FROGGY MORNING/FOGGY MORNING

Two days ago: the last of pouring rain.  Frogs, both gigantic and small, enjoy our own pond.

I can almost see this guy smiling.

This morning, glorious and long-awaited sunshine arrived!  Sunrise was swift, and I barely got down to the Mill Pond

before I saw the end of the show.

I was grabbing for the tails of retreating color to make the first shot:

"On Golden Pond":

 Fading:

Still fading, but I saw it was turning into a curious, old photograph kind of color:

This is almost more enjoyable to me than the first, golden one.

The sunrise colors are definitely gone, but I love the tin-type effect

left behind in the atmosphere: 

( I use no computerized filters or enhancements; I had to experiment with camera settings to capture

it.)

ENGAGING ANACORTES

The first official day-long ramble of the year: Anacortes!

Heading north, Pat and I had to exit the freeway before even reaching our destination because Mt. Baker was such a blatant attention-getter.  Of course, we scoped the farm roads for the best view: 

On a trail near a marina we were rewarded not only with blue heron and eagle, but the

first hummingbird sighting of the year.  So early!  He chose 

his neighborhood well; location, location, location:

More trail-walking, with lichen even on an old fence-post:

The island offered up a favorite subject, barns: 

Hee, hee, I love blue heron, but this pair in their resting mode is really comical! 

This gnarly old tree had a fascinating patina and pattern:

And a window to a view:

Our kind of luck!  The daffodils in Skagit Valley "came" early this year and took everyone by surprise.

No tourists were clogging the roads.  We could park and walk any place

we wanted with no one else around: 

It had already been the perfect day, but this was the cherry on top: