Abstracts Today
Travel Art History Gardening Wildlife Food
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New bird at the feeder
When you daily monitor your bird feeders you get to know what birds frequent it. You can recognize a new bird quite easily. It’s the color, shape, and size. For the last couple of days I’ve noticed a bird smaller than a robin and bigger than a nuthatch or chickadee. It is also sleeker than…
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A new post goes in and the old fence comes down
In the northwest, wood decays into the soil. Fence posts and entire fences biodegrade into the soil. I’ve seen this after just a couple of years in the ground. Pay a little more for pressure treated and the fence will last longer. Pay the extra, it’s worth it. I have a fence on the side…
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Propagating the Monkey Puzzle Tree
I’ve written about the monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) before. This is a evergreen tree commonly found in the northwest. but it did not originate here. It is native to argentina and chila, specifically the andes. When we bought our home in the north of seattle, we found ourselves in the shadow of a 50…
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The way pharmacies used to be 100 years ago
While visiting my sister in Guthrie, Oklahoma, she brought me to the Oklahoma Frontier Drug Store Museum. Located on one of the many side streets in the historic downtown district, we entered through the ancient doorway. I thought it was an old bar with dark wood counters on both sides and bottles in the cabinets…
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A most treasured possession sold for $12
You feel it in your heart, gut, and mind. A valued item, a reminder of a time long ago and a person no longer with us. He was Curt and the possession is a brochure. More than a brochure, a booklet called Big Stump Trail. I remember picking it up and buying it for 10…
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the oregon trail’s start and finish lines re-visited
Over the years, in my travels, I’ve come across portions of the Oregon trail. Where possible, roadside markers indicate the exact location of this famous emigrant route. You look and see two ruts where the wagon wheels traveled. There must have been a lot of wagons traveling the road to embed such tracks. We called…
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Get your kicks on route 66 with al childs
route 66 turns 100 years old this year. The road runs from chicago to santa monica’s pier. it cuts through oklahoma and they know it and celebrate it. we’ve heard of a get-to-gether in tulsa, oklahoma may 30 of old classic cars. they will attempt to set a guiness book of world records during this…
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Living ghost town has a “made in china” relic
In northern oregon is the living ghost town of dufur, prounced “do for.” When they say living ghost town it means people still live there. Dufur has a buzz of life though downtown has many vacant buildings. Some of the buildings in town are 100 plus years old as is the Balch Hotel built in…
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A depression era dam with art deco features
Whether Hoover or Grand Coulee, I enjoy dam operations. The Bonneville Dam near Hood River, Oregon is a depression era construction with Art Deco styling. Completed in 1938, President Roosevelt opened the dam (1937). The fish ladder allows salmon up stream. The spillway are for their young to make it to the open sea. From…
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Two falls and a dam in northern oregon
This day marks the first day of an extended roadtrip planned several months ago. We start by heading to The Dalles in Oregon and go from there. On the way to the Dalles we tentatively planned three stops. We ended up doing all three. They are: Bridal Veil Falls – just off interstate 84 this…
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Pileated woodpeckers at the suet
a pair of pileated woodpeckers showed up literally out of the blue this afternoon. The one landed and had its back to me. I didn’t have my glasses so I didn’t notice any red on the head. Once I grabbed my camera and quietly went outside I captured a number of images of a second…
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When spring arrives, it shows
The 10-day forecast calls for sunshine. Finally, many of those who waited for the last frost can breathe a sigh of relief and hit the garden. Temps are still low in the mornings. I can’t imagine a frost after such gorgeous days. Some wait until June to plant. they say we have a short growing…
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Barred Owl in the backyard
A flash across the back sliding door caught the eye of my two kids. Was it an owl? What else would be that large. They live in the tall trees in the forest that lines the back our home. You can hear them almost any night. But to see an owl is a rare treat.…
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Daily abstract April 7, 2026. The Moffat Road Brochure
Picture perfect weather though slighly cool with temps between mid-40s and low 50s. Spent most of the day indoors tossing out old papers and listing on ebay. It amazes me some of the paperwork i’ve kept for decades. For example, the paperwork from 1994/5 where I purchased a business and rented a retail suite in…
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First day of Spring
Today is the first day of spring. Maybe that’s why I got up shortly after 5:00 a.m. It was 53 degrees and starting to get windy when I got up. Spent the morning outside and in the shop. I looked up to see a few Carmellia flowers on the tree. The rate this tree will…
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An obelisk in the desert. But what’s it saying?
