Day Tripping

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The other day we went on a little excursion towards the Oregon border.


We stopped here first because I adore the lily pads that
cover this old logging pond.


Later we visited a fabulous house that overlooks the south
fork of the Smith River. I'm standing about 75 feet up from
the water.

We had dinner at a fun new place in Crescent City called
Surfside Grill & Brewery.


On the way back home we were fortunate enough to catch
the sunset on Freshwater Lagoon beach,


followed by the waxing crescent moon.
What a day!
(Click on the last photo to see a closeup of the moon)

Blackberries

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Blackberries: the official "weed" of Humboldt County. Well, not really an official weed, but they grow everywhere and would take over the entire county if not cut back, a chore that's done almost as often as mowing the lawn.
The blackberries in our yard will be coming ripe soon and I'll be posting ways to use them at Christine Cooks.

Beach Night Video Clip

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This is my first foray into blogging video clips. I welcome feedback regarding ease of loading and visual clarity. Is it too long? Too short? Anything else? Thanks.

Pearl Pink Anemone

Pin It The Japanese Anemones are beginning to bloom - right on time. Soon after the debut of this single pink, a double deep pink variety will open up followed by a single white. The flower stalks grow high above the basal foliage, allowing the blossoms to dance gracefully in the breeze.

New Kid In Town

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A new spider has appeared on my flowers. Not the chamaeleon spider that's so prevalent in the spring. This one is all spindly legs and doesn't react so readily when I get my camera close to it. Good thing. I hate it when they jump at me.

The Caterpillar

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"Mom! A calapitter bit me!"

"Oh, sweetheart, caterpillars don't bite."

"This one did! It was a mean calapitter!"

- son Jeffrey, age 3

Skip The Clown Dog

Pin It This is Skip. He's 4 1/2 years old. His nickname is "Clown Dog", because he is one. After a 4-year long very steep learning curve, he will now bring the ball back to the thrower, thus enabling the game to continue. Maybe he was overshadowed by the ever-so-smart "Jack". It may seem hard to believe, but the two of them are distant cousins: both being half Australian Cattle Dog (Queensland Heeler). Skip's other half is Australian Shepherd. Jack's is Jack Russell Terrier. And that's the tall and the short of it.

I'm So Glad, I'm So Glad...

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I'm glad, I'm glad, I'm glad!
Can you name that tune? Better yet, can you name
the group who sang it?

Tigerlilies

Pin It Alien space ships, about to land.

Cool Blues

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It's sunny and 70 degrees here on the north coast of California, but I know that in other less fortunate parts of the country, the temperatures are scorching hot. So here are some photos that I hope will lend some cooling relief.

Beach Night

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Beach Night is a weekly potluck gathering of friends who meet on a favored beach not far from our house. The drill is "Bring something to grill and something to share". Sometimes there are just a few of us and sometimes, like this week, quite a group will gather. It's a time to relax on the sand, enjoy friends, and be lulled into serenity by the lapping waves and salty coolness of the ocean. In the summer months we often miss the sunset due to the fog bank that rolls in with great regularity. This week that was definitely not the case.

The Plight Of The Bumblebee

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Oh my lucky stars! This gorgeous creature, all black and yellow, was
hanging onto a Buddleia this morning, eating a bumblebee! I couldn't
believe my eyes. If you click a photo to enlarge, especially the last one,
and you can just see the yellow fuzz of the last part of the poor bee being munched.
Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me (I really should glue it to my hip!)
when I first saw this drama being played out. Only half of the bee had been
eaten then and I couldn't believe what I was seeing and just stood there,
dumbfounded, for a few minutes. Then I first shot two video clips where you can
actually see the munching going on, but now I can't figure out how to upload
them to my blog. Research needs to be done.

Sonoma Valley Red Dragonfly

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While staying with my sister recently at a fabulous house overlooking the Sonoma Valley, another sly and nervous red dragonfly eluded capture (with my camera) until I was able to crawl (literally) stealthily up to it. Even then, the shadow that was cast doesn't make for a clear picture. Sigh. Please click on the photo to view the intricate lacework of the wings.

Lavender Penstemon

Pin It After five days in the 100+ degree heat of the Sierra foothills, Sacramento and Sonoma valleys, I arrived home to the deliciously cool, clear air of the north coast and saw that the penstemon had bloomed. Simple pleasures.

Watsonia At Sunset

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Shadow play on petals.

Sunset Over The Jetties

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Over the past weekend, we enjoyed the company of my sister and brother-in-law who came over from the heat of Chico to attend the Eureka Blues by the Bay Festival. At the end of the first day of sun and music, we took them to the north jetty to watch the sunset. The north jetty flanks the opening to Humboldt Bay, just as the south jetty flanks it to the south. And because I consider the ocean and beaches my "front yard", these photos seemed very appropriate to post. :)

I especially like the "fish cloud"; it reminds me of a rather ethereal koi.

Summer Asters

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These native darlings grow everywhere up here,
blooming mostly in the fall wherever there is a small supply of water. These are growing under the 2x6 redwood cap of my 3-foot high garden fence. Just enough condensation water drips from the wood cap, creating the perfect growing environment.

Tiger Lily

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Perfection.

Marsh Moth

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This beauty was hugging the wall just outside the door of my office. I got as close as I could so you could see the downy, feathery cloak it's wearing. Click on the photo to enlarge, then mouse over the lower right-hand corner of the photo. An orange expansion button should pop up. Click on that to see more.
When I googled "moths", I found a cool site on butterflies and moths in the US. Click here to go there. Press the back button to return to this site.

Crocosmia

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I know summer is in full swing up here when the crocosmia bloom.
Also known as Montbretia. I have three types in my garden:
The burnt orange one pictured here is called EmberGlow and the red one is Lucifer.
The third is a soft, golden yellow that's not in bloom yet. You'll see it when I do.

Happy 4th of July!

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