Tag: IPhoneography
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A Hello to Old Friends and the Start of Something New
How I’m working to bridge the gap between older writings and new beginnings while welcoming the threads that hold them together. First, I want to start with a big, hearty hello to all of my friends here, remember me? I’ve said this before and apparently, I’m saying it one final…
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Letting the days go by
And you may ask yourself, well How did I get here? Talking Heads – Once in a Lifetime Hello, I’ve missed you all! Last spring I didn’t think taking a short break would lead to anything more than a chance to catch my breath but here we are, catching up…
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2019 The Year of Seeing Green: Week 12
The year of seeing green? Living green? Sharing green? We try for all three here but I still had a hard time settling on one for this post so after a day spent typing and deleting variations I finally acknowledged my best days happen when I can see something green…
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2019 The Year of Black and White: Week 11
While the easy title for this week’s post was “Black and White” I could have also added something about it being the last full week of winter, or how my earliest memories of enjoying photographs were with books full of black and white images. All of these would have been…
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2019 The Year of This and That: Week 10
Have you ever had a week that felt busy in the moment but didn’t result in a list of accomplishments? My best case scenario for a week like this is that everyone made it through without any major problems and each busy day lead to something good later so by this…
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2019 The Year of Mountain Tops and Flowers: Week 9
It’s sunday afternoon and the sun is shining but the air is still too cold for comfort and I am really ready for winter to be over. I know the calendar says we’re a few days into March and warmer days are coming soon so I’m pinning new PNW hikes…
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2019 The Year of Looking for Light: Week 8
I know February is coming to a close when I can hear birds again in the morning but daylight hours are short and it’s too cold for spring flowers to fill the gardens. We’re turning the corner but we aren’t there yet! Because my mornings and evenings are still fairly…
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2019 The Year of Looking Back to Avoid Seeing Today: Week 7
Looking back to avoid seeing today… not something I usually recommend but every once in a while it’s a coping technique I can get behind. We’ve been snowbound for weeks and while I’ve promised to post a photo a day I was tired of looking at icy pictures so after…
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2019 The Year of Crisp White Snow and Icy Blue Skies: Week 6
What a change from last week’s soft pinks and rosy afternoons! This week passed by in a frozen shade of blue all due to a sudden return of winter. We’ve had snow days, ice coated roadways and a first for this blog, icicles. Brrrr All the images above are from…
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2019 The Year of Comfort: Week 5
If you’ve read a few of these 2019 posts you’ve probably noticed each title begins with the same “2019 The Year of” then changes to a short descriptive phrase from the past week. In the past I’ve tried to keep yearly project titles more consistent but my objective with this…
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2019 The Year of Changing Views: Week 4
This week has been a bit of change for me since I spent all of it at home resting so my photo choices are a mixed gallery of memories, sights from a typical work week, followed by a slow Saturday walk along the waterfront. Changing views indeed. We started the…
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2019 The Year of Lakeside Dreaming in January: Week 2
As I type this on Saturday afternoon the sun is shining, birds are chirping and if I close my eyes I can almost pretend I’m sitting in the lovely sun room at the Lake Crescent Lodge in the Olympic National Park. I’ve already written a few posts about our strange,…
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2019 The Year of a New Daily Photo Project: Week 1
Will 2019 be my year of living dangerously? No that’s not it… a year of self-control, or reckoning, discovery, relaxation? Sigh, I’m terrible with resolutions. Honestly whenever I try to think of a theme or title for the new year all I come up with are overused movie quotes and…
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A Tree, A Search for Quotes and Chief Seattle
All things share the same breath – the beast, the tree, the man… the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports. Ted Perry Raise your hand if you’ve read this quote before. It’s typically attributed to a speech given by Chief Seattle, See-ahth in the Lushootseed language, in 1854…
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Happy Halloween 2018
Many of you know Halloween is John’s favorite holiday and the planning, preparation and decorating for this year’s display started months ago. A close look might reveal some familiar elements from previous years but somehow he managed to out do himself and present a completely new environment for this spookiest…
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The Reds and Greens of Autumn
“The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let the dead things go.”– Unknown “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers”– L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables “Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a…
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The Last Few Days of Summer
There is a time in the last few days of summer when the ripeness of autumn fills the air. Rudolfo Anaya Even though the calendar says we’ve passed from summer to autumn the few weeks between September 21st and the middle of October always feel like an extended summer in…
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We Will Welcome Summer’s Ghost
We know that in September, we will wander through the warm winds of summer’s wreckage. We will welcome summer’s ghost. Henry Rollins Sigh, “summer’s wreckage” is a pretty fair description of my yard and garden today. The peak heat of August has passed leaving a tangled mess of overgrown branches,…
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The Scent of a Lake in the Mountains
Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains. Diane Ackerman My favorite childhood summer scents all conjure up memories of water. Fresh, salty and earthy they all say summer to me.…
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Olympic National Park: Colorful Mountains and Meadows Filled with Wildflowers
It’s August in the PNW and that means every day we have available is spent outside enjoying the natural beauty that surrounds us. This year our summery blue skies have been filled with a toxic mix of wildfire smoke from around the world ( Siberia, Canada, Washington, Idaho and California)…
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Fresh Berries and Lazy Summer Days…
Better than any argument is to rise at dawn and pick dew-wet red berries in a cup. Wendell Berry While I appreciate the sentiment behind this quote and am sure I’d thoroughly enjoy a summer dawn with fresh picked berries I can also vouch for the fact that they are…
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I Knew Who I Was This Morning…
I knew who I was this morning, but I’ve changed a few times since then.” Lewis Carroll A quick scroll through my posts makes it pretty clear my approach changes from day-to-day. Sometimes I want as little to no change and other times I enjoy playing with color and shadow to…
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Summer Blues
There’s more than one kind of blue day… My favorites are the ones filled with blue skies, fluffy clouds and sparkling water.
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All Time Favorites: Angular
I know I’m not alone in feeling sad the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenges have come to an end. I’m not the most prolific blogger these days but this recurring event has been both my favorite online group activity and source of inspiration when my creative well is dry. Not only…
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I’d Rather Be…
Today I’d rather be a dog. Our dog Finn to be precise. His day started with a nice walk followed by breakfast next to the heater. Late morning meant it was time for a nap in his favorite sun spot then a second trip outside so he could patrol the…
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Tour Guide – Olympia, WA in Black and White
Labeling this post a “tour guide” might bit of a stretch as I’ve left out all the touristy bits about landmarks, photo-ops and directions but it fits the theme of the weekly photo challenge and it’s been years since I spent time in our State’s Capital so when we took…
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2018 – A New Year and a New Look
While I say I like to reach out and try new things, deep down I’m really a creature of habit. Many habits. If I find a breakfast or lunch I like I’ll eat it every day for a year or longer, I play the same albums over and over and…
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Merry Christmas
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas filled with love, light and happy memories. John, Ryan, Finn and I are enjoying the surprise snow and lighting candles. Presents are wrapped, dinner is cooking and Santa is on his way…🎅🏼 🎁
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Ascend to a Higher Development
One can ascend to a higher development only by bringing rhythm and repetition into one’s life. Rhythm holds sway in all nature. Rudolf Steiner We can find Nature outside us only if we have first learned to know her within us. What is akin to her within us must be…
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A Serene and Settled Majesty
There is a serene and settled majesty to woodland scenery that enters into the soul and delights and elevates it, and fills it with noble inclinations. Washington Irving When the stresses and sounds of daily life are just too much my go-to escapes for some peace and quiet are the…
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Shades of Blue: Part 11 – Happy Halloween!
