Saturday, July 23, 2022

Another Standoff!

Recent Snaps

I titled my last post Standoff in the Wild West.
That one was between a bunny and a crow.
This one is two bunnies!
This one only lasted for about 30 seconds,
but still, I thought it odd.
Finally, the one on the left took a giant leap over
the one on the right. No harm done and they went on
their own ways.


This is the Ocean Guardian.
Humans have fun picking names for marine vessels.
This looks like a brand new ship.
A brief search on Google Images does not reveal
other photos of this vessel, although there are
others with the same name.
John's Island delivers!
Picture taken July 21, 2022.

Ocean Guardian docked at Pier 90, Seattle.
Looks like a research vessel.
Why do you think they gave it this name?

For first time visitors:  Please click on images to enjoy the larger view. 
 
Near the start of my walk.
I snap a pic here each day to record sky conditions.
Partly cloudy, July 7th, 5:08AM

Another day and another walk underway.
I walk almost every day, a little over 2 miles.
July 15th, 5:55AM

Sunny mornings are especially enjoyable.
July 9th
This walk is along the edge of Elliott Bay.

Unusual ... you won't see this scene often.
The Norwegian Sun is docked in the
industrial part of the Port where work is 
being done to repair damage from hitting ice
in Alaska. She stayed here for about 2 weeks.
Link to article about ship hitting ice

The vessel in the foreground is one of
our Washington State Ferries.
The ferries run between Seattle and smaller ports
around Puget Sound.

Experimenting by putting the caption in the image.

Maximum zoom looking from home across the Sound
to waterfront homes on Bainbridge Island.
A lucky few have amazing views of the Seattle skyline
as they look to the east.
The distance in this photo is almost 6 miles (9.6km).

Gull on driftwood.

Closer look at the gull.

Great Blue Heron.
I see this bird (I'm guessing it's the same one) frequently.
I'm more likely to see the bird on low tide mornings
when the fishing is easier.

Crows don't have a good reputation, but 
they are interesting looking birds.

Check out another delightful Saturday's Critters!

Another crow.
They don't seem to be afraid of me.
I've seen people feeding these birds with bread crumbs.


I believe the large white flower is a Morning-glory.
Lots of them are blooming near a fence along the walk.
I singled this one out for a close-up and liked the result.

I'm not sure about the name of these blue flowers.
Maybe someone will know.

I am constantly impressed with the detail nature
puts in these creations.

This rose is in the Rose Garden along the walk.
Only nature can unfold this beauty with perfection.

I don't need to know the name of a flower to 
snap a picture of it. The pure beauty is enough for me.

I can't get enough of these California Poppies.
I actually didn't notice the bug until I was
looking over the images back at home.

I enjoy watching the cruise ships come and go.
Almost all of Seattle's ships are on voyages to Alaska
and back.

Here is a well loaded MSC container ship departing
Seattle, probably headed to Asia. The trip may take
as much as two weeks depending on where they are going.

This little vessel, the Spirit of Seattle, takes tourists
 on rides around Elliott Bay. There is one voyage daily that
goes through the locks to Lake Washington.

If I'm walking around 6:30 AM I'm likely to see
a UPS plane taking off from nearby Boeing Field. It heads off 
to the west, so I am curious if it is headed to Asia. If so, they
are probably chasing the sunrise all the way.

Lots of Canada Geese enjoying the morning
and the green grass.

Looking for breakfast.

Sitting on the bench below this big
tree is a delight. When there is a light
breeze the leaves make a crackling sound.

There are two paths ... one for pedestrians and one for bikes.
This view is on the bike path.

The new vegetation looks so healthy.

Notice the grass turning brown on the right side of
the walkway. The sprinklers don't reach that side of
the walk and we are now in the dry days of summer.


A Foss Tug approaching Pier 90.

Tug captain ... what a job!

The Sally Ride is a research vessel based in
San Diego, California

I was almost certain this bird would fly away
before I could snap a picture. It stayed put, and I
got lucky. I believe this is a House Finch.
Maybe someone will tell me if I'm wrong.

I can't resist taking photos of my hummers
 and adding them to the blog.
We know this is a male by the red feathers.

I snapped this on a really warm day. Not noticing when taking the
picture, but later ... look at the way the feathers are puffed out.
Could this be a way they try to stay cool?
This is a female Anna's hummingbird.
We know it is female as we do not see the red feathers.

It's unusual to see a container ship loaded with
uniform (all similar looking) containers.

At anchor, not far from the walk path.

Foss Tug operations base, Pier 90

Icon of Seattle,
the Space Needle, was built for
the World's Fair 1962.

I snapped this just after sunrise at Kerry Park.
This is possibly the most popular overlook for the city skyline.

Can't get enough of Mt Rainier on clear days.
July 20th, 5:16AM

Cruise ship departs for Alaska.

