Sky Watch Friday #18

If you want to join Sky Watch Friday blogging, go here for the blogroll.
Skywatch

The skies offered a variety of things this past week:

This is a seagull flying above the parking lot at Walmart.

I heard and spotted the plane before I saw the sun rays coming from the cloud. I wasn't fast enough to catch the sunrays directly on the plane. See the plane at the left side of the sun rays? Enlarge by clicking if you can't.

A ray of hope through the treees before the storm?



"Cotton Candy Clouds"

Speaking of barns. . .

Kathy/WA recently posted a bunch of barn photos on her blog. I know I can get some barn photos IF I go for a walk in the right direction but until then, here is a barn that is a commercial building over on 18th St. and also a little barn double mail box.



Was looking for my Friday photos I had saved and ran across the back of that red barn in the first photo. This is from the trail along Burnt Bridge Creek in winter.

ABC Wednesday Year 2 #6

Go here if you would like to join us for ABC Wednesday. . . Mrs Nesbitt
Welcome to FORT Vancouver National Historic Site. This is the sign you see FIRST when you enter the site.
You have to look really hard but FLAT Daniel is on the sign and then he moved over to the theFENCE by the garden at FORT Vancouver. Then he hoofed it on FOOT over to the entrance of the FORT gate. Can you spot him on the right hand side? If you need to, click on photo to enlarge. FLATDaniel visited me FROM California FOUR years ago.























F is also for FLOWERS. Only the mini Daffodils are from this year. The rest are from last year.
















































This is the FLAG of my country.

















And my FINAL photo for "F" is for FOG outside my window.

Cloudy and overcast makes for a good silhouette

I was trying to grab a shot of this bird in flight but it must have seen my camera and decided to land and rest. BUT I like the bird silhouette anyway!

Monday Odd Shots #3

The symbol above is for a new meme that Katney started recently .



First of all, let me say that I have no idea what this is for but I think it might be a marker for underground cables, etc. I am sure the pink is for identification and not a permanent marker for anything. Why did I take a photo of it? Because it was "out of place" in that environment next to the railroad tracks.

I couldn't get blogger to upload this one photo --tried for over two hours! I went to Image Shack and uploaded photo there and then used html to post it. I guess it is too big a photo for my blogger frame but I don't feel like reducing it and uploading it again so viewers will have to be satisfied with a partial photo this time.

Blog Your Blessings Sunday #19

Go here if you would like to participate: Blue Panther

Well, I am sure you are all sick of me talking about snow as my blessing so I have chosen a different blessing this week BUT it's still about the weather. . . this time it is SUNSHINE!

While other parts of the country have been getting snow as late as yesterday, we had SUNSHINE Saturday and it was almost 70 degrees.

I had many errands to run so I was boarding buses and walking and boarding more buses for most of the day. You see, I was searching for some new tablecloths

for our building's community room. Everyone, including me is sick of the pale green ones that look like they have embossed green leaves all over them that were pretty in their heyday but pretty faded and sick looking now.. I'm on the RESIDENT Council Board for the people who live here --there are 150 apartments. I am hoping that this will bring some SUNSHINE to our dining hall (for potlucks) and sunshiny decor for our recreation room.


Can you believe it? Sunshine like this in February? What a blessing! My heart is uplifted and feels all sunshiny inside me too!

Another pretty flower . . .a pink Camellia

Maybe SPRING is around the corner for us. I spotted this flower in my neighborhood yesterday.

**************
Lilli tagged me with this meme :

These are the directions:

Copy this entire list of questions and change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then tag and pass it along to other blogging friends. Let’s see how well we can get to know one another!

1. What is your occupation? Certified bum with hobbies including taking photos, stampin' cards and collecting everything including dust.

2. What color are your socks right now? White with red and green stripes and the right one has a little gingerbread pocket on it. YES! I am wearing my Christmas socks and it isn't Christmas. Ü


3. What are you listening to right now? The news at 11:00 PM

4. What was the last thing that you ate? banana

5. Can you drive a stick shift? Can't drive any kind of shift. . . much less a car, truck or other vehicle. Never learned to drive.

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Green -- because it "shows" growth.

7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Friend from church.

8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Hmmmmmmmmmm I reckon or I wouldn't be filling this out!

9. Favorite drink? Pepsi but haven't had one for almost two months.

10. What is your favorite sport to watch? If is not on TV, I love all sports. I probably like Ice Skating the best on TV.

11. Have you ever dyed your hair? no

12. Pets? Lots of dust balls.

13. Favorite food? Fried Zucchini squash

14. Last movie you watched? I can't remember the last one at a theater but today I just watch a dvd that I have owned for some time and watched many times over. . . "I AM SAM"

15. Favorite Day of the year? ANY day it snows.

16. What do you do to vent anger? Eat!

17. What was your favorite toy as a child? "Baby Blue Eyes" -- a doll my twin sister and I each ordered from a catalog. It's eyes opened and closed and it had beautiful curly hair.

