A final image from the recent visit to Hurricane Ridge (Olympic National Park). I thought you might like to see a more ground level shot. The snow is…
Snow, Trees and Sky
A stunning photo from Allan at Allan J Jones Photo Blog. Please click the link above to see more of his beautiful photography.
We were lucky enough to have a rare sunny day …
… and I made sure that I got out there to enjoy it.
The ducks definitely did.
It was lovely to sit and watch the sun go down through last year’s dried hydrangeas, knowing that they will soon be replaced by spring growth.
Happy Monday.
The sun breaks through …
… the clearing overcast above Okanagan Lake.
Happy Saturday.
A hike on the edge of the mountains above the lake …
… provided some great if overcast views.
Happy Thursday.
These photos were taken a month ago when we had some sun which has definitely not been the case recently!
What I like best about these photos is how the snowy mountaintops seem to be floating above the lake due to some haze and also due to how the colour of the forest at the lower level almost completely matches the colour of the lake.
It’s a lovely optical illusion that I found very attractive.
A couple of days later, a rosy hue spread through the valley as the sun set; it wasn’t an optical illusion but it was lovely all the same.
Happy Wednesday.
The Japanese Garden still sleeps …
… while the fish come slowly out of their torpor …
… the cherry trees start to consider their future …
… and the ducks start to feel their “oats!”
Happy Tuesday.
We’re still very cloudy …
… very rainy …
… and very windy.
But it’s relatively warm, so at least there’s no snow shovelling and we definitely have it a lot better than many on this continent who are dealing with some heavy-duty winter.
Whatever your weather, I hope you have a good Monday.
We are presently socked in by a very grey, heavy overcast accompanied by rain and wind so I chose to post these photos from a couple of weeks ago when we had a few clear but cooler days.
At least our daylight hours are increasing so even though we’re grey, we’re not experiencing complete darkness at 4:30!
And in other good news, now that January is finished, spring might start showing itself a little.
Happy Sunday; happy February.
Since most of the country is in the absolute depths of January weather, I think that now is good time to see a bit more spring. 🌸 Last time, I posted pictures from March and April, 2025. Here are some from May, 2025. I hope they brighten your day.
Pretty pink phlox …
… and mock orange with its lovely aroma …
… was accompanied by irises in all their glory.
The rhododendrons burst forth in heady abandon …
… in hot pink as well as white.
Their cousins, the azaleas, weren’t left behind.
Multi-layered peonies unfurled themselves …
… while the lovely lilacs spread their gentle fragrance.
Things to look forward to. Happy Friday. 🌸
I am always surprised at how well the ducks will tolerate the cold on their feet.
Recently, their favourite little pond partially froze; it had a thin layer of ice in places, but the ducks settled on the icy parts and even napped.
Do they have duckie antifreeze in their feet??
Actually, they sort of do. Through a process called counter-current heat exchange, their bodies literally lower the temperature of the blood headed for their feet and warm it up again as it heads back to their hearts.
It’s so effective that in winter, mallards only lose five per cent of their total body heat through their feet. That’s a pretty ingenious system.
It could be a great system for humans too but I think I prefer socks and footwear instead. 🙂
Happy Wednesday.
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