Liza's Spring Vacation

Liza met two new cousins this week on our travels and was reacquainted with another. She was not at her best; she's very territorial and protective, and wasn't willing to share space with the young Blackie or the elder Charlie and was not at all interested in playing with Kona the puppy. She had a great time with "Grandpa" and with "Aunt" Pam - proving again that her people skills are far better than her dog socialization skills.



Liza jumps up on Dad's lap for cuddles and treats.

Liza peeks out from inside a hollowed out cedar tree at one of our rest stops.

Mr. Blackie pretends he's a lap dog. Liza tried to ignore him during our visits. 

Bonnie wrangling Liza and young Kona - Tommy Thompson trail in Anacortes.

A basket full of Cavalier King Charles spaniels passed us on our walk/scoot on the Tommy Thompson trail. There were two more in addition to the four in the trailer. Liza wasn't impressed. 

One more in the bike basket.

Charlie (the elder) watches as Liza helps herself to his toys.

She was fond of shaking the chicken to death.

Spring Vacation

Some miscellaneous photos from our trip up to Washington State - Anacortes and Skagit Valley. If you click on the photos, you can see a larger version.

Skagit Valley daffodil farm

Fidalgo Bay (Puget Sound) and Mount Baker

My attempt at a funny photo - crane picking up Mount Baker.  FAIL

Boat hull

Old pier on Fidalgo Bay

Portraits

I'd like to improve my portrait photography, so whenever I get a chance, I ask people if I can photograph them. I don't care much for staring into the camera, smiling photos (with a few exceptions) - much prefer more candid, less posed. I'm learning to pay attention to light and background too. 

Here are some of my recent favorites. 

My 91 year old dad and his lovely wife.

Joan, friend of the family.

My beautiful Laurie.

Pam Todd, sister-in-law.

Richard Todd, brother-in-law.

My sister Nancy, her husband Gene and their dog Blackie.

Katie, a new friend I met downtown. 

Hawthorne busker

"Tom," a dear man I met on Hawthorne - his smile was so engaging I had to ask for a photo.

Oliver, a grip on the set of Grimm, a TV show set in Portland.

Wendell, building a stone wall in our neighborhood.

Hello, Spring? You missed your cue!

 I'll say one thing about having late snow and lots of rain this spring: it's feeding my water droplet photo addiction! We had a smattering of snow again late last night; it's almost melted by 9 am, but left behind some wonderful shiny gifts on leaves and flowers.

Chives

Poor confused daffodils keep trying to stand tall.

Daphne

This tulip is staying sealed with a kiss until it's sure spring has arrived!

The Birds!

Various bird photos from the last few weeks.

A pair of bushtits are building a nest in the clematis trellis on the west side of the house. Easily visible from the sunroom.

Their unique nest consists of spider webs, moss, lichen and feathers, among other materials. It's shaped like a tube sock, and when they're down inside of it, the nest flutters and shakes.

Wonderful back and tail feathers on this crow. Unusual to see them on the ground in the back yard.

Downy woodpecker, female.

This seagull speared a piece of Styrofoam!

'Ello, mate.

 The race is on!

Bushtits at the suet feeder.

Black-capped chickadee (winner of Cornell Lab of Ornithology's 2011 March Migration Madness!). (The bird, not the photo.)

This and That

Even our indoor plants are confused this year - this Christmas cactus usually blooms in the late fall. This is its third time to bloom since October. 

I've always loved this wall of purple in our neighborhood. Not sure what the plant is. 

On a downtown building.

Some of my favorite photos are water droplet macros. I love seeing the little worlds encapsulated in them.