SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2008
It was another nice day, we had a family get-together for lunch, then took a walk on the boardwalk past the beaver pond. Above, the woodpecker works away at the suet slab. A raccoon tore the whole feeder down a couple of days later, and disappeared with it into the woods.

The beaver pond reflects the setting sun. They've been busy - the water level is up several inches, as they've been enlarging their dam.
Another giant snapping turtle - this one obviously wants some snacks!

Don and Chloe work out their cell phone intricacies,

while Cris and Kathy puzzle over theirs!

FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2008
Today we drove to the Mohican area, to vist the Castle and take a hike. Above is some trailing arbutus, a heavenly-smelling wildflower and hard to find. It was just past it's prime, but still lovely.

We stopped at the Overlook in Mohican State Forest, where several turkey vultures were soaring above the river valley. The leaves were just beginning to show some green.

Then we went down to the river valley, where Cris and I hiked up a trail along a stream. The trilliums covered the valley floor in some places, along with many other spring wildflowers. It turned out to be pretty hot, but we had a good hike.

Before that, we had lunch at the Mohican Castle, and a tour of the main buildings.

It is an amazing structure, and the suites inside are very plush and comfortable.
The grounds were lovely, and we enjoyed them. The Castle hosts special events, too, like weddings and parties.

THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2008
A fairly quiet day - lunch out with Mom, Dad and Kathy in Peninsula. We walked the Towpath a little ways, finding a giant snapping turtle in one of the locks. He looked like he was the king of the water!

On the way home, we went by the great blue heron rookery, where those huge birds were sitting on their nests. In only a few trees, there are hundreds of nests, with the herons gliding in for a landing. Later, when the babies hatch, it will be quite loud.

There is a pair of wood ducks nesting in the neighborhood, and I caught the male resting on a tree limb.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2008
Took the overnight flight and arrived bright and early this morning, ready to go! Cris and I walked the O'neils Woods trail, finding these brilliant Virginia Bluebells along Yellow Creek. The colors were just gorgeous.

Before that, I took some photos from the shuttle and plane. This is the Space Needle at 60 mph from the I-5.

I had a full moon outside my window for the whole trip - it was clear and starry. This shows the light at the end of the wing (center) and the moon (top) reflected in Lake Erie (bottom). You can also just see lights from buildings on the shoreline above the moon's reflection.

At Mom and Dad's house, this owl must have a nest nearby - it sat in the trees by the house most of the time I was there, not worried about us walking underneath it and taking it's photo. Here's hoping for owlets!

These lovely tulips are such a gorgeous color! It's hard to capture it exactly. My friend Cyndi gave me the bulbs many years ago, and I have enjoyed them every spring since! They've been in bud for quite a while now, with the cooler weather. Finally, it's beginning to warm up a bit, and they're responded by opening slowly.

This will be my last post for a week or so, while I'm traveling to Ohio. But I'll be back, with some traveling photos!

Spent the day doing all those little things that need to be done before leaving on a trip. I'll only be gone a week, but wanted to get loose ends tidied up at work. So I didn't get out until almost sundown, where I found this pretty reflection in a pond. Pollen has coated the surface, but Buzz made a trail through it, and created the gentle ripples. Still way colder than normal, but at least it didn't snow today. At least not here, at any rate! Hoping for warm weather in Ohio!

Yes, that's hail. The weather continues to be very, very strange - rain, snow, hail, thunder, sun, clouds - alternating throughout the day. This has been happening for 3 days now - get over it , already!!

Boy, is everyone ready for spring and somewhat warmer weather! But I took advantage of the sunny spots to try again for my "hand" photo.

LIVE LONG AND PROSPER

in the immortal words of Mr Spock.

I'm so excited - Suze and I have begun a new blog venture, sharing our photos. We call it 47 hours 42 minutes, which is how long Google maps told me it would take to drive from my house in Washington to her house in Florida. Since we're so far apart, this is a way to connect more often. We're still feeling our way, so check back often.