Friday, November 22, 2024

Autumn Transit

The usual gallimaufry of images with an emphasis on the seasonal change as we move through autumn.

Trees

In my neighborhood.
[Click on images for better view!]

Another in the neighborhood.

Thankful for all of nature's beauty and linking up with Thankful Thursday

Looking up!

The tree I saved.
1. My favorite tree in summer 2023.
A beauty.
2. My favorite tree late fall 2023.
A beauty.
3. After re-potting spring 2024.
Almost dead. Soil not holding water.
4. First signs of recovery early summer 2024.
Watered with gallons daily!
5. October 2024.
Almost total recovery.
6. November 20, 2024.
Leaves on the way to RED 😊
A beauty again.

Details: 

I love this tree. A person in charge of the property thought it needed to be transplanted into a larger pot. And so it was. And then, I began to notice the leaves turning brown. At first, I wasn't sure what was causing the leaves to turn brown. Then it hit me ... the soil in the new pot was a bit on the sandy side and was not holding water as well as the soil in the previous pot. Although it was not ultimately my responsibility, I decided to try extra watering. Quickly, as seen in photo 4, I noticed some new green leaves. I vastly increased watering and the result is in photo 5. Usually, in the fall, the leaves turn to red as seen in photo 2. This year, the leaves are late turning red, but they are turning quickly. I happened to have some nice sunshine today, November 22, and snapped the picture of leaves below. This is a beautiful tree. Although I'm pretty sure the water saved the tree, I also spoke to the tree daily telling it how beautiful it is. 😉

Autumn leaves, my favorite tree,
November 22, 2094

Skies - Linking up with Skywatch Friday

This pano shows the western sky as viewed from home,
around sunset in mid-October

Red sky at night ...
All of the sky pics in this post are taken from home.

Zoomed in on the shadows created by mountains.

Cross-Sound ferry on a stormy evening.


Tiny break in the clouds near the horizon
moments before sunset.

Late afternoon ... occasional sunbreaks 

Note the "sun pillar" ... part of an exceptionally
red and unusual sunset.
Ships

I enjoy snapping pics of (mostly) large ships coming and going in this port city. All of the photos below were taken from home during October and November of this year. We have a great variety of vessels. When capturing them, lighting is always a challenge.

Fully loaded container ship,
arriving Port of Seattle.

This is a bulk carrier. Frequently seen in Seattle for
transporting grain to Asian countries.

Passenger only fast ferry.

FOSS is one of the major tug operators in Seattle.
All FOSS tugs are named after members of
the family. This one is Wedell Foss.

The position and sunlight made this a difficult 
capture, but I like the way it turned out.
A container ship heading into port in late afternoon.

A mostly cloudy sky with a break near the eastern 
horizon allowed the morning sun to really
light up this EVERGREEN container ship.

After sunset, a departing MSC
(Mediterranean Shipping Company)
Olympic Mountains in the distance.

This sailing vessel is a popular option with tourists.
Mostly a summer activity.

My newest old book.


Rex Brasher's Treasury of Bird Paintings
Published in 1967

Title page.

Watch an excellent 6-minute video to get the full story of Rex Brasher  (Be sure to turn on audio.) I discovered the video thanks to Field Notes, a publisher of pocket size notebooks. They recently released notebooks with covers featuring Rex's bird paintings. (See examples below.) Rex made it his life mission to paint every known species of bird in America. And he did it! He published his paintings in Birds and Trees of North America. After researching Rex, I tried to find a copy of his book. They are now selling for around $20,000 so I decided to go for something more economical like this Treasury of Bird Paintings. The cover of my copy is quite worn, but the interior is in good condition. The paintings are wonderful! How did I live so long with an interest in birds without knowing about Rex? What an amazing human!


Biographical Sketch of Rex
I know the text is too small to read, but I just wanted
to show you the nice presentation.


Green-Winged Teal

Flammulated Owl

Ferruginous Owl

Pigmy Owl

Examples of the Field Notes covers featuring Rex's paintings ...




Link to Field Notes honoring Rex Brasher

If you love birds, be sure to check out Saturday's Critters!

Thank you for stopping by John's Island!






25 comments:

  1. Beautiful photos! Love the transformation of your tree.

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  2. Hello John,
    I love seeing the various photos of your favorite tree, it is pretty and I love the leaves. You did a great job caring for the tree, watering is very important. Wonderful series of ships, I like the view too of the mountains. Gorgeous captures of the sky, you have a great spot for skywatching. Rex Brasher's Treasury of Bird Paintings looks wonderful, the paintings are lovely. The owls are a favorite but, I love all the bird paintings. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.

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  3. Good morning, Esteemed Tree Doctor: What a wonderful job you have done with this little orphan you found, nurturing it back to health, with loving care, devotion and conversational encouragement which is not to be underestimated. Your sky shots are magnificent and filled with details to be examined, pored over and appreciated. Then there is the fabulous old bird book. You now realize of course that I am consumed with envy - but I will learn to sublimate that base sentiment and will rejoice in the links you have provided. I can see that life is good, John. With best wishes from balmy Ontario - David

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  4. ...John, thankfully you saved that Japanese maple. You have a fabulous vantage point to enjoy the sky, indeed keep looking up. The ship collection and Rex Brasher illustrations are a treat to see. Take care and be well. Happy Thanksgiving.

