Another Glimpse of the time Washington was Becoming a State

it is always the case that those who dies on the frontier include children. this child, perhaps, died of an illness we routinely treat today. Or maybe it was a snake or the kick of a horse. Life was hard.

Storage

Storage comes in many forms out in this vast farmland. Here we see a barn with 12 sides and (apparently) 36 windows. Not sure who would work so hard as to put that many windows in a barn, but here we are.

Technology on the Landscape

In addition to the endless plane and textured hills, we do find a bit of technology standing tall. There is a  wind farm sharing space with the wheat farm.

In Some Directions, the Houses are Few

When looking out from the hill we are on, there are some directions where it is really difficult to find a house. There are one or two, and a few places with trees that might hold some more, but it really seems to be just endless fields or wheat and legumes.

An Expansive Place of Endless Work

We start today with a comparison. Above is a view rendered in B&W.

The Rolling Hills

 

The combination of the green/yellow and the brown/yellow colors make these fields endlessly interesting.

Colors and Textures

While I am quite sure that the spring time with green fields and blossoming flowers has a totally different appeal, in the August harvest time, this is a place dominated by color and texture.

Life on the Plains

The areas not planted in wheat are small and reserved for homes an equipment storage. The trees huddled around the houses remained us that the winter here can be harsh and any shielding from the wind and snow is a big help.

Steptoe Butte State Park

One of the highlights of this trip was our visit to Steptoe Butte State Park. Apparently for no reason, a mountain rises out of the vase plain of rolling hills and provides a grand view of the region.Even though there are fires in the general area, the smoke is not too bad and we can see a fair amount.

Lots of Old

These old buildings are a treat for photographers. There is plenty of angles to view, and shapes and textures to explore.

Views of the Old and New

There is a lot that is old in the Palouse and plenty that is new. This old barn is filled with new art, new crafts, and new efforts of expression by the locals.

Exploring the Palouse

so, near the river named Paqlouse, is a very small town of the same name. This las lead to the entire area being referred to as the Palouse generally. This area is known for the vast wheat and legume fields. Nearly all the the lentils in the US come from this region.

The barn in the background is now a showplace/store for regional art. So, to sort of "show off their wares", the fence outside is made from the remains of old farm equipment, mostly the wheels.

Is it clear that there are lots of wheeled contraptions that have been used up out here. Lots of fossil wheels from the last 175 years or so.

 

Palouse River and Falls

In an event some 13,000 years ago, this water fall was created on the Palouse river. the Palouse falls and river are now part of the Palouse State Falls Park and Heritage Site found in the southeastern corner of Washington.

A Little More SoDo

I frequently complain, in person if not on this blog, that getting photos in the PNW is fraught with the lack of vantage points. With very few exceptions, everything is covered with trees. Very tall trees. When there is a break in the trees that allows you see the mountains or the fields, it is either because there is an often busy road there or there are power lines. Or both.

A SoDo Photowalk

I decided to try something new. I joined a photowalk I found online that wandered a bit around the southern, more industrial section of Seattle. Since this part of town is south of the Seattle Kingdome, the sports arena for the Mariners and Seahawks, it is commonly refered to as SoDo (south of the dome).

More Creek Scenes

On a warm day this looks quite inviting. However, let me warn you. A dip here is not for the feint of heart. This is very cold mountain water flowing here.

Olny Creek

Out near the Spada reservoir is a creek that flows into the man made lake, olny creek. I've been here before and I find shooting here to be fun and relaxing.

Small Flowers in Large Bunches

 

Sometimes each flower is small but they arrive in large gatherings making a grand display.

More Color and Textures

 

The beauty of the rose flower and the threat of the rose thorn always come together.

Flowers and Colors

After lots of eagles and herons eating fish, I thought you'd enjoy a few days of color from local places in Snohomish. These are some of the flowers from around our neighborhood in the spring of '24.

More Forest-y Bits

The forests can feel more encapsulating when seen in B&W. the contrast is lowered and the scene is darker.

PNW Forest

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we live in a temperate rainforest. The near constant rain from November to May or June, means that everything from the roofs of houses to the limbs on trees are upholstered with moss and lichen, and the understory is carpeted with ferns.