This is the true roadside oddity. And i mean roadside; it’s literally on the side of the road. Traveling through Anza-Borrego one day, I came across this monument constructed of rock and concrete and built up like an obelisk. At eye level is a plaque with these words: This is the Desert. There’s nothing out…
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Parting with an old friend; my Honeywell pentax 35mm camera
My honeywell pentax Spotmatic 35mm film camera is obsolete and keeping it around for sentimental reasons just doesn’t make sense anymore. It was replaced by a cheap canon Powershot (digital) that fits in your pocket, takes digital pictures, and requires no developing. The canon served me well for most of ten years. In 1980 I…
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Good day, bad night on the skagit
I’m enjoying being at home sometimes day after day. However, i get the itch to go camping. In january i packed up and made reservation at rasar state park in skagit county. the park is located along the skagit river. The river flooded in december so I expected to see some evidence of the flooding…
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Swansea Ghost Town and the forgotten brochure
Recently I sold on ebay a brochure I picked up at the Armargosa opera House about 30 years ago. Sold for $19.99. Key to that sale was that owner marta becket wrote the room rates on the brochure. Ms. Becket has since passed but her memory is cherished by many who visited the opera house…
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Green-winged teal at Wiley Slough, Skagit County
Gone are the days when every duck i observed was a mallard, unless i’m visiting the zoo. Out here in the sloughs, ponds, mudflats, rivers and marshes, the exotic migratory birds are as common as crows. In the case of the Green-winged teal, I was after a stop-action shot using my Nikon D3500 DSLR. The…
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Five species of bird at the feeders today
It was the late afternoon watching the Seattle Seahawks NFC championship Game when i spotted a varied thrush in the bird bath. This bath had a hard layer of frozen water, a consequence of 26 degree nights. The temp went as high as 38 today. I took an empty milk container and dumped a gallon…
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Daily Abstract: waterfowl, fly fisherman
January 17, 2026 – Is this winter? Cloudless blue skies in January? There have been years where we’ve had overcast and cold for months on end, nine months with little breaks. Imagine, no sun. This last summer was extended, fall was an extension of that, and now this winter is mild. It is chilly. When…
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A rare variation of a common bird
I’m studying the red-breasted Nuthatch. However, all I see is the dark-eyed junco. The junco is a common bird at the feeder. No two are alike. Some are about as big as a robin, some small and delicate. they love the feeder and the seeds that fall on the ground. They spend equal time between…
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The bridge that was and still is – Everett’s Jack Knife Bridge
This is the story of a bridge that was, then was not, now is again. This bridge, considered destroyed according to National Archives records, and yet, here it is. It’s called the Jack Knife Bridge and at one time spanned the Ebey Slough. Cars drove over this bridge towards fertile farmlands on Everett Washington’s eastside.…
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This old photo: The Everett Massacre on Bloody Sunday
How times have changed. No longer is Everett called The City of Smokestacks. The lumber mills, canneries, smelters, brick factories, are long gone. Gone are the many shingle weavers who manufactured roofing shingles. The last group, the shingle weavers, went on strike back in 1916. For five months they were on strike when Industrial Workers…
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Golden; Ghost Town of Southern Oregon
In Golden we have standing structures that can be entered, at least some of the structures as of this writing (October 2025). There are five main structures to Golden and these were vital to the community when it had residents roughly from 1890 to the mid twentieth century. The structures include a one room schoolhouse. These were common in rural areas and in this case…
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The raucous Steller’s Jay comes out of the woods
The Steller’s Jay is a bird I associate with Yosemite National Park. They are a constant sight in the valley campgrounds. I’ve seen them get into nasty fights over food. Despite having a bad disposition, I’ve always thought they were beautiful with their black heads contrasted with a blue body. They style quite a hairdo.…
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Marta Becket and the Amargosa Opera House, a chance meeting
Some thirty years ago, my wife and I were wandering the region around Death Valley. We were coming in the back way for some reason. We came to an odd looking building and I just had to stop. It had a strange color scheme and long arched exterior corridors. It was absolutely deserted or rather…
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The Washington I really like, at Kayak Point.
