
Early this spring we visited the northwest corner of Mt. Rainier National Park, the Carbon River Valley, which is a temperate rainforest (did you know?) We took the Rainforest Loop Trail, basking in nature’s beauty
and watching our step. After a wild winter, part of the trail was upended by wind and falling trees, but all was peace and quiet while we were there.
Later in the summer we hiked the trail at Deception Falls on Stevens Pass, a favorite stop on our way to Wenatchee.
No need to worry about upended trees here as Bob kept them all upright!
Closer to home, we enjoyed hiking the many trails in Lincoln Park in West Seattle,
through an urban forest with trees of all sizes and colors,
including a grove of Redwoods.
What more could you ask for?
Okay, how about a troll?
This one met us at the bottom of the trail.
And since there are so many wonderful shades of brown in this post, I’m sharing with Sunday Stills, #Brown.
~ Susanne
Still Soaring with Benji
This is Benji and I’ve always been a dreamer
and though the path has not always been easy
in my dreams, I still soar!
Three legs or four.
~ Susanne and Benji
Birds without Borders – Arrival of the Snow Geese
On today’s walk at Coulon Park in Renton, Washington, I came across a group of snow geese, most likely from Wrangell Island, Russia. They were feeding peacefully among the Canada Geese,
side by side.
The one below is a mature adult,
the smaller ones with dark bills are juveniles, which means this is likely their first migration south.
Handsome, aren’t they?
I’m glad they’ve come for the winter and been well received by the resident population of ducks and geese, including this welcoming committee.
We could learn something from them.
~ Susanne
Cozy is for Cats
In considering cozy, I immediately thought of my two cats, Benji, the lap cat, who loves to snuggle anytime, anywhere.
And Tiger, who prefers cozying up to a warm fire.
Sharing on a cold and rainy Sunday afternoon with Sunday Stills #Cozy.
~ Susanne
Is New York City on your Bucket List? It should be!
The fact is I don’t have a ‘bucket list,’ but if I did, New York City would be on it. New York is the largest city in the U.S. with a population over 8 million, and a larger metropolitan area over 19 million! It’s thriving, vibrant, fully of history, and surprisingly fun to visit!
According to EB White, “New York is nothing like Paris; it is nothing like London; and it is not Spokane, multiplied by sixty.” (I might also add that it is not Seattle where I’m from, multiplied by twenty.)
“It is by all odds the loftiest of cities.”
My first trip to NYC was deep in the last century and was on the way to someplace else so it only included a day in Manhattan. Even then, I managed to take in some highlights though I don’t have the pictures to prove it.
So last month we headed off to the Big Apple, to visit my brother and his wife, and to get away from it all, leaving Seattle by the dawn’s early light,
arriving in NYC, a few hours later.
Just so you know, I didn’t want to be burdened carrying a ‘real’ camera on my trip, so my pictures are from my phone. On one hand, it was the right decision, but on the other, I can’t help wondering how fabulous my photos could have been!
Regardless, this post is about the city itself, and our experiences therein, starting with our first impressions (no not the bumper-to-bumper traffic in midtown Manhattan) but wonderful Central Park, where we amassed thousands of steps daily in a paradise of nature (between 6 and 7 miles each day according to my Fitbit!)
We visited the iconic Empire State Building, at 102 stories the tallest building in the world when it opened in 1931; the views from the 86th floor were terrific.
We had better views of the building itself from the Hudson River,
from our boat on the way to the Statue of Liberty.
There were many other wonderful views from the river, including the Freedom Tower, at 1,776 feet, the tallest building in the United States, built on the same site as the World Trade Center Towers which were destroyed in the terrorist attacks of 9-11-2001.
On Broadway we saw Back to the Future, the Musical (O what fun!)
And took in the lights and oddities, people and energy, of nearby Times Square. There I was just as thrilled to see Chuck Schumer, our Senate Majority Leader, addressing the crowds, as I was to have our picture taken with Bigfoot (or is it Yeti? Maybe it depends which coast you’re on!)
There’s so much more I could share, and I haven’t even gotten to the museums yet! But this is running long so I’ll close with dinner our last night in town with my brother John and his wife, Alex, who were the perfect hosts in the Big Apple. At Frank Sinatra’s favorite Italian restaurant, Patsy’s. It was fabulous!
By now, you may have noticed all my photos are from Manhattan, which is only one of the five boroughs that make up New York City. We did make it to one other borough, Brooklyn, which if it weren’t part of New York City, would be the fourth largest city in the country. I already shared about our walk across the Brooklyn Bridge here if you missed it.
And now I’m really done.
Sharing with Sunday Stills, Bucket List!
~ Susanne
There is still beauty
Yesterday I walked this path along the Cedar River in Renton, to get a final glimpse of the Gingko tree, which never disappoints.
Red leaves lined the trail and carpeted the ground,
with a few gingko leaves joining here and there.
It was a raw and gray day that ended with unexpected rainfall.
But there was still beauty.
~ Susanne
Rainy Days and Mondays, of Cats and Falling Leaves
It’s a blustery, rainy day in the Great Northwest and this is the scene from my office window.
Most of the leaves are hanging on,
though some have let go, landing on my car, where I enjoy them on my windshield.
Inside, Benji is getting restless; he wants to go outside, why won’t I do something about the weather?
He’s naughty but I understand and give him extra grace.
Finally, we both give in; we have no choice.
How’s your Monday?
~ Susanne
Benji after Halloween
“Benji, is that you?”
I’d already made the bed, and yet there it was, a large lump under the bedspread.
“It’s me, Sue.”
“Are you scared, Benji?”
“No, of course not. Just looking for some privacy. And it’s warmer under here.”
“You sure you weren’t scared of the doorbell? It was just, Bob. He locked himself out.”
“Well, maybe a little. You remember the crowd of hoodlums at the door the night before. You can’t be too careful.”
“Ah yes. The trick-or-treaters. Don’t worry, they won’t be back for another year. Anyway, I’ll always protect you.”
“Thanks, Sue. I appreciate it.”
Happy Saturday, from Susanne & Benji
Hummingbirds in the Fall Garden
I replenished the feeders a few days ago and have been watching the hummingbirds from a distance ever since.
But today I had some work to do outside, so I grabbed my camera and positioned myself incognito in the shed. I think they knew I was there, but I still managed to get a few close-ups of these handsome birds.
“Anna’s Hummingbirds are among the most common hummingbirds along the Pacific Coast, yet they’re anything but common in appearance. With their iridescent emerald feathers and sparkling rose-pink throats, they are more like flying jewelry than birds. Though no larger than a ping-pong ball and no heavier than a nickel, Anna’s Hummingbirds make a strong impression. In their thrilling courtship displays, males climb up to 130 feet into the air and then swoop to the ground with a curious burst of noise that they produce through their tail feathers.”
Cornell Labs – All About Birds
I love to see them hover, zip around forward and backwards. Did you know they’re the only bird that can fly backwards? Well now you do.
I’m so glad these flying jewels live here year-round. I’ll have to step my care over the winter.
~ Susanne
Even the Beautiful can be Eerie
Old buildings
and graveyards
Mist covered lakes
and crows
Gnarly tree stumps
And even a cat named Benji
Sharing with #Sunday Stills
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 