Kay – Page 433 – Sequim Daily Photo

A week of birds in Sequim – Northern harrier

Here is a female northern harrier (Circus cyaneus) looking for dinner. Like other raptors, their beaks are hooked and they have strong legs and sharp talons. Members of this bird family, Accipitridae, have eyesight that is four to eight times better than that of humans. Notice how the long, narrow outer primary feathers on the wing to the right separate into “fingers.” These “fingers” allow birds to fly at lower speeds without stalling.

By coincidence my posts for the rest of this week are all about birds. Check in for more shots of feathered friends.

Sticky buns

Our friends Gene and Miriam brightened our day yesterday when they showed up at our front door with this treat — homemade sticky buns. Sticky, gooey, and especially delicious with tea or coffee. I was on the phone — yet again — with tech support to reestablish our Internet connection. Otherwise I would have included these fine bakers in the picture.

Is there anything you especially like with your coffee or tea?

Presents for pets

The first year our beloved dog Nyla was part of the family she had no gifts. Family gathered around, tearing into gift wrap, oohing and aahing over presents. As the wrap and ribbon settled and the excitement quieted, we turned to see Nyla lying with her head nestled between her front paws. The only word for the sad eyed expression on her face was “forlorn.”

This is Chord above. He is a cheerful soul, though here he’s saying, “Come on, not this hat again!” You should see the expression on his face when we unwrap a toy for him at Christmas.

Do you have companion animals in your life? If so, do they get presents when your human family exchanges gifts?

Olympic sunset

Here’s an Olympic view that flashed past one afternoon recently. The mountains will play hide and seek as weather fronts come and go. They’ll be there at dawn. Turn away and within minutes they’ll be hidden behind a bank of clouds. This late afternoon light and the mountains were gone in seconds.

Olympic sunrise

Sequim is nestled north of the Olympic mountain range. Much is made of the protective rainshadow that the mountains provide and the “blue hole” that gives us many sunny days, unquestionable benefits.

What makes my heart sing time and again is the beauty of the mountains: The play of light, shadow and color, wind and weather. I would hate to be so jaded as to tire of the view.

Here is an early morning capture. You can see that the mountains are accumulating snow. Tomorrow I’ll post a late afternoon shot.

That time of year

This is the time of year when many of us roll out things that give us warm fuzzy feelings. Or a seasonal goodie. And, of course, as Tevya sings in “Fiddler on the Roof,” there’s Tradition.

I realized as I bought a supply of candy canes recently that these are one of the treats that brighten this time of year for me. It’s a cheap thrill, probably started as I snatched them off a Christmas tree.

Eggnog lattes are another seasonal treat. And I like to acknowledge Solstice, the first day of winter, because it marks the day when the sun will soon begin its return to longer days.

What about you? Is there something you really love at this time of year? Do you celebrate Christmas? Hanukkah? Some other holiday?

Best of the Peninsula – Vision

Voters selected Walmart in the Peninsula Daily News polling “Vision” category. The honors are divided between the Walmart in Sequim and in Port Angeles. I’m not certain if “vision” means optometric care and/or dispensing opticians, which refers to fitting and selling glasses. But I guess if you like the Walmart experience getting your vision fix there makes sense too.