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  5. Just wonderful John, I've never seen such red skies. I came here for the trees, but fell in love with those ship pics. Hope you have a nice Thanksgiving my friend. 🙂

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  6. A wonderful selection of interesting stuff, John. Thank you once again for showing me so many things I knew nothing about.

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  7. What a great post, John! The story of your favorite tree bouncing back after all your TLC is just awesome—I love that it’s finally showing those red leaves. You really brought it back to life! The fall colors, skies, and ships all have that perfect autumn vibe, and your photos capture it so well. And Rex Brasher’s bird paintings—wow! I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of him either. That dedication to painting every American bird is so cool. Thanks for sharing the Field Notes version and the video link. Can’t wait to see more of your updates as the seasons keep changing! 😊

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  8. Hi, beautiful photos. I like containerships too. Have a nice weekend ! Greets Caroline

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  9. Fall is such a pretty time of year.
    Awesome skies.

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  10. When you say your photos are taken from home, I wonder do you just step outside and have all this beauty right before your eyes? Your tree looks so healthy for a late November day which shows it pays to invest the time in caring for it. I would love to be able to paint birds like Rex does! I enjoyed this post just like all your others, I always learn something new and maybe this time it will be how to paint birds like Rex does!

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  11. thanks will not be enough for this marvelous post dear John :)
    the fall colors oh my god you just made my day with such dazzling fall images dear friend!
    the sights are so magically beautiful ,splendid and stunning!
    reminds me fall colors back in my native village ,thanks for sharing !
    the sky shots hold my breath for a while omg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    the 13th particularly is truly divine and awesome wow
    i also loved the Rex's bird paintings ,they are spectacular and really impressive
    all birds in America wow such an achievement
    sending you heartfelt best wishes ,enjoy the glory of the season
    oh i also enjoyed ship watch ,intriguing indeed

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  12. What a nice post. The ships, the skies, your new old book. Thank you for sharing. I love the photo with the Cross-Sound ferry on the stormy evening. Beautiful one

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  13. Hello John, what a lovely post this is, full of good things to see.
    The Fall/Autumn colours look beautiful, I really do like this season.
    Wonderful colour skies too.

    My thanks again for a very enjoyable post.
    Enjoy this last week of November.

    All the best Jan

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  14. Lindas fotos mis preferidas son las de los cielos y las portadas de los libros de aves. Te deseo una genial semana. Te mando un beso.

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  15. Loved seeing the ships, Fall colors and other items in this post. Nicely photographed!!
    Thank you for sharing with all of us. Be well!

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  16. So many great items here. The tree you tended is a beauty. Well done!

    The skies are spectacular! Each photo is a keeper!

    The ships are a study and my favourite is the sailboat.

    I love birds. That work is priceless!

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  17. You got it all in this post. Red leaves, red skies, a great variety of watercraft from container ships to sailing vessels. And that artist you found, sublime work he did. I have seen on display some of the works of Audobon. Something about bird painting attracts great artists.

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  18. You live in a beautiful neighborhood, John. I'm glad that your little favorite tree made it - yes, not all soils are good for the same plants and it sure is worth in investing in good potting soil. You can also put water retaining rocks in the soil (available in nurseries and home improvement stores) so that you don't have to water that much. The problem is that too much water can harm a plant as well. It's sometimes very difficult to find the right balance.
    I recently was in Hamburg, Germany, and I'm sure that you would have loved that port. It's huge and really interesting. A bit gritty as well, as is the entire city.
    I bet David would love that book!
    Happy Thanksgiving, John!

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  19. Love the pics of the containers and sailing boats. Daily morning it is a new surprise I suppose.

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  20. Great series of photographs- I think the sky shots are my favorite. You are very talented in getting just the right shot. How interesting it must be to live on the edge of the water like that. I would love to just visit and actually the coast is on my bucket list, but mostly because I just want to see a lighthouse in person. Happy Thanksgiving!

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  21. I get sentimental about trees also. I watched a neighbor's chestnut tree next door through Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter while hand washing dishes. The neighbor passed away. The property went up for sale and because of its location sold quickly. I still miss him very much and I cried when the new owner cut this chestnut tree down. You sure put your heart into that tree by watering it and talking to it. You are a wonderful neighbor. I love the red sunsets and all the bird illustrations. Your blog is a loaded with beauty and love. Hugs!

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  22. John, these photos are fantastic. There’s something truly special about this season—the crisp air, the vibrant colors, and that cozy feeling it brings. I don't think I have green thumb so I admire you for saving these trees.

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  23. John, the colors in these photos, all of them, are gorgeous. Leaves in fall are nature's perfect colors, I think. I am so glad to see you here on Thankful Thursday and I hope to see you back again!

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  24. It’s always lovely to witness the subtle yet beautiful changes in nature as autumn unfolds! The trees in your neighborhood must be putting on a stunning display. I’m sure the seasonal colors make for a peaceful and reflective atmosphere. Thanks for sharing these glimpses of your surroundings! I invite you to read my latest blog post: https://www.melodyjacob.com/2024/12/one-blogging-mistake-that-is-reducing-your-traffic-and-how-to-fix-it-now.html

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