Some Good News

New Eagle Chicks at FOBBV nest
Screen shot April 12, 2026

Eagle Watch Streaming by FOBBV

Details on Jackie's second clutch, 2026 ... 

April 5 – Chick 2 Hatched - 38 days

April 4 – Chick 1 Hatched - 40 days

Feb 27 – Jackie laid egg #2

Feb 24 – Jackie laid egg #1 (Clutch #2 this year)

Favorite NASA photo from successful
Artemis II mission.

Artemis II Multimedia

I had to stop and reflect on the image above. I'm fascinted that all humans (except those few in space) are on that little circle called Earth. If only we could all understand how getting along could make everything better.

Out for a walk around the neighborhood on
Monday, April 6th.  Sometimes I've just got to
stop and snap some simple beauty along the street.
Good to see the color back!

Thank you for stopping by!

Spring has sprung!

Spring has sprung!

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!

Out on a walk in the neighborhood, I spotted these Crocus
blooms.  Nature is an amazing creator.

Update: April 10 2025
Thankful for the beauty of nature.
Linking up with Michelle's
Thankful Thursday

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

It's all about the clouds.

Looking across the Sound this fog/cloud phenomenon caught 
my attention. It looks strange, doesn't it?

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

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

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.

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

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.

Linking up with Saturday's Critters

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 ...

A screenshot of a positive morning routine
found online that is worth repeating. 😊

Thanks for stopping by John's Island.

It's About Time

Reminder:
Daylight "Saving" Time begins
tomorrow morning at 2:00 AM
(March 9, 2025)
in USA 

100 years ago there were no smartphones to check for accurate time. At that time, the most accurate time was provided by Western Union Time Service. This little folder (cover image above) was issued to advertise their service to banks, stores, and offices. How did they know the exact time? They got it from the United States Naval Observatory, where a telescope was used to track time by looking at the stars. How did they get time from the stars? By measuring the time it takes for the Earth to rotate exactly once a period of 24 hours could be determined precisely. (I know, if you're a Flat-Earther this is problematic, but just go with the Earth is round this time. 😉) What does all this have to do with Western Union? Once accurate time was determined at the Naval Observatory a signal was sent daily over the Western Union Telegraph System to update clocks all across the nation.

Click on image for larger image ...
possibly readable.

Learning Table Manners, postcard from 1939 ...

An old postcard from my collection.
This one is titled "Learning Table Manners"

Postmarked July 17, 1939
To Mrs Lucy Graves, PO Box 94, LeMoille Illinois
no ZIP code 😉

Ok, I flipped the card so you can read the message.
I love the way J. E. Stelzer signed the card
with his nickname "BROMO" as in Bromo-Seltzer ...
a headache remedy invented in 1888.

I love the title and description.
Enjoy more critters at Saturday's Critters!

Daffodils

Spring time is Daffodil time in the Pacific Northwest. In my last post (Feb 7th) I included an image of daffodils breaking the ground. Out on walks, I continued to watch those Dafs and snapped a few more pictures of the progress. I combined those pictures into the collage below.

Same Daffodils, different days.
A little over a month from breaking ground to bloom.
[Click on image for larger view.]

Nature makes an ordinary traffic circle
look pretty good.

Stamps

More poster stamps to share. The stamps below were issued by the Northern Pacific Railroad in the early 1900s. This group is titled Wonderland Series 7. 

10 Stamps Wonderland Series 7

Clockwise from top left:
In the Heart of the Cascade Range
At Canon Beach Near Astoria, Oregon
On the Summit of Mt Hood, Oregon 11,225 Feet High
A Glimpse of the Columbia River

Clockwise from top left:
Mt Rainier Wash 14,408 Feet High
From the Summit of Mt Spokane
The Gallatin River Montana
Sport on a Mountain Trout Stream
The Celilo Falls Columbia River
Green River, Cascade Range Wash

Skies

March 5 - Clouds and Sun near sunset
looking across Puget Sound to
the Olympic Mountains

Another March 5 capture after sunset.
The thing that interested me ... the shadows of
the rain falling from clouds in the distance.
The Chopper was a happy coincidence. 😊

This week's question ...

