I Spy ~ Weekly Photo Challenge ~ Window

Windows, like eyes, see in and out, offer changing views, weather news, a glimpse into and beyond right here and now, always inviting me to linger.

Gossamer Morning

Gossamer Morning

What my windows look like from the inside is as important to me as what I look out upon, though only some of what is out there is mine to manage, and in winter it can appear pretty sad – yet – the underbrush I leave is habitat for birds and the dead leaves on the grounds provide nourishment and protection, so I let it be until spring greens nudge me into action.

foggy winter day

foggy winter day

The fence behind this garden was built last fall when my neighbors also had an intrusive old Douglas Fir removed.  It had provided shade over this southeast corner of the house and grounds.  Knowing the sun will blaze into this window come summer, we are doing our research into solar shades.  Looking at and through samples is imperative – even so, it is hard to decide.  This will be preferable to the Venetian blinds that need replacing anyway.  I’m leaning toward the one on the right.

solar shades

solar shades

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Got The Big One!! ~ Weekly Photo Challenge ~ Joy

Justin, 7, catches a prize Mackinaw

Justin, 7, catches a prize Mackinaw

In July 2011, my grandnephew Justin was 7 years old.  He’d spent a whole week with his grandpa and grandma at their fishing campsite near Crescent Lake. This photo was taken just after Justin landed a prize Mackinaw Trout out of Odell Lake.

Photo credit to Diana Dunnington.

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Pinnacles ~ Weekly Photo Challenge ~ Grand

Crater Lake National Park is almost in my back yard; a mere 250 miles South.  Last summer my sister took me around the entire perimeter and then down to the canyon floor to see the pinnacles.  Maybe not Grand, as in Grand Canyon, but Grand as in Unusual and Special.

These towering needle-like formations of rock, called fossil fumaroles, projecting from the Sand Creek Canyon floor, were formed under sheets of volcanic pumice that preceded Mazama’s collapse.

As the surface of the hot pumice cooled over the years, steam and gases were released by the hot rocks underneath through vents and tubes that were welded into cement hardness by their passage. These ancient vents now stand alone due to the erosion of the surrounding softer materials.

http://www.craterlakeinstitute.com

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Ice – My Pond Freezeth Over

As the world experiences severe weather, we in the Pacific Northwest have had a dose of record setting cold temperatures.  Yesterday it was -9 degrees C, and this morning it was -10 C.  The days are bright and sunny, though still very cold – barely got above freezing yesterday and we expect the same today.  Here are some photos of my pond to set your teeth chattering!

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10,000 LUX ~ Weekly Photo Challenge ~ Light

When I first learned about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) pieces of the puzzle I had been trying to solve about myself fell into place.  The theory helped explain why I would become ever more gloomy as winter approached, and conversely, increasingly animated when spring rolled around.  SAD is brought on by the lack of bright light during the shortened days of winter, and is exacerbated by the frequently cloudy, rainy fall and spring months in the Pacific Northwest.  Then I discovered Enviro Med Bio-lights were available in my own community, and immediately bought one for myself.  It is amazing what a difference it makes in my emotional state of being.  For many years while I was counseling, during the dark months I’d put my Bio-light up in the office at work.  Soon colleagues started gathering around it for their morning coffee, and they always went off to first period a little more upbeat than they’d been before.

P1030160Now the Bio-light migrates to the  top of my refrigerator when autumn leaves begin to fall.  On dark days, I turn it on for an hour or less while I am doing kitchen chores or having breakfast.  And, when the green buds of spring raise their faces to greet the sun, so will I.  Having fulfilled its duties, the Bio-light will then be stored away until fall.

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Startle ~ Weekly Photo Challenge ~ Unexpected

Startle

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Arbutus Skin ~ Weekly Photo Challenge ~ Layers

Arbutus SkinArbutus menziesii, often referred to as Madrone or Madrona, is an evergreen tree that grows up and down the Pacific coast from British Columbia to California.  I see them most often when I visit Orcas Island, one of the San Juan Islands, in Washington state.  Their outer bark is an orange-red that peels away naturally revealing a silvery-green under skin that is smooth to the touch.  This photo is of a knot hole surrounded by concentric layers of older bark.

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Fungi ~ Weekly Photo Challenge ~ Eerie

Open Maw

Open Maw

Living in the Pacific Northwest where the weather often is damp and cool, and the ground strewn with evergreen and deciduous tree duff, fungi of all sorts pop up and flourish year round.  The bigger they are, the more otherworldly they seem.

Slime

Slime

When I snapped these shots using my micro setting, I wondered if I might just catch the shadow of a leprechaun or faint wing of a fairy hidden beneath these platter sized mushrooms.

Come into my vestibule

Come into my vestibule

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Same Horizon ~ many years and seasons ~ Weekly Photo Chalenge

The view from Cabin 1 Beach Haven, Orcas Island, WA towards Waldron Island (foreground) and Saturna Island (behind Waldron).

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Rainbow ~ Weekly Photo Challenge ~ The Hue of You/Me

I looked through my catalog of photos wondering what color represents the me of me.  Could it be green, the hue of plants – one of my favorite life forms?  Or maybe blue?   Yes – the name we give to light filtering through air – sky – water – a favorite color for calming.  No!  Yellow!  The sun, golden sunsets, so many lovely flowers, and then blue + yellow = Provence.   But what of rich red?  Roses, garnets, velvet, wine, blood of life.  And lavender, pink, turquoise, cream, orange sherbet…I love all the hues and shades of life.  It is impossible for me to choose only a few ~ I want them all.

This shot (a happy accident) sums it all up.

IMG_3011

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