Day 40 March 31, 2010

For a day that was supposed to be wet and stormy it certainly had a fabulous beginning. The light was wonderful and changed by the second. It was a day to be quick. Then came the trauma of choosing just one photograph to post here. Down on the Thea Foss Waterway there is a plethora of beauty to photograph from moss on concrete steps to dilapidated but still used buildings contrasting to newer glass and steel of downtown. The water reflections were clear, the flowers were mere reservoirs for last night's rains and the sky was an organized confusion of variegated blues overlay-ed with whites ranging to angry deep grays. This photograph won out because of its symphony of blue hues.

Day 39 March 30, 2010

This was a gloomy, stormy day again. With a break in the weather the intent was to go to Pt Defiance Park. The drive was interrupted by this little store with, as luck would have it, people going in. The bright, Easter Egg colors seemed to be just the thing for a day like this!

Day 38 March 29, 2010

Rain today so it washed out the scheduled bike ride for me. However, there was a break in the weather so I hunted up Swan Creek where this ride was to take place. Finally stumbled on it. It was very damp and muddy but the tiny little part of the 40 acres I saw looked worth a trip back in dryer days. I seem to be on a flower theme here but it is spring.

Day 37 March 28, 2010

While out walking with the pocket camera, caught this mossy rock in the evening light. It reminds me of those views from satellites in space.

Day 36 March 27, 2010

This is advertised to be the best day of the weekend and it was perfect for pictures! This is what is left of a daffodil field outside Puyallup at the Van Leirop Bulb Farm. I noticed a for sale sign so I wonder what it will become.

Kurt was really enjoying himself but at this point he really wanted a good cup of coffee!

Day 35 March 26, 2010

Walking around the neighborhood I found too many choices for today. I chose this one because the blossoms were so delicate and perched so precariously I knew immediately they will only be with us for a few days. With the wet, windy weather we're having they could be gone before tomorrow.

Day 34 March 25, 2010

This wisteria is getting ready for its first bloom and the vine is loaded with buds. It is a tease, really. The buds will get bigger and bigger and it will seem they can't get any bigger. Then suddenly they will burst forth with white blossoms edged with a glorious lavender-blue and filling the air with its intoxicating scent. I can hardly wait!

Day 33 March 24, 2010

I can see the Ft Steilacoom is a place that begs revisiting again and again. This trip barely scratched the surface.

There are several barns but this one had the most character. You have to wonder about the new red paint: was someone starting to paint then abandoned the project; it doesn't look like someone was painting out the last in the brush, there's too much color. The shadow of the bare branch with the one over the roof add to the feeling of abandonment. The roof has seriously warped to the point of undulating. The chimney is crumbling but manages to stay erect: how is that, the mortor must be near to dust. What stories and secrets would this barn tell if only it could?

Day 32 March 23, 2010

Sometimes when you look in ordinary places you find something not so ordinary. Here is nature's cluster on the ground.

Day 31 March 22, 2010

Oh, my, if these magnolias don't just make you want to reach for the Mint Julips! These were in the front yard of an old man who told me he couldn't remember exactly what kind they were: he used to know but he'd planted the tree 30 years ago. I had to have them for the blog: the colors were so intense and delicate at the same time! Nature is amazing!

Day 30 March 21, 2010

This beautiful red tulip was just too pretty to pass up. The rains have come and gone and come again today and everything that isn't already, is straining to bloom!

Day 29 March 20, 2010

This was a perfect First Day of Spring day. It was just warm enough, and the colors were wonderful. This is the Nisqually Estuary where dikes were built in order to farm the land years ago. Last spring the dikes were breeched to allow the land to go back to nature and to re-create the salt water marshes. Already the wild life is repopulating the area. While I miss the 5.5 mile walk on the dikes the views now are spectacular. We thought the tide seemed to be going out but weren't sure. You can see how close to the twin barns the water is now. It will be fun to watch the area develop over time!

Day 28 March 19, 2010

Oh boy, oh, boy! I call THAT Spring!

A stunning day in the PNW, that is for sure!

Daffodils just make you smile and feel happy.

Day 27 March 18, 2010

Opera Alley Tacoma WA

Day 26 March 17, 2010

This is Gig Harbor near Anthony's Restaurant at the end of the harbor. I'm not fond of the composition but I do like the colors. Looks like a real spring day! The clouds this afternoon were stunning. No doubt there will be more of GH in the future but from different angles. I wanted this one because it is as close to the water's surface I think I can get these days at this vantage point.

Decided this photo might be improved with a little cropping. Tried several, fixed on this one. For some reason I just had to keep that little boat coming into the harbor on the left.

Day 25 March 16, 2010

McKay Marsh is on Ft. Lewis, uh, Joint Base Lewis McCord or JBLM as we like to say...

Ok, I broke a cardinal rule: look at the map before striking out into the woods. Honestly I didn't even think of it: I assumed the trail would go all the way around (ooooooh sooooooo wrong). Fortunately I knew the worst that could happen would be I'd walk farther than I wanted to. As it turned out it wasn't much further than I would have gone had I known what I was doing. And I really did know where I was all the time. But had I thought ahead, I would never have encountered these little beauties!

