Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Shadows and Reflections in the Woods
It’s hard for me to tell which is which, but I think I found both – shadows and reflections – on yesterday’s walk in the woods. It was a new trail to us, a boardwalk, through a bog – West Hylebos Wetlands Park in Federal Way.
I loved seeing the shadows and textures in the water.
and lovely fall colors reflected in the lake.
The Hylebos Wetlands contain peat soils up to 30 feet thick; they began to form some 10 – 15,000 years ago in a depression left after the last glaciation. Some of the deep sink holes are up to 20 feet deep.
Sharing with Becky’s Square challenge, #NovemberShadows.
~ Susanne
Just another Walk in the Park at Coulon
Yesterday I shared pictures with you of my walk on the Cedar River Trail, where the river flows into Lake Washington.
From here you can see Gene Coulon Memorial Park on the east side of the lake, one of the best in my humble opinion. (Perhaps only Seward Park in Seattle is better.)
Alas, you cannot access Coulon Park directly from the Cedar River Trail unless you’re a bird; they do so regularly. The Boeing Plant is in the way.
Still, it’s only a short drive around to Coulon, where there’s even more to enjoy, including Ivar’s where we regularly stop for Fish and Chips.
There’s a paved walkway around the lake,
and many more birds.
And you’ll see the Coulon Walkers, the sculpture, ‘Interface,’ dressed up for the occasion.
What more do you need for a walk in the park?
~ Susanne
Walking on a Carpet of Red – on the Cedar River Trail
I felt like I was walking on a bed of roses yesterday on the Cedar River Trail, but they were fallen leaves and just as beautiful.
On one side of the trail is the Cedar River heading north into Lake Washington.
From that vantage point, you can see the Seattle skyline on the west, and the Bellevue skyline on the east, with Mercer Island in between.
All manner of ducks and birds call Lake Washington home.
There was a convention of Cormorants yesterday, with Bellevue’s skyline behind here,
and Coulon Park behind, here.
There were flocks of American Coots in front of the Boeing plant.
The Boeing Plant was established in Renton in 1942, to manufacture the B-29 Superfortress during World War II. Since that time, it’s been the home of many other significant planes, especially the 737.
Back on the trail many birds abound in the trees above, including this Black-capped Chickadee, one of my favorites.
This one enjoyed a handout.
Not my hand.
And that will do for now.
~ Susanne
Prettier in the Rain – Flowers at Point Defiance
Timing is everything.
We’ve been to Point Defiance in Tacoma many times, but don’t always hit the right season to find the gardens in bloom.
One year we did.
There were Roses – I’m partial to the orange ones.
There were Dahlias – I love all colors.
And there were Fuchsias – the most difficult flower to spell. (Every single time.)
And all were made prettier with a few raindrops.
Sharing with the #Flower Hour.
~ Susanne
Scary in the Woods
The woods are lovely, dark and deep, are they not?
But they can be scary too. Bob and I love to hike and over the years, have been on too many hikes in the woods to count.
Many times, while we’re on the trail, he’ll remark, “wouldn’t it be scary to be lost in the woods?”
“Well, yes, it would.”
The shapes more sinister as the sun goes down.
Cold. Critters in the night. Every rustle, unsettling.
“Why do you say that?” I ask, and he tells me of a childhood friend who went hunting with his dad. They got lost and had to spend the night in the woods. Not uncommon in the fall when the sun goes down early and everything is suddenly dark. Fortunately, they made it out the next day.
It almost happened to us, on a hike to Coal Creek Falls on Cougar Mountain.
Not that far away but unfamiliar. And the trails were not well marked.
We made it to the falls. They were fine.
But we couldn’t find the trail back to the car.
It was going on 4 o’clock. It was late October and the sun would be setting soon.
There were signs here and there that we weren’t happy to see.
Giant holes in the ground to beware of, from mining a hundred years ago.
And then there was this: Nike Missile Base a relic of the Cold War.
Seriously? People like to hike here?
I guess they do but to me it was creepy. And a little bit scary when we got lost in the woods.
Fortunately, we found the right trail and made it out before sunset. We have no plans to go back.
Sharing with this week’s #Sunday Stills Challenge, Scary.
~ Susanne
Color before the Storm
It’s raining heavily now, and more rain is in the forecast. Fall’s stormy weather is upon us.
But earlier this week I returned to Coulon Park for a final look at the color on its famous boulevard.
Nearer to the lake, there were other beautiful trees and shrubs to enjoy.
Sharing my leaves and flowers with Terri’s new photo challenge, The #Flower Hour.
~ Susanne
Taking a Break with the Birds
It’s a beautiful fall day and I’m inside doing paperwork.
Time for a break.
The birds had the same idea and were everywhere.
The Robins were most plentiful.
Handsome.
Friendly and inquisitive.
There for the watering holes.
There were other birds too, smaller and faster, I couldn’t catch them all.
Chickadees.
Wrens.
Sparrows.
And then they were gone, back to their birdy activities, and I back to mine.
We were all happy for the break.
~ Susanne
Favorite Fall Florals
Not this year’s garden. I didn’t plant any new fall flowers, and previous promised perennials don’t always come back; their high prices mean I sometimes hold a grudge.
Still, they live on in my archives, especially this favorite: Kismet Orange Coneflower.
I really should give it another chance.
If only for the bees.
Sharing for #Sunday Stills, Plant Life.
~ Susanne
The Salmon are back! Spawning in the Cedar River
It’s been a long, long journey for these sockeye salmon, but they have returned at last to their spawning grounds in the Cedar River.
Not the greatest video but stick it out to the end to see the female lay her eggs.
I love #Renton, where a river runs through it.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 