Camellia

The blooms on the camellia are all but gone.

Windswept Pine

I trimmed the tree in the backyard a little bit the other day.  There was a dead limb that needed to go...

Statue of Liberty

We have a statue of liberty in West Seattle along the waterfront, and they have one in Japan too.  This one was placed there by the Boy Scouts in 1952 along with the following inscription:

With the faith and courage of their forefathers who made possible the freedom of these United States

THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA

dedicate this copy of the statue of liberty as a pledge of everlasting fidelity and loyalty.

Standup Paddle Boards (SUP)

I always think of kayaks and canoes when I think of the Pacific Northwest but I see more paddleboards than anything else in the cove around Lincoln Park.

King of the World

So far, being retired isn't too bad...

Point Robinson Lighthouse

The Robinson Point Lighthouse is located on Maury Island and accessible from Vashon Island.  There is a nice public park around it.  The original fog horn was installed in 1885, and the current lighthouse in 1915.  The tower is a twin of the Alki Point Lighthouse which was built in 1913 and just up the coast on the mainland at West Seattle.

Fauntleroy Cove

Ahh...  It was a beautiful day today.  This is Fauntleroy from the Vashon Island ferry as it comes into the landing.  Our house is about half way up the hill.

More Tulips

I read somewhere that if you wanted people to take notice of your photographs, put red in it.

Skagit Valley Tulips

The cherry trees are beginning to fade but the tulips are coming into full bloom.  This is a commercial tulip field in the Skagit Valley North of Seattle.

Cherry Blossoms are in Bloom

The University of Washington Campus

Lincoln Park Beach

Our local park is Lincoln Park and it follows the beach below our house for a good ways, a bit over a mile.  There is a lot of driftwood on this beach, and for that matter it seems most beaches in this area.  It may be difficult to tell the scale from this picture but the tree is about 12" (30 cm) in diameter.

Columbia River

Interstate 90 crosses the Columbia River East of Ellensburg, Washington.  There is a turnout with a nice view....

Bluebonnets

We were in Texas but it was a busy weekend and there wasn't much time for photographs.  However, the bluebonnets were in bloom along I45 right of way and I did stop for this snapshot with my point and shoot near Corsicana.  It is definitely spring in Texas.  Bluebonnets are in the genus Lupinus (I like how it rhymes) and the state flower of Texas.

View from Fauntleroy

We are moving to Seattle and here is the back garden view from the new house with the ferry coming in from Vashon Island in the background and the Olympic Mountains in the far distance.

And this is the panoramic view from the house.  Click to enlarge.

Alki Point Lighthouse

The Alki Point Lighthouse is located a few miles from us and guards the inlet to Elliot Bay and Seattle.  The structure was built in 1913.

Labor Temple

The Labor Temple, Seattle, WA.

Deception Inlet

A view of Whidbey Island across Deception Inlet from Goose Island.  Named on the 10th of June 1792 by Captain George Vancouver after feeling he had been deceived by the nature of the pass (he had originally thought it was the inlet to a bay, it is actually a passage separating Whidbey Island).  Whidbey Island is named after Joseph Whidbey, a member of Vancouver's crew who explored the inlet in a small boat.

Kananaskis Village

A view from the loop walk around Kananaskis Village.

Ribbon Creek

It is warming in the mountain valleys.  This view is from the bridge across Ribbon Creek as you head into Kananaskis Village.

Canada Geese

The geese must think spring is coming - they have been flying back in the last few days.  This pair perched on our 14th floor balcony for a few minutes this morning before moving on.

Vermillion Lakes and Rundle

The weather was great today - the first weekend in a while with really nice weather.  It was above freezing, sunny, and not much wind.

Skiing down Main Street

Today we were in Canmore where they were having Nordic racing for the kids down main street.  It reminded me of swim team back when we lived in Kingwood and our kids were little.  Some were styling it like the little girls at the top.  Others were really getting into it and were definitely there to win.

Earthquake in Japan

The devastation from the earthquake and tsunami that occured in Japan are hard for me to imagine.  When I lived in Japan we had drills and training for earthquakes and stored water and food to cover several days in the apartment.  This picture of Sendai was taken in 2005, what we see now is overwhelming.  My prayers for those who are impacted....

It's not Spring Yet

It has been unusually cold this last couple of weeks.  Today warmed up to about -13 deg. C.  Not many Chinooks lately.  Punxsutawney Phil must have seen his shadow.  Actually we have our own woodchuck who does the forecasts here in Canada.  Since Canada extends further East than the United States, we get our forecast before folks in the United States.

The photograph above was taken on Princes Island in Calgary.

America's Last Surviving Veteran of the First World War

I read last week that Frank Buckles, the last surviving veteran of WW I from the United States, died at the age of 110 on 27 February, 2011.  The article said that there are only two surviving veterans in other countries.  Even though I am in Canada, when I passed this memorial on my walk along the Bow River this afternoon I thought of him.

Pond Hockey

Outdoor hockey on Lake Louise...

Each year there is an ice sculpture contest at Lake Louise.  We were kind of late getting there this year and the works were not in the best condition but I thought this one interesting.  Notice the crystal ball she is holding with the flower sculpted in it.  How do you think they did that?

Houston Culture

We spent the afternoon doing cultural things.  Eating bbq.  Looking at paintings, statues, and landmark buildings.  Things like that.  This sculpture melds the armadillo, longhorn, and chrome into pure undiluted Texas.  Gotta love it.  Plus great brisket just next door.

Wildlife

This weekend was Megan and Denton's wedding so there was plenty of wild life, although not the sort I normally photograph.  Congratulations!

Bow Valley

This is the Bow River just downstream of the falls in Banff. It was a warm day today, a chinook blew through last night.  But it has been cold and the falls and river were largely iced over.