Day 24 march 15, 2010

Stopped briefly downtown deliberately with this shot in mind. The UW Tacoma is in the heart of downtown occupying refurbished original buildings. Looking down the staircase one sees the old Union Station now The Federal Courthouse and the Washington History Museum reflecting its architectural style. Through the arche peeks the hot shop cone of the Museum of Glass. Beyond in the distance stand the massive cranes on the tideflats used to unload ships and the Cascade foothills that tomorrow may have snow. What an IDEA as suggested atop the UW building in the foreground!

Day 23 March 14, 2010

Spent the day driving around the hook of the Hood Canal. Stopped at Lake Cushman and found this cedar tree. There were so many wonderful things to photograph on this overcast day it was difficult to choose which to post. Oyster shells on the beach, creeks running into the canal, mossy rocks, mountain reflections, abandoned apple press and many more. It is just the best spending the day with a close friend.

Day 22 March 13, 2010

This steel bridge goes over the river just before you drive into downtown Sumner. This sleepy, quaint little mostly rural town isn't where you'd expect to find graffiti but there it is on this otherwise lovely old bridge. You can't help but notice how little of the bridge you'd be able to see once the trees and bushes begin to leaf out.

Day 21 March 12, 2010

This was a cold winter day. An abandoned picnic table was waiting for summer and a family to have their lunch while dangling feet get cooled and tickled by the lake water. Today that table was pelted by hail and harshly brushed by a frigid wind while its metal feet grew icy to the touch. Only the water birds dared venture into the lake.

Ok, this is two photos today but I couldn't resist. This one helps illustrate what sort of day it really was. I am on the hunt for reflection images because of an upcoming workshop.

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Day 20 March 11, 2010

The cherry trees are about to succumb to the breezes and the rain. Since their days are numbered I decided today was the day to add them to this collection.

Day 19 March 10, 2010

Spotted these little flowers on young trees along Steilacoom Blvd while out for a walk the other day. Went back and stopped to pick some up to post here today! There was quite a breeze blowing making this a perfect spring day. These delicate little blossoms won't last long: more rain coming tomorrow.

o

Day 18 March 9, 2010

These trees were along Snake Lake Nature Preserve. I loved the look of lace fans that I saw across the lake.

Day 17 March 8, 2010

Down in the Nally Valley looking for something industrial I found this sunset instead.

Day 16 March 7, 2010

I have to confess I was having too much fun with friends to concentrate on getting a really fine picture for today. These two fellows were fishing (not catching they confessed) under the Narrows Bridge. The tide was going out and it gets pretty fast through there. The wave you see was repeated continually as the surge passed through. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to keep my footing in those swells. And it was at least as cold as it looks. Temperatures dropped 12 degrees from yesterday. It is, after all, still winter.

Day 15 March 6, 2010

What a glorious day this was! The mission of the day was to get daffodils so I went to the MIA Memorial Park where I knew some were planted. Not so many were out, however. It is possible I got some at least nice pictures and at the end of the day it has been hard to decide which to choose to post for today's entry. The dozen or so I culled from the batch were not all daffodils and I like them all for different reasons. So the posted one isn't necessarily my favorite of the whole lot. This singular flower was special because the fact that the bloom wasn't perfect made it even more beautiful. It seemed like it was trying to be a "double" without quite making it. There was heather in the background so all the others had blurred heather to accentuate the yellow; this one, as it turned out appears to have a very dark background making it's own, individual statement.

Day 14 March 5, 2010

Two ways to get your servings of fruit today?

Day 13 March 4, 2010

This is a hastily grabbed shot in the late afternoon. Cropping was a definite help here. And now I have other ideas for going back to get something more interesting.

Day 12 March 3, 2010

Really, it is still winter but this varigated camillia is fairly bursting into bloom. I love these beautiful, fragrant blossoms. Their beauty is so fragile and brief. But oh, for that brief period!

Day 11 March 2, 2010

Evidentially I forgot I had posted a shot of Little Red Schoolhouse yesterday. Actually I didn't. I noticed the framing of the tree so made a special trip to take the picture. The camera for most of these is an Olympus 7.1mp with a 18x optical zoom. It is an SLR wannabe. Most likely the majority of photos for this blog will be taken with that camera because it is one of two car cameras so it is with me nearly all the time. The other car camera is a pocket point and shoot with a 10x optical zoom. The photo I wanted to post didn't turn out and the others were not composition that pleased. So here is today's posting. Tomorrow will be different.

Day 10 March 1, 2010

Mid afternoon at the Little Red Schoolhouse in Lakewood, WA. An overcast day without wind accentuates the abandonment of this overused and outdated three room schoolhouse. It sits on the edge of the parking lot of the current elementray school and within site of the middle school it would have populated. An old, disappearing unused road runs along the backside of the building. The windows are boarded up, the shingles are curling, moss grows on the roof. The one bright thing is Caring For Kids, an all volunteer organization serving the children in the school district where this old school stands, uses the building as storage. Somehow the roof doesn't leak and it isn't damp inside and there is no evidence of vermin; almost as if the building is protected to continue it's nurturing of children however that can happen.