Closing thought ...
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” 
       – Abraham Lincoln


23 comments:

  1. I love that you find beauty all around you. Two miles a day, I'm truly impressed. Have a lovely Sunday John.

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  2. Well, John, I am very pleased to note that you have a contingent of CANADA Geese down there just to add a touch of class to the place, and leave a few tokens of their presence! And, yes, the bird is a male House Finch - very handsome too.

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  3. Hello John, :=) What a treat to see so many beautiful captures of wildlife. The House finch, and Humming birds are spectacular images, and the Heron, Crows, Seagull, and Canada Geese, on land and on sea are great finds and captures, and the picture of the bunny stand off was cute to see. I only know the Californian Poppy and Morning Glory because they grow in my garden, but all your flower images are really beautiful. The city skyline from Kerry Park, with the rosy glow on the buildings, and in the sky makes a fabulous photo. It is very interesting to see so many different sea vessels., and I discovered that a "growler" is a small piece of floating ice, not big enough to be called an iceberg but it was big enough to damage the starboard bow of the Norwegian Sun. If I had been on board I would have been really worried. My grandson has just arrived, so I will say goodbye, and thank you once again for such an entertaining post.
    Warm good wishes to you John, and have a wonderful weekend.

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  4. Hello John,
    What a great post, so many beautiful photos and scenes. I love the water views, all the ships and Mt Rainer looks beautiful. Great captures and bird sightings. The House Finch is a beauty and I always love the hummers. Cute capture of the bunny standoff. Have a happy day and great new week!

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    Replies
    1. PS, thank you John for linking up and sharing this post. I really enjoyed your photos, the birds and the flowers. Take care, enjoy your day!

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  5. So many beautiful photos.
    Like the tugboat.
    Glad to hear you are still walking.
    I think the second blue flower is chicory.

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  6. That's a good quote at the end! It's a good way to look at life and all the inconveniences. Love your nature photos, the hummers are very sweet! But you know I love the ships too and that tugboat. Neat to have a link to read about the ship there to get repairs. Enjoy your Sunday afternoon my friend!

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  7. The shots of Mt. rainier are exceptional, as usual. I love the variety of ships, the blooms and birds too. Nice to see the Space Needle too.

    Such wonderful variety and always something new if we open our eyes and minds when we take the same route. I imagine you feel energized after your walk!

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  8. Beautiful images. The first blue flower you show is a Blue Flax. It is a delicate beauty of a flower. Love the mountain, but then the huge ships also fascinate me. Have a super week.

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  9. Hi JOHN- Great Post - there is a lot happening there at Seattle...some of those Container Ships are absolutely huge- I'm amazed they can stay afloat with that number of containers on board. Have a great week mate- cheers. KEV.

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  10. I am so glad to hear you are still walking every day (or almost every day) and that you take such great picture to share with your admirers. I especially enjoy looking at all the watercraft and birds. :-)

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  11. Beautiful, another fine selection John. You never fail to disappoint. If you have time check out my offering today which I took with my interchangeable lens camera

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  12. Such a wonderful collection of photos from your walk. Love them. The one of the Norwegian Sun is amazing. Have a great week, John!

    -Soma

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  13. I was taking another look at your photos, and I believe the second blue flower is a chicory. I also forgot to mention earlier that I love reading your observations too.

    -Soma

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  14. Thanks John. I enjoyed all your beautiful pics. The flowers, the mountain! Nice walks!

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  15. It's so good to catch up with you again John! You live in such an amazing place for daily walks since the weather and light make a huge difference (I love when you get a perfect view of the iconic Mt Rainier -- and I know you do too!) And also of course because there are always new and different ships doing what ships do and we all love learning about them. Thanks for sharing the "real" Washington's beauty. (And also I hope I haven't told you a hundred times already, but I love the idea of taking the same picture daily as a diary of the weather conditions.)

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  16. Hello John
    Always a joy to see your selection of photographs.
    Those cruise ships always look huge, I hope wherever the passengers are heading they have a good trip.
    Lovely to see the birds and flowers and I like the view of Mount Rainer.

    Keep enjoying your walks, both Eddie and I enjoy seeing your photographs.

    All the best Jan

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  17. It has been hot here, heat index in the thirties which is high for us. It’s been for weeks too but we have had days of rain as well. The island breeze helps. I fear our descendants will be forced to live underground.

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  18. It is always fun to see the photos and your comments, John. I was curious about the Norwegian Sun accident. Unfortunately, the news story did not show and image of the damage. And I learned a little more about icebergs; I didn't know that the floating chunks of ice were called growlers or bergies.

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  19. I like your photos and their variety, the birds, the walking areas you use (I walk every day too), the ships, etc.

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  20. forgot to praise the Moon image on recent post exquisite images !

    it is always a pleasure to join your walk ,so many intriguing things to learn about here such as about space tower and birds hummers particularly ,i share your likening for humming birds to great extent .and i miss birds from my native town which is in foothills of Himalayan mountain actually .
    thank you for joyous walk dear John and yes loved the quote it is of my type attitude exactly .we complain because we forget that Creator has gifted everything to us it was not debt he paid but gift which meant to be thankful for

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