Interesting, Amazing, Beautiful

These are photos I took of a really interesting house up here in 2007.  It's on a dirt road, sort of wedged into the side of the mountain.

The owner built it and did all the decorative work himself.

Including the leading in the windows.

But, for me, it's the metal work that really stands out.

Just amazing!

Linking with: Through My Lens

Retirement

This is Chester (front) and Coco Rose.  They were my sister's cats, and I brought them up here last March when it became apparent that cancer would take her.  I was afraid they'd have a hard time fitting in, but my cats seemed to recognize that Coco and Chester had suffered a terrible loss.  There were no fights, just nose bumps and love.  They seem to like it here, and show no desire to go outside (not that I would let them), even though they had the run of my sister's acres for 16 years (they had their 17th birthdays up here in May).  I think of this as their "retirement" home...maybe Chester and Coco view it that way also.

Linking with Saturday's Critters

Bees and Blooms

On the banks of a little creek near here there are raspberry bushes flowering.  (These photos were taken  eight days ago).

There were bees all over the bushes.

I haven't seen this many bees up here in a long time.

It was a joyful sight to see, both the bees and the blooms.
Linking with:  Through My Lens

Five S's

Two very young gray squirrels eating peanuts on the feeders attached to the huge old Ponderosa pine.  They're such a delight.  We have five (5!) squirrels visiting our feeders now.  Thankfully, the squirrels seem to be making a comeback from the terrible plague of 2008 that nearly wiped them out.

Mrs. Primrose (on the left), Mrs. Rose's daughter, brought two of her babies to our porch to eat.  This is their first visit; all three were pretty nervous even though Mrs. Rose was just a few feet away from them.  I only took one photo and left, not wanting to scare the babies.  Also, given what they were "facing" me with, I thought discretion might be the better part of valor!  Hopefully I can get better photos when they visit again, although I'm not sure when that might be since DH is out there sanding the porch preparatory to painting it.  

Linking with Saturday's Critters

On the Sunny Side

I spotted these flowers while on a little walk yesterday.

My mother used to grow these in her garden.

She called them Mexican primroses (Oenothera speciosa); they're also known as evening primrose or pink primrose.

They'll grow in nearly any kind of soil, and are cold hardy in zones 5 through 9.  The only thing they're really fussy about is sun - they need at least 8 hours of full sun.

Linking with :     Through My Lens

A Pretty Walk

It was a cloudy-sunny-cloudy day here today, making for a pretty walk down by the lake.

There's a slight chance of rain tonight.  It would be most welcome (you can see in some of the photos how low the lake is) but it doesn't feel like rain, if you know what I mean, even though it looks like rain...
 
Linking with: Our World Tuesday

Twilight at Lake Gregory

These were taken on a winter's walk by Lake Gregory in January of 2015.  

It's so beautifully quiet in these mountains in the winter (unless you live next to a ski resort.  Happily, there are no ski resorts near Lake Gregory).

 

Just the sound of the wind moving gently through the trees and water murmuring against the shore.

Linking with: Through My Lens

Forest Scenes

There are pretty clouds around today, but, so far, no rain.  Things are managing to bloom though, despite such a dry winter and spring.

Some wild Chamomile...

And some Baby Blue Eyes.

Little Pink Sierra Currant blooms will turn into tiny berries that the birds and raccoons can eat in the autumn.

I  love the dappled light of the forest and the shifting shadows that days like this bring.

Linking with:  Through My Lens
                     Skywatch Friday

I See You

A young Red Tailed Hawk at the top of a pine tree.

She (or he) was staring intently at something down in the valley.  It was pretty windy, as you can tell by her feathers on her chest.  She kept a wary eye on me, though, which is good.  I always hope they can tell in a nano-second whether it's a camera or a gun pointed at them.  They're protected by Federal Law, but there are always idiots...

I took a lot of photos, but these are the only three that aren't too blurry.  She was about 500 feet away from me.  I've given up on using a tripod for photographing birds; by the time I get the darn thing set up, they're gone!  So, it's hand-held, zoom, and hope for the best...

Linking with  Skywatch Friday
                    Saturday's Critters

Happy Mother's Day

No matter what species your child belongs to, if you feed them, love them, keep them safe...Happy Mother's Day!

Shy

This Black Headed Grosbeak was keeping a wary eye on me... 

as I photographed him eating. 

He seemed uncomfortable, though, and eventually he retreated 

into a tangle of branches...and that made me feel so sorry for him that I took my camera and myself back into the house to give him a chance to fill up his tummy. 

Linking with:  Saturday's Critters

A Quote for Monday

Logic will get you from A to Z, but imagination will get you everywhere.  Albert Einstein

A Quote

To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers is a delectable form of defeat. ~ Beverly Nichols 

Wordless Wednesday - Camouflage

Linking with: Wordless Wednesday

Springing Back to Winter

I'm glad I was able to get these photos a few days ago, because the weather abruptly switched from spring to winter last night.  (To enlarge photos, just click on them). 

Last night we had a cold, hard rain with plummeting temperatures and today we had a hail storm.

These daffodils, and the ones below, were planted by a community group in Twin Peaks several years ago. 

Quite a few of the daffodils were already past their peak of bloom when I took these photos, but, luckily for me, there were still enough of them blooming to make a cheery show!

Linking with:  
Through My Lens 
Monday Mellow Yellows
Macro Monday
Our World Tuesday