Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
The Birds and the Bees in My Own Backyard
After a busy week in Chicago, I’m having trouble getting my blogging mojo back.
It happens.
But even though I’m somewhat wordless in Seattle, I do have some birds and bees to share with you, starting with this handsome junco. I seem to have more of them in my yard this year than any other bird. Perhaps they are just more vocal.
I heard this handsome boy before I saw him in the tree above, singing his heart out.
The hummingbirds have been missing in action this spring, preferring real nectar from flowers and shrubs, or maybe nesting and tending to young. I finally caught a glimpse of this male Anna’s dropping by last night for a drink, perhaps on his way home from work.
And what can I say about the bees that I haven’t said before? That I’m so happy they visit my garden and go about their business oblivious to me watching nearby. That I love how they stuff themselves into blossoms, their little legs and feet held this way and that,
still marveling that their chunky bodies are held aloft by gossamer wings.
A miracle, don’t you think?
~ Susanne
Saturday Caturday in the Garden
It’s good to be back home in the Northwest, especially in my garden, where everything is lush and green.
The cats are happy too.
I’m ready to plant the catmint, yarrow, lavender, and salvia in the last empty garden bed, but not before Benji has a chance to sample them.
Happy Caturday!
~ Susanne
A River and a Lake in Chicago!
You may not think of water when you think of Chicago if you’ve never been there before, but a river and a lake were top attractions on our recent trip. That, along with many wonderful parks and museums,which I’ll save for later. Because in this post, I’m linking up with Sunday Stills where there’s water, water, everywhere.
Chicago River
First up is the Chicago River, which flows through the city’s downtown core, out from Lake Michigan – a trick of reverse engineering performed over a hundred years ago.
“The river is also noteworthy for its natural and human-engineered history. In 1887, the Illinois General Assembly decided to reverse the flow of the Chicago River through civil engineering by taking water from Lake Michigan and discharging it into the Mississippi River watershed, partly in response to concerns created by an extreme event in 1885 that threatened the city’s water supply.”
Wikipedia
Aside from that notoriety, the Chicago River is lined with some of the tallest buildings in the world and boats of all shapes and sizes cruise her waters. There’s also a public promenade, the ‘Chicago Riverwalk’ on the south side of the river, where you can have a bite to eat and watch the boats go by.
Just 10 minutes from our hotel on the Magnificent Mile, we went to the river often to walk, the last night after sunset.
It was fun to see my two favoite buildings lit up – the Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower.
Lake Michigan
Did you know the Great Lakes make up 20% of the world’s fresh water? Lake Michigan is one of the 5, number 2 by volume, and Chicago sits on the edge of its southern shore.
Navy Pier juts out into the lake and is one of the most popular tourist attractions as well as home to many cruises on the river and lake. (We did one of each.)
The Lakeshore Tour gave us another interesting view of the Chicago skyline.
The other direction showed the vast expanse of the lake as well as the breakwater.
The Chicago Harbor Lighthouse still functions today to protect the harbor.
And that will do for now.
~ Susanne
Postcards from Chicago – Highlights of an Architecture Tour
Greetings from the Windy City!
I meant only to send a few postcards, but as often happens, I found I had a lot to say about them!
First of all, did you know that Chicago is home to the world’s first skyscraper? Well now you do!
So no trip to Chicago is complete without an Architecture Tour, and we’ll start by heading up the Chicago River from Lake Michigan.
There are many notable and historic buildings that line the river but I’ll only share a few of my favorites, starting with the tall, wavy building on the left, the St. Regis Chicago.
Isn’t she a beauty? At 101 stories, it’s the world’s tallest building designed by a woman, architect, Jeanne Gang. It’s also the third tallest building in Chicago. Though it only opened recently, I can’t imagine the river entrance without it.
Here’s a view from the other side.
Next is the Wrigley Building built in 1924. William Wrigley Jr, you may recall, was famous for his chewing gum. Back in the day, he had the market with his spearmint, doublemint and juicyfruit gum. His name is also affixed to one of the country’s oldest and most iconic baseball stadiums, Wrigley Field.
Across the street is the Tribune Tower, an iconic gothic structure, where Ann Landers finished her career answering your questions (she took on the role of advice columnist at the Chicago Sun-Times in 1955.) I grew up reading Ann Landers in Seattle’s P.I, rather than her equally famous twin, Dear Abby, who dished out advice in the Seattle Times.
Next up is, dare I say it? Trump Tower, the second tallest building in town. Surprising isn’t it, that he would allow his name to be attached to anything ranked second? Still, it’s a fine looking building.
Next is the smaller but more sophisticated Carbon and Carbide Building, which I thought looked like a giant tube of lipstick.
Built in 1929, and according to our tour guide, resembles a Champagne bottle to protest Prohibition. The top is covered in a (very, very) thin sheet of 24 karat gold, the height of luxury and excess.
I’ve shown you the second and third tallest buildings in Chicago, now here’s #1, the Willis Tower. When built in 1973, the ‘Sears Tower’ as it was then called, was the tallest building in the world, at 110 stories, 1,451 ft. tall, and it remained the record holder for nearly 25 years. The one in the middle below, somewhat eclipsed in this picture by one I’ve forgotten the name of! Best seen from a distance as in the last photo of skyline.
That will do from the river, but I still have a few more pictures to show you. The Water Tower is one of the only structures remaing from before the great fire of 1871.
In fact, it was the fire that turned Chicago into a blank slate, for architects to build upon.
Next door is the Hancock Tower, the fifth tallest in the city and the only one I’ve been to the top of, on previous trips. The observation deck is on the 94th floor and the views are great.
Before I go, here’s another shot of the Skyline from the lakeshore, at the Shedd Aquarium, where the ‘Sears Tower’ dominates.
And that will conclude our tour!
At least for now.
– Susanne
What do you see in the Woods?
I see trees that block the sun
and swallow men.
That lean and bend before they fall
and are buried.
I see trails
guarded
by monsters
and camels, ready to give the weary hiker a lift.
What do you see in the woods?
~ Susanne
Splish Splash Taking a Bath – Birds in my Garden
This week has definitely gone to the birds!
After several days of record-breaking temperatures, I’ve been running the sprinklers in the early morning, which has drawn even more birds than usual. So, while I sit on the deck with my coffee and camera in hand (not at the same time) I enjoyed all the birds who stopped by for a bath and a bite to eat.
The first stars of the show were the Wilson’s Warblers, though if you kept up with my last post, I originally mislabeled as Goldfinches. The Goldfinch is Washington’s state bird and is resident year-round, though I rarely see them in my garden. These tiny warblers are only here in the Northwest during breeding season, and this is the first time I’ve seen them.
Here’s a few more pictures of those cuties, the female first, lacking the shiny black cap of the male, which follows.
I often see Spotted Towhees in my yard, but this is the first time I’ve seen a male and a female together. The Towhee is a handsome, large sparrow; the males also have the darker black head, the female lighter in color.
I also enjoyed my regulars including black-capped chickadees, house finches, and juncos.
Surprisingly the hummingbirds have been scarce the last few weeks, off nesting I believe. When I have seen them at the feeders, I’ve not had my camera in hand, or haven’t been quick enough to get good photos, as you can see below. Even so, I wanted to include them.
And that’s enough of the birds this week.
~ Susanne
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
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
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
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 