Day 60 Update

Update June 13 - Day 71

Sharing with Saturday's Critters 652

Screenshot - FOBBV YouTube stream
June 13, 2026, Day 71 since hatch.
Sandy, Luna, & Jackie (Mom) on nest.
According to birding experts, Eaglets are
commonly capable of leaving the nest
between 10 and 14 weeks. 
Today, June 13, is WEEK 10.
Fly away ... any day! 😊

Posted on June 3 ...

Eagle Watch

Since February, I've been fascinated with the Bald Eagles raising two new eaglets in a nest near Big Bear Lake, California. The parent birds, Jackie (mom) and Shadow (dad) have been using this nest for several years. Jackie's first clutch of two eggs, in January, was unsuccessful. On February 24, she laid the first egg in her second clutch, and the second egg on February 27. The parents successfully incubated the eggs and the first hatch was on April 4th. The second hatched on April 5th. I've been watching a live streaming camera, on the nest, and counting up the days since the first egg hatched. Check out my posts in February, March, and April for earlier details of my Eagle Watch. Yesterday, June 2, 2026, was Day 60 and, as you can see in the image below, the eaglets, named Sandy and Luna, are well on their way to first flight from the nest. The average time from hatch to first flight for Bald Eagles is 90 days. I can't wait to see if first flight occurs right around July 4th ... wouldn't it be neat to see one of our National Birds take flight on our country's 250th Anniversary! However, today, June 3rd, something tells me first flight may even be before July. The eaglets are getting big and rowdy! 😊

Sandy, Luna, and mom, June 2, 2026.
Day 60 since first chick hatched in
the Big Bear Valley Eagle nest.
[Images are screenshots from FOBBV YouTube Stream]
Link to the FOBBV Eagle Cam

Close up of Sandy and Luna on May 28
Day 55

REMINDER ... Sandy and Luna with mom
on April 12 ... 
(Days 8 and 7 since hatch.)

Ship Watch

I love to watch ships coming and going here in Seattle, Washington. My view of Puget Sound allows me to see lots of marine activity. I keep the camera handy and snap photos of scenes I enjoy. Let me know if you have questions or comments about the ships below.

Cruise ship, Anthem of the Seas, 
arriving under the Full Moon ... June 2, 2026.

Carnival Cruise ship arriving June 1, 2026

Looking out over the Marina full of sailboats to a
bulk carrier vessel (red hull) and, in the distance, a container
ship departing the Port. Olympic Mountains in
the far distance.

U S Coast Guard vessel 751
arriving May 16, 2026.
Alki beach, Seattle, in background.
Info about USCGC Waesche

The LaunchPad seen at anchor in Elliott Bay
June 2nd ... story below.

The Seattle Times reported  that the 390-foot, $300M yacht "Launchpad" … widely linked to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg … arrived in Seattle’s Lake Union on May 27, 2026. On May 31 it moved close to Elliott Bay Marina and has been anchored there. As of June 2^nd, Zuckerberg has not been reported to be aboard. I do not know this, but suspect Zuckerberg will be in Seattle to see the World Cup games and figured the yacht would be a convenient place to stay.   Link to more info about LaunchPad

When the LaunchPad first arrived in Seattle it docked
on Lake Union. This image is from the Seattle Times.

Rhododendron Watch

Here in the Pacific Northwest, Rhododendron plants grow really well. I snapped the image below of a rhody near my home that is one of the prettiest I've ever seen. The color was just amazing. What are your thoughts?

Stamps

Those of you who have visited before know that I've been bitten with the "stamp collecting bug." Here's my latest stamp purchase ... the USPS new 2026 Forever Sunflower Stamp. To celebrate the new stamp, USPS is offering a Sunflowers Notecard Set and I ordered one. It arrived and here is how it looks ...

USPS new Sunflowers Notecard Set
includes 8 cards, 8 envelopes, and 
8 Forever Sunflower Stamps
(4 on each side of the little square)

This image is from the USPS Stamp Store
site and the envelopes are not part of the
notecard set.

Thank you for stopping by John's Island. My plan is to publish my next post when one of the Big Bear Eagle chicks takes flight ... hopefully, in early July, if not sooner!

Dogs Birds and Ships

The Last Great Race Is Underway
Check out the 2026 Iditarod
The race got underway in Willow, Alaska, last Sunday.
As of today, Saturday, March 14th, the lead musher has
made it more than half way to Nome, Alaska, in the
975 mile (1569 km)  race.

Birds

I took an extended blog break between late last September and February 26. 

Not blogging but still snapping photos and here are a few bird pics to share ...

I love the way the flash of color on one of my
Anna's Hummingbirds matched the color of the
leaves in a tree out front last fall.

Linking up with my favorite critter-photo sharing site,

Saturday's Critters

Canada Goose Conference
Spotted on a waterfront walk.

Watching the Eagles in the Big Bear Valley of California
encouraged me to end my blog break in order to share
this fascination. My previous 2 blog posts
February 25
and
March 5
have been documenting the Eagles as they are
incubating 2 eggs in their nest. Nest activity is being streamed
live 24/7 on YouTube. The screen capture above was
taken on March 11 at 6:16AM PDT. Momma is sound
asleep but ON DUTY!