Do you get ads ... ALL OVER ... when moving around the Internet? I sure do and some of them are amusing. I have an example for you below. It's a screenshot of an ad from an investment company. I do like the art ... the couple ... who don't look old ... enjoying something to eat with their dog along side. I made one modification to the ad. Can you find it?  😂

Closing thought ... 

By Richard Paul Evans

Thanks for stopping by John's Island!

Blueberry Time

Mid-Summer Report

Blueberry Stand in Seattle

For years I've been buying blueberries at the Spooner Berry Farms stand in Seattle. The Spooner farm is located near Olympia, Washington, about 65 miles south of Seattle. During blueberry season they pick the berries very early in the morning and deliver them to the stand you see above by about 9AM. They sell out daily, usually before noon. These are the sweetest, freshest blueberries I've found in the Seattle area. August is the prime month for blueberries.

Late July and early August snaps ...

Starting point for waterfront walks.
Locals refer to this spot as "the steps".
A quick pic here records the sky conditions
for the day's walk.
[Click on images to enjoy the larger view.]

All flower pics are snaps taken while on my walks.
This is a White Dahlia.
The pink edges were just beautiful.

Chicory.
Info on the internet tells me Chicory is
the root of wellness. I need to do more
research on that.

Purple Coneflower

Roses in the Rose Garden
Elliott Bay in the background.
Bainbridge Island in the far distance.

A wild Rose just starting to open up.

Cirsium / Thistle
Don't miss the Lady Bug

Found this on Facts.net ...

"When it comes to fascinating plants, Cirsium is definitely a top contender. This diverse genus of thistle plants is known for its unique characteristics and stunning beauty. From its intricate blooms to its prickly leaves, Cirsium has captured the attention of botanists, gardeners, and nature enthusiasts around the world." Elsewhere, when trying to get more info on this pretty plant, I found it called Canadian Thistle and also California Thistle. Not sure if those are actually different plants OR just named differently based on where they are found.

The Lupin story ...

The setting wasn't particularly attractive but the 
blooms were, when I snapped this picture of
Lupin in June. Nature has an amazing way of
turning the blooms into seeds. See next photo.

A Lupin creates a lot of seeds.
Upper right ... close up of an unopened seed pod
Lower right ... A pod with one seed left

Worth Sharing ...

I'm adding a new segment of things worth sharing to my blog posts. Today I'm sharing tips for keeping cut flowers fresh. 

Background story:  Each and every single day I get a bunch of marketing emails. I'll bet you do too. Marketing emails are sent, usually, by some business or person you've purchased from online, or even from some website you've visited and allowed them to collect cookies which identify you and reveal your interests. Unless you're really careful with your online connection, you're leaving cookies all over the internet. There are ways to block cookies, but that's another story for another time.

Getting back to marketing emails ... they usually start with a catch. It's sort of like fishing ... you put bait on the hook and the fish go for the bait. So, daily, I must go through my emails and check them, not going for the bait, before deleting them. A few days ago, one email started with Tips for Keeping Cut Flowers Fresh. There is no doubt in my mind that the email came from some place that knows I enjoy flowers. So, I read through the email and thought, this is really good and worth sharing. The bait got me, however I didn't fall for the sale. The question becomes, can I share the tips without the links to purchase the product? The way I look at this, they put the tips right there for me, so there shouldn't be any reason for me not to share with others.  Enjoy.

"Tips for Keeping Cut Flowers Fresh

Summer is bursting with fragrant, colorful flowers. But unfortunately, those beautiful blooms you clipped from your home garden or snagged from a local farmer’s market won’t last forever. Here are seven tips you should try to keep your cut flowers fresh for as long as possible.

