Blosoms Down

An untimely April wind and we'll certainly have fewer cherries this year.

Solo Tulip

Morning Dew

Zinnia

I love experimenting with back lighting.  I take this type of photo at least a couple of times during the year.  I hold the zinnia blossom up toward the sun, making sure that the background is the dark shadows of a bush.  We had just experienced a downpour the night before so there are flecks of dirt on the blossom.  This photo is very easy to do and has a dramatic sense to it.

Spring Blossoms

Finally!  The blossoms have shown up.  These are from a cherry tree.

And these are on a blueberry bush.
Spring has arrived!

Fire Cloud

The setting sun on a contrail (I think).

Road Trip to Skagit Valley

If your are heading north on I-5 to check out the tulip fields in Skagit Valley, don't forget to catch the Cascades to the east.

This photo was taken from I-5 at Everett.

When you are in the Skagit Valley, be sure to look for Mt. Baker to the north-east.  It still has lots of snow.

Don't forget to look to the southwest to catch the Olympic Moun-tains.

At times Mt. Baker is almost hidden by the foothills.  The daffodils are in full bloom here.

No matter where you are in the valley, mountains are usually in view.  By the way, enjoy the tulips too.

Double Rainbow

Rain to the east and sun to the west make the perfect combination of amazing beauty.  This is a panorama of four images using the free download, Hugin, to combine them.

The same four images have been combined in Elements here.

Here is a com-bination of four images in Elements from a slightly different location.

This was the second double rainbow I've seen this year.

Daffodils in Skagit Valley

This was the view on April 8 as we sped to our Easter dinner destination.  I compared this photo to the ones I took last year of this same field.  It appears the flowers are about two weeks behind last year.  Although we did not see any fields of tulips, they should be blooming about now.  Mt. Baker is in the distance.

Signs of Spring

The wild blackberry bushes are finally showing their leaves.  Another sure sign of spring, even if it is late this year.

Boeing Commute

If you drive to the Boeing Everett plant, this is your view to the west from Highway 526.  The Olympics still have a fine coat of snow.  What a commute.

Lone Remnant of Farm Life

This lone tree is all that remains at a site once including a house and outbuildings.  It stands alone on a grey Skagit Valley day.

Mt. Baker from Fir Island

The view this afternoon from Fir Island in Skagit County.  Mt. Baker still has lots of snow.  We saw fields of daffodils but no tulips.  Spring is late this year.

Ducks

When I saw this scene in a retention pond near my house, a few thoughts came to mind.  Aren't the males supposed to be the hunter gatherers?  Is it true that women do all the work?  Or are they just head over heels in love with him?  But then a friend reminded me of the saying - if you don't work, you don't eat.  Ah.

Double Rainbow

The phone rings.  "Are you out taking pictures of the double rainbow?"  I grab my camera and dash out.  It is pouring rain but to the east...  The lens on my camera won't capture the entire rainbow and I know if I go back to get a different lens, the rainbow might be gone.  I decide to take two shots, capturing each end of the rainbow.  I have to turn my circular polarizer each time.  Another minute and the double rainbow is gone. 
I have combined the two photos in Elements.  You can see there is some distortion.  (No, the top of the rainbow was not pointed!)  But when you only have a few moments, you do the best you can.
To the west?  The source of the light.

Thanks, Lori, for the phone call!

Beauty and the Beast

The first blossoms of spring next to a derelict barn.

Olympic Snow

The Olympics were out today.  This view is from Libbey Beach, an Island County park on the west side of Whidbey Island.

Driving a little north, I saw this tug battling the wind.  The winds also created the lenticular clouds.  They are frequently seen over Mt. Rainier but seldom over the Olympic Mountains.

Eagles were out enjoying the wind.  This view is from the west side of Whidbey Island as well.

This photo is from the west side of Oak Harbor, looking back over Oak Harbor bay and the cliff area known as Scenic Heights.  High clouds were moving in.  Soon the Olympics disappeared from view.

Olympic Mountains Panorama

This was a recent panorama of the Olympic Mountains taken from the west side of Whidbey Island.

Sun Rays

The sun recently gave evidence of how much moisture there was in the atmosphere.