Spring has sprung!
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| I told AI I was putting together a post for my blog and giving it the title Spring has sprung. I asked for an image to use with the post. Here is the result ... I like it. How about you? Now, I know some of you don't care for AI, but the genie is out of the bottle and we better learn how to get along with the genie! |
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| Out on a walk in the neighborhood, I spotted these Crocus blooms. Nature is an amazing creator. |
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| Update: April 10 2025 Thankful for the beauty of nature. Linking up with Michelle's Thankful Thursday |
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| In earlier posts this year I captured the Daffodils in this traffic circle from the time they broke ground until they bloomed. Here is one more look with almost all of them in bloom. |
Skies
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| It's all about the clouds. |
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| Looking across the Sound this fog/cloud phenomenon caught my attention. It looks strange, doesn't it? |
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| A good while after sunset but still plenty of light in the western sky beyond the Olympics. Go and check out more Skywatch images at the Skywatch Site! |
Ships
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| I like to catch a sailboat alongside a large container ship ... it's nice for scale. This view is looking west from Seattle across Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island and the Olympic Mountains in the distance. The ship is the Honiara Chief |
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| A MSC - Mediterranean Shipping Company - vessel arriving in port in the early evening. Note the way the containers are stacked ... plenty of empty space on this ship. This view is looking across Elliott Bay toward West Seattle, and Vashon Island in the distance. |
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| Update: April 14, 2025 The Carnival Spirit arrived in moonlight this morning at 5:15AM. The Spirit is the first cruise ship of the season to dock at Cruise Terminal 91. |
Superior Spring Publications
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| LivingBird Cornell Lab of Ornithology |
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a member-supported unit of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, which studies birds and other wildlife. What they say about themselves: “We believe birds are a gateway to caring for the natural world.” They publish LivingBird which I’ve found to be the premiere birding magazine. The image above is the cover of their Spring 2025 issue. Check out their website for lots of free birding information.
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| Linking up with Saturday's Critters |
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| The Methow Naturalist A Quarterly Journal of Natural History |
Within the last year I discovered The Methow Naturalist (TMN). For one who is interested in the evolution of nature and humans, it is an amazing find. TMN is published quarterly and the image above is the Spring 2025 cover. If you are open to studying nature and human history, check out their website. Warning: Your assumptions (beliefs) about why things are the way they are may be challenged.
Closing thought ...
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| A screenshot of a positive morning routine found online that is worth repeating. 😊 |
Thanks for stopping by John's Island.
what a wonderful, uplifting post...i especially liked the positive morning routine!! the picture of the container vessel and the sailboat is amazing, i am very surprised by the scale it defined. my crocus bloomed a while ago, i am now enjoying daffodils and my tulips are just starting to open. i don't know who al is??!!
ReplyDeletethanks for stopping by, and for clearing up the AI reference. i read "AL" and thought you were referencing a person, if i "got" AI i may have understood it BUT i am still trying to include AI in my daily living. my chuck gets some good chuckles at what i think is real!! oh well...i guess i have been slow to catch on!! enjoy the rest of your weekend!!
DeleteLiving Bird is a fantastic title!
ReplyDeleteI can't say I am a fan of the AI photos I have seen. They tend to look artificial and cartoony. Maybe that's a good thing.
The purple flowers are lovely.
...John, spring has sprung here too. My Sweetie and I watch the live-cam at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Keep looking up at the beautiful sky, my friend. Take care and be well.
ReplyDeleteI think the decorative thing you got from AI is a perfect use of AI. I find a lot of the AI realistic photos to be disturbing. That said, AI is here to stay. I find it very good at fact checking things I see on the internet and coming up with statistics where you have more than one variable.
ReplyDeleteI love your inquisitive mind. I think it is important to stay involved and find about new things as one gets older.
Hello John,
ReplyDeleteSpring has spring, I like your AI spring image. I have never used AI, not sure if I want to. Pretty crocus blooms. Great captures of the ships, mountains and the skies. The sailboat does look tiny next to the huge ship. I do like skywatching, the cloud formations are amazing. I used to receive the Cornell''s Living Bird magazines, now I thought it was a digital version. The morning routine advice is great. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, enjoy your day and happy weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.
I like the image and I agree with you about AI. We all need to get used to it and learn all we can about it. You have me intrigued with TMN. I will be checking out their web here in a minute. I hope you are having the best spring.
ReplyDeleteLiving Bird looks like something I would really enjoy! I don't get any magazines any more but I look things up online all the time. Love seeing the boats and the Spring flowers. Very lovely and nice post! Hugs, Diane
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post, full of interesting pictures and ideas. The photos are so much better than ai. As an exhibiting artist I can't be reconciled to aI, a method that steals original content as its raw material. Human artists are ripped off, just for fun.
ReplyDeleteBut I love your crocuses particularly. Around here robins tear them apart immediately. I think the pollen is a robin delicacy.
You have lots of changes at this time of year. It's spring after all.
ReplyDeleteGlad spring has sprung! :)
ReplyDelete"Spring has sprung the grass has riz,
ReplyDeleteI wonder where the birdies is!"
Your crocus photos are lovely, the colours are amazing. I always enjoy seeing unusual clouds and yes that cloud you captured does look strange. I would much rather see your photos and read your words rather than see AI photos and read AI words. With blogging I would think using AI would take away from the enjoyment of writing and sharing our own thoughts and photos.
The Cornell Lab is where I take the birding courses through. I have taken five so far. While they are not free, the courses are user friendly and I have learned lots.