1. Cut flowers in the morning (except during hot weather).

2. Use a clean vase.

3. Avoid submerging any foliage in the water.

4. Change the water every day.

5. Keep your flowers away from direct sunlight.

6. Don’t put your flowers near any fruit.

7. Add aspirin to the water."

Now, in reflection, I was aware (more or less) of most of these tips, except for add aspirin to the water.  A little research on the web revealed this:  "Some claim that putting aspirin—and it must be aspirin, and not another pain reliever—in the water can help your cut flowers stay fresh. The drug is a form of acetylsalicylic acid, which lowers the water’s pH and may help the plants absorb water better. Simply crush a couple of aspirin pills and put them in a vase filled with water before adding your blooms." Let me know if you appreciate stuff like this.

Skies ...

Sunset August 8, 2024
FINALLY, the sun is setting early enough for me to 
snap a picture before I go to bed. 😊
Sunsets during summer's Daylight Saving Time are
crazy late (in my humble opinion) here in
Seattle. At our latitude, there is so much daylight in
the summer, the last thing we need is DST!

June 25, 2024  5:42AM
The phase of the moon was Waning Gibbous
An unusually clear sky allowed this shot.

An unusual scene for me: A rainbow over
Puget Sound.  June 16, 2024  6:25AM

It's always hard for me to resist snapping a pic of Mt Rainier.
Take a look at the larger view ... do you see the face at the top?
This particular view is looking across Elliott Bay from the
waterfront trail. 

Critters ...

Great Blue Heron

A member of the family of seabirds known as Laridae.

Gulls are members of a large, widespread family of seabirds known as Laridae. Often known as seagulls, though no species is actually called a seagull, and many are found far from the sea.  Gulls are intelligent, adaptable and often beautiful birds.

I believe this is a White Crowned Sparrow
spotted in the Rose Garden.

The little Sparrow moved out of the grass for a better view.

Apologies for the quality of this photo. This is a hummer
who frequents my feeder on my deck. The photo is taken
through a window. This is a female Anna's Hummingbird
I had watched for a while. She would rest at this spot keeping
an eye on the feeder. When a competitor arrived, she would
chase the other hummer away and then return to this
spot to continue guarding her territory. This is
common behavior for hummingbirds. And, yes, she looks
a little rough ... a fighter? 😉

Google Lens tells me this is an Eastern Cottontail.
And she/he does look like the examples shown on Wikipedia.
So I ask, what's an Eastern Cottontail doing on the
Western Edge of the Continent?
Shall we just go with RABBIT?
In any event, this bunny was busy dining on the green plant
and was not disturbed by my presence.  

Linking up with Saturday's Critters

Ships Spotted ...

I enjoy watching ships come and go here at the
Port of Seattle.  Most passenger ships arrive early
morning ... just about dawn. 

Cruise companies spare little expense to
create a unique appearance. 

This is a Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ro-Ro departing, probably
heading to Asia. Ro-Ro is short for Roll On - Roll Off.
These ships carry vehicles.

I no longer try to photo all the private yachts that appear
near the Elliott Bay Marina. Yes, there are a lot of them!
The economy is doing really well for some folks.
I like this one because it carries along a helicopter.
Need some fresh eggs for breakfast?  Send your 
pilot to pick some up.

Coastal Standard
Identified online as a Refrigeration Vessel
Zoomed in on Captain's image -- top right.

The "fast" passenger-only service between Seattle and
Victoria, BC, Canada.  Known as the Victoria Clipper.

Using parts of the Grain Terminal to frame up a
cruise ship as it appears while I'm walking the
waterfront trail.

Every 4th of July I might as well sit out on my deck
and watch all the fireworks. (I say "might as well" because
there sure isn't going to be any peaceful sleeping!)
The big Seattle fireworks show is on Lake Union, which
I cannot see. However there are plenty of displays
around Elliott Bay and nearby towns, like Bremerton.
This particular shot is a burst in a nearby neighborhood.
Looking closely, you can see the shadow of the 
Olympic Mountains in the distance.

Closing thought ...

Thanks to Jean Wagner for this bit of wisdom.

Thanks for stopping by!