HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE  2015

MT. Rainier

 Mt. Rainier from the deck.  Using a dusk/dawn setting

 These two shots using a auto setting.

A scene I never tire of.

I am linking to Nature Footstep HERE

It's Eagle Time.......again

 We have resident Eagles but the Skagit Valley is also home to many Eagles from Alaska and Northern Canada during the Winter.

 Several mature and juvenile Eagles here

 This tree is at the mouth of

Samish River.

I am linking to Saturday Critters HERE
 

Wet but some blue sky

Looking west where usually we can see some blue sky.  To the west is the Skagit River, Puget Sound and then the Pacific Ocean--sooner or later. Often the marine winds blow across the waters and send all the rain filled clouds east so while we may have gray overcast we may still see some blue sky looking west.

Linking to Sky Watch HERE

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all!!!!!!

 

Winter Blues for Blue Monday

 First day of winter and already I am tired of gray skies and rain---Annual Morning Glories (Convolvulus)--so pretty-so blue--so happy!  Summer flowers where have you gone??

I am linking to Smiling Sally
Blue Monday

InSPIREd Sunday

 Odessa, Washington home of the annual Deutschfest.
In October 1902, Odessa was incorporated with a population of 500.  The town continued to grow reaching approximately 1200 people and remaining fairly constant over the years.  These plucky pioneers and their descendants are to be commended for their thrift, industry, simplicity, and Christian beliefs. Their lives revolved around home, family, church, "Kirche, Kinder, and Kuche" (Literally church, children and kitchen). 

80% of immigrants settling in Odessa are consisted of Germans from Russia.  Many settlers heard of the new land through friends and relatives already living in areas south of Odessa, such as Ritzville and Colfax.  These German families, living along the Black Sea and the Volga River in Russia as wheat farmers for the past 100 years, were discouraged by increasing taxes, government harassment, and forced military service.  Therefore, their decisions to leave Russia and move westward were easily made.  Entire families came to the Odessa area, bringing with them the German culture they strove to retain throughout the many years of hardships under Russian domination.  

Linking to Inspires Sunday Here

Give a Hoot....

Saturdays Critters

 Great Horned Owl.
He lives in a tree in my Daughter's backyard.  I think he is sleeping.

 Great Horned Owls are great and fearless hunters.

Linking to Saturday's Critters HERE

Sky Watch

Our skies have been gray gray gray and we have lots of rain, but towards evening near sunset the clouds parted and we saw some blue sky and the sun peeked out.  

Linking to Sky Watch HERE

Fence me in......

 Buffalo farm

Linking with Good Fences HERE

Wild Bird Wednesday

While we have a lot of resident Eagles this area along the Skagit River, it is a winter's retreat for Bald Eagles.  They are arriving now.  As soon as Salmon come out of the salt water to spawn in the rivers and creeks where they once were born the Eagles show up to take advantage of the large numbers of live fish and rotting carcases of spawned out fish.   Bald Eagles come here from Alaska and Northern Canada.

 This guy was right outside staring at us.  Glad I'm not a fish!

• Bald eagles measure 31-37 inches in height with a wingspan of 6 feet or more.
• Eagles weigh between 9 and 14 pounds. Females are one-third larger than males.
• Eagles can see six to eight times better than humans.
• Adults have dark brown bodies and a white head and tail, with bright yellow beaks and feet. Juveniles are brown or blotchy brown all over.
• Bald eagles may live up to 30 years in the wild. They mate for life and they may use the same nest for several years, raising one or more chicks.
• An eagle's diet consists mainly of meat. They hunt, steal and scavenge for their food, conserving energy while dining on whatever food is available.
• Linking to Stewart's blog--Wild Bird Wednesday HERE
•  
• Happy Hanukkah!!
   

This old House

 I took these pictures a couple of weeks ago when we were having so much rain and the rivers were getting fat.

 This house is on the banks of the Skagit River

And here is the river getting mighty close.
Thankfully the rains stopped and it got colder so no more rains for now.
 

Happy Blue Monday

It's that time to decorate the beautiful Christmas Tree

 My Youngest daughter always puts the lights on

 One of the girls in her 4-H days made this sweet Unicorn

 I love the blue glow

I am linking this to Smiling Sally's blog on Blue Monday HERE

Feeding Time

Cows following the feed truck

 Yep, that's how it's done on the Ranch--every morning

 Linking to Saturday's Critters HERE

Long Nights Moon

Also called Full Cold Moon

 This is the month when the winter cold fastens it grip and the nights become long and dark.

 While I was in the side yard the old barn and bare trees also beckoned me.  Brr it was cold!!

Sorry about the blasted Word Verification!!  I said NO!  Blogger smirked!

I am linking this to Sky Watch HERE

Getting out of Dodge............

..............in the old Dodge Truck.

We are traveling but I will have my laptop along so maybe I will check in a time or two.
We are going to /eastern Washington and then on to Montana.  We WILL have fun.
See ya'll later.

Dec. 1st--CDP Theme Day--Workers

The first of the month is always Theme Day at City Daily Photo
This months theme is Workers 
Farmers are very hard Workers

 Working Horses

 Preparing the soil

 Harvesting Potatoes

Linking to CDP  HERE

No more rain---for now

Yesterday I mentioned how much rain we had been having.  Well the temps dipped way down--mid 20's F and we woke up to a dusting of snow.  YAY!!!
The first of this Fall/Winter.

Not a whole lot of snow but enough to be sorta fun and it froze during the night so it's not sloppy.
1st pic left hand corner--tonight's moon--next (clockwise) late afternoon and the rest of the shots are sunrise.  And did you notice we had blue skies for most of the day.     Excellent!!

Linking to Lavender Cottage HERE

Watery Weekend Reflection

We have been having rain, rain, rain and guess what more rain.  The rivers are starting to overflow.  Here is the Skagit River in Conway by us.

 This pic is in Conway by the South Fork Bridge.  It is where the fishermen or boaters go to put their small boats in the water.  Well they don't have to go to the boat ramp now, do they??

 Here is some debris floating on by.

 High water and the Conway Fir -Island church looking on.

 Some tree reflections in the dirty fat water.

I am linking to Week-end Reflections HERE

 

Good Fences and Turkeys

Hey everyone---HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

 Don't fence me in~~~~~Gobble Gobble

 Wild Turkeys on the road

 Pretty aren't they?  Honk Honk!

 Be thankful, be peaceful, be happy and be full!!!

 We don't need a special day to be thankful.  

Linking to Good Fences Here