Today is Leaf Day

Today I'm looking for color and shapes in leaves. While there aren't stands of cottonwood or aspen to dazzle the eye, there are some leaves still on trees or lying on the ground that make interesting visual displays.

Back Home Wandering the Streets

Usually, my photo walks are in the afternoon, but this time it was a morning walk so I have a few images of flowers, even some with rain drops still on them.

Sunrise, Sunset

Because I am posting this several days after the fact and I'm a poor note keeper with I'm photographing, the morning and evening have all run together on me. Some of these are shot in the morning and some in the evening so there is no coherent theme today. Just restful images.

Looking Into the Sun

One sunrise, we got some dramatic clouds in the east over Seattle. With the Indianola pier to our east, I was able to get some dramatic silhouettes of the folks on the pier and the clouds above.

Buena Vista Cemetery, Port Gamble - 2

This is a well cared-for cemetery with lots of green grass, explanatory signs, and well-maintained stones.

Buena Vista Cemetery, Port Gamble

Rather than retype all the information on the sign at the entrance to the Port Gamble historic Buena Vista Cemetery, I thought I'd just photograph the sign and let you read it directly.

Port Gamble - Visiting the General Store

The Port Gamble General Store and Cafe is an eclectic collection of nik-naks and antiques situated just below the second floor seashell museum.

Port Gamble

Near the northern end of the Kitsap Peninsula is the small town of Port Gamble. Once a working village, it is today a small town devoted to tourism. There is one street a couple blocks long but it is a delightful place to visit. E and I plan to visit there again soon.

A Visitor in the Fog

It seems that everyone in western Washington loves to go boating. Even this Great Blue Heron is getting into the act by find a perch on a bit of floating debris.

Indianola and Point No Point

As the sun was setting, I was able to get a couple interesting images due to some small breaks in the clouds letting in a little of the sun set colors.

LIfe on the Beach

While practicing my landscape composition skills, I got this image of the Indianola pier with a healthy bit of the rocky beach in the foreground. As you can see the PNW meaning of "beach" is not the same as that of a southerner. Even at low tide on a "proper beach" such as those found along the southern Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico in the US, there is still sand.

The VIew from Our Bit of Beach

 

See, I've pulled a Scotty maneuver (think Star Trek) where I told you I'd miss a few days but then I managed to get back and process images fast enough to not have a break at all. As Scotty says, "Never tell the captain how long it will really take. Tell him longer so you look good when you finish early!".

Low tide comes in the afternoon at the moment and I has able to get out on the beach and grab a few shots as the evening light slowly faded. In the image above, we are looking more or less over Discovery Park to see the tops of the few tallest buildings in Seattle. It just so happens that there is a little sun leaking through the clouds at this moment.

Our Vacation Location

 

Here’s a rare photo of me! I’m out taking photos and Seth is taking a photo of me from the house. Also blogging this from my iPad is a pain. Thought I’d just pass along this tidbit to keep the ball rolling.

And Now a Short Break...

 

A view of Edinburgh from the castle taken in 2014.

We are off for the wilds of the Kitsap Peninsula (about an hour's drive from home) for a long weekend of rejuvenation on the beach. I refuse to take my computer...I want to get out and photograph and see/do some new things instead of sitting behind the computer.

This means that for the first time since probably the summer of 2019, there might be a break in the action (if it can be called such) here on blog. Hopefully, this respite will be worth it since when I return I'll have photos of things you haven't seen before to share.

Be patient and we'll be right back!

More Fall Colors

Berries abound if you know where to find them. This bush seems to be already decked out for the holiday season. But, alas, this beauty will not last nearly so long. Thus, I capture it now for enjoyment year-round.

Fun in the Sun

As time creeps on in its petty pace, we see more and more the colors of autumn. This leaf has #blogwn off a nearby tree and landed in a bed of greenery. Not only if the contrast nice but the spider finds it to be a good parade ground.

A Fall Stroll

I found a house on a corner lot with a sea-themed display in the corner just outside the fence around their yard.

A Long Walk

We had a bit of sun the other day (getting rarer now) and I went on a long (~2 hr!) walk to see someplace new. Driving is faster to get there but then I have to find a park to get out and explore and it is just easier to walk to see places in or near town.

A Very Short Walk Between Rain Showers

As we slowly slide into the wet season, It gets more difficult to find a time to get out to photograph. Fortunately, on Thursday last I visited REI (the mother ship is in Seattle) and purchased a new rain jacket. Well ventilated, yet it blocks the wind and the rain. Good deal.