If you’ve been reading my Shades of Blue posts from the beginning you might notice I’ve skipped ahead a little from late summer but we’re hours away from Halloween and some pictures really need to be shared in the moment. John thinks/dreams/plans for Halloween year round and by mid-summer he…
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Shades of Blue: Part 7 – Crab Pots and Donuts
As an antidote to the wet, windy weather outside I’m remembering a sunny day in July and returning to my Shades of Blue series. Today’s post is picture heavy with only a few words so we can all enjoy the pretty blue skies, colorful flowers and peaceful waterfront views from…
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The Simplest Pedestrian
Far better to be the simplest pedestrian, with knapsack on back, stick in hand, and gun on shoulder, than an Indian prince travelling with all the ceremonial which his rank requires. Jules Verne Substitute the above mentioned gun for a trusty slingshot and Jules Verne perfectly describes Ryan’s preferred method…
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Layered Trees and Exposed Identities
In the spring and summer I watched my plants flower, but it was, perhaps, in winter that I loved them best, when their skeletons were exposed. Then I felt they had more to say to me, were not simply dressing themselves for the crowds. Stripped of their leaves, their identities…
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Shades of Blue: Part 6 Summer Skies and Garden Flowers
Football is on the television, fresh rain is clearing the last of the forest fire smoke and I’m reaching for a fleece vest while looking back through my pictures for another summer gallery. Today’s choices are all about summer skies, summer flowers, summer nights and summer salads. Plenty of flowers…
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Shades of Blue: Part 5 – Dusty Corners
Walk, run, cycle – When you live inside your head for such long periods of time, you have to open the windows, air it out a bit, let sunlight stream into all the dark and dusty corners of your mind. Twinkle Khanna I like to think of summer as a…
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Textures and Elemental Sounds
The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach. Henry Beston Regular readers know I like to start these WordPress photo challenges with a quote that leads to a small…
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Satisfaction
Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction. E. O. Wilson If you’ve ever wondered why Pacific Northwesterners put up with dreary, wet winters it’s because of summers like this. We don’t have formal vacation plans this year but when an island hike is…
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Shades of Blue: Part 4
I’ve got a photo filled post for you this week as we continue my June walks through town and along the beach. You get to see my mother’s day flowers blooming by our backdoor, views from the marina, an accidental shot of beach sand when I was trying to put…
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Shades of Blue: Part 3
I’d better pick up the pace with these spring themed posts or I’ll still be working through May photos after the 4th of July. 🙂 Today you get to see Ryan and I out in the neighborhood looking signs of spring, roaming the beach skipping rocks and finding interesting driftwood/seaweed…
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Transient
In the presence of eternity, the mountains are as transient as the clouds. Robert Green Ingersoll I don’t know about you but the question “What do you want for your birthday/Christmas/Mother’s Day?” always makes me a little uncomfortable. I know the asker means well but I don’t like telling…
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Shades of Blue: Part 2
Continuing my thoughts from last weeks post about Hipstamatic and Shades of Blue I have a new series of small photos from my walks around town. This was a surprising spring morning filled with fog that could have passed for fall if you looked past the brave new blooms. The…
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Shades of Blue: Part 1
If you’ve been with me for a while you might know I take all my photos with my iPhone and if you are a details person you’ve noticed I typically tag each photo or post with the editing app used in case a reader wants to try something new with their own…
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Evanescent
Night is brushed aside like so much cobweb. The day is wound up and begins even before the last haunted dreams, the last of the fog, those spectral and evanescent residues, have faded away. Gregory Maguire, After Alice That 2017 is setting records for the coldest and wettest spring in pacific…
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Earth Day 2017
If we do not permit the Earth to produce beauty and joy, it will in the end not produce food, either. — Joseph Wood Krutch I hope everyone took a moment today to appreciate, acknowledge and protect the earth around us. Happy Earth Day all.
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Dogs are our link to paradise…
Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring–it was peace. Milan Kundera My goal for today was to write an…
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Moss On Stone
“There is an ancient conversation going on between mosses and rocks, poetry to be sure. About light and shadow and the drift of continents. This is what has been called the “dialect of moss on stone – an interface of immensity and minute ness, of past and present, softness and…
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Against the Odds
I had always enjoyed the title of Commander-in-Chief until I was informed … that the only forces that cannot be transferred from Washington without my express permission are the members of the Marine Corps Band. Those are the only forces I have. I want it announced that we propose to…
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Hellebore
While local garden centers are filled with pretty displays of spring bulbs and primroses I’m starting to worry about the mostly dormant state of my own yard. Plants that usually bud and flower in early February show no signs of growth and my weeds are the only green things that look truly…
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Shadow
Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing. Abraham Lincoln Shadows come and go but like strong character, trees are what really leave their mark on the world. Posted as part of the Weekly Photo…
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My Year In Pictures: January Week 4
Wow, after 2 years and 730 daily photos I can finally say this project is finished! I’ve enjoyed the practice of taking and posting one photo for every day of the year but now that it’s over I’ll admit to feeling a little overwhelmed by the pace of creating 30 new photos…
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Solitude
Whosoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god. Aristotle I’m certainly not a wild beast or a god but it’s nice to know we have something in common. Solitude.
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My Year In Pictures: January Week 3
The third week of January was a big one for us here as our country transitioned from President Barack Obama to Donald Trump. While it’s clear that Trump lost the popular vote and the majority of the country remains firmly against his platform we are all waiting and watching, hoping for the best while planning…
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My Year In Pictures: January Week 2
If we say a New Year shows it’s colors in the first weeks of January I hope my 2017 is filled with shades of a pastel rainbow. Fingers crossed that these photos start a positive trend leading to more time with family, more time in the outdoors and a chance to…
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My Year In Pictures: January Week 1
Hello 2017! In Kennedy family tradition our year began on the beach and as you can see we’ve been trapped in a cold but beautiful weather pattern all week. I’m a native Pacific Northwesterner so I don’t let a little cold (or wet) weather keep me from enjoying the great…
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My Year In Pictures: December Week 5
The week between Christmas and New Year’s is typically quiet here with kids out of school, parents on vacation and all of us eating too many cookies while binge watching tv shows we missed during the fall. I did continue to work through the week but in an effort to simplify things…
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My Year In Pictures: December Week 4
The days leading up to any big holiday are always a busy blur and you’d think by now I’d have found a manageable way to balance the demands of work and family and fun but I guess that dream will always be bit of a work-in-progress. I do try to slow down…
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My Year In Pictures: December Week 3
We’re deep into the holiday season now and depending on your point of view I expect you’re having a wonderfully festive time, scrambling to keep up with expectations, tired of shopping or you’re one of those people who finished everything before Thanksgiving. Guess where I fall. 🙂 This weeks set of…
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My Year In Pictures: December Week 1
Now that we’re into December I can officially start the end-of-project countdown! After two years of taking and posting daily photos it’s time to try something new and even though I’ve learned a lot about social media accounts and refined my view of the quiet little moments that bring beauty…
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My Year In Pictures: November Week 4
Well November is almost over and the holiday season is in full swing but for me the biggest sign that December is coming are our rapidly shrinking daylight hours. I try to ignore early Christmas music and decorations but there’s no hiding from the fact that there are only about 8.5 hours between…
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My Year In Pictures: November Weeks 1 & 2
It’s felt like a true roller-coaster ride carried us through the first two weeks of November with days of fun, family, flowers, sadness and wine. We had a great visit with my Aunt, enjoyed John’s over-the-top Halloween decorations, listed new items in our Etsy shop, drank some wine as the election results started…
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My Year In Pictures: October Week 4
Sometimes these weekly recaps have a theme and sometimes they are really just random snapshots of what it’s like to run through our week. There are times when I like to tell a longer story and have plenty of photos to stretch the event over a few days and then we run…
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My Year In Pictures: October Week 3
I know I felt scattered and pushed for time last week so I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise that the resulting set of images is a random grab bag of topics but I’m still a little impressed I managed to include dark shadows, Halloween decorations, ugly Christmas sweaters, a Lego…
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My Year In Pictures: October Week 2
Every year I try to convince myself that there is plenty to love about Fall. Most people I know (myself included) look forward to cozy sweaters, pretty leaves and warm beverages but these three things aren’t enough to outweigh my dread of shorter days, cold rain and the threat of…
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My Year In Pictures: October Week 1
October is here, the weather is changing and my thoughts are turning to late garden color, cozy accessories, movies and spooky lights. My week in a nutshell! After ignoring our yard for much of the summer I had fun at some end-of-season plant sales and shipped my first warm scarf of the…
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My Year In Pictures: September Weeks 3 & 4
If you’re a follower of my Instagram feed you already know I’ve moved on from summer photos to fall and we’ve all been enjoying pretty leaves, gardening and seasonal changes so I’m pushing the fast forward button here and posting the last two weeks of September together in one fell swoop. I…
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My Year In Pictures: September Week 2
It’s obvious I’m running a little behind real-time as my photo project is reaching the middle of September while the calendar says October is almost here but I’m actually liking the opportunity to stretch out summer for as long as possible. Fall has its own beauty but summer is truly…
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My Year In Pictures: September Week 1
As soon as our first hike to Second Beach ended two years ago a return trip has been at the top of my vacation wish list. Our first visit was such a lovely surprise with a quiet beach, warm temperatures, and wide open vistas we couldn’t help but remember the area…
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My Year In Pictures August Week 5
