The "Fat Buds" are back ...
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| The Rose Garden along the waterfront walk. |
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| In a friend's blog she said, while on her walk, she recently saw a lot of fat buds. I immediately knew what she meant, but it was my first time to hear them called "fat buds" ... Sure enough, here they are in the Rose Garden Roses on the way! |
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| Old and New Google Lens tells me this is a Viburnum farreri shrub. I am not sure. First blooms are opening mid-February. |
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| Definitely not buds, but pine cones. |
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| I keep a separate folder for start pics so it's easy to look back and compare conditions. |
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| Light rain and few walkers. |
⇛ As always, please enjoy a better view by clicking on the image. ⇚
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| Parts of the walk path are lined with old wooden beams. As they turn back to dust nature uses them to host new plants. |
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| Those trees seemed to frame up Mt Rainier but the photo doesn't convey the way it felt in person. |
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| I see lots of people stopping for a moment of reflection. |
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| The driftwood creates a bench. |
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| Elliott Bay on the right, Grain Elevator on the left. Downtown in the distance. |
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| Mid-afternoon on a sunny day. |
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| The only clouds in the sky were hugging Mt Rainier. February 9th |
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| Just a few days until this will look very different. |
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| At first I considered the Grain Elevator a giant monstrosity. After walking by it daily for over 2 years, I kind of like it now. It is an important part of the economy. |
Ships ...
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| Early one morning. Foss tugs await assignment. |
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| Snapped this on the first morning with NO Fishing vessels along the pier. They must be headed back to Alaska. |
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| The ALBA tie lines are a good place for birds to rest. |
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| The ALBA is a bulk carrier registered in Panama. |
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| NOAA ship at Pier 91. Olympic Mountains in the distance. |
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| A big MSC Container ship arrives in port with tug assistance. |
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| Coast Guard at work. (Or, just having fun?) |
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| Coast Guard seemed to be having training exercises on this very nice day. |
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| The SALISH EXPLORER Operated by Argosy Tours Sightseeing cruises in and around Seattle |
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| Definitely not a "ship" but couldn't resist adding this sailboat. I don't see that many sailboats on this part of Elliott Bay. |
Birds ...
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| Canada Geese |
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| One Canada Goose relaxing and enjoying the sunshine. |
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| Black bird at rest. |
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| Robins! |
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| Keeping an eye on me. Critter lovers, be sure to check out Saturday's Critters |
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| Robins seem to enjoy the area along the waterfront. |
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| Gull on a rock. Well, what more can I say? 😊 |
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| Pretty sure this is a Cormorant. But is it a Double-Crested or Great? The white color has me wondering. |
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| Another shot of the Cormorant. |
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| Side by side of the Cormorant |
The next 3 shots are ONE Anna's hummingbird ...
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| I couldn't believe my luck to see this little hummer trying to impress me. He really put on a display. |
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| Yes, the same bird ... not flexing his "feathers" |
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| One more shot and he was gone. Sunny day in early February. Near the Rose Garden on the walk. |
Skies ...
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| The day had been sunny but clouds are rolling in from the west. |
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| Colorful sunset on January 30, 2023 |
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| Sunny day, looking west over Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island and the Olympics in the distance. A lucky few have waterfront homes on the Island. |
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| Snapped on a rare late afternoon walk February 9th |
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| Always tempting. |
Closing thought ...
John--Your bird photos are wonderful. I really like the way you capture them on camera. My two favorites are the robins in the tree and the Anna hummingbird. Your early morning photos when the sun is out bathe whatever you're photographing in that warm early morning light.
ReplyDeleteHello John,
ReplyDeleteIt is a good idea to keep your photos in the folders and organized. The fat bud plant and the blooms are pretty. I enjoy following you on your walks, all the lovely views of the water and boats. The views of Mt. Rainier and the Olympics are gorgeous. Lovely series of sky captures. Of course, I love all your bird photos. The hummingbirds are a favorite, they are all so sweet. I read there are three Cormorants seen in the winter in Seattle, the Double-crested, the Brandt's and the Pelagic. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.
...John I was in the nursery business for 50 years and I'd like to set the record straight on a few things. Buds come in two forms, flower buds and vegetative buds. Your 2nd image is of rose hips which contain the rose seeds. Those "pine cones" are on a Douglas Fir, which make them "fir cones." Buffalo, NY has some historic grain silos called Silo City, there is an on going battle to to save them. Your are fortunate to see all of these ships. I hope that you continue to see many more beautiful sunsets. What a wonderful closing thought.
ReplyDeleteHi John,
ReplyDeleteYour photos are neat and well composed as always.
Here are the answers to your queries:
1. I bought a Canon 6D years back. It is now many generations old. Modern cameras have better features but this camera serves my purpose. I use a Tamron 150-600mm G2 lens. It is less expensive and good but definitely nowhere near the quality that Canon lenses give.
2. I use the ‘Simple Simply Simple’ theme which is available in the ‘Simple’ category of free themes in blogger. I have customized it by tweaking the code.
You’ve captured a lot of really interesting features of your area and your landscapes! Someone already commented that those fat buds weren’t the precursors to rose blossoms, but the seed containers (sometimes called rose hips) from last year’s blossoms.
