Rose-breasted Grosbeak story

Last week, a very loud THUMP hit my 2nd story bedroom window. Poor bird. I looked out to the porch roof just below, and watched a small, stunned bird roll and shake its head repeatedly.
We took the little bird in and put it in a box, thinking that more restful, for her, than balancing on an angled roof.
She clutched a finger tightly, so we knew she was strong--
and we put her in the backyard maple tree. She sat there all day, and later, flew away, with a squawk at us!
The next day, we saw the rest of her family, on the birdfeeder outside our kitchen window, where a sunflower, sprung from a dropped seed, grew.

Her sleek Mama, and brighter colored Daddy.

There were at least two offspring, learning to eat from the feeder and presumably, to fly a little better!

Back home

The first produce of the garden (not counting volunteer cilantro) were big green kohlrabi (we've eaten our fill!) and these tie-dyed beets! I have fallen in love with them! Roasted, steamed, grilled-- not just pickled!


These lambies are Eino, the Finn ram lamb, and January, a little katmoget ewe lamb. See Eino's little scur horn buds? He broke them both off, now. Eino went home with his new owner on Saturday, and I'm hoping January will find another home, soon!
I haven't focused on selling sheep this summer, and need to, now-- my pastures can't support so many.
January has a full poll brother, a moorit who I am keeping to use. I can sell either January's mom or January herself-- but I've grown rather attached to her mom, Minwawe November. January's dad is Kimberwood Leonardo, a smooth poll ram.
I'll post better pictures of her soon.

Is this the last of Washington, already?

Ruby Beach, on the Western Pacific Coast:
Quinalt rainforest, without rain:
Salmonberries:

Are these salmonberries too? Or blackberries?

Random flowers in the lush green:

What else did you see on your summer vacation?

A Happy Harp Seal at the Seattle Aquarium:
Sub-Alpine flowers on the looonnnggg walk up Hurricane Ridge, near Port Angeles, on the northern edge of the Olympic Peninsula:

DH on the looonggg walk down the mountain

Tide Pools at Salt Creek, 10 miles W of Port Angeles:

A quiet starfish hoping to go unnoticed:

Back on the farm, catching up. . .

Yoiks, I wrote the last blog post in Washington, 3 weeks ago!
Of course, when we came home, the weeds had taken over the gardens, so we were busy taming them-- and the other usual stuff took my time.
However, sorting through a few hundred digital vacation photos --
can't we just click so much faster now, no worry--
was daunting.
Here are a few-- I'll do this in installments:

Dungeness-- that's the "spit" going out to sea. . .

Driftwood was the main attraction here, and the stones. . .