Keeping with the style from my last post this final August catch-up will also be a simple combination of location notes and lots of pretty pictures. If anyone wonders why we love living in the Pacific Northwest this series of Olympic National Park photos really illustrates the best of what we…
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My Year In Pictures: August Weeks 3 & 4
It’s Labor Day Weekend here marking the end of summer and the window above my desk is filled with fog, rain and maple leaves that are starting to turn. Here on the blog however we’re still in the middle of sunshine and summer days as I haven’t posted an update since August…
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My Year In Pictures: August Week 2
My photos this week are a fun blend of hot colors mixed with cool mountain air and ocean breezes. It’s finally started to feel like summer again even though there’s a heat advisory in place we’re spending as much time as possible outdoors, enjoying every minute. Sunday afternoon we tried to…
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My Year In Pictures: August Week 1
At first glance this week’s photos look like a typical set of my daily random images and on the surface that’s true but with a little more background they really tell the story of what’s been occupying our time and how we’re trying to capture some feel-good summer moments in the middle of our busy days. When…
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My Year In Pictures: July Week 4
Hard to believe July is already in the past but at least we had a good time while it lasted. 🙂 This week’s set of photos is a mixed bag combining some favorite vacation shots with scenes from my walks through the city and a new order ready for shipping from…
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My Year In Pictures: July Week 2
While there are two different ways to view the lack of regular entries on my posting calendar the end result is the same… I’ve fallen woefully behind in my recap schedule. The good news is I’m keeping up with my daily Instagram/Facebook/Twitter pictures so there are plenty of new images to write about…
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My Year In Pictures: July Week 1
In the middle of a super busy week my thoughts turned to holidays and games as an escape from our over scheduled days. Looking at the gallery above you can rightly guess this has been a challenging stretch! Not only are there 3 holiday related images and 2 game photos there is a moment…
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My Year In Photos: June Week 3
What a week! The third week of June flew by in a flash only slowing to note Father’s Day, the first day of summer, the last day of school and the start of Ryan’s trip to spend some quality time with his Grandparents. We enjoyed a quiet Father’s Day and loved…
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My Year In Photos: June Week 2
I see a lot of blues, grays along with some warm patches of gold in my latest set of photos which is just about right when it comes to June in the Pacific Northwest. Blue skies and flowers mixed with heavy gray clouds and warmed by the sun during our longest…
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My Year In Photos – May Week 5 & June Week 1
After nearly 1.5 years of taking and posting daily photos along with a 2 year tradition of regular weekly wrap-up posts here on the blog I’m finally throwing my hands up and admitting this time around I’ve totally blown my self-induced deadlines. I hope you like this super-sized post covering two weeks…
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My Year In Photos: May Week 4
If these seven photos are going to stand as the final word about my last four weeks I guess they’re saying it was a month of contrasts. I see soft focus and hard edges here and by Friday I even posted one image twice because I couldn’t decide which direction to…
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My Year In Pictures: May Week 3
This week I don’t see a common thought tying these seven images together but there is a sneaky unifying thread about this group that surprised me. Brick red is definitely not one of my favorite colors but shades of loud orange-red are present in each shot. It’s all but hidden in two photos when…
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My Year In Pictures: May Week 2
We’ve turned the corner into the middle of May and as spring fades to summer our family focus has been on growth and new beginnings. A quick scroll through this set of seven images really highlights what’s captured my attention: pretty, soft colors, natural science and good health. We’ve enjoyed fresh…
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My Year In Pictures: May Week 1
I feel like we’ve finally turned the corner toward a long, warm summer and now instead of rushing outside at the first hint of blue sky I’m secretly looking forward to some rainy days so I can catch up on inside chores. Spring 2016 has been picture perfect here in…
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My Year In Pictures: April Week 4
Looking at Ryan’s 1000 piece puzzle spread out on the desk is a lot like searching through my photo files filled with tiny images that tell the story of our lives. It takes 1000 little pieces to show every known atom in the universe and at the end of this year I’ll have 1096…
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My Year In Pictures: April Week 2
Looking through this set of photos I can’t see an obvious theme tying them together unless I decide to count general randomness as a unifying thread but any week that jumps from Lego mini-figures to trains to audio books to 80’s records must have contained some interesting moments and really that’s all…
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My Year In Pictures: April Week 1
It’s always nice to look back on a week that felt like any other and discover you actually saw some great things along the way. April in the Pacific Northwest means fresh flowers, a little bit of sunshine and a lot of rain, all of which you can see above, and to keep…
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My Year In Pictures: March Week 5
There are days when I can focus on the big picture and let little things go by the wayside but then comes a week when the big picture is just a bit to big and I narrow my field of vision searching for small things that make me happy. I didn’t over think this…
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My Year In Pictures: March Week 4
If you’ve been following my daily photos on Instagram you might have noticed I’m falling a little behind in my weekly recap schedule here on the blog. In fact, I’m planning to write the next recap tomorrow so cross your fingers we’ll be caught up by the middle of next week.…
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My Year In Pictures: March Week 2
A quick scroll through my photo files highlights an interesting color trend that peaks about this time every year. Once our highly saturated strings of lights and holiday decorations are put away it takes me about six weeks to reach for strong colors again so January and February appear as soft months filled with ivory, blue and…
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My Year In Pictures: March Week 1
Wow, we’re only a few days into March and already I feel like it’s living up to its reputation of coming in like a lion and (hopefully) going out like a lamb. I’ve had enough of the lion and am sitting here impatiently waiting for some lamb time. The last Sunday of…
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My Year In Pictures: February Week 4
We’re almost at the end of the first month in my new year-long challenge and after 27 days of daily photos I am happy to report that it is still fun. 🙂 I’m enjoying the freedom to try some new things after spending a year exploring the random settings in Hipstamatic…
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My Year in Pictures: February Week 3
I’m so happy February has an extra day this year! Really, I’ll need more than one day to catch up but I’ll make the most of what I get. 🙂 The third week of February started on a sweet note with Valentines day falling on a Sunday. We celebrated with…
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My Year In Pictures: February Week 2
Finding the right words to describe February in the Pacific Northwest is always a challenge for me. Some days feel like winter while others bring a mix of spring-like skies, rainbows and thunder storms. In truth it’s a month of contradictions as the snow fans fear their last chance of a white blanket…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up January With Hipstamatic (week 4)
Today I’m going to jump right into my last “shake it up” recap so we can get to my final thoughts about this project and start talking about where I’m going for the next phase of my photo-a-day challenge. Sunday was a little too cold and wet for my comfort but perfect…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up January with Hipstamatic (week 3)
After a difficult stretch mid month we were ready for a quieter week here and I think all of us had their fingers crossed hoping for a few days to catch our breath. Looking back I see we did indeed find a little peace mixed in with a few signs of spring…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up January With Hipstamatic (week 2)
I know I started this random photo a day project as a way to acknowledge the good in every day but there are some weeks when I just want them to hurry up and be gone. This week was definitely one of those and while nothing terrible happened sometimes a series of complications…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up January With Hipstamatic (week 1)
We’ve reached the final month of my first year-long photo of the day project and even though I still have 4 weeks of images to share I can tell I’m going to miss at least a few parts of the process when we’re finished. In truth this has been a love/hate…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Weight(less) Kites
You will find truth more quickly through delight than gravity. Let out a little more string on your kite. Alan Cohen This week Ben asks us to share a photo of something marked by its weight – or it’s weightlessness. Ryan carried his new kite through a full day of hiking and…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Nature (Invincible Summer)
In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer. Albert Camus When our winter days are cold and dark I hold tight to moments like this knowing summer will come again. I took this Whidbey Island photo on a picture perfect August day as we hiked along Ebey’s…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up December With Hipstamatic (week 5)
It’s fitting that on the day I decided to check off the last remaining items from three old “to-do” lists I’m ending it by writing a post that bridges the end of 2015 and the beginning of 2016. It’s a day to clean house, both literally and figuratively and according to WordPress my three-year blogging anniversary.…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Circle (Goodbye 2015 and Hello 2016)
If I had to make a list of favorite ways to welcome the New Year visiting a beach would be right up at the top. John and Ryan have bravely joined me for some of cold, wet and windy walks along the shore followed by a quick photo to mark our presence…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up December With Hipstamatic (week 4 – the Christmas edition)
In the few hours left before our New Year’s Eve countdown I’m here online to recap a 7 day stretch that was filled with Christmas. We spent last full week of the month surrounded by festive displays, holiday decorations, good food, and family. Next week will bring a fresh start and end of the…
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A Surprise Everyday: Shaking Up December With Hipstamatic (week 3)
Now that our shopping is finished, the house is almost clean and I have a few minutes of quiet before cooking Christmas Eve dinner this set of photos from mid-month is a reminder of what it took to get us here. All in all we had a good week and…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up December With Hipstamatic (week 2)
I’m pretty sure I read hundreds of “how to” articles before starting this blog in January of 2013 but only one piece of advice really stuck in my head, “never apologize.” At first I thought this was just a throwaway line from the kind of person who thinks manners don’t matter on…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up December With Hipstamatic (week 1)
Hello everyone! I didn’t plan to be away for so long and don’t think I’ve ever gone 10 days without a post but sometimes life just gets in the way… One thing I didn’t let go though was my daily photo habit and even though this set of 7 images…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Trio
A happy family is but an earlier heaven. George Bernard Shaw A trail-side “selfie” of John, Ryan and I illustrating everything that makes me happy and grateful as we celebrate Thanksgiving here in our sunny pacific northwest corner of the United States. Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Trio.
