Pineapple Express

I'm constantly learning these West Coast weather terms.  Last year in California I learned the term for a ribbon of wet weather originating in the Pacific Ocean, 'Atmospheric River.'  This year there's a new term for this weather system, 'Pineapple Express.'  As near as I can tell, a Pineapple Express is an Atmospheric River that originates in Hawaii.  Either way, it means wet weather for a while.  This system happened to coincide with especially cold weather so that's why we got all this snow.  Today it's icy as well, and I'm working on getting a shot of one of the hummingbirds (so I don't have to leave the house).  Our Pineapple Express will continue through the week, but it will turn back to rain tonight or tomorrow. 

Still Snowing

I know this is nothing for those of you on the East Coast or Midwest, but all this snow is a pretty big deal around here.  We got two more inches yesterday and at least another inch so far today with no sign of stopping, so that's nine inches so far.  I'm posting the birdhouse again just for comparison, and also because I see it all the time out my window.  Just out of the picture is a bird feeder which has seen active use, and a hummingbird feeder.  I have taken it as my personal mission to keep (at least) three Anna's Hummingbirds alive during our cold spell.  I suppose they could survive just fine without me, but they like the feeder, so I dust the snow off to keep it usable, and I bring it in a few times a day and thaw it out.  I would say there is a hummingbird at the feeder every five minutes, so I like to think they are appreciating my efforts. 

Clover in the Snow

Well, it started snowing yesterday morning and didn't stop until it was dark.  We got six inches which is quite a lot given that there are no plows or salt trucks around here and that it can be very hilly.  I didn't see any way to get out to the horse trail because there's an unclimbable hill (for us non-4WD drivers).  So Clover and I headed out on foot to our nearest path through the woods.  More snow coming tonight, then I think we'll warm up enough that our roads should melt.  For now we're all snowed in and loving it!

Oak Harbor Marina

I don't know why, but whenever I get around water I start looking for all these reflection shots.  It's just something I have to get out of my system, over and over again.  Saturday was no exception.  I always look for a scene I can turn upside down, and this was my best option.  I think the building with the blue roof is a restaurant near the Oak Harbor Marina; I took the photo from pretty far out on the dock.  I wasn't so happy with the amount of water movement near the shore, which I think was caused by some ducks further down the harbor.  I like the calmer water reflection in the sky better.  I waited a bit to see if the water would settle down but it never did.

The Shore of Salish Sea

I had the whole day to drive around Whidbey Island while my son was at a high school event up there on Saturday, so I decided to drive to the top and check out the wildlife at Joseph Whidbey State Park.  It was closed for the season though, so I just parked at the edge of the gate with the rest of the visitors and walked along the shoreline for a while.  I left my tripod at home, so I had no business taking this slow shutter speed photo handheld (sorry for the blur!) but did it anyway just because it was interesting.

Quietly Reflecting

Along the shores of Langley's South Whidbey Marina on Whidbey Island last Saturday.

Port of Olympia

I got to stop in at one of my former hometowns on Friday, heading up to Seattle.  We had a light drizzle on the way up, but the weather report kept calling for clearing skies.  I was imagining a sunbreak just as we drove into Olympia.  We pulled into town for lunch, and it was just like I order up this weather.  The skies cleared overhead, so I got my sun in the foreground and overcast in the background, which is classic Olympia weather.  The foreground, by the way, is Percival Landing, which is undergoing a transformation right now, thus all the construction equipment behind the Sandman.  In the background is Port of Olympia.  Olympia is were I took my photography classes and also where I started 45journal, and happens to be one of my favorite cities.  It was great to be back here, if only for a short while passing through.

Home Sweet Home

I was so excited to see this little chickadee checking out the wren house just feet from my kitchen window.  If he moves in it will be only the second time that I know of that birds will have nested in this house which I painted a very long time ago. (1993?)  I took a Bavarian painting class when we were first stationed in Germany, so this was one of my little projects.  I always wondered if something about the paint kept the birds away early on.  Just last week I tried turning it to more of a south-facing angle, and I'm thinking that has helped make it more appealing.  Keeping my fingers crossed for some new neighbors at the kitchen window this spring!

