~ Lens-Artist Photo Challenge #39: Hello April ~

As April arrives, birds continue to call for mates and pairing-up is in full swing. Building or re-furbishing nests is in process, and every once in a while I hear what may be the cheeps of chicks. 

IMG_2117While Jello and I were on our daily walk, a Song Sparrow, perched upon a blackberry vine, belted-out a melodious invitation. 

Twining along the rail to my front door is an Evergreen Clematis, it makes a pretty welcome.

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Clematis armandii ‘Apple Blossom

Spring invites us back outside, and since I like messing around with dirt and plants, this is my favorite time of year.

There’s much cleaning out and planning to do – I call it playing outside! 

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March winds linger, scattering Flowering Plum (Prunus cerasifera) petals into pink drifts. Here they are floating in a birdbath while April showers patter.

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My neighbor has an admirable copse of Forsythia (seen in the background above) with a lovely Flowering Quince anchoring each end of the border. Such a wonderful shrub!

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Primula “Blue Zebra”

A few years ago I learned that Primroses, sold locally as annuals, actually are perennial evergreens in my zone. They are thriving in a rock garden I can see from the kitchen window  –  my “Primrose Lane” cheers me all winter.

“Flowers are beautiful hieroglyphics of nature, with which she indicates how much she loves us.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Hello April

 

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~ Wordless Wednesday ~

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~ Lens-Artist Photo Challenge #38: Weathered or Worn ~

This week Leya invites us to feature photos of things weathered and worn. Since I enjoy taking pictures of old dilapidated structures and manmade things that are being ravaged and reclaimed by the forces of nature, this was another fun challenge! Here are some gems from my exploration of the Long Beach peninsula.

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Boats of many kinds are moored on water and land throughout the area. This little old craft caught my eye as I drove by, and beckoned me back to take some shots!

 

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Earlier this month, in response to Amy’s challenge #35: Architecture, I featured three churches. At the one most in need of restoration, The Sanctuary in Chinook, the chapel bell rests on the ground. If my interpretation of the maker’s mark is correct it was created at The C.S. Bell foundry in Hillsboro, Oregon in 1938.

 

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Heaps of old crab pots, mountains of oyster shells, and coils of rope are another feature in this coastal community.

 

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At Fort Columbia State Park, this storage building is slowly being consumed by blackberry brambles and the hillside.

 

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A hand-crafted memorial marker in Lone Fir Cemetery.

 

https://lagottocattleya.wordpress.com/2019/03/23/lens-artists-photo-challenge-38-weathered-or-worn/

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~ Wordless Wednesday ~

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~ Al Young ~ Portland Roadster Show 2019 ~

Recently I enjoyed a couple afternoon hours with Al Young at the Portland Roadster Show. Al has been a friend since our undergraduate years at the University of Washington. When Creighton and I met, both he and Al resided in The French House of McMahon Hall. Creighton was Al’s tutor for French. I remember one time hearing Al appealing to Creighton: “Man, I need your help here – please!!! I just have to pass this one class and I’ll be done with foreign language!” What a fun, thoughtful and insightful person he was then and continues to be. His story is compelling and one I encourage you to read (see link below).

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Al with his 1973 Plymouth Roadrunner

Since the first 8,000 mile cross-country USA road-trip with his wife Vicki in 2011, they have toured Europe three times, attending the Power Big Meet, where he was awarded first-place trophy for longest distance traveled at The Power Big Meet in Vasteras, Sweden, 2014.

 

 

“Over decades of competition, Al raced his Challenger at speeds over 150 miles per hour, winning everything from state championships to thousands of dollars as a three-time world champion of Hot Rod Racing. His titles include the American Hot Rod Association World Champion, the National Hot Rod Association Division Champion, and American Hot Rod Association World Finals Champion.”  

 

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“Al Young retired from competitive racing in 2003 and donated his racecar to the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle. The lime-green car presides over the museum lobby and displays the decals of Al’s many supporters, a dense pattern of stickers reminiscent of the colorful patchwork of paint on Al’s first Mercury. Al paid $1,100 for his Challenger, in 1975. Today, it is worth $600,000.”

https://www.inkshares.com/books/the-challenger-the-al-young-story/book_segments/chapter-1-68

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~ Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Shadows ~

On our last visit to Long Beach, on a cold morning the frosty edges of wave-rippled sand intrigued me. In a way they looked like sparkling feathers, so I took several photos to try to capture the sensation.  Here are three with nice shadows for this week’s fun foto challenge!

 

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~ Lens-Artist Photo Challenge #37: History ~

The mouth of the Columbia River, as it flows into the Pacific Ocean, has been claimed to be discovered ‘for the first time’ by many explorers.

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Jello walked me around  – her nose to the ground – my camera in hand.

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Battery 246 was intended to form a “triangle of fire” with similar batteries at Fort Canby in Ilwaco, and Fort Stevens near Astoria. After the end of WWII, they were declared surplus. What once was high tech, is old tech – History! 

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Wooden barracks, guest houses, and officer’s quarters are painted and tidy. Some buildings are available as vacation rentals too. 

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View of the Megler-Astoria bridge.

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Thanks to Patti, for this opportunity to highlight more of the history and natural beauty of the Long Beach Peninsula, WA – USA

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #37: History

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~ Not Quite Wordless Wednesday + Vernal Equinox Haiku + Cee’s FOTD ~

earth suspends mid-spin

daylight and darkness shake hands

equal on this day

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dry leaves and seeds fly

green shoots push past winter’s grip

amber blossoms lift

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Cheers!

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Posted in Cee's Flower Of The Day, flowers, Gardening, haiku, nature, pacific northwest, photography, Poetry, Wordless Wednesday | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

~ Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #36: Around The Neighborhood ~ Traces ~

Tina has challenged us to present a photographic sketch of a neighborhood. After considering a summary of major tourist destinations on the Long Beach peninsula (some of which I have featured in previous posts), I decided to keep it closer to my beaten path!

Traces of unseen life are everywhere! These appear to be the tracks of North American deer mice (Peromyscus manipulates) a nocturnal mammal that nests during the daylight hours in trees or burrows.

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Humans hands have shaped this little nest. These sites often pop up along the beach only to be blown away by storms and later reconstructed in new forms.

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A month ago, I would see two or three crows at a time, here and there. Looks like flocks are migrating in for the summer!

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The same is true for this handsome group of Western Seagulls who greeted me one morning.

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Though not every day, I did see Bald Eagles flying over the beach and this one perched at the edge of the dune berm. 

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On my last morning beach walk I was happy to see 20 +/- migrating Black-bellied Plover (the bigger one) with about 50 to 75 Spotted Sandpipers (the smaller one above) along with a few Snowy Plovers (below). In mating feather, the Black-bellied Plover lives up to its name!

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To finish off this visit to my beach neighborhood, two Columbia Black-tail Mule Deer grazed through the meadow in front of our condominium

Thank you to Lens-Artists for another fun challenge!

Lens-Artists Challenge #36 – Around the Neighborhood

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~ Cee’s B&W Photo Challenge: Murals ~

Throughout the Long Beach peninsula, there are buildings with murals depicting life as it was in the early 1900’s. Here are a few I was able take pictures of on a rainy afternoon this week!

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Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Murals

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