Also: I'm still waiting on the new iteration of my Tilly hat to return from the manufacturer. A good Tilly is a bit like Dr. Who's TARDIS. Feels (at least a little) bigger on the inside and regenerates when the old incarnation give out.

In case you are wondering, there is a store downtown that sells a variety of upcycled hardware bits (plumbing, electrical, etc.) fitting with vintage style lights. You've seen this sort of stuff, I'm sure. I thought this bulb was mildly interesting.

Scenes Nearby

While there have been many changes in the character of Snohomish over the years, there are still places where it is clear that this is a town that has been here largely undisturbed for a while. The street above is one of those places.

Still Finding Flowers

Most of my recent outings have been with the smaller camera in-hand. While I've been pleased with the results, there is a certain je ne sais quoi with the larger format images. Perhaps it is the higher quality lenses. Certainly the shallower depth of field contributes in many situations. Possibly the way I see compositions with the different aspect ratio contributes. Maybe there really is an ineffability to medium format images although this is much disputed. Nevertheless, I was missing the look of the images and the heft of a big camera and lens in my hands. So, today we return to carrying the heavier equipment in the field. 

Woodlawn Cemetery, Snohomish

Out west of Snohomish, along the river is Woodlawn Cemetery. I've been here before and this time I'll be covering a couple of the same graves, but mostly this is new stuff.

Downtown

 

It seems that we are quickly running out of days with an abundance of sunshine. The rainy seasons is almost upon us. So I make walks about as much as I can knowing that soon I'll just be trapped inside (or walking in the rain).

Saying Goodbye to an Old Friend

As my friends all know, I've been wearing a Tilley hat for nearly 20 years now. I've been wearing this particular one for about 4 years. These hats are guaranteed for for life, so when they wear out, as this one has, I can get it replaced. I left my hat by accident in a restaurant in Australia when we visited the Twelve Apostles National Marine Park. As a result, I went to a hat store in Melbourne and bought a new one. This was late '16 or early '17. This hat has been a constant companion since then. Today, I said goodbye.

Woodlawn Cemetery - 2

While I was there, there was a funeral in progress. Since there were so many Russians interred here, I suspect this was an Orthodox burial, but I really don't know. In any event, this portion of it was very different from any service I've ever been part of. Perhaps one of my dear readers will be able to set me straight on this.

Other gravestones grab the modern world clearly by the horns and go with it. It is pretty clear that this could included a bike rider and a quilter.

But, like any cemetery, there are very sad stories of children lost before their time.

Another marker with the northwest theme engraved. This time is appears that the L.B. and Bessie are represented by the deer standing separated by the lake. I'm sure that this not what is intended, but it is a sad connection to make nonetheless.

The cemetery does not only contain many graves with strong eastern European/Russian connections, there are also people from farther east.

I'm not at all sure if this is Arabic or something from the Indian subcontinent. Either way, this is not the sort of stone one sees in the neighborhood where I grew up.

 

Crossing the Pilchuck

Typically, my afternoon photo walks take me in various directions on the crown of the hill that is residential Snohomish. Yesterday and today the blog is about a walk in a very different direction. I walked east (more or less) down the hill toward the Pilchuck river and (a little) beyond. In this direction, things change rapidly and the homes get much smaller, less well cared for, and, in some cases, simply empty.

Some Flowers for Your Enjoyment

We have new neighbors behind us. They moved in in March. One of their additions to their property is this rose bush. I think the color is quite remarkable.

Another Trip to the Langley Cemetery

In our bi-weekly visit to Whidbey Island, we again visited the cemetery. Our routine is now that E buys us a sandwich at the Star Store (a kind of general store in the town center) and we find a nice place to eat in the car. Once again, this delightful cemetery was at the top of our list. So peaceful.

Some Pleasing Expressions of Color and Shape

As you can tell, I'm nearing my limit on what I write for a title. Since the place I photograph rarely seems to change, I'm forced to give more and more abstruse titles to the posts.

This flower, with its subtle variation in colors and isolation from the background caught my attention.

A Few Flowers

With petals resembling the curls of wood produced by a woodworkers plane, this flower seems to be casting a demure gaze in my direction. the unopened bud drooping over the side puts me in the mind of a pet sitting on her shoulder.

Things That Caught My Eye

It is unclear to me if this copper kettle hanging from a bird feeder hook is intended to be a yard-art display or if it was meant to be the temporary resting place of a kettle used to water the plants. Either way, it is a fun shot.

The Streets of Snohomish

A pleasant afternoon is a good time to stroll along the tree-lined streets of Snohomish and see what our neighbors are doing to break the visual monotony. These folks had some nice, bright flowers to break up the day.