Apple Blossom Sunset

No new Jujube pics so I'm sharing some apple blossom photos I took Saturday and tonight's sorta sunset. As you can see, the actual sun setting has moved to the north and is blocked by the large stand of trees to my northwest. You can see the blooming rhododendron on the north side of my deck to the right of the sunset:


This is the view from my deck taken at the same time.


Tis the first color I've had at sunset in a long time. Weather dood tonight is predicting four (4!) days of no rain in a row. I'm not sure if I'm gonna believe him but ... tonight's pretty in pink sunset after today being yet another day of rain sure was a hope raiser.

Home

Sorry for not updating earlier... when we got home late this morning, I didn't have an internet connection so i tried to sleep instead since I had been up for 24 hours or so.

No damage here that I can see. The water I saw driving home on the roadway appeared to be from rainfall and not a surge.

It sure felt good to crawl into bed and tonight I am sure it will feel even better now that I've got some food in my belly.

We dodged a big one here on the coast. It was good practice in any event. I realized that loading the car took me longer than it should have and that I should not have stacked stuff by the door to take down all at once. I would have been better served to taken them down to the car as soon as they were packed up.

The critters and I are fine.

Baby Cantaloupe Sunset

Sorry for not getting this out until today instead of Thursday, but today was the first time I've had any sunset at all. Tis been a grey week with a blanket of clouds hiding the skies and although the daffodils are blooming, the air still has a bite to it. The sunsets have moved north again, to behind the trees -- a sure sign that spring is on its way.

From Jen's email with Baby Julianna's size descriptor for week 34:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers – which she'll need to regulate her body temperature once she's born – are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Jen and Mike had a photo shoot today of maternity pictures. Can't wait to see them!

Gold To Pink Chinese Cabbage

The pictures are from Wednesday's sunset, the only day with sunshine this week (until today), and were taken shortly before and after the sunset. So far, the sunshine has been a rare sight -- today is only the 3rd day in the past two weeks where that yellow thingie has been in the sky.

From Jen's email with Baby Julianna's size descriptor for week 28:

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Jen, her sister-in-law Stacy, and I will be driving down to CA next week for Jen's baby shower on Saturday the 29th. Since the majority of Jen's family and friends are in the SF Bay Area, it is easier for us to drive down there than have them all have to make that 12 to 14 hour each way drive or fly up here. Stephanie is flying out from Colorado for the shower -- I am looking forward to being with both my girls at the same time (a rare treat).

We will be taking Mike's truck (which has a covered bed) so that we can bring the gifts back up here. I'll head over to Jen's Wednesday and spend the night so that we can leave bright and early Thursday morning. We should be back either Sunday or Monday - with me returning home to Netarts Bay Tuesday at the latest. So far, the weather appears to be cooperating for our travels with no snow or ice forecast for our travels through the mountains in southern Oregon and northern California.

Token and I met with the owner of Canine Garden Resort (a local kennel on the road to Tillamook) on Wednesday. Token will be staying there while I am gone and I am confident that he will be spoiled rotten while hanging out inside the house with Marie, the owner -- she's partial to small dogs and he's partial to people so its a good match. Bailey cat is self-sufficient, coming and going through the cat flap in the kitchen door for food etc., but Token needs to be with people, especially at night.

Cucumber Sunset

No real sun today (as evidenced by the lack of ability to clearly see the spit on the other side of the bay) but I was treated to some high clouds reflecting the sunset. Both were taken after sunset and show the color that I wudda had if it wasn't for the low clouds amassed on the other side of the spit.

From Jen's email with Baby Julianna's size descriptor for week 26:

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take two to three days.

Two

Two days of sunshine! In a row! Still forking cold outside tho -- high today was in the high 40's and it is already down to the mid-30's and the temperature is still falling.

It is a very weak sun with little to no warmth but it sure is pretty after all the grey. Pictures are from just before, during, and after today's sunset.

Mango Sunset

Haven't had much sun this week -- in fact, the pictures up top are the before and after from the only bit of color I've had -- and are from Wednesday. The sun peaked out from below the ever-present layer of clouds just in time to share a wee bit of color before the clouds closed in again.

From this week's email from Jen with Baby Julianna's size descriptor:

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

Jen had a doctor appointment this week and the doc said Baby Julianna Mango measured exactly what she should measure at 23 weeks. Wonder what next week's size descriptor will be ...

Sunset Through My Window

The view from where I sit at the computer. That's the finch feeder Teddy gave me hanging on the pole at the corner of the deck.

The bank of 3 windows -- the center is the best for viewing the bay and sunsets -- the view out the 3rd is mainly the stand of trees you see framing the right side of a lot of my pictures.

A close up of the after sunset glow.

Finally, one that was not taken from inside -- this is from the deck just outside the front door -- showing the last of the fading glow

It cold out there taking it. Scurried backside and stood next to the blazing wood stove trying to warm up.

Sunday Sunset

Been a while since I've had a sunset -- today the drought sorta ended. Had some sun today, not a lot, but enough to give me hope that the clouds would be held at bay long enough for some color at sunset instead of the usual gray that's been so prevalent lately.


As the sun was dipping below the clouds, the clouds deepened and closed off any further color. No actual sunset but it sure was pretty. Within a few minutes of taking this last shot, the gray was back.

Hippo Birdies

Hippo birdies two me
hippo birdies two me
hippo birdies deer me
hippo birdies two me
..... and mini s'mores.....

Thursday's sunset -- the sunsets are moving further and futher south. Soon, the trees will no longer block my view and I'll watch it set behind the spit. Spent the afternoon with my friend Teddy hanging out here, at a great cafe in Oceanside, and then showing him both Cape Meares and Cape Lookout. We had a great time and are going to do it again real soon. Twas his first time at the Oregon Coast. The day was drizzly and overcast but shortly after he headed back to Portland, the clouds lifted.

Monday Sunset

Wasn't much of a sunset tonight -- no color and the gray deepened to dark -- so I'm sharing Monday's sunset with ya.

The marine layer was present most of the day. Many times during the day I could not see the spit. Hell, at times I could not see the far point nor even the leaning tree on the closer one and then I would look a few minutes later and could see clearly. Didn't think I would see much color as the evening approached but then I saw the mist start to glow:


Shortly thereafter, the mist faded away and things started to look gray as the sun sank below the horizon.


I was about to the point of thinking that was it for color and that the dark overhead clouds were going to win when I noticed a treat starting to appear on the horizon:

My patience was rewarded with this:

Last Night and Tonight

Yesterday's sunset:



Tonight the clouds had me thinking I wasn't going to get any color. It wasn't much at first but then this red streak was across the sky:



A nice end to the day.

Friday Sunset

Friday's sunset. Clouds have been moving overhead all day and this one was lined up just right to catch the setting sun's rays. As always, click on the photo to make it bigger.

Haven't had any measurable rain since July 2nd. Weather dood says we may get up to a half inch of rain late Sun night and Monday. Everything is crispy dry -- reminds me of the way the San Francisco Bay Area hills got by the end of June. I'm looking forward to the rain returning the vibrant back to the greens.

Birds In The Creek

Another day with birds on the bay. This time, they were hanging out in the creek in the same spot the eagles like to wash up when the tide comes in -- but the tide was going out. They were feeding on something -- sticking their heads and chest into the creek leaving their buts stuck up into the air, and then back to floating.

Closer view of the creek.


As always, if you click on the picture and open it up in another tab, you can then click on the larger picture in the new tab and make the picture even bigger.

Eagle Washing

This afternoon, I had the good fortune of watching this eagle wash up in the creek. The eagle landed at the junction of the creek and the bay as the tide was coming in and pushing against the creek water flowing into the bay.

Love having eagles for neighbors. As always, click on the pictures to make them bigger.

Why I Sneeze

I'm sneezing - a lot. The white stuff ya see on the bay isn't whitewater or waves -- tis a mass of pollen that has fallen onto the bay and has been pushed together by the waves and tides. Today's high tide pushed only a wee bit of the mass into the cove -- there is a lot more of it up at the north end of the bay.

Another day with overcast skies and only the faintest hint of the sun. Still, temps are in the mid to high 60's -- tis warmer than it looks. Meanwhile, I'm sneezing like one of them characters in a Disney cartoon.

A couple more photos of the rose that tries to eat the stairs. In the first, you can see why it gets called that; the second is a closeup.


The last photo is the rose outside my bedroom window.


If I remember correctly, that is pink columbine behind it.

Misc. Eye Candy

The bay was gorgeous today:


Out and about around the front deck.


The rose that tries to eat the stairs (and has made its way onto the deck) is getting ready to have a bazillion blooms on it. It's gonna lose some when the front deck and stairs get rebuilt.



And, of course, the obligatory photo of Token looking grumpy as he guards the driveway:

Whoops

Sorry I've been neglectful -- just realized that a week had passed since my last post. Really don't have much to say -- no news is good news, right?

A couple pictures -- the sunset at high tide is from Friday night.

If ya click on the picture above (makes it bigger) you can see the two birds (one at center above the spit and one further away near the top left). Had lots of eagle sightings this week.


The birds are from today as are the clouds trying to sneak in from Cape Lookout. Temps are back to summer norms -- high 60's and low 70's during the day and in the mid 50's at night. The clouds try to play hide and seek with the sun -- some days the sun wins but the clouds are persistant. Portland has only received 0.62" of rain in the last 4 weeks -- we could use some rain since it is fire season. No lightning tho, please.

Summer?

Summer on the Oregon Coast is just around the corner according to the weather doods. I would give ya the temps but my weather station has completely died after many years of service -- a few months ago it quit recording the rainfall totals but still showed indoor and outdoor temps and now nothing. I put in new batteries but still zip, zero, zilch on the screen.

My peony thinks it is spring and is blooming again. This plant has never done an additional bloom after the regular early spring bloom.

The weather doodette on my local news says high clouds are moving in ahead of a week front coming in tomorrow but that this weekend will be sunny, mainly dry, and warmer.