Washington Park and Leavenworth Travels

It's been too long. Too much happening to keep up and I don't just mean the spring changes. So here I am again with a few photos of my recent adventures. I nearly drove off the road when I spotted the closest moon of the year. I turned at the next road and since I happened to have my point and shoot- shot!

I've spent a fair amount of time getting out to see spring wildflowers with mixed results. Many of the flowers I was hoping for were already done blooming. Spring happens quick here. Washington Park's shooting stars were done blooming, however, the sea thrift, death camas, blue camas, calypso orchid, yellow monkeyflower, chocolate lily and others were in bloom. I love walking out to the open rocky areas to revel in the spring life. So many flowers have found a niche in these windswept rocky areas. Washington Park and Deception Pass State Park are the best places to find this unique assemblage of wildflowers, otherwise, it's off to eastern Washington.

blue camas

While there, I was nearly run over by a doe as she and another came thundering through the woods, running as fast as they could in order to cross the park road and keep on going into the forest on the other side of the road. I have no idea what spooked them but it was a bit unnerving seeing her coming straight at me. I made a sound and she veered off. I checked out their path and found the moss kicked up from their fleeting hooves. I will keep that in mind the next time I'm in the woods and see a similar pattern.

death camas, sea thrift, lomatium

I still can't figure out how to get these photos to go where I want them!

This weekend was a trip to the Leavenworth area and back to the canyon where the hills are covered in the bright yellow of balsamroot (and I saw a cougar last spring) and to the camas field for the "blue lake" effect. Skunked! The balsamroot on the hills were done blooming and the blue camas hadn't started. In fact, the camas meadow was dry as a bone. I saw very few camas flowers and heard no birds. The few camas I did see had tightly bound blooms. I wandered around following some elk paths,which was fun. I found elk poop, tracks, and areas they had  pawed at the dirt. I also went to Ski Hill in Leavenworth to check out the flowers and a trail in Tumwater Canyon. The trail provided lots of butterflies and Ski Hill provided balsamroot and other wildflowers as well as a covey of California quail. I saw plenty of other birds in all of my special stops- including a soaring golden eagle and I spooked a Cooper's hawk from a ponderosa pine right in front of me! I didn't see it until it flew past me. That would explain the quiet birds.....

balsamroot and lupine in the ponderosa forest

Mourning cloak

elk print

Here at the house I noticed the first wild rose blooming today and all the leaves are out, including the young oak leaves. The vine maples diminutive flowers are hiding under the leaves and the salmonberry flowers have become berries. The robins will be happy. The Sitka columbine have been flowering for a few weeks giving the hummingbirds something to eat since the red flowering currants are done blooming. Amazing how quickly spring progresses. A good reason to immerse oneself in every day and stay present in each day. Even the rainy days bring beauty.

Balsamroot always gives me a reason to smile.