Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
A Visitation of Goldfinches! So I Thought!
Sorry to do another bird post so soon – it was only yesterday I shared with you the nesting house finches in my garden – but I couldn’t wait.
Because even though the Goldfinch is the Washington State Bird, I rarely see them, especially in my yard, and when I first published this story, I thought they were indeed goldfinches.
A little flock of bright yellow birds visited me yesterday. After several days of record-breaking heat in the Seattle area, with temperatures reaching 90 degrees, they were no doubt seeking water.
I had just put the sprinkler on and sat down to rest and see who might show up.
I soon caught flashes of bright yellow – what a treat! They stood out among the regulars who blend in more easily with their surroundings – chickadees, house finches, juncos, and nuthatches. I thought surely, they were Goldfinches.
But when I later, posted the same photos on my Facebook PNW Birders group, I learned they’re actually Wilson’s Warblers, which according to the group is even better, as they’re only here for breeding season and hard to capture. So, there you have it. You learn something new every day! 🙂
~ Susanne
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Nesting Finches in the Garden
I saw this couple of house finches nesting in the garden yesterday.
I look for them each year as the clematis grows high, knowing that’s where I’ll find them in the shrubs and surrounding trees.
The male looks dapper in his rust-colored tux,
the female pretty in pink, adorned by clematis.
Happy together.
~ Susanne
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Can you have too much Lavender?
They don’t think so in Sequim, Washington, the lavender capital of the Northwest.
Every July, lavender takes center stage in this sunny town on the Olympic Peninsula, which lies within the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains.
And every year for as long as I can remember we try to make it over to enjoy the lavender in full bloom along with the festivities. Check out this year’s festival – here.
The pictures below are from our various trips over the years.
The rest of the season I rely on my own backyard and try to squeeze in a lavender plant whenever a space opens up. The bees are grateful.
#Sunday Stills Color Challenge – Purple
~ Susanne
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I went Looking for Ducklings at Coulon Park …
I walked as far north as the trail allowed – some parts are under construction.
The Olympic Mountains were out,
and so was the Seattle skyline.
I saw moms walking Coulon style,
turtles basking,
fishes jumping, but no ducklings.
Until I passed by the swim beach
and that’s where I found them.
Of course.
Swim test required.
~ Susanne
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Abstracts in Nature
I don’t normally appreciate abstracts in modern art as I tend to prefer ‘reality.’
But nature is both real AND abstract when seen up close, as with this raspberry.
I was chasing a butterfly in the picture below – I mean with my zoom lens – and got this rather blurry photo, which looks abstract to me.
I found a ponderosa pine tree in a campground on the other side of the mountains, and was intrigued by the little hole in it, perhaps made by a woodpecker.
Finally, do you know what this is? It’s a mistake in focusing. I zoomed in for a close-up of the red berries on the nandina in my yard and this is what I got.
Sometimes mistakes turn out for the best. 🙂
Sharing for Cee’s CFFC Challenge – Abstracts
~ Susanne
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How does your garden grow? Ask a Clematis
It’s been a slow start to spring but the clematis has woken and started its annual climb
using its twining arms and little curlicue feet.
Sharing with Cee’s Flower of the Day.
~ Susanne
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Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway – Cliffs, Overlooks, and Waterfalls From the Road
As much as I love visiting Washington’s waterfalls (the most of any state in the U.S.) there’s nothing like the string of waterfalls in Oregon, on this historic stretch of highway on the Columbia Gorge. Add to that the rugged cliffs, overlooks and views of the Columbia River, this short road trip is hard to beat.
“The Historic Columbia River Highway is an approximately 75-mile-long scenic highway in the U.S. state of Oregon between Troutdale and The Dalles built through the Columbia River Gorge between 1913 and 1922 .. the first planned scenic roadway in the United States. The historic roadway was bypassed by the present Interstate 84 from the 1930s to the 1950s, leaving behind the old two-lane road.” Wikipedia
We took a trip earlier this week which culminated in our traveling west on the Columbia Gorge on Historic Route 30.
We’ve taken the spectacular waterfall section of the road before, but the section from the Dalles was new to us, and quite a discovery, including the overlook at Rowena Crown, where after climbing the narrow, winding road, we found marvelous views of the Gorge below,
and the McCall Nature Preserve with walking trails among the wildflowers.
The next day we took the remainder of the highway from Hood River and there the waterfalls began; many can be seen from the road, no hiking required.
I’ll show you three of my favorites, in the order in which we encountered them, starting with Horsetail Falls.
We stopped the car, crossed the street, gawked, then continued traveling west on a road almost swallowed by giant cliffs.
In fact the original highway went through Oneonta Bluff, a major engineering feat at the time.
Multnomah was next, at 620 feet it’s the second highest year-round waterfall in the U.S. It’s a must see and can be reached easily from the old highway 30 (like we did) or from the new highway 84.
The spray doused us as we neared the base of the falls and that was the extent of our hiking.
Our last waterfall stop was Latourell Falls
where we took the short hike to the base, which was lit up by sun rays high above the cliffs.
Our last stop on the highway was at the historic Vista House at Crown Point, 693 feet above the river. It was built in 1916 as a comfort station for travelers on the new scenic highway.
It was closed but it didn’t matter; the view’s the thing.
If you’ve never taken this beautiful stretch of road, I highly recommend it.
Sharing with Sunday Stills, #Road.
~ Susanne
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May the 4th Be With You
Not so long ago, in a land far away
In southern California, to be more precise
Just last year
Happy 4th to you!
~ Susanne
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Shhhh!
Benji is sleeping.
– Susanne
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Walking in a Riverbed at Mt. Rainier – Following the Nisqually River
The promised sun and highest temperatures of the year finally arrived in the Pacific Northwest after an interminably cold and rainy spring.
You may ask why we’d wish to go to a snow-covered Mt. Rainier on such a warm and lovely day to which I would reply, why not? It’s a perfect day trip.
So it was, we headed south and entered the park through the Nisqually Entrance, the only one open to vehicles year-round. The roads were dry and clear though snow was still stacked high on the mountain.
Some came to play in the snow – we just came for a look at Paradise – one of the snowiest places on earth.
The Visitor Center was closed, so we soon drove back down the mountain, stopping to view the Nisqually Glacier,
the source of the Nisqually River.
Just a sliver of river flows now but soon it will become a torrent of snowmelt and glacial flour.
Further down we were able to walk in the riverbed.
Eventually the river makes its way down the mountain for seventy-eight miles before emptying into Puget Sound, at the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge.
According to the website; “Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1974 to protect the Nisqually River Delta from development for the benefit of fish, wildlife, and plants, especially migratory birds. The diversity of habitats hosts at least 250 species of birds and other wildlife including: insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. Habitat management enhances freshwater wetlands to meet migratory bird requirements but also offers exceptional viewing, nature and landscape photography opportunities.“
We went there one fall day and saw the crown of Mt. Rainier in the distance and wildlife in abundance.
It’s time for another visit.
Another day.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 