The magnolias are gorgeous this year. This tree in our backyard is one of the many dotting the neighborhood right now. And the horses in the pasture adjoining our property just love the fallen petals. They even eat the blooms that they can reach off the tree! No harm seems to be done.

Pink Japanese magnolias against a sunny sky in springtime

Two horses graze magnolia blossoms on a sunny spring day

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The sun was out! Our five-graft plum tree in the back is popping into bloom! This is its second year so we might get a plum or two. I love the idea of five different plums on one dwarf tree. Jars of jam, here I come!

Young plum tree opens white blossoms in the sunshine

Participating this week in My Romantic Home, Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Floral Friday, Weekend Flowers, NF Blo-Ma Tuesday, Today’s Flowers, Scenic Weekends, Outdoor Wednesday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Thursday Challenge (Spring), and Macro Monday. Thank you so much for stopping by here, and hope it’s Spring where you live. 

Took this photo of Seattle’s iconic Space Needle in early spring just on Friday in Belltown. Don’t the clouds look pretty? We do clouds well here, or at least have lots of them. Usually all seamless gray, unfortunately. This kind is so much nicer, especially when there’s a bit of blue, too.

Seattle’s iconic Space Needle, seen from Belltown, against a cloudy sky

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In Belltown (a trendy neighborhood in Seattle) on Friday, lots of cherry trees, some with these burgundy colored leaves, were blooming. Here’s a pretty photo with the heavenly blue sky showing in the background. NOTE: I’ve been advised that these are plum blossoms, not cherry. Still beautiful!

Ornamental cherry blossoms at the peak of their bloom.

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Finally, a current photo, hot off the memory card. I was lucky enough to be in Belltown yesterday, an area of Seattle I don’t usually get to walk around. And it was sunny!

Trees, other buildings and sky reflected in a glass building in Seattle

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The weather has been so cold, gray and rainy, but there have been “sunbreaks.” This was taken during one of them at this time last year. You are looking south on First Avenue in Burien, not so far from me, south of Seattle. Puffy clouds and pink trees make a landscape for me, any time.

Spring scene with cherry trees and clouds in Burien, Washington.

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This image of blooming yellow witch hazel is from exactly one year ago. Not too many blue skies (or even flowers) around yet this year, but that’s what photo archives are for. It’s from a close by neighbor’s yard, and I really want some for my yard. It smells heavenly.

Yellow witch hazel tree blooming in late February in Normandy Park, WA

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When it gets really sunny in the winter it gets cold. I just stay in and be warm, and enjoy the shadows on the curtains that the low sun makes. You can see the hatiora, or drunkard’s dream, in the photo below. How cheerful on a winter’s day: sunlight and bright yellow flowers.

Plants cast their shadows on my kitchen curtains, on a cold, sunny morning

Hatiora, or drunkard’s dream, flowers in January in a sunny Seattle window

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A trip to the archives for a blue sky, and who wouldn’t like to have Mt. Rainier and a full moon decorating it, in the late afternoon light?

A full moon over Mt. Rainier, seen from the Normandy Park overlook

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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!