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up November With Hipstamatic (week 3)
“Wow what a week” is all I can say as I after seeing this set of 7 photos together in a gallery waiting for my post. It’s been another non-stop whirlwind of activity broken up by a major wind storm, a night without power and some chilly days. Brr…winter is coming.…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up November With Hipstamatic (week 2)
If I had to pick one word summarizing the past week I think I’d choose “stormy.” Our surprising Pacific Northwest drought is coming to an end as a series of “Pineapple Express” weather systems have delivered more rain in the past 10 days than we usually see in the whole month of November with plenty more…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up November With Hipstamatic ( week 1)
As I sit in front of my computer tonight, three days after the day I wanted to finish this post I’m reminded one more time why this random image, daily photo project is important. It’s so easy to get lost in our busy days. I rush from work to evening events, the laundry room…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up October With Hipstamatic (week 5)
As promised I have a few more spooky images from John’s latest creations in my newest recap. The past week was filled with Halloween preparations and you can see he really had fun designing and displaying new vignettes. I mixed in a few “daily life” photos to keep my theme…
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Happy Halloween 2015!
To all my Halloween celebrating friends I hope you have a happy, spooky and safe Saturday night! We’ve got plans for a relaxing evening filled with good food, scary movies and lots of candy to share. You’ll see several more holiday themed pictures in my next “Shake It Up” post but…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Panorama (Crossing Puget Sound)
Even though my iPhone has a great panorama feature I rarely remember to use it. I’d like to think I am so caught up in the beauty of each location I can’t be bothered to think about trying something new but really I’m probably trying to get a few quick shots…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up October With Hipstamatic (week 4)
We’re reaching the end of October and in a house where Halloween is everything even our simple, daily views are magically transformed into something spooky. This week I’ve included a few glimpses of our newest decorations and some surprising examples of ordinary moments seen in a new light. Sunday is a shot of…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Careful (Father and Son)
Be careful to leave your sons well instructed rather than rich, for the hopes of the instructed are better than the wealth of the ignorant. Epictetus One of the best things about my usual “third in line” hiking position is capturing moments like this. John and Ryan like to walk…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Black & White (Into the Forest)
A few weeks ago I shared the slightly embarrassing fact that sometimes I take a picture of where I’ve parked my car so I won’t lose it in a crowded garage but I didn’t mention that I also take photos of trail signs whenever we are out for a hike. I’m…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up October With Hipstamatic (week 3)
October is finally settling into a true fall like feel here in the Pacific Northwest. Apples are dropping, leaves are turning and scarecrows are popping up all over town. Our Indian summer continued through mid-week with one last stretch of 70 degree days but by Saturday afternoon rain returned and the…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Macro (Portrait of Jan de Leeuw)
October is John’s favorite month of the year because it means he can start installing his latest Halloween creations. I’ll be sharing little peeks of spooky cheer throughout the next two weeks beginning with this portrait of Jan de Leeuw. The original painting by Jan Van Eyck was painted in…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up October With Hipstamatic (week 1)
The first full week of October blew through the Pacific Northwest in true fall fashion. We enjoyed a stretch of sunny days filled with blue skies and fall colors, our summer-brown lawns and dry plants started to green up again and the sun rise is now late enough that I can enjoy…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Nature (Baby Birds and Gun Batteries)
I’m slowly working my way through hundreds of photos from our 2015 Staycation and in typical fashion 90% of them are of trees, beaches and the natural vistas that make the Pacific Northwest such a beautiful place to live. I’ve got so many potential images for this weeks “nature” challenge it’s difficult to choose just one…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Travel (Chetzemoka)
Cheech-Ma-Ham (Chetzemoka) Cheech-Ma-Ham was 40 years old and chief of the S’Klallam tribe when the first white settlers arrived in Port Townsend, WA. These settlers decided his name was too difficult to pronounce so in 1848 they changed it to Chetzemoka and gave him the royal nick name Duke of…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up September With Hipstamatic (week 4)
As you can see from the big red, white and blue emergency sign this week did not follow my carefully constructed plan for a normal stretch of days. The early shots capture some pretty sights and colors that caught my eye but a phone call Friday afternoon changed everything. Regular readers have watched…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Black & White (Fall in the Park)
Fall in the Pacific Northwest is a season of extremes. We bounce back and forth between stunning blue skies, mild temperatures and bright fall foliage contrasted by extended periods of damp, cool fog. This misty afternoon happened back in October 2013 but the photo is one of my favorites and I’ve been…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Grid (Seattle’s Great Wheel)
This week, let’s take the humble grid out of the shadows, and make it the star. Michelle W. The Daily Post I’m always amazed by how much weight can be supported by such delicate grid work. Watching these viewing cars float in circles above the Seattle Waterfront was almost as much…
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A Surprise Everyday: Shaking Up September With Hipstamatic (week 3)
September has been a busy month for us filled with growth, change and some pretty big adjustments. The first week of the month was all about wrapping up summer and preparing for a new school while the second week was filled with last minute preparations for high school, first day nerves,…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Macro (Acorn)
The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn. Ralph Waldo Emerson This tiny acorn fell from its Oak tree and landed at my feet in front of Starbucks where Ryan and I were relaxing with iced coffee and cookies after his first day of High School. We decided there…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Connected (The Web of Life)
“All things are connected like the blood that unites us. We do not weave the web of life, we are merely a strand in it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.” – Chief Seattle Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Connected
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Nature (Freedom on the Beach)
Kids + Beach = Freedom to Run Put two kids on the beach together and they naturally fall in step, running toward the open water, sunshine and surf. Ryan and his cousin Sophia were my inspiration for this week’s “nature” challenge at Lens and Pen by Sally.
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A Surprise Everyday: Shaking Up September With Hipstamatic (week 1)
The last two days of August and the beginning of September passed through the Pacific Northwest with a season changing storm that’s rare for this time of year. Usually our summer continues for another six weeks and we count on a September filled with pretty fall color, cool nights and sun warmed afternoons but…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Editing and Processing (Polariod Past and Present)
Some weeks really make me work to find an interesting subject for Sally’s mobile photo challenge but the process is also part of the appeal and when it pushes me to wring the last bit of inspiration from my surroundings I count it as a win. This week I thought I had a fun photo ready…
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A Surprise Everyday: Shaking Up August With Hipstamatic (week 4)
It’s been a crazy week here in the Pacific Northwest and my choices of trees for the first and last images in this series is no accident. We’ve faced blazing hot weather, unhealthy levels of smoke in the air, end of summer berries and a record setting windstorm. I’m writing this…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Challenger’s Choice From Under the Sea
We’re almost through the fourth week of August and it’s time for a round of Challenger’s Choice over at Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge. I’m a little late to the party but the weeks not over so I still have time to share a few underwater views from our Staycation 2015 visit to…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Creepy
This week, show us something creepy — because hey, we can’t take photos of rainbows and puppies every day. Well, okay, I guess we can. But let’s branch out anyway! Michelle W. The Daily Post Our long hot summer has been filled with fun day trips through some beautiful Pacific Northwest locations…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up August With Hipstamatic (week 2)
This set of seven photos reminds me one more time that interesting things really can be found in the middle of a regular day. I started this random photo-of-the-day project during a dreary February week and here I am, six months later, still looking forward to going outside and finding something new every morning.…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Macro (Robin’s Egg Blue)
Last week I sat down with this tiny eggshell and my new Olloclip determined to get at least one clear image with the macro lens. Even though the focus isn’t perfect I like the colors and thought the soft pinks added a nice touch. Posted as part of Sally D’s…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up August With Hipstamatic (week 1)
Well, it’s Monday morning and our staycation week is over but sorting through my new photos to find one image from each day has been a fun trip back through our latest adventures. Our goal was to visit at least one mountain, island, river, beach and city while trying new things…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up July With Hipstamatic (week 5)
Another beautiful week has come and gone here in the Pacific Northwest and I’m happy to say we spent every minute possible enjoying outdoor living and a bit of travel. Sunday afternoon Ryan and I hiked to the lovely waterfall from yesterday’s post along with my aunt, sister and her…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Searching For Inspiration
We’ve reached the middle of the hottest summer on record here in the Pacific Northwest and the soaring temperatures combined with our home’s lack of air conditioning are making me long for cool forest pools and fresh waterfalls. Thank goodness it’s time for vacation! This year we’ve decided to shake things…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Close Up In The Garden
This week, discover the hidden details that can only be seen up close. Brie Anne Demkiw – The Daily Post During our walk to the grape vines from my previous post we passed a colony of bees harvesting pollen from this lovely border of sedum… Posted as part of the Weekly…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up July With Hipstamatic (week 4)
This week’s set of seven photos perfectly illustrate why I love summers in the Pacific Northwest. The temperatures are generally mild, flowers are in full bloom, gardens are at their peak and the beaches are wide open. I’m a day later than usual with this recap because Ryan and I just got home from long weekend…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up July With Hipstamatic (week 3)
Another pretty week in the Pacific Northwest has come and gone but thanks to my random photo a day project I have some nice souvenirs to remember the season. Sunday afternoon was the perfect time to sit outside for lunch and believe it or not I didn’t plan to match my food…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Macro (Boom!)
