Robbery

Robbery in Progress

So tempting!

[Click on images for larger view]

Yummm!

My neighbors recently hung a bird feeder in one of their trees. The tree is located close to a wall which provides reasonably good access for critters other than birds. I happened to spot this squirrel at work one afternoon when I did not have my camera with me. I hurried inside to get my camera and was actually surprised she/he was still at work when I captured the shots above. Isn't this an interesting and amusing aspect of nature? I checked back a couple hours later and about 1/2 of the seeds, you can see in the pictures, were gone. 😊 I do have to admit, perhaps "looting" may be a more accurate title.

Linking up with Saturday's Critters. Eileen has some amazing photos on her post this week. 

Skywatch Friday - A few recent skies

I posted this photo in my March 5th post to express
my delight in learning that the rosy light on the
mountains, I was observing, is called alpenglow.
One of my blogging friends, Soma, commented:
"That's your view?!! Breathtakingly beautiful."
Thank you, Soma, for the kind words.
Yes, it's my view ... but, of course, I was zoomed in quite a bit.
The next photo is a zoomed out look.
My view is looking west over Puget Sound to
Bainbridge Island, and in the distance,
the Olympic Mountains.

Just after sunset on March 14, 2024.

Looking more to the southwest, in the far distance, the 
southern end of the Olympic Mountain Range. On
this day, April 5th, clear skies existed in the far 
distance and in an unusual way highlighted the rain
falling from closer storm clouds.
The little yellow star, on the left, is above something that
appears to be a submarine. Actually, it is just an outcropping
of rocks, known as Blakely Rock 

This is one of those scenes where, when you see it, you've
got to quickly find the camera. You can capture some of
the beauty here with a smartphone camera, but really, an optical
zoom is the way to go.  April 9th.

Tulip Festival

Yes, the Tulip Festival is going on in the Skagit Valley
about an hour or so north of Seattle. It's definitely worth
a drive up to see it in person ... check out the photos 
in the link. My photo above is like a tiny bouquet
of tulips near the entrance to my driveway. It's fun
to keep an eye on these little plants as they open up 
in spring.

One of my long-time blogging friends, DJan, posted
this image on her blog, Eye on the Edge, on
April 23, 2017. She lives not too far from the
Tulip Festival and attends almost every year.
Yes, she did give me permission to post her photo,
and thank you DJan!  😊
She posted about her visit to the Festival
this year with more excellent images.

Cottonwood Tree Update

Last year I planted cottonwood tree seeds.
See my post last year for the details.
Over the winter, the tree lost all leaves, and
at times, appeared dead. The next image
shows how it looks this year, with new
leaves and in good condition.

Here is my Cottonwood Tree about one year
after I planted the seed.
I know this sounds funny, but I, for one,
am AMAZED.  😊

Randoms - Just a few random shots ...

Fully loaded freighter heading out to the Pacific Ocean.
Evergreen Marine Corp. has a slogan
Nature Above All

A different EVERGREEN ship on a clear day,
headed northbound to the Pacific. In the distance,
the Olympic Mountains.

     Looking up ...

I'm keeping an eye on this nest in a tree along
my waterfront walk. So far, no birds have returned
this year. I am curious about birds returning to 
nests over and over. I know Eagles do.

I just had to get the deep blue sky
above my neighbor's Apple tree,
which is currently loaded with
red/pink blooms.

Closing thought ...

"Every flower of every tomorrow are in the seeds of today."

       Virgil   (Ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period.)

Thanks, as always, for stopping by.