18. What is your favorite, fall or spring? Neither -- winter is my favorite. I LOVE SNOW!

19. Hugs or kisses? I love hugs and give them too.

20. What kind of pie? Lemon Meringue

21. Do you want your friends to email you back? What kind of friend would not?

22. Who is most likely to respond? To this? Who knows? Anyone with time on their hands. . .

23. Who is least likely to respond? I have no idea.

24. Living arrangements? Live on the 8th floor of apartment.

25. When was the last time you cried? In January when someone tore my bulletin board apart that I made for the elevator.

26. What is on the floor of your closet? Many things presently.

27. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to? None -- if someone wants to do this, they have to take it from my blog.

28. The friend you have known the shortest amount of time that you are sending this to? NONE --see above.

29. Favorite smell? Real vanilla

30. What inspires you? Photography

31. What are you afraid of? Losing the ability to walk. . . life would be unbearable if I could not go on my long walks with my camera.

32. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Rather have a ham sandwich.

33. Favorite car? none I don't drive.

34. Favorite cat breed? None. I have no cats and like them enough but don't care about breeds.

35. Number of keys on your key ring? 12

36. How many years at your current job? 1 year since I am retired and my job is doing what I want.

37. Favorite day of the week? Anyone I wake up to. . .

38. How many provinces have you lived in? none but I have lived in Idaho, Hawaii, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, South Carolina, California -- both southern and northern, Oregon and Washington.

39. How many countries have you been to? Canada, Mexico, USA -- almost all the states including Alaska and Hawaii. If you want to know exactly, look up my first blogging post from 2006.

If you want to do this, consider yourself tagged.

Sky Watch #17

If you want to join Sky Watch Friday blogging, go here for the blogroll.
Skywatch
All these photos were taken the same day, just at different times.

Early morning fog and sunrise from my 8th. floor window.

Fog lifted and sun setting.

Sunset through the fence at car dealer two blocks from apartment.

End of a beautiful day that began with thick fog.

Is Spring early?

The calendar doesn't say SPRING yet but Easter is earlier this year so maybe . . .


Seems like everyone around us was just griping about so much snow (I would have enjoyed a little of that snow they were talking about!) Last Saturday, I saw my first crocus and my first dandelion. It won't be long before the Daffodils are showing their pretty heads!



Earlier in the week I found this flower and I have no idea what it is. If someone knows, I could label it properly! Thanks, Dot! It is a white Camellia.




I fell asleep waiting for the lunar eclipse Wednesday night and this is all I got just after 7:00 PM. Maybe in two years. . .

ABC Wednesday - Year 2 # 5

Go here if you would like to join us for ABC Wednesday. . . Mrs Nesbitt


For this week's "E" post for ABC Wednesday, I am focusing on entrances.
PLEASE CLICK ON EACH GROUP OF PHOTOS TO SEE THE DIFFERENCES IN EACH ENTRANCE.

This is my favorite one for today. . . it is an entrance to the headquarters for Burgerville, a northwest fast food chain. They also used to have "The Holland" which was a nice sit down restaurant. Aren't the handles on this entrance perfect for this company?


This group of entrances are from historical buildings in Vancouver, WA: The Academy and the the US Post Office are both on the historical register and the other one is a historical settler home.


During my walks around town, I saw many other entrances that were unusual enough to photograph and I have made some collages of them to not take up so much space. You can click on each group to enlarge if you want to do so.

Monday afternoon moon . . .

On my walk today I spotted the moon already showing it's pretty self. CLICK on photo to enlarge to read captions. Also, note that beautiful BLUE sky! Tomorrow the rains return. sigh

ODD SHOTS on MONDAY #2

The symbol above is for a new meme that Katney started last week .

"Odd Shots on Monday" .
I am so excited to be participating in this new challenge from Katney happening weekly on Mondays. NOW some of the ODD SHOTS I have taken will get their "claim to fame."

I have several I wanted to use but she wants just ONE per week so guess it will have to be this one that I saw while on a walk this week. . . YOU guessed it! It's for cleaning up after your dog does its business! It was on the lawn, near the sidewalk of a small apartment building in downtown Vancouver. Do you suppose it's a hint from the landlord who is tired of cleaning up after other people's pets?

Blog Your Blessing Sunday #18

Go here if you would like to participate: Blue Panther

Although the temperature is still cold outside, we have had a brief pause in the rain so it has been good walking weather. That made me think of what a blessing it is to be able to walk on the abundance of trails that our city has provided for everyone. Besides good health habits, we get the privilege of seeing God's wonders up close.

These are all in our park downtown. There is also a cement plaque from Volkssporters walking group but my photo cut off a letter so I didn't post it today. I'll go back and get a new photo in case someone reads this post at a later date. . .


CLICK on the photo to read the message.


This is the bench in Esther Short Park where the message is engraved. It is along the sidewalk and in front of a water fountain play area that extends a long ways on one side of the park.


Our mayor is a walking/bicycling enthusiast and I am sure he and the city council submitted an entry for us to receive this award. I don't know because I was teaching in California that year.

Gas alternative . . .

Thought this was interesting. Saw it on my snow journey to Camas but saved it for a separate post. I wonder if they pull up to a fast food place and fill up with used fryer oil?

If you missed my snow adventure "story," go here: story