Every New Year’s Eve I cut up some vegetables for our after midnight snack, along with the crabmeat and cream cheese dip, with potato chips! Hey, the veggies cancel out the yummy fats, is how I think. Hope you had a wonderful celebration, and the luckiest year to you in 2013.

The carrots and broccoli are from our backyard!

Joining up at Water World Wednesday, Nature’s Footsteps Waters, Ruby Tuesday 2, and Macro Monday. If there’s only the one photo here, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above for the rest. Thanks for visiting, and come back soon!

Now that it’s been arranged that we will be showing our new glass tile jewelry and Flowers books a the NW Flower & Garden Show in February, I am all excited to review some of the images I’ve taken over the past few years. You sure can see some great flowers at that show! And today, on New Year’s Day, here’s a gift bouquet for you. May your year be filled with exotic blooms and comforting old standards.

Stunning bouquet of orchids, roses, ranunculus, camelias and others at NW Flower & Garden Show

Participating in Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, and Ruby Tuesday 2. Please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see the rest of the images here. Thanks for visiting and Happy New Year to you and those you love.

No snow yet this year, but here’s a lovely scene from my back yard from last winter.

Please visit Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Water World Wednesday, Nature’s Footsteps Waters, and Pink Saturday (snow). I appreciate your stopping by, and please come back soon.

Fresh snow on magnolia and dogwood trees

As this year comes to a close, this photo of two kayakers on Bowman Bay, right off of Deception Pass in western Washington State, really “floats my boat.” It symbolizes the feeling I have of moving out into life, alone but with a companion, on water which is dangerous but gives so much pleasure. The blue sky and water, the calm day, the companionable silence, and the feeling of freedom, make this a picture of my wishes for you in 2013. May you have these blessings and more.

In the ancient system of I Ching, water is the symbol in two of the eight basic parts of the hexagram. One is the symbol for Danger, and one is the symbol for Lake, or Pleasure. I love that.

Two kayaks on scenic Bowman Bay, WA

Participating this week at Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Water World Wednesday, Nature’s Footsteps Waters, Ruby Tuesday 2, and Mellow Yellow Monday. Thanks for visiting, and come back soon! If there’s only the one photo here, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above for the rest of the pretty pictures. Thanks!

My sweet sister-in-law in Connecticut just sent me the prettiest photo, snapped with her phone. I love it and hope that you all enjoy it, too.

Pine branches, pine cones, and a candle. Merry Christmas!

There’s a lady not too far from my house who really goes all out with the holidays. She does amazing things at Halloween and July Fourth, as well. But the Christmas display is my favorite. At this time of year, in this northern latitude, we love lights! Below is the view from the road in front of her house, showing the reflection on the top of my car as I steadied my camera, and below that is a closer view which includes Santa in the gazebo. There’s a huge Christmas village inside the home, but we’ll save that for another day. Merry Christmas!

Visit Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Pink Saturday, Mellow Yellow Monday, and Weekend Reflections. If you’d like to see the latest photos, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above. Thanks!

Normandy Park, WA holiday lights

Santa waving from the gazebo

This summer a new attraction opened in Seattle at the waterfront, a huge ferris wheel. Do you see the two sports fields in my rearview mirror? So many curves in this photo! You can still drive on the viaduct past it, but not for long. I haven’t ridden on it yet, but I plan to. Even though the gondolas are enclosed, I am betting that the view will be spectacular. I will bring my camera.

Joining up at Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Water World Wednesday, Nature’s Footsteps Waters, and Weekend Reflections. Thanks for visiting, and come back soon! Please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see some other neat images.

Seattle’s new, enclosed-car ferris wheel on a typically gray day

On my visit to Port Orchard, Washington last week, of course I had to look at the boats and reflections at the water there. A gull was so helpful in flying by right as I was taking a photo. Thanks, little gull!

Participating in Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Scenic Sunday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Water World Wednesday, Nature’s Footsteps Waters, Camera Critters and Weekend Reflections. To see all the latest photos, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above. Thanks for visiting, and come back soon!

Seagull and a cloudy sky in Port Orchard, WA

Here’s a view at Seattle’s Woodland Park Rose Garden, from a June solstice a few years ago. It’s been raining here, or completely overcast, since the second week in October and I, for one, want to look at sunshine and flowers. Hope you do, too.

Joining up this week in Pink Saturday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, Scenic Sunday, Outdoor Wednesday, Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, and Ruby Tuesday 2. To see all the latest images, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above. Thanks for stopping by, and hope to see you again soon!

It’s been awhile since I posted a view from the overlook near my house. This was taken on the numerologically important day of 12-12-12. In all the clouds and rain Seattle has been having since mid-October (after a fabulous summer of sunshine) that day the sun managed to peek out briefly and I was there. Hope you enjoy this view of the ephemeral magic of the setting sun.

Joining up in Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Scenic Sunday, My Romantic Home, Pink Saturday, Water World Wednesday, Nature’s Footsteps Waters and Weekend Reflections. To see all the recent images, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above. Thanks for stopping by, and come back soon!