Eagles and Trees

Our friend from the last posting that seemed in a hurry to escape from a raven, was not actually the goal of the raven's flight. He was just passing through. Yet, the eagle still seemed pissed that he has to deal with the interloper at all.

From the Eagles' Point of View

Circling for a landing, this eagle is eyeing a good spot for lunch. Apparently, the service is pretty good and the price is right.

Eagles Everywhere

We see our pugilistic friends in the background as the local stakeholders sit and watch, "ain't none of my business!".

Survival of the Fittest

Eagles, like all other wild animals, work hard for a living. As these birds approach maturity, their battle wounds begin to show.

Eagles on the Wing

Perhaps because the fish are more active, the eagles got more active as the day went on.

A Busy Time of Day

The herons have found a place that suits their hunting style and their apparent desires to pose for the camera.

Teach a Bird to Fish...

There are plenty of hungry birds out here and many are quite successful fishers.

Successful Fishers

 

It is not surprising that the herons, with their long bills, are successful fishers.

Meanwhile, Back on the Canal Side

This heron is trying to land in what is clearly a good spot. He knows it is good sopt because all his friends are there.

Herons Galore

The roadway by which I stand crosses the stream that all the birds are focused on. On one side is the Hood Canal and on the other is a small pool that the herons seem to like quite alot for their fishing endeavors. the fellow above is using his wings to shade the water’s surface so he can see the fishes underwater better.

Eagles, Herons, and more

My first eagle in flight on this trip. It is not terribly sharp, but it is start.

An Eagle Posing for the Camera

ONe almost gets the feeling that this eagle is trying to stare me down. However, I am standing on the verge of the road with dozens of other photographers and traffic that keeps going by. I’m pretty sure there are other things besides me, trying to stand still and quite, for him/her to be checking out.

Getting Serious about that Last Morsel

I certainly would not want to meet this guy in a dark alley. Or a lit one either.

Picnic on th Beach

This fellow sweem to have caught a large fish of some sort and put on the beach to eat at his leisure.Notice that the beach here, like much fo the beach around here is covered in shells.

Lots of Eagles!

Every spring, there is a small fish called a midshipman that breeds in the Big Beef Creek near Seabeck WA. This is on the Kitsap peninsula where the creek empties into the Hood Canal. In May-June each year these fish move from the creek into the canal and this requires that they swim through some shallow water along the entrance to the tidal canal. This in turn, attracts hungry birds, especially bald eagles.

Seaweed, Rocks, and Pools of Water

When we visited Cannon Beach, the tide was out and much of the shallow sea life was laid bare. There are rocks with seaweed exposed on them and small crustaceans found int the pools.

Cannon Beach

Not far south of Seaside is the popular Cannon Beach. It is famous for the sea stacks and the sandy beach. The town is a real tourist attraction with all the trappings.

Construction and a Bathe

Sometings in the course of an intricate and delicate construction phase, it is necessary to have more than two or three hands to insure success. In such cases, both feet are used to stabilize the foundation.

More Kites

The great thing about the sea breeze is that it is constant in direction and speed. This makes managing a kite a delight.

KItes

With a stiff breeze about, kites were in order.

Seaside, Oregon

And now for something completely different.

Last April, the family headed south to the coast of Oregon for a little beach time in sunny Seaside. Above, you see Charlie preparing to see if China really is at the antipodes.

A Last View of the Galapagos

So at last we have come to the end of our trip and the final images. It has taken a long time to post the whole trip and I hope everyone enjoyed it. We certainly had a good time.

Frigatebirds

 

Much of what the land iguana eat is prickly pear cactus. They grow to great size on these islands and provide shade as well as food for those stuck on the ground.

Frigatebirds

First, let me apologize for my tardiness in getting post us lately. This week is a new problem. I have changed browsers and it does not seem to work with blogger so I have resorted to the old tried-and-true to get this done while I sort out how to make this all work with the new one. Now, on to the interesting stuff...

These male frigatebirds are really something with their gular pouches all inflated to the max while sitting on the nest. You can just tell he is really proud.

Boobies

As you can tell, we not especially close to the bids. This makes it hard to always tell if they are scratching or if it part of the mating ritual. I suspect that this was just a scratch.