Month: November 2020

A Foggy Morning at Theler

This time of year we try to take advantage of any sunshine we get here in the Pacific Northwest, knowing that it will be rainy most of the days ahead.  When we left for Theler Wetlands Sunday it was bright and sunny in Tacoma and almost all the way to Belfair. About a quarter mile from our destination, though, we descended into heavy fog.

I knew that birding would be challenging and photos tough to take with the telephoto lens I use for birding, but most of us raised around Puget Sound/Salish Sea are fond of foggy mornings.  So, I switched to trying to take scenic shots with my iPhone and was generally happy with the results.

Some of the photos almost reflect the special quiet that accompanies fog, 

while others seem to offer hope of a brighter time to come when we have a President who actually cares about the environment.

Of course, I still had to try to capture some bird shots with my telephoto.  I liked this shot of a pair of Mallards where they appear be floating mid-air.

Atmosphere aside, I was happy when the sun finally started to burn the fog off before we reached the mid-point of our walk and I was able to catch this small flock of Cedar Waxwings trying to warm up in the warm glow of the early morning sunshine.

Near the end of our walk the skies were bright blue, allowing us to sight this Bald Eagle that might well have been flying up and down the river earlier but we would never have known  it.

How Do You Make a Slide Show in WordPress

Well, it’s really easy to make a simple slideshow in WordPress using their templates, but what I’d really like to do is add a sound track to it. So far I haven’t found out how to do that.

I also found some interesting slideshow software that allows you to sync it with music, but they don’t specify how you can embed the finished product into WordPress.

Everything Falls Away Eventually

Nothing makes you appreciate what you have than its imminent loss.  I’ll have to admit that, despite all the work we’ve put into it in the last few years, I seldom take advantage of the opportunity to admire our yard.  It wasn’t until the recent weather forecast for freezing temperatures that I took the time to go out and photograph some of the plants and flowers still growing strong.

And it wasn’t until I was looking through the lens of my camera that I appreciated the beauty of the leaves on this annual that Leslie planted.  Who needs flowers when you look this good all the time?

Anyone who visits regularly knows that my favorite spot in Pt. Defiance is the dahlia garden, so it probably comes as no surprise that I had to buy some of my own.  I bought a three-pack from Territorial Gardens in late winter.  I wasn’t sure when to plant them, so this variety struggled mightily at the beginning, looking like it was going to fall victim to the slugs while the other two steadily climbed skyward.  In the end, though, it was the healthiest of the three and had far more flowers than the other two.

My favorite flower of the three is this one, but such beauty must come at a heavy price because there was never more than one or two flowers on the plant at a time and they faded more quickly than the other two plants.