It’s been a hot dry summer here in the Pacific Northwest and for safety’s sake many towns around the region banned fireworks over the 4th of July weekend but these little boxes of TNT Poppits were apparently ok for the general public to throw at the ground for maximum noise…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up July With Hipstamatic (week 2)
I think I’ve mentioned before that some weeks I’m surprised by a theme weaving through the photos when I sit down to write my recap. There are plenty of weeks that feature random yet interesting moments but every once in a while I see a trend in my choice of subjects that wasn’t apparent…
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Nature in the Stimpson Family Nature Reserve
The summer of 2015 continues to be a season of extremes and while several parts of the country are experiencing floods and record rainfall the west coast is in the middle of a drought. The entire Pacific Northwest is now under extreme fire watch and Seattle had the hottest 4th of July…
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Telling Stories Through Black and White Photography: Waiting For Food and Fun
Every week Paula of Lost in Translation hosts a fun Black & White Sunday challenge and this week she’s welcomed guest host Allan Hamilton to share his expertise on the subject of narrative black and white photography. Allan’s guest post is full of great tips for creating engaging images that provoke thought without the…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up June With Hipstamatic (week 4)
The fourth week of June was a fun one that began and ended with family time and was filled with what’s turning out to be a stretch of warmer than usual summer days. Since we don’t have air conditioning we’re doing what we can to keep cool and I’m using the high…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Muse And The Spirit of Our Inner Child
“The most potent muse of all is our own inner child.” Stephen Nachmanovitch When I saw “muse” was the theme of the latest Weekly Photo Challenge I knew the days ahead were going to be full of beautiful photos and posts as bloggers around the world let us peek behind their creative curtains while…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Cold Brew Coffee On A Hot Summer Day
Picking a subject for Sally’s Challenger’s Choice week is always fun because with 11 categories to choose from pretty much everything I like to photograph fits the bill. To keep things interesting I try to move through Sally’s list without repeating myself and this month I settled on food photography. I know this is…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up June With Hipstamatic (week 3)
Hello everyone! I’m back from a whirlwind week of end of the school year activities, annual appointments, a work trip to New York City and preparations for Father’s Day so the dads in my life can take some time off to relax and be reminded of how special they are…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up June With Hipstamatic (week 2)
Sometimes these weekly recaps highlight random, un-linked moments from my days and sometimes an unexpected theme emerges. Flowers, flowers and more flowers filled the second week of June. We filled our empty deck planters Sunday afternoon and before they were finished I snapped a photo of a few of the bright colors…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Macro in Pink
One last peony photo for the year as part of Sally’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Macro. Shot with my iPhone 6 native camera and edited in Snapseed.
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Vivid Peonies
Can I have one of each? I couldn’t walk past this flower stand without picking out a few for myself! Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Vivid.
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up June With Hipstamatic (week 1)
I don’t know why the month of May always ends with everyone in our house sick but once again we’ve spent the last 7 days suffering through a cold that simply will. not. end. Sick or not life must go on and our week was full of some nice weather, end…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Nature and Organic Produce
I know summer’s right around the corner when I can count on a quick trip through our local garden market to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables. This morning we filled our bags with apples, strawberries, rhubarb and big bouquet of peonies picked fresh a few hours earlier. The house is…
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Sally D’s Mobile Photography Challenge: Street Photography (A Quiet Memorial Day)
Most of our downtown businesses were closed Monday in honor of Memorial Day leaving anyone looking for afternoon entertainment with the choice of coffee at Starbucks, some tasty Gelato or the matinee showing of Tomorrowland in a 91-year-old theater. We went to the movies. 🙂 Posted as part of…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up May With Hipstamatic (week 4)
One of my favorite parts of this daily project/weekly recap series is an “aha” moment when I realize there was a trend to my week that I hadn’t noticed in the middle of the rush to finish each day. A little distance is a great tool for gaining perspective and I’m really starting to…
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A Surprise Everyday: Shaking Up May With Hipstamatic (week 3)
It’s been a quiet week here filled with normal life and unpredictable spring weather – just the way I like it. Sunday was Mother’s Day and the boys treated me to flowers, a relaxing afternoon and dinner at home. Ryan and I stopped at Starbucks for Frappuccino’s before walking to the beach while…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Enveloped in the Marvelous
The life of our city is rich in poetic and marvelous subjects. We are enveloped and steeped as though in an atmosphere of the marvelous; but we do not notice it. Charles Baudelaire Our everyday lives are filled with marvelous moments just waiting to be acknowledged and the richest of…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up May With Hipstamatic (week 2)
Today’s recap is a quick one while I wait for Ryan to finish his math so we can start our Mother’s Day walk to the beach. It was another beautiful spring week here in the Pacific Northwest filled with plenty sun and very little rain. We are all a little concerned about a dry…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up May With Hipstamatic (week 1)
Sometimes I wonder if seemingly random choices are really influenced by real-time events in our lives. These seven randomly processed images from the past week surprised me today with their faded colors and soft focus and also by the fact that they are a visual interpretation of how I’ve felt here at home. I…
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iPhoneography Thursday: Challenger’s Choice (Seattle’s Underground Streets)
It’s the fourth week of the month at Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Photo Challenge and that means it’s time for Challenger’s Choice. Even though this looks like a creepy basement it’s actually my entry in the street photography category as this was an open air…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up April With Hipstamatic (week 4)
This past week was a good example of how nice it is to have a few things to look forward too spread out over the course of seven days. We had just enough time to keep our regular life running smoothly while enjoying a birthday celebration, crazy spring weather and meeting…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Motion (Sounds of the Hoh River)
“A stream is music and motion: smooth glides, fast, turbulent riffles and deep pools, each posing a special challenge.” Nelson Bryant We could hear music from the Hoh River long before we reached this rocky beach in the Olympic National Park. The water literally sang as it rushed over the flat stones and…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up April With Hipstamatic (week 2)
Even though I was away from blogging last week I continued my attempt to take one random photo every day and am here for a quick Sunday night post recapping the past seven days. Ryan enjoyed a relaxing spring break while I had a great time exploring new ways to structure my time and really…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up April With Hipstamatic (week 1)
This past week was a fun one filled with lots of work, the end of the school quarter, crazy spring weather and Easter preparations but thanks to this “shake it to randomize” series I made sure to stop at least once every day and look for something pretty that would have…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Blur (Morning in Westlake Park)
Ah, lives of men! When prosperous they glitter – Like a fair picture; when misfortune comes – A wet sponge at one blow has blurred the painting. Aeschylus I spent some time searching quotes this morning looking for a starting point to accompany the word “blur” and of the many pages of quotations…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up March With Hipstamatic (week 4)
I think any week that starts with a big party is bound to go well and this past one was no exception. Our Sunday began in Bellingham with a beautiful lunch in honor of my mom’s birthday and ended with the discovery of these pretty, pink camellia blooms. I’ve been…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Fresh (Pike Place Market)
I’m pretty sure this “fresh” sign is meant to advertise freshly caught fish at Seattle’s Pike Place Market but each time I walk up this ramp I read the two signs together and think “fresh restrooms” below… Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Fresh.
