A little good company makes staying close to home just a bit easier and two of our closest companions these days are the Mountain Chickadee above and the Red-breasted Nuthatch below.
Grape Leaves
With snow now melted, just barely we might add, the forest floor is beginning to reveal itself again. Oregon Grape or Mahonia aquifolium grows abundantly in our forests and the newly exposed leaves presented themselves each as a unique artwork this day.
The spiny leaves and colors becoming something between painting and sculpture with each cluster of leaves seeming to harbor a bit of all the season of the year. Spring and fall combined with touches of summer and winter yet each cluster just emerging from beneath a blanket of white.
Yes. spring will make it’s way.
Pink Sided
A Pink Sided Dark-eyed Junco is a wonderful companion to have keep us company while we work our way through these days of sheltering at home.
Really?
With a disgusted look on their face an American Robin wonders where spring has gone. Standing on a pond that was liquid as liquid can be only a few days prior and the forecast ahead points to another chilly couple of days. Really?
Spring can be so fickle yet this guy will tough it out.
Window
Was it the hike itself, the early morning sunlight or the small window we were hiking to in the rock wall? All seemed like windows in which to experience the wonderful nature therapy offered up in Bryce Canyon on a sunny spring morning several years ago.
Ears and eyes
While watching a nice herd of mule deer one young Doe stood out and she was all ears and eyes.
Monochrome Mix
A mix of images all inspired by the ocean and forests that line the coasts.
Ferns fronds and tall tress.
And a silent inlet to be explored.
Looking back through photos as a way to travel at a time best spent at home.
Stay safe, enjoy each day and have a wonderful weekend.
One last look
This winter we have had several American Goldfinches hanging around the area. However, as spring marches on, we have seen less and less of them. This might have been one of the last good looks we got of them. Most of the males in the group were just starting to develop that vibrant lemon yellow breeding plumage.
Sagebrush Buttercups: Ranunculus glaberrimus
Just down the road, where the sun hits just right, is a small patch of earth warmed by the sun where the snow has melted and the Sagebrush Buttercups are already springing to life.
Growing low to the ground with their buttery shiny-waxy petals these wonderful little flowers are a challenge to photograph yet fun nonetheless. They are a bit poisonous to the touch so take care if handling them as they can cause blistering.
While a few were blooming most we still just on their way.
A wonderful sign that spring is indeed on it’s way despite the recent snows.
Mr. White
An Ermine still dressed in their winter whites peeks out from under a log. Seasons are changing and soon Mr. White will become Mr. Brown and we will have a hard time seeing him as he forages in the tall grasses of the fields nearby.
Boundless energy in such a small package makes them such a wonder to observe.
nature has no boss 
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