It’s embarrassing. Some of the places I haven’t been. Now that I’ve been to Kayak Point I want more of the same. Here’s a sampling of what we saw on this short trip. Not even a day trip; more like a short excursion and we’re back in Bothell by noon. Kayak Point is just north…
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Pollinator in my garden.
How to identify a pollinator. That’s the goal isn’t it? Create a garden that attracts pollinators and when they come, identify them. Who are they? What are they? This morning, basking in the summer sun here in Western Washington is this gorgeous butterfly. I didn’t scare it off and it waited while I ran back…
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Re-repairing the leaking plastic bird bath.
As previously posted, I attempted to repair my plastic bird bath. It didn’t work after caulking and cementing, waiting and testing. Preventing a leak is a matter of persistence. I know I can do it; I just haven’t thrown enough at it to plug that leak which is a several inch crack in the bottom…
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July: Mid-summer blooms from the Hydrangea, Wax begonia, and a Daphne.
How foolish of me to think I only had one bloom on the property. I overlooked a wax geranium in a large pot. They love the sun and this one really sprang to life after placing it here next to the driveway. Wax begonia can be overwintered. Overwintering involves taking plants that you know will…
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Bird bath repair. Sealing a leak and raising the water level. Dry pouring concrete.
I’m taking a discarded bird bath and putting it back into service. I bought it for someone as a gift. It returned to me but is useless. Birds never went to it. I surmise that it is too deep and wobbles due to its light weight. One more thing; it’s made of plastic. I’ve observed…
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July 2025. A Prunus what? Difficulty identifying this tree growing in the front yard.
Coming off Covid and getting stamina back. No matter how hard I try, I cannot precisely identify a young tree growing up from the Salal in the front side. Between Google Lens and Plantnet, I’m getting inconsistent results. One set of leaves determines a Prunus domesticus. Other leaf groups cause a different reading. I’m going…
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It’s been worth the wait. Two new bird species in the front yard.
I’m happy for the Dark eyed juncos, nuthatches, and chickadees. They’re friends and constant visitors to this front yard. They make up 90+ percent of the bird sightings here. Then there are the crows, Steller’s jay, and occassional Downy woodpecker. We also find the Spotted Towhee and owl on occasion. Today, two new species arrived.…
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Mystery of the pumpkin seed, solved.
About two weeks ago I planted a bunch of pumpkin seeds. A special batch of seeds that I scraped out of a Halloween pumpkin in October of 2023. I left the seeds out to dry for several months then slid them into an envelope and marked it 1/2024. The envelope went into a drawer to…
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History brought forward. Their names and legacy embossed on steel rails in SODO. This story isn’t fabricated.
Came across this old railroad switch wedged between two buildings in the SODO district of Seattle. Sodo is an industrial area south of downtown. The switch looks complete though a little stiff to the touch. The tracks are buried in the earth and reappear on the asphalt covered streets. These rails have long since been…
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Exploring the Skagit River; river of abundance
Below is a link to a Youtube video I put together on the Skagit River. A second link is to a Youtube video about migratory birds, most of which was videoed where the river divides north and south draining into the Salish Sea. The Skagit, I find out, is head watered up in the Canadian…
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Sale: Gardners Art Through the Ages Parts 1 and 2. Detailed, insightful, and packed with information.