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up March With Hipstamatic (week 3)
Just when we thought this strange, sun filled winter would last forever spring arrived and brought some much needed rain to the Pacific Northwest. This week was exactly how March should feel in Washington with lots of fresh green growth, wet petals on the ground and flashes of bright sunlight. Sunday…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Wall (Deception Pass Bridge)
The walls between art and engineering exist only in our minds. Theo Jansen Whidbey Island’s Deception Pass Bridge is a wonderful example of Dutch artist Theo Jansen’s premise that the walls between art and engineering exist only in our minds. Dedicated in 1935 this beautiful cantilever truss bridge joined the…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up March With Hipstamatic (week 1)
These past seven days are exactly why I need a project like this shake-it-up series. Every day was filled with things to do and tasks to accomplish but working through each item that needed my attention meant I had very little time for creativity. Usually I end a stretch like this feeling…
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iPhoneography Thursday: Nature (Spring Blooms in February)
As you can see from the title I’ve missed my usual iPhone Monday posting schedule by a few days and I also have to admit I never posted the last Black and White Challenge photo from my promised series of 5 images in a row back in February. Hopefully today’s image makes…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up February With Hipstamatic (week 4)
It’s hard to believe February is over but seeing as this is March 1st it must be true! The last week of the month flew by in a blur of work and events but the simple task of looking for one new thing to photograph and share has really helped me…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Reward (Gifts From the Sea)
The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach – waiting for a gift from the sea. Anne Morrow Lindbergh Our first view of the Washington Coast from Rialto Beach and posted as part of…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking Up February With Hipstamatic (week 3)
While most of the country is trapped in a sub-zero weather pattern our strangely warm Pacific Northwest winter brought bright blue skies and temperatures in the 50’s. No one knows quite what to do here but we’re trying to spend as much time outside as possible knowing the rain and chilly air will be…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking up February With Hipstamatic (week 2)
Even though it’s hard to believe February is half over I have a new group of 7 random images to share marking the passage of each day in this little month. My “shake to randomize” Hipstamatic project is turning out to be more fun than I expected and not only…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Symmetry in Seasons
There is in all things a pattern that is part of our universe. It has symmetry, elegance, and grace – these qualities you find always in that the true artist captures. You can find it in the turning of the seasons, the way sand trails along a ridge, in the…
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A Surprise Every Day: Shaking up February With Hipstamatic
February is a strange little month. The big family holidays are over, our days are short and wet, someone is usually sick and I’m running on empty when it comes to creative thoughts. I shouldn’t be surprised as the same things happen every year but once again we hit the end…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Scale (Dragons in Chinatown) B&W Challenge 4
One of my favorite public art installations in Seattle is the series of 11 Chinese dragons twisting and turning their way across light poles in Chinatown’s International District. Under the direction of chief designer Martin Brunt it took a team of sculptors, painters, boat builders and a feng shui expert two years…
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Black & White Challenge Day 3: Chinese Zodiac
Looking down at the sidewalk can be just as interesting as looking up at the buildings in Seattle’s International District. This brass inlay of the Chinese Zodiac is set into the sidewalk along Maynard and I’m continuing my Black & White Challenge walk through Chinatown with this photo in honor of the upcoming…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Depth and Compassion
Compassion, in which all ethics must take root, can only attain its full breadth and depth if it embraces all living creatures and does not limit itself to mankind. Albert Schweitzer As John, Ryan and I work through the challenges and rewards of living with our newest family member Finn, compassion…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Express Yourself
Don’t keep all your feelings sheltered – express them. Don’t ever let life shut you up. Dr. Steve Maraboli Walking through Seattle’s Pike Place Market on Christmas Eve I deliberately looked away from the brightly colored food and flower stalls to spend some time watching people and their surroundings. The traditional market attractions are…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Serenity
I’m a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar. Serenity – Hoban “Wash” Washburne For this week’s photo challenge Cheri asks us to share our interpretations of serenity. I’m sure the prompt was meant as an encouragement to explore calm, peaceful feelings and I’m happy to do that with a photo but…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Shadow
We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves. Buddha A place to clear my mind and fill shadows with joy…
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Goodbye 2014 and Hello 2015!
I’m back for a brief visit during my internet vacation to wish everyone a safe and happy New Year’s Eve! Regular posting resumes in a few days but I want to close the year with this fun collage of 1st day photos along with some exciting news about my participation in a…
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Phoneography and Digital Photo Challenge: Portraiture (Ryan and Finn)
“Never work with kids or pets” is a show business saying frequently attributed to W.C. Fields and while I’m pretty sure it refers to the fact that audiences ignore adult actors when cute kids and/or animals are around it should also serve as a warning to not attempt taking Christmas…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Yellow
The middle of the road is for yellow lines and dead armadillos. Jim Hightower I’m glad John and Ryan chose the side of the road for their summer walk. Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Yellow.
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Twinkle
We are all of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle. Marilyn Monroe It’s always fun to window shop at Tiffany. Here we get a little glimpse of New York City while walking the streets of Seattle. 🙂
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Gone, But Not Forgotten
The remote beaches and rugged coastlines of the San Juan Islands are frequently mentioned as one of the top vacation destinations in the world but travel magazines rarely mention their history as a haven for turn of the century smugglers and rum runners. Famous privateers made and lost fortunes smuggling drugs, immigrants and…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Converge
Converge: to come together and have one interest, purpose, or goal. Thanksgiving in my family is a logistical puzzle but any of us who can be in the same place come together for a meal and between our various groups we share phone calls and goofy texted photos of turkey dinners and happy tables. This year…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Angular
“Look at situations from all angles, and you will become more open.” Dali Lama Libraries have always seemed like magical places to me and the freedom to walk aisles full of stories and information is a luxury I never take for granted. Through my childhood, school years and now as an…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Minimalist
A few days ago I visited Lynnwood’s Heritage Park hoping to tour a vintage trolley car from the Seattle – Everett Interurban Railway and learn a little about the town’s pre-Depression era poultry boom as the second largest egg producing area in the country. This three acre city park is actually…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Descent
Even though we hiked out to Sol Duc Falls during one of the driest summers on record the powerful sound of water rushing over the edge and down the canyon was something John, Ryan and I will always remember. After admiring this view from the center of the narrow log…
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Another visit to the 2014 Edmonds Scarecrow Festival
Yesterday’s beautiful fall weather was all the encouragement I needed for another walk through town to photograph a few more scarecrows decorating local businesses. Earlier this week I shared Jack Skellington relaxing by a bank and Salvador Dali looking for inspiration outside an art supply store. While I have one more art related scarecrow…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Refraction
Finding an image to suit this challenge has taken me all week and I’m still not sure I’ve really captured refraction but at least it’s given me the chance to share one more photo from Lake Crescent, WA. This crystal clear water is due to a lack of nitrogen which inhibits…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 24 Hour Review
When I wrote my first post in the 1 Day 1 World Project series I hoped I wasn’t promising something I wouldn’t be able to deliver. Could I really write 24 posts documenting 24 real-life hours and still publish content that was interesting or worse, would it be like hosting the dreaded…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
It’s hard to believe we’ve reached the last hourly post in my six month project documenting one hour each week for 24 straight weeks! Back in May I thought we would have fun watching the time pass through different seasons and countries but I never dreamed this series would inspire so many…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Dreamy
I close my eyes, then I drift away, into the magic night I softly say. A silent prayer, like dreamers do, then I fall asleep to dream my dreams of you. Roy Orbison – In Dreams Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Dreamy.
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1 Day 1 World Project: 10:00 am – 11:00 am
One year ago this little corner space beside our driveway was buried under pieces of old asphalt, granite boulders, tree trunks and some pretty big excavation equipment. Bringing some life back to the bed has been an ongoing project and we’ve slowly filled in the soil with new plants that…
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1 Day 1 World Project 9:00 am – 10:00 am
It’s hard to believe 22 weeks have passed since the start of this project but one look at our well used BBQ tells me loud and clear that summer is over. Maybe if we wait a little longer the fall rain will clean it for us… If you have a…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Nighttime
“How did it get so late so soon?” Dr. Seuss Long summer days are one of my favorite things about living in the Pacific Northwest but nighttime still comes far too fast. Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Nighttime.
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1 Day 1 World Project: 8:00 am – 9:00 am
Last month I wrote a popular post about how we’ve made an effort to simplify our food choices and buy most of our fresh food from local farmers and suppliers. One of my favorite changes is our weekly visit from Smith Brothers Farms and our milkman, Josh. Four generations of Smith Brothers…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Endurance
“Few people know how to take a walk. The qualifications are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature, good humor, vast curiosity, good speech, good silence and nothing too much.” Ralph Waldo Emerson We made it to the turn around point of our Klahhane Ridge adventure with nothing…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 7:00 am – 8:00 am
In my 6:00 am post I mentioned one of the busiest parts of my week was planning John’s 50th Birthday party. I felt pretty good about finishing the shopping and cleaning by the night before but that meant all the cooking had to happen the morning of the party which is…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Humanity
My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together. Desmond Tutu Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Humanity.
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Adventure
The mountains are calling and I must go. John Muir “Mom, this is the best day ever!” Ryan’s first steps on the Klahhane Ridge Trail in the Olympic National Park. Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Adventure.
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1 Day 1 World Project: 6:00 am – 7:00 am
What do you do with a favorite red wagon when your kid outgrows pull toys and spends his time with electronics and sports? Turn it into a planter. 🙂 This week has flown by in a blur of first week of school activities, a new home re-decorating project and big plans for my husband’s 50th Birthday…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 5:00 am – 6:00 am
We’ve reached the daylight hours again, I’m feeling more like myself and Ryan is home from his late summer week with my parents. Put all these events together and it means another trip to the beach! This time John stayed home to get ready for an early morning at work…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 4:00 am – 5:00 am
I guess a series of 24 posts coming together exactly as planned was too much to hope for and I should really be feeling lucky I’ve made it through the first 16 hours without anything going seriously wrong but I can’t help but be a little frustrated by this one……
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Fray
This lone surfer quietly watched the water from Washington State’s Rialto Beach for 30 minutes before he decided the time was right to grab his board and enter the fray.
