A Snowy Seattle Morning

What's the best part of a sunny, blue sky, snowy morning? Do you really have to asK?

I savored a late morning cup of tea, watched the twitter birds snack at the suet feeder, and knew the snow would melt before it had a chance to grow dingy. TV weather dudes predict another light snowfall tomorrow; bring it on!

Searching for Fall Color

Early Autumn in the Japanese Garden

It's officially Fall. My calendar announced the autumnal equinox almost three weeks ago. So where are the vivid, neon-bright leaves that make this season visually unique? Well, it appears the local trees didn't get the memo. Was it the long summer of hot weather? Can we blame the lack of rain in September? Our recent leaf-peeping walk took us through mostly green foliage, unlike previous outings at nearly the same date. No problem, we're not easily discouraged and will continue to enjoy our walks with or without Fall color. Maybe this week we'll be lucky, or over the weekend, or next week... Drastic action would be to drive to a higher elevation and search for swaths of red-orange vine maples or golden larches.

Our walk took us inside Seattle's Japanese Garden, a fenced 3.5 acre hidden gem tucked inside the much larger 230 acre Washington Park Arboretum and Botanic Garden. A visit here never disappoints, no matter what the season. 

"Following a winding path around a central pond, stroll gardens invite visitors to journey through the varied landscapes of Japan - mountains, forests, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, islands and the sea. Along the journey, varied landscapes are hidden and then revealed."

Special viewing treats on this visit were...

...sunbathing turtles, perched on pond rocks to soak up warmth from the noontime sun,

...one lone heron, who occasionally speared a small fish in between long minutes of patient immobility,

...masses of colorful koi who swarmed to the bridge whenever a visitor paused, ever hopeful that fishfood would sprinkle the water, 

...and the abundant canopy of green leaves which hold out promise of Fall color yet to develop.

The annual Maple Viewing Festival runs October 5 through October 15 in 2017. But don't wait for a special event to plan your visit, enjoy this treasure throughout the year. We intend to.

A Busy Week in the Neighborhood

There's never a good time to suffer through the flu, but this week was the best time to recover from Flu: Round Two. I had planned on hours of television time, watching Sochi Winter Olympic events, clicking from station to station on US and Canadian channels. I did some of that, but there's only so much curling I can view before dozing off.

No chance of dozing when the rumble of heavy equipment invades the neighborhood. Vroom, vroom! Thud! Crash! More vroom, vroom! Chunk by chunk a neighbor's house disappeared, knocked down by one man with a tracked Komatsu machine with a toothed bucket. Demolition is noisy and exciting. 

The next day the world outside my window turned black and white, blanketed by a light dusting of snow. Such a lovely visual gift, though not appreciated by anyone who had to traverse Seattle's hills on that day. It was a good day to stay inside and enjoy the view, in between naps and Olympic events. 

Later in the week I thought it curious that a group of crows kept doing power dives past the upstairs window, flashing by close to my reading chair. Local crows are known to pester osprey and eagles in flight, just for fun or hoping to steal something edible. It's hard to ignore large, winged objects hurtling past your head just feet away so I stepped to the window to check out the action. What a circus as crow after crow swooped down to harass an osprey that had landed in a neighboring yard. Oops! one young crow might have misjudged his approach and was now captured - osprey prey - soon to be osprey dinner.  

This was quite an interesting week in the neighborhood. Flu recovery wasn't at all boring.  

Seattle Japanese Garden in Fall

Photo: Cloud Reflections in the Koi Pond at the Japanese Garden (photo by RL))

Exuberant Fall color grabbed my attention, drew my eye and the lens of the camera immediately at the entrance to the Japanese Garden located in the Washington Park Arboretum. The sky may have been overcast today but the landscaped 3.5 acres were a riot of color as vivid golden-orange leaves of lace-leaf maples contrasted with the bright yellow display of ginkos and the deeper crimson hues of several other species. 

The garden's technicolor display may have peaked a week ago or more. Several early-turning trees were already bare while others held leaves with fading hues, no longer brilliant, their edges going brown and crisp. Without a distracting cloak of neon-colored leaves, branch structure is highlighted, then smaller details clamor for attention.

I love walking through this tidy little garden in any season, any weather. Form, pattern and texture have a constant presence to share with anyone who takes the time to pause and observe. But today, it was all about dramatic punches of color highlighted against a background of evergreen trees and mosses, color so vivid it was as though a spotlight shined here and there and there...

Seattle holds many wonderful parks (link), but the Japanese Garden and Kubota Garden are high on my list of favorites. Set aside some time to explore a few, and remember to take your camera.

Osprey in the Yard

More precisely, the osprey was in a tree, but just barely. How DID that large bird balance all of its bulk on the slender, flexible, topmost leader branch of our cedar tree? and WHY was he in the area? Neighbor Marcie reports that osprey are common around the lake, sighting them frequently near the Rowing Center. How is it that this is the first osprey we have ever seen or heard locally?  An osprey's call is distinctive, loud and piercing enough to draw the attention of even non-birding humans. It was this repeated high-pitched call (link) that prompted us to stop and look up. The bird remained in place for ages, perched comfortably atop a 65-foot tree, long enough for us to grab the cameras and snap off a series of shots to use for identification. 

The wicked-looking curved beak indicated the bird was a flesh-eating raptor, but it definitely was not an eagle or a hawk. A comparison of our shots with some bird book photos and several on-line images indicated it was an osprey (Pandion haliaetus). Click here for a brief but interesting article about osprey. 

For some impressive still images of osprey in flight, visit Graham Owen's website, or check out this brief BBC YouTube video of an osprey fishing (link). These birds are impressive, sitting still or in motion. Capturing an image of an airborne osprey might become a new photo challenge, paired with my ongoing effort for improved eagle action images (link). 