Link to eBay Store This is a sale of Parts I and II of Gardner’s Art Through the Ages. Each book is $9.99. Part I Ancient Medieval, and Non-European Art 8th Ed Part II Gardner’s Art Through the Ages Renaissance and Modern Art 8th Ed
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The amazing Salal bush. Prolific to the northwest from Alaska to California
Here in Washington state, the woodland undergrowth will almost always include salal. As common as ferns yet more tolerant of conditions and widespread from Alaska to California. This dense, sometimes impenetrable bush extends from the eastern side of the Cascades to the west side and on to the coast. A study of the northwest forest…
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Flowers of the Rhododendum
Residential neighborhoods are ideal for wildflower viewing, especially Rhododendrons in May. While maybe not a wildflower, the state plant is eye catching for its vibrant color and large and full bloom. The plant is immersed and sometimes completely engulfed in 5 to 8 inch flowers of blue, pink, white, and red. Different hues can emerge…
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Mexico 1989: Found picture from Angahuan, Michoacan, Mexico
My recent post about our short stay in the pueblo of Angahuan in Mexico included a number of photos taken with my Honeywell Pentax 35mm camera. This photo would have been included had I known it existed. No recollection taking this picture though the others I do remember.
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A look back at a poem written for my wife on our 21st Wedding Anniversary
Wrote and printed this little wedding gift to my wife Michele back in 2009. On the back is a poem. Many a Moon Many a moon since that day in JuneAnd here we are still singin that tuneYou were my l0ve then and my l0ve nowWe’ve gotten along everyday somehowAnd still things get better and…
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Mexico 1989: Ancient ruins of Tingambato and the re-creation of a postcard with uncanny results.
During our 1989 exploratory trip to Michoacan, we ventured to ancient ruins known as Tingambato. The top photograph is from a postcard. Often, I try to stand exactly where the postcard photographer stood and take the exact same shot. Notice the child in blue and red running across the courtyard. To reproduce the postcard accurately,…
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Wood projects over the fall: Box for an electrical outlet
Small issue. Suppose the rain that falls from the sky enters the electrical box and shorts it out? I built the box to prevent this. It’s a bit oversize, but it works. Only a couple of problems emerged. The box shut out the light, so the light sensor always sensed it as being night. It…
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Wood projects over the fall: Second shelf.
Problem: A long and rickety wood table in the kitchen. A freebie from somewhere this table is 77 inches long and about 15 inches wide; long and thin. And tall. So tall that large bins, totes, and bags of charcoal can fit underneath. The problem became not what’s below but too many appliances crowded up…
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Wood projects over the fall: Roof ladder.
The problem is not getting on the roof its getting off. Exiting onto a ladder from the edge of a roof is hazardous and thus paralyzing. The family worried about me after several incidents. So, I built a ladder system that allows me to walk on and off the roof with little risk. The ladder…
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Wood projects over the fall: Compost bin.
These projects won’t impress a finished carpenter, but they do serve a purpose. That’s why they were made, to solve a problem. The first is a compost bin created to capture the fall leaves. The amount of fall leaves that drop on this property is immeasurable. Somewhere there’s a forest of deciduous trees with no…
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Plant Id: Brooklime, Veronica beccabunga or European Brooklime
The pot is mine, but I don’t remember planting this brooklime. Plants that do well are left alone, this one I’ve paid almost no attention to. Now that it’s November and temperatures are dropping, I thought I’d bring it indoors, but there was no need. These plants can take the cold and this one has…
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Plant Id: Japanese Maple, Acer Jacanicum. A show-stopper in fall.
Once a year this tree stands out amongst all the others around it. The foliage in October is bright scarlet. At this point the leaves drop to present a red tapestry on the ground. Look for small flowers carrying seeds and replant. Otherwise wait until late spring, early summer to propagate using cuttings of new…
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Mexico 1989: Boat trip to Janitzio Island
Words can hardly do justice to the Lake Patzcuardo and surrounding region. Pastoral quiet towns, markets, fish, and tourism. We explored the town of Patzcuardo and its Saturday market. We visited the ruins of Tingambato, and the quaint village of Tzintzuntzan. From Patzcuardo we boarded a boat for the island of Janitzio where I read…
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Plant Id: Cherry Plum tree. Diciduous tree with deep purple leaves.
