A Game of Croquet

Sunny Side

...Under cloudy skies.  Very unusual weather today; we're supposed to get an inch of rain with an oncoming atmospheric river.  We're all very excited about this at my house.  So far though, it's just overcast.  I hope the rain comes soon.  Anyway, I took advantage of the overcast skies to stop by one of the many sunflower fields around here that are just starting to bloom.  The green bands are rows of slightly smaller sunflowers.  All the fields are planted just like this, and I'm not sure why, but maybe smaller variety offers some cross pollination?  I'll try to find out about this before all the flowers start hanging their heads in a few weeks. 

Sunflower Season

It's the time of year when fields around here start turning yellow.  I'm always amazed at how many fields are planted with sunflowers.  It must be a lucrative crop! And I've learned something about sunflowers living here.  I used to think of sunflowers as these nimble flowers, bending on their stalks to face the sun.  Now I know that they face east to great the sunrise, so by the end of the day, they have their backs to the setting sun.  In past years I've photographed them in the morning.  Here they are backlit just before sunset.

Tunnel View, Yosemite

Just an indication of how crazy things have been around here...I took this photo two weeks ago when my sister and her family were visiting, and I just looked at it on my computer this evening!   In fact, I'd completely forgotten I took it!  Tunnel View: it's a shot that every photographer in California has in some variation.  It was a good time of year for a visit, just before school got out and the park got really busy, but still during peak melting time so the waterfalls were really beautiful! 

Washington Sky

We had beautiful weather this weekend for Eric's graduation ceremonies at the University of Washington.  Such a busy month, with family visiting from the Midwest, then house-hunting in the Portland area (yes, we're moving again this summer!), and finally celebrating graduation in Seattle.  So glad to be home, with a month or so of quiet to look forward to...the calm before the storm.

Good Day for Swim

With temperatures climbing into triple digits around here, this weekend would be a good time to head to a beach or to the pool.

High Tide

This rock along the Pacific coastline in Redwood National Park shows its wear from repeated tidal cycles.  It's taken on a surprisingly large variation in color!

Winter Field and Summer Sky

Inspired by Augustin's "Not Wheat" photo from a few days ago.  My version is not nearly so cool.  If I had time I would have driven out to Yolo where I could get a nice field and hills scene.  Around here fields are bordered by rows of trees, which I was trying to leave out of the photo, so it's sort of a ground-level perspective.  And probably "not wheat" either.  I would call it "winter wheat" but around here I think they grow a mix of oat, wheat, and barley called "oat mix."  Maybe that's what this is.  This is one of the last unharvested winter fields.  For the last two years this field has been planted with watermelon in the summer.  I supposed it will get baled soon, and prepared for a new crop. 

Redwoods

My artistic interpretation of the Redwoods.  I like it for a couple of reasons.  First, it captured the color of the Redwoods closest to how they actually look.  I really struggled with color balance in these woods, and this mix of colors came out just right!  And second, it retained a feeling of bark grain, which I think is really cool.  I was panning over a really long shutter speed (1/8 sec.) so I wasn't expecting to see so much grainy detail. 

Founder's Grove

Yesterday we hiked through Founder's and Mahan Plaque Groves in Humboldt Redwoods State Park.  It's an easy mile and a half hike with wide path on level ground through a beautiful old Redwood forest.  Founder's Tree, which is the foreground tree in this photo, stands at about 350 ft. tall.  The tallest Coast Redwoods standing today measure closer to 380 ft.  Humboldt Redwoods State Park and Redwood National Park are so remote; it feels like forever getting there, but once you do, you're rewarded with almost complete solitude.  Even on Memorial Day weekend, this park was not crowded.  I really love these forests; it's so peaceful here!

High Tide at Klamath Cove

The weather was slightly overcast just before sunset last night at the Pacific shoreline in Redwood National Park.  It was pretty wavy too, with a good amount of sea spray in the air.  But there were so many rocks in the cove that patches of calm tide pools developed.  

I liked how the weak sunlight was reflected in the gray water.

Milkweed

The milkweed has just started blooming at the Friends of West Davis Pond Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden.  Hope to see some monarchs here soon!

Crater Lake

I'd love to take a vacation at Crater Lake!  Every time we drive to Seattle I see signs for it, but it's just too far out of the way, so I'm always promising myself that I will make a visit some time in the future.  After my flight this week, I can at least say I've "seen" Crater Lake.  Someday soon I hope to visit here...maybe next year :)

The Airport

I can't knock the convenience of air travel, but it always leaves me feeling so hollowed out. 

I'll need the rest of the day to recover...put my feet up, and then take Clover for a walk.

Crane Curtain

We reworked Anna's 1000 Paper Cranes into a room divider...just for fun :)