Old-fashioned Twig Fences

A daily walk could quickly become boring, a thoughtless routine that provides fresh air, exercise and some level of satisfaction in the knowledge that it's a healthy pursuit. Could become boring? maybe, but not lately, certainly not in our neighborhood. Beyond the neon colors of Spring flowers, clouds of petals falling from blooming fruit trees, noisy songbirds darting about in the bushes, waterfront activity around the park shoreline... beyond all that, there's always some small scene to stop a walker in their tracks. 

Today I spotted some raised beds being readied for planting and was intrigued by the twig fences dotting the property. It felt like a step back in time to an era when such handwork was routine, when fencing wasn't supplied by the nearest big box store, and when nothing, even pruned branches, would go to waste.

Now I'm tempted to prune the ornamental fruit trees in our yard and create something with the branches, maybe weave a basket to line with moss and display on the deck. Or maybe I'll put that notion in my Someday File, my file folder of good intentions, and focus instead on 2013 cruising preparation. Spring does force me to make choices.

Winter to Spring Transition at the Market

A Not-Quite Wordless Wednesday post, following Sunday's visit to the West Seattle Farmers' Market.

The day's cool 45 F. temperature felt appropriate for the attractive array of typical Winter vegetables...

... though the cabbages looked more like flowers than members of the Brassica oleracea vegetable family they belong to.

Sunday's surprising blue sky and sunshine felt more suited to the riotous display of these early Spring tulips. What a colorful feast for the eyes.

Spring is coming! just not soon enough.

2013: A New Year

How did you celebrate the holiday? Parties? Fireworks? We went the quiet route and stayed home last night to watch the festivities on TV. The Space Needle fireworks show was impressive, with some unusual effects lighting the structure as well the sky above it. This morning attention turned to the Rose Parade, the 124th, and I clicked the remote repeatedly to switch between stations and not miss a minute of coverage. 42 gorgeous flower-bedecked floats, created around the theme "Oh, The Places You'll Go!", traveled the 5-mile parade route, interspersed with 21 impressive equestrian units and 33 bands strutting their stuff while they played in the unseasonably chilly weather. Brrrrr, you had to be hardy to camp out on the curb all night along Orange Grove, Del Mar or Colorado Avenues.     

Seattle's blue sky lured us out of the house for a trip to Alki Beach, for our own parade along the sea wall and lunch at Spud Fish and Chips. Sunshine brought crowds of people to West Seattle today. People of all ages were taking photos, scuba diving, kayaking, jogging, walking their dogs, strolling and biking all along the waterfront. It was that kind of day, clear and crisp at 34 F, a day to enjoy being active outside.

And then there was lunch...

It wasn't health food, or even heart-friendly fare, but this tray held a lot of history along with the chowder, clam strips and chips. Spud has been an institution at this location in Seattle since it's founding in 1934, four years earlier than well-known Seattle competitor Ivar Haglund. I remember Spud as the first place I saw someone sprinkle vinegar on their fish and chips. Vinegar?! Oh yeah. 

Photo: The clam chowder was rich, velvety and comforting on a chilly day.

Photo: Lightly breaded and fried crispy, these clam strips rock! 

All that was missing was a pint of beer, but the day was probably too cold to enjoy one. I know we needed another long walk, or maybe a long nap, after we finished this lunch.

One last celebration today, again in front of the television, as I cheered Stanford on to victory over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl Game. Sorry Badgers, you played a good game today, just not good enough.

Seattle Christmas Ships 2012

An Almost Wordless Wednesday post since the shot doesn't really need a caption. But I want to share my enthusiasm for this holiday tradition. It was a joy to view the dozen or more lighted vessels as they cruised past in front of the house and gathered in the cove. 

The flotilla paused in front of the nearby park and treated our neighborhood to a 20-minute program of Christmas music. The truly hardy souls gathered along the park's shore, other neighbors viewed from their windows, and many of us hung out on docks to enjoy the annual event... and dash inside for a hot drink to warm our hands and our insides. Cool, windy, drizzly weather and any stress of the season was forgotten as the familiar carols filled the air. I LOVE Christmas happenings in Seattle. 

How Windy Was It?

A Rainy Day at U.Village

Yellow umbrellas dot the landscape in Seattle's University Village, available to shoppers any time, 24/7, throughout this open air shopping center. We're a city of hardy souls who rarely grab an umbrella to dash from car to store, or shop to shop. On days like today, when the sky opened up to pour down a record 2 inches of rain in six hours (link), umbrellas were much appreciated...

... appreciated, that is, until the winds gusted and swirled, turning umbrellas inside out...

  

... threatening lift-off, with or without any human accompaniment.

The yellow umbrellas were far more decorative than useful today, like alien yellow blossoms opening to November's moisture and gray clouds. They seem better suited to gentle showers, not serious storms, but any umbrella is considered a friendly gesture from the U.W.Village management team.     

Lunch with a friend at Sonrisa was a treat, as usual, but  later on I had more fun watching the umbrella-wielding shoppers than I did actually doing any shopping. (Mary Poppins would have been right at home in The Village today.)

Cute Little Critter

Our local raccoons are usually active after dark, but this character ambled along the waterfront in full afternoon sunshine, casually ignoring all human activity. That could be confidence born of experience, or lucky-so-far overconfidence. I was so captivated by its actions that I almost forgot to grab the camera and record the moment. 

An Autumn Walk in Kubota Garden

The view through the entrance gates barely hints at the varied and beautiful landscape inside this park, a neighborhood treasure tucked away in South Seattle. An historic landmark, this mature twenty-acre garden blends Japanese garden concepts with native Northwest plants. Join Hilary and me on our stroll through the garden, decorated in its full Fall foliage.