Our cherry plum tree stands about 20 tall and provides a privacy screen with the next-door neighbors. It took a direct hit when a 180-foot Douglas fir fell on it. The tree split in two yet survived. The branches extend up and out laterally. The rain will weigh the lateral branches down to where they…
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Mexico 1989: An unexpected stay in Angahuan, gateway to Volcan de Paracutin
It was after arriving back from our trek to Volcan de Paracutin and the visit to the cathedral that survived the lava flow, we found ourselves stuck in the town of Angahuan. We dropped off the horses, paid the young guide, and went to the little market to wait for our ride back. Because we…
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Overwinter wax begonias; key steps
Born with a stubborn streak I have refused to buy plants from the store, instead favoring the plants already on the property. This works well if you like an abundance of sword ferns and hydrangeas. We lacked color in key places like up the driveway and the wife noticed. I broke down and bought more…
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The germination of a wild chestnut seed
I live in the neighborhood of Chestnut Hills. The actual tree that these quaint few streets are name after is around the corner or so I’m told. There is a Chestnut tree on my lot.. From my humble research which includes Google Lens and Plantnet, it is an American Chestnut. In the fall they drop…
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Mexico 1989: Volcan de Paracutin. Mistakes were made.
When my father was young, he heard of a volcano exploding and devouring an entire town. The only thing left after the lava flow was the church steeples. By coincidence, Michele and I journeyed to that volcano on our 1989 rail trip to Uruapan in the state of Michiocan. The lava flow still exists as…
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Slap together the compost bin for fall leaves
I bought the wood months ago then procrastinated on this compost project. Even this small project has countless details and things to work out like will it work as a compost bin? What size? What type and size of wood? I attempted a 3’x3′ box with no bottom and no top. The corner boards are…
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Mexico 1989: Exploring beautiful Uruapan and surrounding towns
See the video on Youtube: Mexico 1989: Exploring beautiful Uruapan and surrounding towns We travelled to the town of Uruapan, Michoacan by way of the colonial town of Morelia. Arrangements with the Motel Pie de la Sierra were made in advance in the states from a guidebook. In 2024 I Google searched this same motel…
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Mexico 1989: Coin divers of the Parque Nacional Uruapan
Watch the video on Youtube: Mexico 1989: The journey begins. Mexicali to Mexico City. After three days and 1,600 miles on the Ferrocarriles Nationales De Mexico, we boarded a second train for the 250 westward leg to Uruapan in the state of Michiocan. Leaving the train station in Mexico City, we encountered about a dozen taxi…
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Backyard potato harvest
Sow in December; reap in August. That’s how things turned out with our small potato crop. The initial batch that got sowed came from the local grocery chain. I also planted some potatoes I harvested that year. Additionally, I bought seed potatoes for growing from Home Depot. Finally, my son handed me a bag of…
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Yuma Territorial Prison
A prison well suited for the frontier days of lore where bad men and women lived in an untamed territory and occasionally needed locking up for bad behavior. Like Pearl Hart a repeat criminal who dressed like a man and robbed stage coaches. She was a guest at the prison until her pardon by the…
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Mexico 1989: The journey begins. Mexicali to Mexico City.
Watch the video on Youtube: Mexico 1989: Mexicali to Mexico City by train with a visit to El Parque Nacional en Uruapan Why I do things I’ll never know. Back in 1989 I took my wife of one year on a journey from Mexicali, Mexico to the province of Michoacan in deep Mexico. We went…
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Simple salmon cooking instructions.
Six slabs of cut salmon may set you back close to $30. Prepared right and shared with others, the cost is a trivial matter. We rarely eat salmon, but the kids have higher education training in fish preparation. Use olive oil in the pan and turn on medium heat. Olive oil will not torch as…
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She’s no showboat. This ship sails.
Built of iron when most ships were built of wood. She’s sailed around the world 21 times, seen mutinies, burials at sea, and survived a cyclone in the Sea of Bengal. Brought immigrants to New Zealand and did the England to India run in her early years. While the United States fought a civil war…
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River access makes this park rock
The park with the unpronounceable name is just 6 acres. New to most of us, ƛ̕ax̌ʷadis Park has the one feature that puts it at the top of the list: direct access to the Sammamish River, and with that; boat, kayak, canoe, and SUP storage. River access is more than a muddy trail to the…
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