Evening Light

Amazing evening light at the lake 

Puddle Jumpers

Light and Beauty

When the sky looks like this, it's time to hurry to the lake 

to catch a spectacular sunset

When the sun gets low on the horizon, it disappears quickly. 

The colors sometimes linger, sometimes they're gone in a blink of any eye. 

This dock is one of the best places to watch the sun set. 

It's often crowded with people quietly enjoying the beauty. 

Kirkland's Mandarin Duck

  

I'd heard about Kirkland's Mandarin duck but I'd never spotted it until this week. I was walking through Marina Park when I felt a nudge, a reminder about the duck and a suggestion that I walk closer to the shoreline. So I did - and there he was! The duck mingled with the Mallards and didn't seem concerned about the people. He swam and walked along the shoreline as we took pictures and talked with each other about his beauty.

This article says the duck is native to Japan, southeast Russia, and eastern China. It's closely related to the North American wood duck. Mandarin ducks are exported to the States and sometimes escape captivity. These pictures were taken at dusk. Imagine how much more vivid the colors would be with more light. 

Read more here about one person's quest to see the duck, along with stunning pictures. 

Beautiful Evenings at the Lake

 

Kirkland's Marina Park is decorated for Christmas

The Puddle Jumpers look like they are rushing towards the gazebo, tree, and lake

Most evenings a man is playing a keyboard and singing Christmas hymns

(see him on the right next to the bench)

This night a woman was having pictures taken

One of a Kind Tree

 Weeping Elm Tree

on grounds of the Historic Utah County Courthouse, Provo, Utah

Ulmus Americana - weeping willow and elm tree grafted together

It was purchased and planted in 1927 

Despite many efforts, people have not been able to create another tree like this. 

Seedlings grow but don't achieve the same tabletop shape. 

Read more here and here 

Sunset in Kirkland

 

Sunset at the Park

This musician provides chalk so people can draw on the sidewalk. He also attaches a bubble machine to the light post. Look closely and you can see the bubbles. 

Sunset

 Sunset at Marina Park on Lake Washington

The clouds and colors can change quickly

Seattle in the distance

Magic of Fireflies

 

I grew up seeing fireflies. When we moved to Washington state, I met people who have never seen them because fireflies don't live in this part of the country. I miss the magic they bring to a summer evening.

********** 

“Alice’s breath stopped in her throat. The mountainside opposite was alive with light, a wall of glinting fairy lights, three-dimensional among the trees, winking and twinkling as they shifted, illuminating the shadows of the inky dark. … Alice couldn’t quite take in what she was seeing. The clouds parted and the fireflies glinted, mingled, traversed upward from the illuminated shadows of the trees, and their million luminous white bodies melded seamlessly with the starry night sky above, so that it seemed for that moment that the whole world was carpeted with tiny golden lights. It was such a ridiculous, unlikely, insanely beautiful sight that Alice found herself laughing out loud, both hands pressed to her face.” 

 

Fred says “You know what’s really wonderful about those fireflies? …. Sure, they live for just a few weeks. Not much at all in the grand scheme of things. But while they’re there, the beauty of them, well, it takes your breath away. … You get to see the world in a whole new way. And then you have that beautiful picture burned onto the inside of your head. To carry it wherever you go. And never forget it. …  some things are a gift, even if you don’t get to keep them…. Maybe just to know that something this beautiful exists is all we can really ask for.”   (The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes) 

image from pixabay

 

 

Beauty

 May 2007 - Salt Lake City

Whale Watching

We boarded this boat for a 4 hour adventure

looking for whales and other wildlife

The red line on the map shows the route we took through the San Juan Islands - almost into Canada 

Seals

We were extremely fortunate to see whales for most of our cruise

They were orcas, also called killer whales

Michael took most of the whale pictures

Individual whales are identified by white markings and nicks in their fins

Pugent Sound whales 

The whales came relatively close to the boat. They are majestic creatures.

These researchers follow the whales and collect their poop so it can be analyzed 

bald eagle (middle of image)