Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
Antique Cars and Planes at WAAAM – and Two Mountains!
Last weekend we stopped by the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum, in the most unlikely of places, the small town of Hood River on the scenic Columbia River Gorge.
It has to compete with one of the most scenic places in the USA, but it does a good job, so I thought the groups of cars and planes would work well for this week’s Sunday Stills Challenge.
It’s one of my husband’s favorite museums, so we’ve been there many times, but this was the first time we were also treated to a car show outside.
Inside was a wonderful assortment of cars and planes, I’ll only share a few.
including my favorite car, a melon colored Kaiser,
and a Schmitt which I swear was smiling at me!
As much as I enjoyed the museum, I couldn’t help but notice Mt. Hood behind,
And great views of Mt. Adams on the other side of the river, in front.
Location, location, location!
More pictures to come from our trip to the Columbia Gorge!
~ Susanne
Whatcha Doin, Benji?
“Oh, hi, Sue. I found the supplies. Thanks, I appreciate it.”
“Only I could use some help getting into the snacks.”
Happy Caturday from Susanne and Benji! 😺😺
Stalking the Hummingbirds
Yes, I admit it. I’m a stalker of birds.
It had been a while, so I went into the shed and hid, leaving the door open a crack, hoping a hummingbird might land on the feeders nearby.
Within minutes a handsome male Anna’s hummingbird showed up, and I had my camera at the ready.
It was my lucky day.
~ Susanne
“D” is for Daylilies – and Danger to Cats
When I first heard that daylilies only blossom for one day, I thought, why bother?
But then I saw them in mass, each bud seeming to wait their turn for glory.
Beautiful together, and close up too, though I may have gotten carried away.
It’s a beautiful flower but I don’t have any in my garden; and thankfully, there are none nearby. Why?
They’re extremely toxic to cats.
Even though not true lilies (they belong to the genus Hemerocallis, a perennial that grows in clumps from tuberous roots) they’re just as dangerous to cats as true lilies are.
According to PetMD : “Two species of toxic lilies are especially dangerous: true lilies (Lilium species) and daylilies (Hemerocallis species), which can both cause kidney failure in cats.
While the exact toxin has not been identified, exposure to any part of the plant can cause sudden kidney failure, neurological signs, and other serious problems in cats.
Ingesting just small pieces of the petals, leaves, or even the pollen or water in the vase can result in severe, potentially irreversible and fatal kidney failure.”
Wow. I didn’t know how toxic, until I did the research for this post.
So now you know; if you have cats, please don’t have daylilies in your garden.
Enjoy them, when you’re about and about, like I do.
Sharing my ‘D’ flower with The Flower Hour.
~ Susanne
Looking for Red, White, and Blue midst the Gold
I went walking at Soos Creek Botanical Garden yesterday and found a lot of gold, especially in the Carlmas Long Border.
But I was looking for red, white, and blue and found it scattered about in the form of brilliant red roses,
white hydrangeas,
daisies,
and morning glory.
I found more white near the pond, surrounded by green and a touch of blue,
more blue in the hydrangeas,
and if you stretch it a bit on the spectrum, shades of blue below.
Sharing with The #Flower Hour.
~ Susanne
Great Blue Herons and Bald Eagles – at Coulon Park
I was thrilled to find a bonanza of big birds on my walk at Coulon Park this week! I saw three Great Blue Herons, standing tall, patient and stoic.
And the skies were filled with Bald Eagles!
I counted six over head at one time, many juveniles, though this adult was content to stay perched below on a piling,
singing up a storm.
Which is bigger? Depends on how you measure. Great Blue Herons are taller at 3 – 4 feet, while Bald Eagles are heavier and have a greater wingspan, of 7 – 8 feet. Which is best at fishing? My Google search says the Herons have the edge, but while I watched, it was the Eagles.
And I’m reminded of a competition I saw a few years ago, where under the watchful eyes of a Heron,
an Eagle swooped in
and left with a salmon.
Leaving the astonished heron behind, perhaps hoping none of his friends were witnesses.
~ Susanne
Still Thundering at Snoqualmie Falls
Yesterday, with temperatures in the nineties, on the last day of our heat wave, we headed to the hills for a look at Snoqualmie Falls. I was surprised at the amount of water still flowing, as it thundered while dropping 268 feet below.
Once down below, it settled quietly into the river.
“Snoqualmie is the English pronunciation of “sah-KOH-koh” or “Sdob-dwahibbluh,” a Salish word meaning moon. As a spiritual place, it gave birth to many legends. One tells of “S’Beow” (the beaver), who climbed into the sky to bring trees and fire down to earth. The Native Americans who roamed the valley were known as people of the moon.” Snoqualmiefalls.com
After our visit, we went to nearby Snoqualmie Casino for lunch. Even though we don’t gamble, you can’t beat the award-winning Falls Buffet!
~ Susanne
Beautiful Foxglove but Handle with Care
I love seeing Foxglove growing wild on country roads and I often stop by for a photo.
Today, I went looking for some around town and found them near a transmission station where land had been recently cleared. They seem to spring up where there’s plenty of sunshine, surrounded by other wild plants, complementary in yellow.
Years ago, I captured this migrating Rufous Hummingbird feeding on a Foxglove in the Quinault Rainforest. At the time, I thought it was wonderful, now I’m not so sure.
Foxglove is also called Digitalis and used in heart medications of the same name. It’s toxic to humans, and other mammals and birds and should be handled with care (or not at all.) While I found mixed information online, most reputable sources discouraged planting them in your garden if you have hummingbirds around. The jury was out on whether the plant was harmful to bees.
I’m hoping the hummingbird was unharmed.
Sharing with #The Flower Hour.
~ Susanne
Graceful Swallows in the Great Outdoors
I’ve always loved birds but became an avid birdwatcher after I picked up photography years ago. (To me, the zoom on a good camera, is even better than binoculars.)
I see a great variety of birds in my own backyard: hummingbirds, chickadees, wrens, towhees, and junco are some of the regulars.
But there’s one bird that doesn’t visit my yard, though I see them regularly on my walks around Lake Washington: Swallows.
“Slim, streamlined form and graceful flight characterize these sparrow-sized birds.’ Peterson Field Guide
They’re fun to watch as they swoop gracefully and acrobatically over the lake, eating insects on the wing, perfectly designed for the task.
They’re too fast for me to capture in flight, but I have managed to catch them when they take a break. I found this one at Coulon Park last month, posing for me from all angles; a Tree Swallow I believe.
I saw the one below on the other side of the lake, from the Cedar River Trail, also a Tree Swallow or perhaps a Violet-Green, I’m not certain.
I assume these youngsters are Barn Swallows, based on their rufous chest color and their lodging in the eaves of the building nearby.
Finally, last week on the tidelands of Hood Canal, I saw another Swallow. It was sunny and bright and he was far away, so the resulting pictures are blurry, though I like the background. There’s no white, so I’m guessing this is a Barn Swallow too.
Hard for me to tell them apart. Maybe you can.
Sharing my #Wild #Birds, with Sunday Stills.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 