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1 Day 1 World Project: 3:00 am – 4:00 am
I’ve been worried about this 3:00 am week since the beginning of the 1 Day 1 World Project and as of last Saturday didn’t have a single good idea for what to do but Mother Nature came to my rescue with the rare, simultaneous occurrence of a Super Moon and the…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Silhouette
Some of our best hours in the Olympic National Park were spent exploring Second Beach on the Washington Coast. The one mile forest hike to the beach from a small parking area is just enough distance to keep crowds away and the sound of roaring surf echoing through the trees…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 2:00 am – 3:00 am
I thought it was pretty quiet around here after 2:00 am but look who I found hanging out with popcorn and late night TV… If you have a photo or story to share about your 2:00 am hour I’d love to see it! Please tag your post 1 Day 1 World Project…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Zigzag
This week, share a photo that foregoes the straightforward in favor of the twisting and winding. Ben Huberman – The Daily Post I’m using a loose interpretation of Zigzag today and sharing a photo of this small blue sailboat that has chosen to forego straightforward, nautical themed decor and try…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 1:00 am – 2:00 am
It’s 1:00 am, do you know where your kids are? Saturday night found Ryan sitting on my lap insisting on a selfie to capture the rare moment when Mom is up after midnight. 🙂 The low light of one lamp behind us left some shadows under my eyes that I’m not…
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Weekly Travel Theme: Simplify
This week Alisa’s weekly travel theme asks everyone to share what comes to mind when they think of the word “simplify“. After a day of thinking about how we’ve tried to simplify one aspect of our busy days I settled on our food choices and a photo of this pretty yellow truck at…
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A Word A Week: Transport
It’s hard to pay a visit to the Puget Sound area and not see at least one green and white Washington State Ferry cruise by carrying commuters, tourists and travelers across the water. These large vessels serve the areas surrounding Puget Sound as well as provide vital and reliable transportation to…
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Travel Theme: Meeting Places
There’s nothing quite like the mix of summer weather, interesting beaches and kids with plenty of imagination and time on their hands. Driftwood forts are a common sight on Lopez Island and each beach we visited had at least one great structure ready and waiting for the next group to meet…
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1 Day 1 World Project 12:00 am – 1:00 am
How many of us have late night Diner stories ready to share with just a bit of prompting? John and I each have some fun memories of long hours spent with friends in the red vinyl booths of a neighborhood Denny’s. From High School study sessions to after bar closing time in college most…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Summer Lovin’
When I was a kid three activities ruled my summers: Root Beer popsicles, great books, and riding my bike as fast as possible. I’m a little afraid to try Root Beer popcicles today for fear they won’t live up to my memories but I always have a book to read and…
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Weekly Travel Theme: Purple
My sweet niece, Sophia checking out the amazing flowers on this Butterfly Bush. July 4th, 2014. Posted as part of Alisa’s Weekly Travel Theme: Purple.
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Containers
From “Don’t judge a book by its cover” to “Don’t look at the jug, but at what it contains” (an old Rabbinic saying), we’re constantly taught that the contents of things are more important than the vessels, wrappers, and boxes that hold them in place. This week, let’s give outer shells their due…
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Travel Theme: Decoration
I thought this cheery beach smile from Spencer Spit State Park on Lopez Island would be fun to post as part of Alisa’s weekly Travel Theme: Decoration.
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Relic
This International Boundary Monument sits on top of Iceberg Point on Lopez Island, WA and marks the 7th turning point of the US – Canada border along the 49th parallel. As part of my plan to see as much of this beautiful island as possible in a four-day vacation we…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 10:00 pm – 11:00 pm
I’m not really a night person so a good evening for me means lights out by 10:00 pm. Summers are tough because it’s not dark yet but our mornings still start bright and early so finding some interesting material to post over the next few weeks is going to be quite a challenge. 🙂…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Everyone in the Pacific Northwest jokes that summer doesn’t really start here until July 5th. We usually have one or two warm days in June surrounded by partly sunny days mixed with some rain and clouds but the real heat and sunshine doesn’t come out until mid July. This year our…
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1 Day 1 World Project 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
If you saw my iPhone Monday and Wordless Wednesday posts last week you’ll know I spent last Sunday evening with my parents watching Emmylou Harris perform at Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville, WA. The winery grounds are beautiful and behind the main tasting building is a natural amphitheater with a…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Contrasts
Light and dark, tall and short, happy and sad — this week, share a shot that captures a contrast. Michelle W. – The Daily Post I wrote a Word A Week post about Contrasts a few months ago so today I thought I would take a different approach and show…
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1 Day 1 World Project 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
One of the fun things about this 1 Day 1 World project is that it is pushing me to try new things while looking for interesting posting material each week. So far I’ve taken you with us to enjoy waterfront festivals, local beaches, neighborhood church signs and the streets of…
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Travel Theme: Shine
A sparkly evening water view for Alisa’s weekly Travel Theme: Shine. Happy Friday!
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1 Day 1 World Project: 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Twice a week for the past seven years I’ve spent my 6:00 pm hour here at the Lynnwood Recreation Center watching Ryan in his Tae Kwan Do class. When he started I was simply looking for a fun activity that also taught focus and discipline and while he has definitely learned…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Extra, Extra
It’s been a busy week here filled with family activities, end of school projects, a band concert and a Wednesday birthday. Mine! I was lucky enough to have the day off but couldn’t fit everything I wanted to accomplish into the happy day and still try to relax at the same time.…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
The late afternoon/early evening hours are my favorite times of day and since we’ve had a stretch of absolutely beautiful June weather the toughest part of today’s post was choosing which photo to share. In the end I settled on this shot from Brackett’s Landing because even though Herons are a…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Room
Every time I walk past our local library I see the backside of a mysterious little house covered in moss and protected by a fern. Each week some new element appears and while I didn’t want to creep around the planting bed to take a closer look I finally gave…
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iPhoneography Monday: 6-2-14
My backyard view from the grass last night looking for a photo for today’s Nature post as part of Lens and Pen by Sally’s weekly challenge.
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1 Day 1 World Project: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
The early hours of this project have been a lot of fun here at the Kennedy house as we’ve been able to go out and see some new things every week looking for new material to post. I’m still not sure how we will make the nighttime hours look interesting but…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Split-Second Story
Who can get the closest without a soaking? In the summer this fountain is full of happy kids but only the bravest are willing to face the random spray pattern in early spring. Posted as part of the Weekly Photo Challenge: Split-Second Story.
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Travel Theme: Cities
Alisa’s newest Travel Theme: Cities is a great excuse to post another photo from our recent visit to the top of the Space Needle. This view is looking south towards the Downtown area over Elliott Bay and one shot manages to show you a gray spring day, the Port of Seattle,…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Ryan and I were at the end of our long list of Saturday afternoon errands when he announced he needed a long, thick stick for a Social Studies project due Tuesday. Of course none of our sticks at home would work, he needed a new one. From the beach. I’m…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Twist
In the winter of 1945 the USS Nereus left for it’s first voyage departing Pearl Harbor bound for Japan. Through it’s 25 year career the Nereus supported US submarines across the Pacific and as far north as the Arctic Circle. An Edmonds resident served aboard the ship in 1955 and in 2012…
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Travel Theme: Metal
For Alisa’s Weekly Travel Theme: Metal I have a small section of John Fleming’s Grass Blades installation at Seattle Center. The blades are actually segments of painted stainless steel stacked vertically to emulate the gently swaying movements of grass in the wind.
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1 Day 1 World Project: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Someone in this church has a great sense of humor… They are on a busy street close to our neighborhood and while one side of the sign always announces upcoming club meetings and service times the front is left free to share a message, a laugh or something to think about. We drove by this one last…
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Travel Theme: Blossom
For Alisa’s new Travel Theme: Blossom I have one more photo from our spring trips to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. This colorful display was filled with so many varieties it looked like an enormous bouquet!
