The power of positive thinking

With the temperatures climbing into the mid-80's, maybe today, and certainly tomorrow, I shouldn't be complaining, particularly since most of the rest of the west is setting heat records. Bellinghamsters start dropping like flies when it gets this hot though, so maybe this 2011 December photo will help a little. You know, a little escapism while we're towelling off.

An unabashed Facebook share

My patience is wearing thin with Facebook, but how can I not share this Alternative Humane Society photo post. The last Border collie in line (naturally) bears a resemblance to Casey as a pup, bringing up the rear.

Deep in thought

It’s rare that we’re in near enough proximity to a camera to catch a non-pose. Here’s 
Mr. Candid deep in thought before he notices, better yet senses the close-up,  

Listen to the quiet

Today for a change Casey and I traversed a stretch of interurban trail on the south side that slices from the outskirts of Fairhaven through forest and wetlands all the way to Bellingham Bay. What makes this route stand out is its pristine seclusion, a ready escape from any hoopla worth leaving behind. Taking it a step or two farther before heading back today we took an off trail loop that seemed so quiet we could hear the ferns breathe, with only birdsong punctuating our solitude.

Any time now

(How long could it take to pull a couple of Americanos?)

You'd think that our favorite Seattle espresso cafe, Verite's, would make an exception to its humans only patron policy, at least in Casey's case. He's such a good boy, and his folks are such regulars. But this does make for a cute photo, and he doesn't seem to mind.

Waning hours

A week before the summer solstice and we can stand on the south side at quarter to ten and actually watch the sunset. Imagine, sixteen-hour days and never enough time, even now. Delaying an afternoon stroll won’t be an option much longer.



In fact well-timed procrastination is the only reason why Casey and I get to monopolize the estuary and this flock of unfazed regulars this late in the day. So let's not rush the next equinox and enjoy this it while we can.

Morning nap

A Rufous manning up

I never thought I’d say it, that backyard hummingbird sightings are becoming passé, so I won’t…I just can’t. They are practically miraculous to watch, flitting from branch to bush to feeder, like figments of imagination in a constantly shuffling kaleidoscope of plumage. 

Look at this little guy for example, a male Rufous Hummingbird that for days couldn't muster enough courage to leave the sanctity of the sweet gum. But not today.

A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. He reached down this morning and pulled it together, just like his feisty green and orange girl friend from an earlier post. It gets easier every day. Just keep the sucrose flowing. 

   

Late blooming peonies sans ants

Well, finally, the peonies are coming into their own, and with a different twist this year -- no ants. Plenty of bumble bees, naturally, but no ants. The nectar of the buds has always been a draw for large black ants, giving rise to the old wives tale that the buds need the ants to bloom. Not so. The ants just love sweets. But this year, not so much.

Meadow on steroids

Our greenbelt escape, the closest thing to a meadow we have on the ridge, is all of sudden just bursting with living, breathing wildness, with grasses well above eye-level – mine, not Casey’s.  

And with a looming sunset it’s obvious that the kid is ready to head home, and in a constant state of mapping with every twist of trail and every new corridor of grasping fauna.

  

A favorite photo of velcro boy

Sidling up to Victoria or me is a given, and this break in the action depicts not only Casey’s propensity for “lighting where you light”, whether it’s a park bench or a sofa. But if you also look up loyalty, or devotion in a dictionary, you might see this perfect profile photo next to either of them. 

Knocking a few back at the perch

This spring one of the most enchanting views in the neighborhood, rain or shine, can be enjoyed from a kitchen window, in fact the window sill just over the sink. For weeks now, a handful of hummingbirds have been hanging around this simple feeder imbibing on a half solution of water and sugar. 




Imagine, after years of experimenting with colors and ingredients, this “complicated” concoction is all it would have taken. Amazing.

This little girl happens to be the bravest. The more colorful guys are more jumpy, cautious.

They’re sloppy slurpers too. Check out the pane.

On watch

Couldn’t resist this shot. For most of the morning Stella has been on watch for our new found crop of hummingbirds, feeding at the perches on the kitchen window pane. Almost every time she even flexes or perks up, Casey gets restless. 

Right now though it’s apparent that they’re both conserving energy.