Blueberry Field

Green and red, but no blue in this photo; yet the red is the edge of a large blueberry field in McMinnville.  Blueberry fields are pretty common in Oregon and in Southern Washington, and I absolutely love the red color but I've been struggling with how to photograph it.  I'm on the lookout for a field in rolling hills because the red line pattern is so pretty, and it's just too hard to see photographed on a flat landscape. The rows aren't visible from this side angle, just a sea of red.  I liked the fence though, so for now I settled for this graphic composition with the fence line zipping the scene together.

Hazelnut Orchard

When I first started seeing the hazelnut orchards yesterday near McMinnville I thought the yellow color was coming from last year's leaves still hanging on the trees.  But after talking to some local farmers I learned that the hazelnut trees are actually in bloom right now.  The yellow are the tassel parts of the bloom.  The trees require cross-pollination to bloom, so I guess there are different varieties planted in the same field, and they rely on wind for the pollination.  Very windy yesterday, so maybe they'll get a bumper crop this year.  I ended up liking this orchard near the top of Dundee Hills, backlit in the early morning light.  Although I have to admit, I was a little disappointed to learn that this was what hazelnut blooming looks like.  Guess I'll have to drive back to the Hood River Valley apple and pear orchards this spring if I want some orchard blossom photos this spring.

McMinnville

Wow, are we getting the weather!  Sunny and warm until next week.  This morning I did a recon of the area around McMinnville, and as far as winter days go, I sure picked a pretty day to look around.  I saw a PBS special on the Pinot Nior region here and thought it looked like a fun place to go with my camera.  The vineyards were of course dormant, but in addition to vineyards I scouted out two other crop fields, blueberry and hazelnut.  Definitely looking forward to getting back down here in the springtime!

Northridge Loop

Well, fog seems to be the predominant weather system here this winter.  I'm not sure if this is always the case or not, but definitely the inversion pattern is the default pattern this year.  We had this in California too, especially in the valleys, so I'm used to it, but not this often.  Anyway, I took a break from some other projects I have going right now to take Clover out on this horse trails this morning.  I was thinking the green moss might be especially vibrant in this dense fog, and it didn't disappoint!  To help set the mood, it's important to know that it was 35 degrees and of course very damp.  Bone-chillingly cold actually.  It was almost completely silent, except for the constant drip of water hitting the leaves on the ground, and the echoing calls of some very large birds.  They sounded like cranes, but I couldn't tell for sure, and of course I couldn't see them.  I had another trail I wanted to try out as well but I was getting cold, and I'm confident in our weather pattern continuing so I've saved it for another day...

Sunrise Over Salmon Creek

We've been getting these beautiful pink sunrises lately on days that we don't have fog.  I've been noticing them from my bedroom window as I slept in over the winter holiday.  Today was the first day back to school, so everyone was out the door before sunrise.  No fog, so Clover and I headed over the Salmon Creek for an early morning walk.  I wasn't expecting the creek to be partially frozen like that because it warms up quite a bit during the day, but I think the icy pattern is awfully pretty.  Mt. Hood is barely visible in the background behind the trees.

Hitting the High Notes

A simple melody from a little flock of winter birds.  I wonder why they like to sit on that particular power line.  Do they like the thinner line?  The fact that it's higher up?  Is it warmer?  Cooler?  Whatever the reason, this was the staff line of choice for these musical little birds.

Rose Hips

We had a foggy weather pattern for the start of 2014 yesterday, a holdover from our late December weather of thick fog in the morning.  Today I was greeted with bright sunshine as I read the newspaper at the kitchen table.  One of the things I love about the Pacific Northwest is how quickly the weather changes (or how much weather we have!)  Looking forward to all the different weather conditions that will greet me as I photograph here in 2014.  I hope everyone had a Happy New Year, and that 2014 will bring much happiness and good health!