The Rains Are Gone ... For Now

It finally stopped raining ...
And look what I found!

Reflections in a puddle --
Finally -- blue sky!!!

Stellar Jay Eats Lunch and Mt Hood Wears Hood

I was watching this Stellar jay from the big picture window in the front room.
He has been hanging around for years, but this year he has a mission.

He spied the bird feeder we set up last month.
He has tried to perch on it to eat, but it is too small.

So he swoops down, smacks the bird feeder with his feet ...
Then eats what falls to the ground.

Smart bird, eh? He's been at this off and on for days, but this is the first time I've managed to 'catch' him in the act. I know it's a little blurry, but keep in mind - this is through the window and this guy is FAST!

Not to be outdone, Mt. Hood showed off its 'hood' for a short time yesterday morning. When I was a kid I thought that's how Mt. Hood got it's name. Alas, it was named in honor of 'Vice Admiral Samuel Hood' in 1792.

Looking To The Clouds

I couldn't resist the clouds the other day. I see so many images here! My favorite is the old guy with bushy eyebrows and flyaway hair. Do you see him?

Pink Elephant On Parade!

I took this cloud shot near sunset the other evening. It had been raining hard, and we got a brief respite while the sun turned the world into a wonderland. Do you see the pink elephant? Doesn't he look happy to be parading across the evening sky?

Maybe he's happy because he has heard my dad is doing well after the car accident. He is improving some each day. It is still hard for him, as well as my mom and my beautiful sister Leigh with whom they are staying. Thank you all for your continued thoughts and prayers for my family. Your support means the world to us!

Look up!

There are times when I forget to look up. This is changing, thanks in part to my sister Beth's Cloud Paintings. There is something so peaceful and childlike in kicking back and watching the cloud formations come and go -- especially on a day like today, which the weatherman said this morning would be "unsettled". To me that's a rather bland word for "spectacular".

I didn't see any faces or shapes in these clouds. Maybe I just haven't looked hard enough? Or maybe I was too overwhelmed by the charcoal and white distracting patterns before me ... that and the fact that I was running for cover to keep my camera from getting wet in the downpour!

Face in the Clouds

The challenge is answered! I searched far and wide, high and low. I almost didn't see him ... do you?