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1 Day 1 World Project: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
For the 1:00 pm entry in my new 1 Day 1 World Project I have this stormy view of Seattle taken from our Sky City table at the top of the Space Needle. The restaurant makes a complete 360 degree rotation every 47 minutes and John, Ryan and I recently spent a fantastic 2…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: On the Move
Regular readers know I’ve had fun posting small exterior images of the multi-colored Experience Music Project Museum in Seattle, WA. So far we’ve seen snapshots of the Silver, Pink and Blue sides but I haven’t had a good Red image to post until last weekend. Our manageable spring showers had just turned to…
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1 Day 1 World Project: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
To kick off my new 1 Day 1 World Project I have this noontime view of Westlake Center in Downtown Seattle. This photo actually represents a few first moments for me as it is also what I saw during my first break on my first day in a new job.…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Spring
I’ve posted a lot of pretty spring flowers lately so for this weeks photo challenge I’m going in a slightly different direction… This is a close up view of a fascinating kinetic sculpture at the Pacific Science Center and I thought the chrome coils looked like heavy, industrial springs. Posted as…
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Travel Theme: Close-Up
This week Alisa’s weekly Travel Theme: Close-Up is all the encouragement I need to post another view of the unusual curved sides of the Experience Music Project Museum at Seattle Center. This museum is dedicated to the history and exploration of music, science fiction and popular culture and its unique…
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A Word A Week: Water
I’ve been in a beachy kind of mood this week with lots of water themed posts so here is one more image from the same spring day as Bud’s Bait Shop and the “I wish I was on a cruise” Life Ring. Posted as part of Sue’s A Word A Week Challenge:…
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Black & White Tuesday: 4-29-14
I haven’t posted a new Black and White Tuesday photo for a few weeks but after our Sunday afternoon hike around Deception Pass State Park I’ve got plenty of new photos ready to share. In the spring of 1792, Joseph Whidbey, master of HMS Discovery and Captain Vancouver‘s chief navigator proved that it was not…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Letters
I really like this shot looking up from our table at The Yard in Seattle but since I cut off most of the sign trying to include more of the light fixture I’ve held back from posting it. Waiting for the right moment was a good thing though because this week Cheri has…
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Travel Theme: Glow
Maybe I’m just looking for another opportunity to post a tulip picture but I can’t stop looking at these glowing red tulips under a stormy spring sky. Yesterday I drove a very excited Ryan to Anacortes, WA to join a group of 18 middle school kids and 6 scientists for an…
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Happy Earth Day 2014
Our April showers paused just long enough for me to take a walk this afternoon and snap some photos of our spring blooming trees in honor of Earth Day. My fingers are crossed hoping these wet days really will bring more May flowers…
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iPhoneography Monday in the Skagit Valley Tulip Fields
I know I said Thursday would be my last tulip photos for a while but since Sally’s mobile photography challenge is on vacation until May 5th I thought I’d share one more post from the Skagit Valley. The annual Tulip Festival is a favorite with photographers as well as fun day trip for the family…
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Skagit Valley Tulips – 1
I usually post a new black and white photo every Tuesday but after spending the weekend surrounded by millions of tulips my head is full of bright, vibrant colors and I thought it would be fun to spend the week sharing a few of my favorite views from the 2014 Skagit…
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A Word A Week: Sign
I know this is a change of pace from my usual photo style but Sue’s Word A Week Challenge is “Sign” and I don’t think I’ll ever have a better chance to post this shot of the back of a Seattle Metro Bus. It’s an advertisement for the Washington State Health…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Monument
In this week’s challenge, show us your take on a monument (broadly defined). It could be a fresh angle on a well-known tourist site, or a place nobody knows outside your community— anything can be monumental as long as it’s imbued with a shared sense of importance. Ben – The Daily…
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Black & White Tuesday: 4-8-14
Today’s Black & White Tuesday post is a view of Seattle’s EMP (Experience Music Project) Museum’s silver side. If you missed the pink side you can see it again here and stay tuned for blue coming soon…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Threshold
Crossing this threshold means entering one of my favorite shops in Seattle, Greenwood Space Travel and Supply. GSTS operates to support the amazing non-profit writing and tutorial center 826 Seattle and inside the shelves are full of an amazing assortment of science themed books, toys, equipment and all around cool stuff. Where…
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Travel Theme: Misty
I love living by the waterfront with easy access to the beach but our proximity to Puget Sound also brings plenty of misty days . In the fall we can spend weeks at a time wrapped in thick fog and even though I know the trees are turning brilliant shades of red and yellow and that the sky…
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Black & White Tuesday: 4-1-14
I really hope this will be the last bare branches photo of our winter as April’s warmer air and longer days means it’s almost time for the Emerald City (Seattle) to live up to its nickname.
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iPhoneography Monday: 3-31-14
This week introduces a new element to Lens and Pen by Sally’s Non-Traditional photo challenge – editing and processing using apps. I’ve been wanting to try Waterlogue and as I expected it’s been fun seeing what my photos might look like if I had any talent with watercolor. My first attempt was this still…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Street Life
A place reveals itself on its streets, from pedestrians strolling during lunch time, to performers entertaining tourists on sidewalks, to the bustle of local markets, and more. Whether you’re shoveling snow from your own driveway or walking a familiar route to work or getting lost in a foreign city, a…
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The Seattle Public Library
A quick post today showing a second view of the Seattle Public Library. My Reflections photo was taken below this point looking back along the face of the building and for this one I stepped out to the sidewalk and looked all the way up…
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Black & White Tuesday: 3-25-14
A fun moment around the International Fountain at the Seattle Center. This fountain, along with the Space Needle were designed and built as part of the 1962 World’s Fair and is a popular place to run, play and relax in all kinds of weather. The fountain sprays in varied patterns…
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iPhoneography Monday: 3-24-14
The fourth Monday of every month is Challenger’s Choice over at Lens and Pen by Sally. This week marks the debut of a new challenge title, Phoneography and Non-SLR Digital Devices Photo Challenge, encouraging all non-traditional photographers using a smart phone, digital music device like an iPod, tablet or even a…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Reflections
Yesterday John, Ryan and I spent a fun few hours walking through Seattle Center, peering up at the Space Needle and meeting family for a play at the Seattle Children’s Theater. I took plenty of interesting reflecting photos with this challenge in mind and even though you’ll still get a…
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Travel Theme: Pink
I know I’ve been very quiet this week but don’t worry I hope to spend some quality time with my reader as soon as tomorrow. I plan to be back to a more normal schedule by next week and can’t wait to see what everyone has been up to while I’ve…
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Black & White Tuesday: 3-18-14
A small portion of Bruce West’s untitled stainless steel sculpture at the City of Lynnwood’s Veteran’s Park.
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iPhone Monday: 3-17-14
I’ve posted a few photos of this beach log but I haven’t shown it from this angle before. Is it just me or does anyone else think the old roots look like fingers reaching into the ocean? Posted as part of Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography Monday: Black and…
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Travel Theme: Garden
This isn’t a traditional garden picture but March in the Pacific Northwest is a challenging time everyone who loves the outdoors. It’s cold and damp 90% of the time with a few brief stretches of sunny weather that give us all spring fever but send pollen counts into the double…
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Travel Theme: Tempting
In honor of Alisa’s newest travel theme “tempting” I have a set of his and hers photos. Grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s is always full of tough decisions. This morning I stopped in the entry debating if I should get the Bunch of flowers or do I pick up the Bigger…
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Perspective
Perspective is important to every photographer. With the creative use of perspective narrowed down through the lens of a camera, a bit of gravel can look like a barren desert landscape or a few trees can trick the eye into thinking you’re deep in a centuries-old forest. Who hasn’t seen…
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Black & White Tuesday: 3-4-14
After a dreary week of foggy October days Ryan and I grabbed our warm coats and headed to the beach. Late afternoon brought us the first touch of light in days and just as the gray lifted a flock of birds rose from their perches at the Marina and flew out to sea.
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iPhone Monday: 3-3-14
My husband surprised me with these lovely spring flowers Friday night and today I’m sharing them with all of you as part of Lens and Pen by Sally’s Phoneography Challenge: Nature.
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A Word A Week: Frame
Sue’s latest challenge in her popular word a week series is “Frame“. I’m pretty sure I could find a new scenic image framed in an interesting way to share but instead decided to post a photo of this old wooden rowboat living its last days as part of a children’s play area on the Edmonds waterfront. The boat frame is tipped on its…
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Black & White Tuesday: 2-25-14
The only reason I stopped to take this photo was because of how much I liked the leafless branches against a vibrant blue winter sky yet here I am on a black & white Tuesday removing all color. The original brown and blue palette was striking but after viewing it in monochrome I can really appreciate the organic structure of this great…
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Travel Theme: Work
Fresh flowers are scarce during Pacific Northwest winters but the hardworking families at Seattle’s Pike Place Market use creative combinations of fresh and dried flowers to keep their stalls full year round. Christmas Eve in front of the Original Starbucks. Inside, customers enjoy hot beverages in bright red cups while the street musician wears a…
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Black & White Tuesday: 2-18-14
I have another summer beach photo for this mid-February entry in my Black and White Tuesday series. Ryan spent an hour filling his pockets with rocks for sling-shot ammunition while I relaxed on driftwood logs snapping pictures of the day.
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A Word A Week: Violet
One of the things I love about Heather is its determined nature, blooming right on schedule no matter the conditions. This little plant flowers in my front yard every winter providing bright spots of color in a season filled with green, brown and white. Posted as part of Sue’s A Word A Week: …
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Black and White Tuesday: 2-11-14
This close view of a totem pole is from one of two popular 50 foot cedar poles at Victor Steinbrueck Park near the Pike Place Market in Seattle, WA. Seattle Architect Victor Steinbrueck is credited with spearheading the preservation movement to protect both the Market and Pioneer Square districts in the 1960’s and twenty years…
Northwest Frame of Mind 