Today we looked out the front windows and what did our wondering eyes see but two deer and they were eating the Buttercups. A few escaped the hungry horde, if two deer can be considered a horde, but it is substantially less yellow out there. They didn’t appreciate Dan going out on the front deck to talk to them, and they high-tailed it down the hill. But alas, it was not in time to save the flowers.
This afternoon we went for a walk by the river. We have a four-mile loop, walking upstream, then looping back and walking downstream, and then looping back to our mailbox where we park the car. The recent warm weather has really made the water level in the river rise substantially. On previous walks we have seen quite a few species of water fowl, but today just one pair of Common Mergansers was floating around.
Looking for fish in all the right places
These birds eat fish, and they tend to hang out in the best fishing holes on a river. This pair looked very business-like, cruising upstream near the far bank.
A ribbon of silver water
This river is pretty unique in that it starts in Canada, wanders around up there for a while and then crosses the border a couple of miles from our house, wanders around down here for a while and crosses back into Canada, wanders around up there again, crosses the border again and then ends up emptying into the Columbia River on the other side of the mountains. Along this river, a mile downstream from where I took this picture, is an active Bald Eagle nest. They had two babies last year. In late February they were sitting in the nest, totally surrounded by SNOW! I’m sure they were wondering when the cleaners were coming in to spruce things up for them. We can pretty much count on seeing several eagles whenever we are near the river, cruising up or down, or perched in some of the big Cottonwood trees waiting for fish to leap out of the water and into their talons. Eagles have good imaginations.
"House Hunters," avian edition
This pair of Western Bluebirds was perched on a fence wire next to the road. They let me get pretty close to get their picture. Such a beautiful shade of blue! We have a pair of these at our house, laying claim to the nest box on the front of the house. They just have a fit when swallows fly up to the nest box and peek in the door, and so we know that we will get to see two more broods of baby bluebirds this coming summer. So cool!
A flowering aspen tree down near the river, way ahead of our trees by the house.
Aspen trees are just beautiful, no matter what season of the year it happens to be; in the early spring they have light colored catkins, then they are transformed by a beautiful pale green that darkens over summer time, and then transforms again to the palest of golds in the beginning of October before falling and carpeting the ground. The leaves quiver and quake in the smallest of breezes, and we love the sound they make.
No rolling here
The solid granite that makes up the mountains where we live contrasts beautifully with soft mats of moss. The sun peeked out of the spring clouds long enough to send a ray of light to the cliff while we were standing there admiring the moss. These colors remind me of the yarn I just got, and I’m going to try to use this picture for my pattern inspiration. The sculptured edge of the rocks and the roundness of the moss is a neat contrast.
All in all, it was a splendid day for a walk in the sunshine.