Musings

One cormorant per post. I think the species swimming about the posts, not visible in this shot, were loons.

Purpliest purple crocuses. Croci?

No clouds = mountains afar! Thanks Droney. [And a seaplane if your eyes are sharp, over the water to the right.]

Different body of water. Different mountains.

Tide’s out, perhaps coming in. The four-car commuter train passed by after Droney returned to the ground. That’s the way it goes.

Walking that same beach, at Carkeek Park.

Posted at 9:16 PM | Comments Off on Water day, no clouds

Catkins?

Roots. Moss. Needles. Duff.

Blue, blue sky. Some puffy clouds.

Another primary color. Additive? Subtractive? TMI regarding color wheels?

Posted at 9:23 PM | Comments Off on Wheeling

Unexpected rather non-standard architecture can mean expensive corporate headquarters (Apple “spaceship”) or or or, in this case: a museum. Down in Tacoma, this one.

A glass museum, and under this cone is a large glassblower workshop. We watched three guys create a wine decanter. This fellow did the most advanced stuff, or most complicated work, the body and the fused whole. Two other guys did important pieces, the neck and the handle, created separately. Fascinating.

Of course, the museum had many gorgeous pieces in the galleries, and fun offerings in the gift shop. This is one of the most compelling, with a mirror behind it, just stunning. So complex.

After, we drove north, making the five mile loop (on Five Mile Road) through Point Defiance Park. Highly recommended, especially near sunset. Much like if you go to Marquette, you should also visit Presque Isle Park.

Posted at 12:19 AM | Comments Off on Museum dos

Abandoned ceremonial marker.

Teensy root ball for such a tall tree.

I think that iridescent film on this spring pool is natural. Think.

Okay, outta the woods. I rather like this portion of the dogwood statue juxtaposed against the midtown skyline. And the reflections, of course.

Posted at 7:08 PM | Comments Off on Grace notes

I feel compelled to look up when I visit this sculpture. Sorry to say, I’ve never looked for the artist’s name and the name of the piece.

I just checked GooMaps, and it’s not there. Aha, cleverness…new angle of attack. Success! The BeltLine website indicates it’s Tim Frank’s “Angier Spring Monumental Work,” commissioned for this location and installed in 2017.

No Canada geese are nesting this year at this floodwater catchment pond. The turtles are flourishing, however (on sloping rock, and elsewhere in the sun and out of the water).

A couple had brought bread and were throwing chunks at a pair of mallards. I’m guessing the turtles will eat later, after they are thoroughly warmed. I did see bread bits floating elsewhere in the water, with schools of minnows chowing down in radial formation around each piece.

Arrrgh. Lousy exposure. Next time. Nice to have deep shade; temp today reached 76°F.

Posted at 6:44 PM | Comments Off on Chatty today

We got to the park and right away spotted this dudette/dude “pecking” along, searching for food, I thought…”looking for a lost contact,” the Guru said knowingly.

Muscovy duck view of a cactus on a monumental planter dating back to an exposition, I think in 1895.

Duck view, if in flight. I was atop the (six-story?) parking garage that drew all kinds of flack when it was proposed, under construction, and first built. Now, as promised, you pretty much can’t see it, even now when the leaves are off. And nobody complains that the parking pressure on the neighborhoods nearby dropped…for a time, although plenty of visitors still cruise the nearby streets for a free spot. C’est la vie. Or is it c’est la view?

Posted at 6:57 PM | Comments Off on Perspective(s)

From yesterday…beech leaves, still hanging on…

And turkey tail mushrooms, showing apparent growth rings…

Posted at 6:00 PM | Comments Off on …As they do

I’ve been a bit antsy for several days to get out of town, that is: OTP—outside the perimeter. No rain today, so we scooted. And headed to Russell Cave, owned by these United States, up in far northeast Alabama. This is the view from the cave, used by way-back peoples. Today it was a bit damp, and the creek below had water, but was not in flood.

We took what I thought was a short nature trail; I had it wrong. We went up and up, switchback after switchback. I kept thinking, “I’m glad it’s not wetter; this moss must get slippery!”

With the leaves off, we had some views of Doran’s Cove, the valley below.

And, as we left the cove, we saw a flock of wild turkeys. They were jumpy and headed for the woods when we stopped…only a few stragglers left. Pretty birds, these gals.

Physiographically, this area is Ridge-and-Valley. Here we are heading up the west flank of Lookout Mountain, working our way back toward the ATL. Sun’s out!

The Guru mentioned how great the light angle was, so we headed over to that big mound site just outside Cartersville on the bank of the Etowah (clue there!). The Guru was right; the light was fantastic, and there was some wind, but Droney got the shots. And video (not posted). That line of trees between the plowed field and the grass around the mounds is in a massive ditch—defensive, plus where the fill to build the mounds came from, no?

Posted at 9:32 PM | Comments Off on OTP Saturday

I don’t usually shoot through tree branches like this at a longer view. It matched the overcast feel, I thought.

Stopped by for another quick look at the gold Ford. Ex-cop car, it seems.

Not sure why I liked this partly in-the-building truck. The juxtaposition of the orange cone, perhaps?

Posted at 6:41 PM | Comments Off on Sun emerged later

Murky day, although I did walk to the park, do a limited circuit, and walk back. Dodging a few raindrops now and then.

On the return leg, I passed a landscaper trailer piled with sod. Strange stuff, sod. Where I come from, it was grown on sandy loam. This is on what looks like a clay mixture. Can’t figure out why, other than this part of this state has more clay soils than loamy soils.

Did I have a flash card with tenebrous on it when I was studying for the GREs? Sure don’t remember ever using that word in a sentence…and now in a headline? Sheesh. 😀

Posted at 6:25 PM | Comments Off on Tenebrous outing