Ships

Just to set the scene, here is my ship watching view
looking west over Elliott Bay and Puget Sound
to Bainbridge Island and the Olympic Mountains
in the distance.

Here are a bunch of ship pics taken during my blog break ...

National Geographic Sea Lion
departing Seattle on an 8-Day Expedition,
October, 2025

Evergreen Container Ship
on a sunny, fall afternoon.
This ship is southbound enroute to
Tacoma, Washington

The Lady L yacht in Elliott Bay in October, 2025
If you had the $, would you buy a yacht? 😊

Argosy tourist vessel.
These boats cruise around Elliott Bay,
entertaining tourists and locals alike.

OOCL Container Ship arrives in Seattle.
The Orient Overseas Container Line is one
of the world's largest shipping companies.
I am surprised to see the rust!
OOCL Company Profile

Washington State Ferry enroute Seattle to Bremerton
Alki Point (West Seattle) beyond.

An MSC Container Ship with very small load
departing Seattle ... Bainbridge Island in background.
For scale, note the sailboat at the yellow arrow.
(I know ... barely visible!)

An Evergreen Container Ship with a full load of containers.
Northbound to the Pacific Ocean.

Coast Guard Cutter Storis Icebreaker #21
in Elliott Bay early November, 2025

Matson Container ship southbound to Tacoma with a very
small load of containers.  Small load due to tariffs???

SAFESEA Container ship with exceptionally small load
departing Seattle mid-December, 2025

Unusual barge and tow vessel with a small number
of containers probably bound for Alaska or a
small port in Canada.

Looking over the Marina to see an MSC Container ship
with a good load of containers arriving in Seattle,
February 10, 2026

US Coast Guard Cutter 87360 
The "Blue Shark" - a Coastal Patrol Boat
February, 2026

AIRSHIP Good Year N3A
The Wingfoot Three
Floating by in September, 2025 

The Wingfoot Three heading north
above northwest Seattle

Another AIRSHIP
Boeing 777X
passing by -- probably headed to Boing Field, Seattle

Thanks for stopping by! Be well and take care!

John

Heat, Harbor, and a Hint of History

 Ships and Harbor Views

Two RoRos in ONE pic ... very unusual.
RoRos are vehicle carriers ... imagine them full of cars.
The southbound is headed to Port of Tacoma.
The northbound is probably returning to Asia
for another load ... or possibly American vehicles
going that way.

In yet another 2 for 1 shot we have 2 of Seattle's
afternoon tourist adventure ships.
At bottom: Argosy Tour Boat
Middle:  Salish Sea Tours
[For better, larger views, click on images]

Early morning shot of one of our cross-Sound Ferries.
The sun was lighting up the ferry but no so much
so the background which is West Seattle (in the near)
and Vashon Island (in the far distance).
The RED ARROW points to the Emergency Craft.
It is suprising how often a ferry deploys its
Emergency boat to help mariners in distress.

Golden Bear Training Ship
Cal Poly Maritime Academy
This vessel visited Seattle in late June.
Read more about the Golden Bear

Crew of Golden Bear as it arrived in Seattle.
This picture posted in local media by a crew member.
Would have been watching with binoculars if
I had know their time of arrival.

Another summer visitor ...
USCGC Eagle
Training cutter for future officers of the USCG
Read about the USCGC Eagle
My only disappointment ... It wasn't at full sail! 😢

Speaking of a sail boat at full sail ... here is a
colorful one!

My first time to see this ship visiting Seattle.
Per the ship's website ...
The Villa Vie Residences is not a cruise
ship ... it is a LIFESTYLE.
Read about living on this ship.

Keeping track of tariff effects ...

Recent container ships have looked similar to this one.
This is a small load of containers.
This cargo vessel is arrived from Asia
in early July.

This MSC Container ship is departing Seattle
with a very small load. Notice all the empty
spaces for containers.
Early July capture.

A curiosity ... Not sure if it has anything to do with
tariffs ... but this is my first time to see a PIL Container
Ship in Seattle. The red hull and blue containers give the 
ship a unique appearance.
Read about KOTA LUKIS Container Ship

Stamps - Hint of History

What is the most valuable, rare USPS stamp?   Answer:  The 1918 USPS 24 cent airmail stamp featuring the Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” biplane (image below ... NOT in my collection 😓) 

In 1918, one sheet, of 100 stamps, was inadvertently printed with the plane upside down. The stamp was printed in two passes: first the red frame, then the blue plane.  One sheet inadvertently had the plane printed upside down—likely due to the sheet being rotated or the print plate misaligned during the second pass. Of the 100 stamps possibly still in existence, the most recent auction of one “Inverted Jenny” sold for approximately $2 million.

Want to read more about the Inverted Jenny?  Take a look here.  (Wikipedia)

Skies

The morning of the Full Buck Moon was partly cloudy and I was afraid I would miss my monthly picture of the Full Moon. I'm happy with the way a break in the clouds allowed the shot below.

