Clouds, Mt Rainier, and Herons

John asks …

Over your lifetime how many pictures have you missed because you did not have a camera handy at the moment you needed it?  I was thinking about that this morning during my daily 3-mile walk.  For myself, I can’t give you an answer but know it is a lot.  Of course the paradigm shift from film to digital has changed our approach to photography and the tiny camera in our phone makes it possible to capture some of those moments we often missed in the past.  Today’s pictures are good examples of what I’m talking about.  The first, taken last Friday afternoon, when the sky, weather, and light conditions all added up to a unique photo of Mt. Rainier.  Nearby there was an interesting circular opening in the clouds above Lake Washington and then, unrelated,  in the appx. 50-miles distance, a “cap” cloud can be seen floating away from Rainier. The clouds form due to the weather conditions around the top of the 14,410’ mountain and then the wind often carries them away. These fairly unusual clouds are actually called lenticular clouds. You can read more about them here.  The second photo notes the cap cloud.

Next, a couple of photos taken on the walk this morning of two different herons.  Yes, these pictures are grainy and fuzzy, but given that they were shot well before sunrise, and with the little phone camera, I think they are pretty good captures.  For the first one, it was really dark … I wondered how the herons can see the treats they are looking for in the water below.  Their sight must be amazing.  The second one is a bit later.  Can you see breakfast in the beak?  It was neat to see the catch.

Thanks for stopping by John’s Island.

Scenes of Fall

Hello from Seattle where we are well into the fall.  After a record breaking spell of dryness, the rains have returned, the days are shorter, and the beauty continues.  The photos we're sharing today are all from the iPhone, except for the last one from the Sony RX100. Please be sure to click on a photo to see the larger views.

Nearly full moon over Green Lake last night

Walking in the rain ... yes, we do that!

Watch out for the puddles

Color at Seattle's Japanese Garden ... late afternoon

Reflections

Late afternoon and sun is low in the sky

This morning's moon over Seattle
 with Two Union Tower reflecting
 the dawn in the East

We wish to express special gratitude to all who leave us the kind, encouraging comments.  And of course, thank you all for stopping by John's Island.

Weekend Reflections
Skywatch Friday

This Week's Double Rainbow and More Fall Colors

John says:

Sometime Tuesday afternoon I realized it was time for my 15-minute break and slipped into the large recliner in John's Island Headquarters Office.  A gentle rain was tapping on the window.  Hopefully the ensuing snoring sounds were not disturbing to adjoining offices.  Seemingly not too much later, a bright stream of light blazed into the office strong enough to awaken a sleeping giant.  Of course the sun had broken through the clouds but it was still raining lightly.  Realizing this should be the perfect combination for a nice rainbow, I grabbed the camera and proceeded to the Observation Deck. That is where I snapped the photo (above) of the double rainbow.  I thought it was interesting to note that the sky between the rainbows looks somewhat darker than the rest of the sky ... is that due to the camera (exposure, etc.) or did it really look that way?  Next time I see a double rainbow I will try to notice.  Anyway, the rain, the sun's brightness, and the angle all need to be just perfect for a strong double.

More Fall Colors around the Seattle area:

A simple scene at Green Lake

Roadside color

A neighborhood tree

Trailside glory

Skywatch Friday

Thank you for stopping by John's Island.

Fall Colors 2012

Fall is our favorite time of year and this year is no exception.  All photos below are in or around the Seattle, Washington, area.  Hope you enjoy and thanks for stopping by.  Be sure to click on photos for larger view.

Classic neighborhood look

On the trail at Green Lake

Red and Green

Leaves by the Lake

Don't forget to look up!

Scenic walkway

Max color

Today's Sunrise - October 5

Yet another not-a-cloud-in-the-sky sunrise in Seattle this morning.  Earlier, we noticed the reflections in the lake and the heron already looking for breakfast.

To those who have left us the kind comments: Thank you so much.  And thanks for stopping by John's Island.

Weekend Reflections

Skywatch Friday

Visit to the Water Tower

Last Sunday was a sunny, clear day so we decided to visit the Water Tower at Volunteer Park (Seattle, WA).  Yes, we know that sounds funny for something to do on a nice day, but read on .... The easiest way to show you what this place looks like is to show a view of it on a vintage postcard (on display inside the tower).

It's a big, circular brick building with an observation deck at the top. Since it's built on one of the higher spots in Seattle you can get some nice views from the windows. First you'll have to climb 106 steps to get up there. (The picture below, looking down the stairs, is one John took while taking a breather about half way up. While we were at the top some kids ran up and claimed to have done it in 58 seconds ... ahhhh yes, youth!)

Then, when you get to the top, you'll have to wedge your camera into some of the pretty small openings of the screens that cover the windows.

In John's opinion, it's worth all the effort to get some nice views like the ones below .... starting with the Space Needle, Puget Sound, and the Olympic Mountains in the distance. (This view is looking mostly to the west.)

Downtown ... (mostly southwest)

In this enlargement, we're looking over the St Joseph Parish church bell tower and in the distance are homes on the slopes of Bellevue, Washington.  Down below that is Lake Washington. In the far distance, the Cascade Mountains. (mostly looking east)

The view of Mt Rainier (mostly looking southeast) is pretty awesome. Sorry for the trees in the way, but there isn't anything John can do about that. Well, maybe he could use Photoshop and get rid of them ... but then .... 

Some of the views are just trees anyway.  But still, nice ...

Back down the stairs and outside we snapped a photo of the tower which was constructed in 1906 with some interesting brick work.  Now-a-days the tower is surrounded by tall trees that keep us from getting an overall view and so the reason for using the postcard view at the start.

Thanks for stopping by the Island and visiting the Volunteer Park Water Tower with us.

Monday's Reflections

The waning, but still nearly full, moon provided early morning light and sparkled on the lake.

Later, the sunrise is starting to take center stage.

Another photographer is out to catch the sunrise ...

Lastly, we couldn't resist these two ... how many reflections do we have here? :-)

Thanks to all who left the kind comments on Friday's post and a special Thank You to our follower TexWisGirl who gave us the suggestion and help on getting linked to Weekend Reflections and Skywatch Friday.  Check out her excellent blog The Run*A*Round Ranch Report

Thanks for stopping by John's Island.