There be whales!!!

It was really windy on Monday, but oh so lovely outside. I went down to a different beach and the fog was so pretty. The oil rigs looked like they were floating on the water. Which is kinda what they do anyway! I noticed some white shapes out in the water, but was unsure of what they were. Sometimes they were dark and most often they were white. I managed to get one photo and enlarged it...yup, Beluga whales! I was so excited!!!!!!  I drove home to get mum and when we got back it was colder and the whales had gone elsewhere. But, it was fun to walk on the beach anyway. 

Faces in the Rocks

One of the most interesting things about rocks is what you can find in them. Fossils, shiny bits,and faces!

Alaska on Ice

This is Mum's little dog--it is supposed to be a miniature, but I'm not buying that supposition! His name is Obie. After Obiwan Kenobi.

 Egbert Lake is melting on the far side and on the edges a bit, but it is still sturdy enough to  hold mum's dog. She feels that it will be clear in 4 days.

 This is Janet's dog, Joule (or jewel).

 This is Janet's daughter, JaLeen-who is 9 and is collecting rocks.

 I found another heart rock. Small enough to bring home in my pocket! JaLeen found a heart rock and put it inside a heart shape out of sand.

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No mountains today. However, the rocks out at Capt Cook are always interesting. 

Janet was able to stop and let me photograph a moose. She's not calved yet, as you can tell! Below is a young eagle we saw when we were hanging out on the beach. I wasn't sure what it was til I looked it up. Notice the HUGE talons and hooked beak.

Alaska!

This upside down tree makes me laugh each time I see it.

 Reminders of the OSU Beavers are everywhere!

My heart is in Alaska. Yup, it is. 

 

love this signage--typical of Alaska. 

                                  Sailboats on the inlet---reminded me of the book "Watch for a Tall White Sail" by Margaret Bell.

                 I found this chinaman's hat shell...and it had a feather in it!!!!!!!!!!

 This was a fun photo..cept I was worried my toes would get wet. Can you see the sailboat?

 a very very very odd clear earth worm looking thing I did not touch...only took a photo of it...

 MINE MINE MINE MINE~Finding Nemo.

 Eagle over Redoubt.

 Alaska's State Bird!

April Camping

Sunset on the lower place. Stunning vistas of weather, color and DEER! Jon said he saw deer everywhere he turned.

 Love spring over here in Eastern Oregon. Everything is colored in stunning shades of greens and up in the hills there are only a few flowers blooming. Next month, the  hills will explode with the other colors.

 Jon was amused to find a previous camp site under water. This one was from a few years back when Tony was home. Jon was going to use the rocks for a new spot, but they were really slimy.

 Jon did get stuck more than once. This was his 'first' mud run. Not too messy, just pretty wet.

 Jon noticed there were frogs everywhere this trip. He recorded a short video of frogs peeping. It was so loud and there were so many, it sounded like one noise!! This frog looks like his black markings are a smile!

 Jon really tried to pose some of these frogs. But, staging a frog shoot  needs cooperative frogs. Which, they weren't.

 Here is Jon's Bronco on its last camping trip before Kodiak (the newer brown one) is released from the shop. Jon effectively buried the front end deep in the water and mud. Thankfully, Steve was able to release it from the murk in about 30 seconds. Which made everyone very happy!

"a perpetual astonishment"

              Every spring is the only spring - a perpetual astonishment.  ~Ellis Peters

Today (well, yesterday) the Ann Voskamp  prompt for gifts to find was 'Three gifts budding/blooming." I have so many, I had to do a photo thanks! 

 

 The two photos above mystify me. Outside of the fact I can't change the red tulips to the proper orientation, these photos were taken only two years apart..the mystery? They are in the EXACT same location in my garden. And in 2012, these red open petal tulips were somewhere else. VERY strange. The red ones are this week in 2014, the yellow were in 2012.

Two of my daffodils from Aunt Kathy's yard. Most of the daffodils are done, but the different varieties are popping out and I'm finding several in my cutting garden. I particularly love daffodils. They seem to be shouting out "He is ALIVE!" with their trumpeting blossoms. 

 

 One of my favorite things about tulips is how they close up at night. So the fairies have a place to sleep~or so I have been told!

Also from Aunt Kathy.

 This actually turned out rather clever. I have had this 'basket' for quite a while and these particular tulips have been in a bad place. I don't really want to move them, but I  need to mark where they are. So, I placed the basket on them and they look pretty good!

 The next few photos are my flowering trees. Hopefully, this year they won't get frosted and we'll get fruit from the pink peach tree and the white pear tree...and blooms from the lilac buds!

Another perpetual astonishment for me is this blog. It is sooo hard to get the blog to look as pretty in the public view as it is in the one I create. So, apologizing in advance!