It's rare to see frogs anymore, so I was surprised to stumble upon this Southern cricket frog on the grounds of the Chattanooga Choo Choo last October.
Ribbiting Sight
Douglas Fir Burl (Mount Rainier National Park)
Along the Grove of the Patriarchs in Mount Rainier National Park, there is a fallen old growth Douglas Fir that is easily hundreds of years old. To me, its most remarkable characteristic is a fantastic burl that looks very much like a bubbling mud pool.
Liberty Bell Mountain, North Cascades Highway
The North Cascades Highway has many jaw-dropping spectacles, but none more dramatic than the glacier-carved Liberty Bell pinnacle that anchors the hairpin turn on Washington SR 20. This photo was taken from the Washington Pass Overlook.
The Hiking Trails and Wildflowers Around Sun Mountain Lodge (Winthrop, WA)
The first time my wife and I stayed at Sun Mountain Lodge over a decade ago, there were abundant wildflowers on the trails nearby. In spots, they were so profuse that the ground was covered with them. It was an experience that stayed in my memory, one only matched by the wildflower displays on the Big... Continue Reading →
Ponderosa Pine, Sun Mountain Lodge (Winthrop, WA)
With their reddish and crackled bark, ponderosa pines are easy to identify in Eastern Washington. There are many along the hiking trails around Sun Mountain Lodge, up in the mountains above Winthrop. Normally growing straight and tall, this one, on what I believe is called One Tree Hill, has been subjected to the punishing forces... Continue Reading →
Siwash Rock (Vancouver, B.C.)
Anyone who travels along the Seawall Walk around Stanley Park can't help but notice Siwash Rock. It stands out as a rugged, basaltic outcropping slightly offshore in stark contrast to the smooth sandstone hillsides. Adding to its distinctiveness is the Douglas fir growing on top.
Stanley Park’s Kwanzan Cherry Trees
The entrance to Vancouver's Stanley Park from the south is lined with cherry trees. I was fortunate to have seen them in full bloom just before the first day of spring. The most spectacular were the kwanzan cherries whose fluffy pink blossoms cover the entire tree crown. Also heavy with flowers were the tulip magnolias.
Golden Glory: Daffodils of the Skagit Valley
Squish. Pop. Squish. Pop. My shoes were making sounds on fields of muddy clay. In order to admire the daffodils in the Skagit Valley, i had to carefully plant one foot, then lift the other while trying to avoid water puddles, not exactly my idea of having fun. The epic rains that got dumped on our area yesterday soaked everything. But, if... Continue Reading →
Hydrangea in Blue
This is yet another fine flowering specimen that I saw in Hagley Park, Christchurch.
Redwood + Ivy, Hagley Park (Christchurch, NZ)
Hagley Park in Christchurch has some magnificent sequoia redwood specimens. I happened to be walking past one when I noticed something odd. Seemingly growing right out of the base of the trunk was an ivy, incredibly old by the looks of it, appearing more like tropical vines, a growth that needed to be cut out. It apparently... Continue Reading →
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