Full Buck Moon
July 11, 2025

Clear skies sent me to Kerry Park
for this overview shot of Seattle
looking south ... Mt Rainier in the distance.
July 12th

I mentioned heat in the title. It has arrived. July 16 and 17 Seattle reached over 90F (about 32C) during the afternoons. So far, it hasn't been as bad as last year. Most of the snow cover on Two Brothers mountains, in the Olympic Range, has melted. How it looked July 11th ...

Two Brothers Mountains
Olympic Range as seen from Seattle
Mid-July 2025

Critters

My friend and blog follower Tim sent me this
photo of his sweet pups ... Arthur and Poly ...
while enjoying an afternoon siesta.

It's tough to post without including at
least one shot of my hummers.

While watching and waiting for hummers I noticed a
crow sitting atop a utility pole across the street. I 
believe most folks think of crows as a nuisance.
But really, they are an interesting bird.

Lastly ... A critter stamp 😂

Stamps (First Day Covers) and Critters ... two
hobbies in one image. This year, 2025 is the Year of
the Snake in the Chinese Zodiac
Read more about it (Wikipedia)

Speaking of Critters ...

I'm linking up with Saturday's Critters

Love critters? Check it out!

Closing thought ...

Sharing ... Do you get daily emails from those you've done business with in the past? Especially ones that might be health related? Well, I do. One of the issues I have with this is all the advertising that is included. I recently received an email from WebMD entitled 13 Ways to Beat the Afternoon Slump. As I read through it, I didn't really encounter anything new, but thought it was nice to see several good tips organized and well presented. So, I copied the information, removed the ads, and share it with you below. Let me know if you enjoy. 😊

13 Ways to Beat the Afternoon Slump

Written by Danny Bonvissuto

Medically Reviewed by Shruthi N, MD on February 09, 2024

Take a Walk

Your body isn’t built to be alert and productive 8 hours straight. Your levels of the hormone cortisol go up and down all day, which can leave you feeling sluggish in the afternoon. Take a walk to get your blood flowing. Even if it’s just around the building or the block, the change of scenery will also reenergize your senses.

Eat a Good Breakfast

Do you skimp on your morning meal or skip it altogether? If so, you’re missing out on important nutrients that help you concentrate, problem-solve, and be productive. It may also cause you to overeat at lunch, which can spike blood sugar. This leaves you tired and hungry a few hours later.

Do Energizing Yoga Stretches

Yoga is all about slow movements and deep breaths, both of which get your blood moving. It also helps you release any tension you’re holding in your body. You don’t have to get on the floor. Just back away from the computer and do some neck rolls, shoulder rolls, and a few seated side bends. Remember to breathe.

Drinkwater

Your body runs on water. When you don’t get enough, everything slows down. Drinking a glass of water will not only make you feel less tired by carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cells, it also helps keeps your blood pressure and heartbeat in check.

Sip Green Tea

Eight ounces of brewed green tea has slightly more caffeine than soda, and all of it’s natural. Green tea also has plant compounds called catechins that give you a powerful antioxidant boost.

Take a Break From Work

Tiredness is your body’s way of telling you it needs something. And that something might be as simple as a break. It’s tempting to keep working. But when you give your mind and body a few minutes away, you’ll be more focused and productive when you return.

Open the Blinds

Don’t underestimate the power of light. At a core level, your body takes its cues from light to know when to wake up and when to go to sleep. If you’re feeling tired during the workday, bright sunlight or a light therapy lamp can help you feel awake and alert.

Try a Standing Desk

If you have a desk job, most of the action happens in your mind. Your arms may move a bit on a keyboard, but your lower half stays static. If you alternate between a sitting and standing desk, it keeps your body and blood moving.

Grab an Energy-Boosting Snack

These keep your body fueled and offset energy dips in the afternoon. This is a good time to get vitamins, minerals, fiber, and a solid hit of protein in: Reach for yogurt, a piece of fruit, or crunchy vegetables.

Cut Back on Sugar

Like caffeine, sugar gives you a quick, easy boost, but you’ll pay for it later with low blood sugar and a big drop in energy. Get healthy amounts of sugar naturally from fruit or drinks with 100% fruit juice.

Take a Catnap

Give in! A quick nap could be just what your body needs to reset and feel refreshed. Seta 15-minute timerand shut the door to your office or recline the seat in your car. Aim to get your nap in before 3 p.m. so it doesn’t mess with your nighttime sleep cycle.

Turn On Energetic Music

Ever notice how a song can boost your mood and wake up your whole body? Music tells your brain to produce more dopamine, the hormone that helps you feel pleasure. It also helps your blood flow more freely. Think of it as audio caffeine.

Chew Gum

It’s not about how many bubbles you can blow. The physical act of chewing gets your heart rate going and increases blood flow to your brain. This wakes your body up and makes you more alert.

Thank you for stopping by John's Island. I look forward to hearing from you in the comments.

John