Here's to a happy sunshiny April!
Yes Spring has sprung (I like the image) and it's a joy to see the spring flowers showing their beautiful colours ... well they are here in the UK and the ones in your photographs look very nice too.
ReplyDeleteThe skies you've shared look good ... ours has been wonderfully blue today, I really should take a few photographs!
Enjoy your April days John.
Sending good wishes across the miles.
All the best Jan
Lovely post! The AI-generated image is interesting, and those Crocus blooms are a cheerful sight. Always enjoy seeing your photos of the local scenery and the ship alongside the sailboat provides a great sense of scale.
ReplyDeleteGood morning, John. In your usual inimitable fashion you have provided an excellent post, filled with charm, bons mots and great pictures. The clouds are sensational and resonate particularly for me this week given the book I have just reviewed. I will need to apply myself and see whether I can identify these interesting formations. Put me in the column of those not thrilled with AI, but you are quite right, of course, the genie IS out the bag and I had better mend my Luddite ways and get used to it! All the very best from Ontario where spring is sputtering along and can’t quite make up its mind whether to stay or not. David
ReplyDeleteIf I lived in Seattle, I’d spend a lot of time watching and photographing ships. I always enjoy your shots of ships, John. We get so few of them here.
ReplyDeleteSpring is definitely here! Love the Crocus blooms and daffodils – such a nice touch. The ship photos are stunning too, especially with the sailboat for scale. I’m with you on AI – it’s here to stay, so we might as well enjoy it! Thanks for sharing these glorious spring vibes! 😊
ReplyDeleteHappy Monday, John!
Good result with the AI image. I have so far found it almost impossible to get AI images to include a correct quote.
ReplyDeleteHi, excellent photos of the spring flowers and skies. Have a nice week.
ReplyDeleteHello John :)
ReplyDeleteThe spring crocus blooms and daffodils are a lovely sight.It's nice to see the changes happening in my garden too. I'm not a fan of AI, but I do like the spring image "Spring has Sprung" and think AI excels in design. The magazines seem interesting and I will look them up. Great captures of the ships, beautiful sky and cloud formations, and I like the positive closing thought image.A wonderful post John.
All the best
Sonjia.
I love the image AI came up with. Not everything AI is bad. Sometimes it can be quite lovely and inspiring.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos of spring and clouds. Personally, I don't care for AI. It is lacking in areas of nature identification, and I really don't care for photographs with added cartoon animals, etc. I guess, it is each to their own.
ReplyDeleteHappy Spring dear John🤗
ReplyDeleteDespite I don’t do AI I liked the image it searched for you 😊
I think Nature is Healer ,guide and best friend and if one is willing to learn no one is better teacher than Nature I believe 🥹♥️
Every sign ,every aspect of the nature points out something crucial to understand!
You have captured some really pretty flowers here 🥰
Loved each bloom but daffodils are so beautiful 😍
I would love to check out the both sites you mentioned today.the last one is my type and thing totally 🤗
Thank you for adding more joy and beauty to my day 🙏
More blessings and goodness to you and yours ♥️
This was a beautiful array of interesting photos and thoughts, John! I agree birds are important and need more care from humans to protect their environments and health conditions. I ahve not used AI as yet but I do acknowledge it as its positive atributes if used for the right reasons.
ReplyDeleteWhile you are 100% right that AI now being here we better get learn how to use it, I'm still not a fan. And then I look at your pictures of flowers and clouds and think "nothing compares to nature". The crocus is fantastic - I don't think I have seen much crocus this year. We are already beyond the spring flowers, wildflowers have turned up in the forests and meadows and my garden is "running away from me" and I struggle to keep up. But I love it, and that's what counts for me in the moment. No problem if things don't get done in a timely matter, my garden is kind of wild anyway. I use Cornell's Merlin app on my phone and really like it. Its identification is not always right, but most times. I love to record the sound of birds in my garden and thus learn their calls and songs. The journal sounds very interesting, but I'm a bit afraid that I might be over my head reading (and understanding) it. I will definitely check out their website. Thanks for the inspriration. Wishing you a wonderful spring - Carola
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend to you John! Your posts are informative and your photos are always a treat to see. Thanks for visiting my blog and critter post. I appreciate all your visits and your very kind comments.
ReplyDeleteSpring has truly sprung, and it’s wonderful to see the beauty of nature unfolding in your post! The Crocus blooms are a lovely reminder of the season’s arrival, and the way you captured the Daffodils in the traffic circle from start to finish is a beautiful way to mark the passage of time. That fog/cloud phenomenon over the Sound is so intriguing—nature definitely has a way of keeping us on our toes! And the contrast of the sailboat alongside the large container ship is a great touch.
ReplyDeleteIt's clear you're appreciating the season and all its wonders. I’ve just posted a new piece on my blog, www.melodyjacob.com, and I’d be thrilled if you could check it out and share your thoughts. Wishing you a peaceful and joyful weekend ahead.
Thank you for your kind comment John. Have a nice weekend !
ReplyDeleteBellas imagenes. Ten una linda primavera. Parecen bueno libros. Te mando un beso.
ReplyDeleteJohn, it was wonderful to find you in my link up! I appreciate it so much. Have a wonderful week ahead!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous captures.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures
ReplyDeleteHappy Spring, John!
ReplyDeleteEspero que hayas tenido una linda pascua. Te mando un beso.
ReplyDelete