ReplyDeletebest… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Oh, I love that last quote. Sometimes after a hike, I think about how many people (usually on bikes) that wave or smile and me and I think...how amazing that I was the reason someone smiled today. That's an awesome feeling. I love your ships of course and especially love those BIG driftwood logs! Enjoy your day. You made ME smile today!
ReplyDeleteSo much to enjoy in this post. The ships are always interesting. Such a busy port.
ReplyDeleteThe birds are a favourite as well. Some robins over-winter here now. I always loved spotting them in the early spring. They always appeared to be among the first to return.
That shot of Mt Rainier is a beauty! What a beautiful area that is for a walk. You are fortunate to have such lovely sights to enjoy as you go.
What stunning scenery and so many other wonderful photos to enjoy, so pleased I discovered this blog hop, following you now so as not to miss any future postings xxx
ReplyDeleteI was going to say something about those rose hips, but I was too late. They will never turn into roses just as they are, but they make great tea! And I love your hummer pictures especially. I read a concerning article about the emerging avian flu, which is killing off lots of our wonderful birds.
ReplyDeleteI've got some new jargon to use now, "fat buds" I love it!!
ReplyDeleteGreat views of the water and the waterfront. I love how from almost everywhere in Seattle you can see the Mount Rainier. Such a majestic mountain.
I am beginning to think that there are no bad views of Seattle.
Hello John
ReplyDeleteYou do have some wonderful walks and I am so pleased you take so many photographs and share them here.
Your robins are different to our European ones but they are still a favourite bird of mine, and lovely to see the hummingbird :)
I do like your closing thought.
Enjoy the remainder of your weekend, and have an enjoyable week with more wonderful walks.
Eddie and I send our good wishes.
All the best Jan
Fat buds - love it.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy seeing your walking pictures.
Those skies are gorgeous.
It's always a great pleasure to stop by at your blog, John.
ReplyDeleteSo much to see and enjoy!
Your bird photos are gorgeous, as are the fat bud plant and blooms.
Happy Sunday!
What a wonderful collection you have here John! I very much liked your "new take" on that tremendous grain elevator, and my brother-in-law captain's a tug very similar to that one in the very next photo. Loved the Canadian geese too. 🙂👍
ReplyDeleteHello John :=) Lovely to see so many varieties of birds, and I especially enjoyed seeing the light coloured Cormorant, (new to me)
ReplyDeleteand the many Robins, and the little Hummer. There is not one view that I didn't like, they all have interest, yes, even the Grain Elevator, and also your shots of the ships coming and going which are also an important part of the economy.Your sky shots and views of Mt Rainier and the Olympic Mountains are always delightful, and the lone contemplative people staring out to sea made me wonder what they were thinking. A super post and I couldn't agree more about your last words, they made me smile with pleasure.
Have a wonderful weekend.
So nice to see a blue sky and brightness. A lovely collection of images.
ReplyDeleteHey dear John heartfelt big thanks for these breathtaking photos that always transform my day!
ReplyDeleteEach shot is excellent and exceptionally beautiful to my eyes. The trees the water the sunset and all these beautiful beautiful beautiful little birds pausing for you really Amazing time I have here.
The gull on rock looks hardly different than people stopping for moment of reflection :)
Wonderful ships wow.
And your closing questions enlighten my heart thank you so much!
Health peace and happiness to you and your family
I used to make clear jelly out of rose hips. It was delicious. I liked the different ships being photographed and you told me what their job was. There are a lot of birds in your area. Liked how you showed us the area you reside in. I haven't ever been to Seattle, WA.
ReplyDeleteI would be snapping away too if these are the scenes I see. Captivating! Glad you're still actively taking and sharing photos.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.aboutlifeandlove.com/
John, I love seeing your photos.Those are some gorgeous skies.
ReplyDeleteThank you John! For all your beautiful photos and, in response to your comment: I also see the people in your photos. They make it beautiful. I feel happy when I look at your photos. There is so much to see. Such a good mix of things and you stay true to yourself, making it something unique. It's great that the roses are on their way again. The robins are the cutest!
ReplyDeleteHello John :=)
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing all the info about my plant. I'm amazed you found out so many interesting, and all positive things about it.
Have a wonderful weekend. :=)
John, I have just read the ps comment, and have been royally entertained by your chat with ChatGPT. :=)
ReplyDeleteJohn, I am always delighted by your photos and I enjoy "walking with you". The pictures of Mount Rainier are stunning - I understand that it's not always possible to see it like this. I was very fortunate to see the mountain once without any clouds and at sunset when it was glowing - unforgettable. Since others already did it, I'm not mentioning the rose hips... I LOVE your bird images. The Anna's truly put a show on for you. I never tire of them when they zip through my garden. Territorial little creatures!
ReplyDeleteMe gustan las fotos de los pájaros y la de los paisajes me quitan el aliento. Te mando un beso.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures
ReplyDelete"Fat buds" is the perfect discription! I love the photos with Mt Rainier in the background. Gorgeous!!
ReplyDelete