Zebrinia malva buds - I love that spiral effect!

 It wasn't supposed to be rainy today, but it was. The rain fell in a damp mist that soaked everything, but it made for some great drips and drops.

 OK - bet you can't guess what this is! It's a wingprint from that crazy robin who has been battering herself against my windows. As you can see, I don't wash them often, and when the sun reached a certain angle, it showed up all of these wingprints. And there are a lot of them! She has seemed to have stopped - maybe she's got a nest and youngsters and all that, and is too busy for this nonsense.

And at my back door, I got robbed!! This pot of strawberries was so full you couldn't see the pot itself, just yesterday. It also had several berries in various stages of red ripeness. And today I woke up to this! I was aghast! And angry. Those deer had to have been standing right next to the house for quite a while . . . we need a dog!!

 Finally have a sunny morning so I could get enough light to take some photos of the barn swallow nest over our front door. The babies are already starting to get their big-boy feathers, but still have plenty of fluffy tufts sticking out of their heads.

 There are five in the nest, and they're always hungry. They'll sit quietly until something moves, then they start begging.

 This is probably Dad, due to the longer tail feathers. Females are also less brightly colored, but it's really hard to tell the difference as they are so very quick in their movements. Both of them spend all the daylight hours feeding these guys!

Jeez! Don't shout in my ears!!

 Hey, I think there's something moving in there . . . drat, missed it!

 Early in the evening, the sun washes the tall grasses against fluffy clouds. Later, the same direction at sunset, only the far ridge still bathed in sunlight.

 Some abstract studies in the garden - above, the inside of a poppy, and below, a shadow on a rusty tank.

 The climbing hydrangea is just about fully open - it looks like fireworks!

Cory stopped by and posed for me, standing on a rock in the yard.

 Summer solstice today! How is it possible the year is almost halfway through already? I'm never ready for the longest day - now it means that the days will be getting shorter.

 Love the play of the sunlight on the ferns

 Ya think???

When I saw the sign and dock, I knew I had to explore a little. At the end of the boat ramp, these tiny crabblings were swarming the shallow water. In the photo above, there are at least 15 of the little guys.

 This one found a temporary shelter.

They are all different colors. This one posed for me in the seaweed - seconds later, the rising tide covered him!

 Meanwhile, under the dock, the blue mussels vie for space.

 Here's how today went - damp and cold, with an overabundance of slugs, happily and methodically eating everything in sight!

 It's looking like a good berry year, though (and at least they are out of the slug's reach!). Above, the native black raspberry, or blackcap. Last year it was a single cane, and this year has many canes, and each is loaded with ripening fruit. Below is the thimbleberry, another native - it will be red and slightly furry when ripe. Looking forward to munching on both! Also ripe right now is the salmon berry.

 I didn't take any pictures today - it was gray and rainy and a perfect day to sleep in and lounge around. So I did! But, here are a couple more from yesterday. Above is the view from my bedroom window - I like the upright spires of the foxglove vs the hanging spires of the wisteria against the dark green of the fir trees in the background. The morning sun brightens the blooms.

 Today is 1st & 3rd Friday Art Day at Carol's. I've missed the last couple, so it is always good to see everyone and catch up with what's been going on. And her garden is looking fantastic. These giant alliums volunteered here from another flower bed and are a real stand-out against the heaths and iris leaves! The bees love them, too.

 Cool sky and clouds this afternoon.

 Vine maple wings! Love the red.

Bee-type insect on the climbing hydrangea.

 Again in the garden - this time as the sun lowers in the north-western sky - only a few days away from solstice!

MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2011

Site visit to a new client, who has this fantastic view across the Sound to the Olympic Peninsula. His yard is also full of whimsical art, many of the pieces move with the wind. Very fun to see!

 You may have noticed my focus is in the garden this week! Things are really happening! This poor bee was one of dozens working the blossoms, but she just couldn't find the right part of the foxglove. These blooms weren't open yet, and she kept landing on one after the other, looking for that pollen! All the other bees seemed to be able to figure it out.

Climbing hydrangea.

 The guys thought it would be funny if I showed up at Lone Lake to take pictures of Mark and Cave launching the boat. But when I got there, no one was around. So, I found a cool cloud and some reflective ripples instead. Turns out they had been told they couldn't have a motor on this lake.

Flowers in my garden: Mallow and Chive

 And the prettiest flower of them all!

Wildflowers blooming near Barb's pond in the shade on a suuny day!

 Small-flowered alumroot, Heurchera micrantha.

False Lily-of-the-Valley, Maianthemum dilatatum

 Coming home from the Basket Guild meeting, I missed the 10:00 ferry, so had some time to try nighttime photos. Above is the public fishing dock attached to the ferry dock at Mukilteo.

 At the meeting, Kay talked about harvesting and using natural materials. She brought armloads of various branches and vines and barks to show us what to do with them. It was informative and interesting.

For show-and-tell Mary and I brought the samples we made in the Arline Fisch workshop, and here Kay, Mary and Sharon look at them.