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Morning on Patterson Lake

This morning started out to be another ho,t still day, similar to yesterday. At Patterson Lake, birds were singing, insects buzzing and a few early risers were out fishing and stretching their muscles on the water. I paddled my kayak from one end to the other and back, listening to birds and buzzing insects from the trees. I saw an Osprey catch a fish; heard woodpeckers tapping on trees; saw turtles sunning themselves on logs. It was a good morning to be out on the water.

 

 

 

a Common Goldeneye chick

 

Here the chick is reunited with its family

 

I saw this moth thrashing around in the water

 

and brought it onto my boat to dry its tattered leaves.

Later I left it in a tree.

 

Evening in the Garden

With good weather finally happening, the garden is really coming to life with new growth and flowers everywhere. Evening light, just before sunset gives all the foliage and blooms a glow you don’t see during the day and I find it irrisistable. One day this week the constant breeze or gusty winds finally quit and I was able to photograph the sights around my house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This seems like a lot of images for a blog post. There were many more they didn’t make the cut!

It’s Shedding Season

If you’re a mountain goat, that is.

In early summer, when the road up to Harts Pass first is drivable, a person can frequently get lucky and see the local mountain goats at a natural salt lick. It is shortly past the scary section of the road when it goes into the trees and just over the steep edge of the downhill side. Sometimes the goats will be on the road. They seem quite familiar and used to the minimal traffic passing by so a car or truck makes a good blind for observation or photography. I’ve only seen them in this season when they are shedding big chunks of fur and looking mangy. There are young ones and the moms tend to keep them away from the cars. Here are a few that I saw today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patterson Mountain Wildflowers

Despite a windy morning, Suzanne and I had a nice hike to the top of Patterson Mountain. The calendar says it is summer and yet the wildflowers still look like spring. I was surprised to see so many alliums in bloom. Some areas were carpeted with them. And still there are lots of bitterroot. In addition to wildflowers we saw a pair of Golden Eagles, a Lazuli Bunting and other birds. We are SO lucky to live here!

Bitterroot

 

Allium and a yellow buckwheat

 

A tiny daisy, maybe an aster?

 

Allium and its shadow

 

A hummingbird visits scarlet gillia to collect nectar with Mount Gardner in the background

One last post from the road (trip)

It’s time to move on. Not that the honeymoon is over, that’s for sure. But the road trip is. There is a lot to be said about enjoying life on the road and getting away from day to day tasks and worries. And there is a lot to be said about being home and enjoying one’s own bed and shower and waking up to familiar birds and devoted dogs. So here are a few more images from our trip to Oregon. All of these are from my phone.

Malheur’s vast water

One of the craters

On the road from Burns to Bend – 130 miles of Sagebrush and Juniper

Oh gosh, there’s the ocean!

The bridge at Newport

And another thing…………..

We liked the Rogue Brewery.

The trail to the beach through the rain forest.

Ken was like a kid at the aquarium.

I wonder if it’s still there?

At the beach. We considered doing all of our wedding photos in this style……..

We always ate well.

Watch out for tripping bikes.

That’s a good one.

Astoria

Over the bridge and into Washington again.

Klickitat oaks