On a trip up to Camano Island yesterday, just loving that sunshine, there was the Stillaguamish River (the “Stilly”) and the magnificent snow-capped Cascade Mountains as a backdrop. Today all is cloudy again, but it was so nice while it lasted.

Speaking of sunshine, I am headed south to the San Francisco area (Wine Country, here I come!) to visit and take in the Impressionist show at the de Young Museum, as the show is soon to head back to Paris. Paintings just look so different in person, and it’s much easier to get to San Francisco than Paris. I can’t wait, as great weather is predicted and it will be so good to hang with the peeps again. It will mean time off from this blog and Free Photos, but just for a week. I’ll be back before you know it with lots of new photos.

In the meantime, be sure to visit Watery Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday, and do browse around here and Free Photos while you’re here. Ta-ta!

On New Year’s Eve we like to have a crab and cream cheese dip, and to make sure there are enough calories, only with ridged potato chips. Only once a year, but still. So in recent years, I”ve been adding a vegetable plate, also very good to stick in crab dip. This year we got to use the crab we actually caught ourselves in September, which was super wonderful. I hope your New Year’s Eve was as delicious.

Visit Ruby Tuesday for more intriguing images with red. And look around this blog or Free Photos while you’re here, why don’t you?

These are some of my top fave mums. I remember that my mom grew them when I was growing up in New York City (it’s not all tall buildings, you know), and the tiny “spoons” of the petals totally fascinated me. And the scent. I was pleased to see some in a recent gift bouquet I received. Lucky me!

Visit Shadow Sunday, Mellow Yellow Monday and Macro Monday for more neat photos. Do browse around this site, as there’s lots to see. Search here or next door in Free Photos for anything you’d like to see.

Happy New Year to everyone! May health, wealth and happiness be yours, in 2011 and in every year.

Winter has only just begun and of course we’re yearning for spring already. Here’s a vision of spring foxgloves, just a few months away. They are very easy to grow from seed, especially in the Pacific Northwest with our low light and acid soil, but they only bloom the second year.

Visit Macro Friday, Macro Flowers Saturday, Scenic Sunday, SOOC Sunday, Today’s Flowers and Pink Saturday for some great photography on a theme (photo memes).

While you are here, click on a new category or tag. Or browse next door for very pretty photos, in Free Photos. Don’t forget to rate your favorites!

It was clear overhead but all misty and mysterious out on the water. Can’t you just hear the foghorns?

Visit Watery Wednesday for more interesting kinds of water photos, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, Weekend Reflections, Skywatch Friday and Sunday Shadow Shots. This one is straight out of the camera, too.

Do browse the little images, or thumbnails, next door at Free Photos, linked to searchable larger photos you can copy and use for your enjoyment. And if this photo is the only one below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the rest of them.

While I was in the Las Vegas trip archive yesterday, I found this shoe photo. Perfect for Ruby Tuesday! I love to look at them but go for comfort in my own shoes. I’m always amazed that anyone actually walks in them.

If there’s only one photo below, click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the full blog experience. And visit Free Photos next door for even more, with new ones added all the time.

Las Vegas is so great on so many levels, and especially to those of us who love travel but can’t quite fit a European jaunt into the budget lately. Since I had to go there for a conference in November, I certainly appreciated the art and architecture, even if it’s all faux. Lovely anyway. The Venetian Hotel has lots to like for people who miss Italy like me.

Visit Mellow Yellow Monday for more splashes of yellow, and Shadow Shot Sunday for more neat shadows. And don’t forget to check out the new photos at Free Photos, next door.

I grew these paperwhites and did the vodka-and-water technique I read about on the internet and it worked great. They did not fall over and are doing their festive thing for us. Don’t they look cool in front of our tree? Let’s call this the Best Post of the Week, too.

Happy Christmas and New Year to all!

Visit Today’s Flowers for more flowers from the entire planet and Color Carnival for more bright colors, Macro Monday for close ups and SOOC for straight-out-of-the-camera shots. Check out Free Photos for more flower and scenic photos, while you’re at it, too.

A bit of sunshine perks up everything in the house. These days in Seattle’s northern lattitude when the sun is so low in the sky, the our rare sunshine reaches far into the room. This was taken at my south-facing kitchen table a week or two ago. But now the days lengthen and eventually the sun’s rays will not enter the window at all.

Visit Shadow Shot Sunday for more interesting shadows of all types, and Blue Monday. Such creativity!

Remember, only one photo below means more will show if you click on Sara’s Fave Photos. And do see what’s new in Free Photos “next door.” Rate your favorites!

Thought I’d share a gift of a springtime dream of color and fragrance with you this Christmas morning. Sometimes I think I like the bud stage more than the fully opened flower. Such energy and promise!

Visit Macro Flowers Saturday , Blue Monday and SOOC Sunday when you have time. If only one photo here, click on Sara’s Fave Photos, and for even more photo browsing fun, click on Free Photos. Have a wonderful holiday!