Crazed springtime weather brings a little bit of everything. We adapt. Luna likes her new puppy pal Gus. Tomorrow is our big day. Wish us luck.
The famous used book store in Alberton
Lots of blooming shooting stars
Snow in thr Bitterroot Valley
Happy black dogs
A nice morning hike in the hills
Bitterroot mountains across the way
A rainy afternoon at Mary’s house
Tired dogs
Luna and I are on the road to visit friends in Montana. Today was a gorgeous day to be on the road with enormous fluffy clouds and blue skies for background. Many raptors everywhere we went. Bald Eagles, kestrels, ospreys and more. I could have spent the whole day birding and making images!
First stop – the Carlton Store
The Columbia River at Pateros
See that marmot teasing Luna?
Chief Joseph dam
Douglas County
Grand Coulee dam
Great clouds
Cool blind for bird watching at Reardan Ponds
Welcome to Idaho
Lots of water in Idaho. That is a road. It is next to the very cool rails to trails project – the trail of the Coeur d Alenes
Looks like a person could still ne skiing at Lookout Pass
The Clark Fork, a tributary of the Columbia
I managed to get in one wildflower walk last week after the big rain. Everything was sweet smelling and lush with new growth. Lots of birds and insects to amuse the ears and eyes and pollinate the flowers too. This is the time of year when change happens constantly as the hillsides become more green with new grass, the flowers add color and the light changes all day long. Spring is a time of renewal for all of the senses.
Balsamroot
Waterleaf
Lupine – waiting for sunshine and warmth before it shows us its lavendar petals
Shooting Star
More Balsamroot
Serviceberry bushes have covered the hillsides with their white flowers like frosting on a cake!
A honey bee on a waterleaf. Another portrait of this bee may be seen at my other blog.
Leaves of a Bitterroot grow and disappear before the delicate flowers appear.
Never too much Balsamroot
Ken referred to this bird as his ‘familiar’. Most evenings when he was surf fishing in Florida, a Great Blue Heron would join Ken, waiting for a piece of bait or a small fish or some other tasty morsel. The bird was quite tame and would walk up to within five or six feet of Ken. It had obviously done this before with other anglers. It could tell when Ken caught a fish and it seemed disapproving when Ken was not having good luck.
The plumage on the heron was fascinating and easily studied at close range. I never before noticed the red feathers on the ‘elbows’ (do birds have elbows?) or the black streaking on the front of the neck and I’ve look at lots of Great Blue Herons over the years. The red feathers must be part of the wing coverts or possibly the alula.
The bird would poke around to find his own food when fishing was slow
It took the catch to the water to rinse it before swallowing it whole
I know, I keep flipping between vacation posts and life here at home but, you know what? Life’s Everyday Photos just never quit. There’s always something interesting happening. Look around you.
Ken’s new bees arrived early, while we were in Florida so our friends Don and Mary who had volunteered to mentor Ken in his first year of beekeeping, took them in til we returned. Last Friday Ken and Don brought them up here and yesterday they opened up the hives to see how they were doing.
The crew – all dressed up with someplace to go, bees buzzing around them
Lifting the first frame from the first hive. Look – no gloves.
A good sign – the bees have been busy.
An extra dab of comb from the feeder area
He likes this.
Examining a drone. They have no stinger.
The second hive
Is that the queen?
We need a better look.
So far, so good.
He wanted a new facebook image
Buttoning things up
My Everyday Photos 