These trees are in my backyard in Seattle, Washington, and this was taken in this first snowstorm of the season. The one on the left is a magnolia, and the one on the right is a pink dogwood. They will certainly look different in a few months!

This photo is or will be linked to these memes: Watery Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera) and Skywatch Friday. If you have arrived via a link and there is only one photo below, if you click on Sara’s Fave Photos you will see the rest of them.

We had our first snow this winter two days ago. I love that brief time when the snow has fallen but no wind has come along to disturb the frosting on trees and shrubs. I went outside to our patio, standing under the eaves so my camera wouldn’t get the silll-falling snow on it, when I heard that familiar Anna hummingbird whirrr. There she was, and what a scenic, snowy backdrop she had as she rested on her red feeder! I like this for the snow frosting everything like icing as much as the beautiful little bird, so I am calling this my Best Post of the Week.

Since several of you asked, they do stay in this lattitude nowadays because people like us provide feeders. It is not usually freezing here, and if it does freeze, we take the feeder in overnight so it’s liquid in the day.

Snow counts as water for Watery Wednesday, doesn’t it? Also, visit Outdoor Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Scenic Sunday, SOOC Sunday (straight out of the camera), Camera Critters and Ruby Tuesday 2. Click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the complete blog collection here. Or try a tag like “Scenic” in the right sidebar down a bit, or a search for “Snow” in the upper right field, perhaps, to see something new.

Next to my backyard is a horse pasture with two boarded horses. This one, Ranger, is owned by a teenage girl who loves him very much. See the blanket she put on him! This is from a week ago, just before even more snow fell. I love how it looks when the sky is darker than the snowy ground.

Visit Watery Wednesday for other water shots, and Outdoor Wednesday for more scenes outside. Scenic Sunday and Skywatch Friday are very worth visiting as well. How about joining Wordless Wednesday with one of your own photos?

Check out Free Photos to see what’s new, and do click on Sara’s Fave Photos here if there is only one below.

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!

This is my backyard, taken last week in the first snow of the season. I felt that I needed to post another shadow shot today. I love the roses below, but the shadows just weren’t crisp enough. These blue shadows are good for Blue Monday, and this is another for Scenic Sunday, too. Also, this is a good post for the Sunday Creative, on the theme of Frozen.

As always, if there’s just one photo below, do click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the complete blog experience.

Looking at the new snow that had fallen out back on Monday, we could see from that dark, laden sky that more snow was coming. When the sky is darker than the land, it’s such a strange kind of look. I like the way this is a full color image but looks almost monochrome.

Visit Skywatch Friday for more skies seen around the world, and Scenic Sunday for great scenery. And have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Yesterday when the snow was just getting going, it collected so beautifully on the trees in the backyard. That is one old cedar tree, and I’m sure it has seen worse storms than this one. And check out the bonus little video of the snow falling in the front yard!

Visit Watery Wednesday for more versions of water in all its forms. Outdoor Wednesday has more views of the world outdoors. This one is straight out of the camera, or SOOC. Scenic Sunday has more scenery, naturally!

If there’s only one photo here, it means you’ve arrived by a link. Click on Sara’s Fave Photos for the entire blog.

I promised you scenic, and this is about as scenic as it gets, as far as I am concerned. The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is a photo opportunity from heaven. Seeing all the people snapping pictures shows photography is alive and well in America today.

I know it’s a stretch, but I’m counting the snowy fields in the distance as an entry for Watery Wednesday. Certainly visit Outdoor Wednesday, and Color Carnival, too. And remember, you can always click on Sara’s Fave Photos above to return to the full blog with my latest post on top.

I love this photo, and I’m calling it my Best Post of the Week.

This view of Mt. Rainier was taken while flying to Arizona a couple of years ago. It fits the Thursday Challenge theme this week: HIGH or LOW (Photos from a different perspective, Photos from the top or bottom of Buildings, Mountains, Towers, Underneath,…).

Do you like this one or the previous post’s photo better, I wonder?

That overlook (elevation approximately 700 feet)  near my house is a view of Puget Sound and Vashon Island, but if you look sharply to the left, there is Mt. Rainier in the distance, perhaps about 40 miles as the crow flies. I do prefer the water view, but sometimes the snowcapped peak of our favorite volcano looks pretty fine. This was a gray day yesterday, but I think it’s impressive, in a Seattle sort of way, anyway.

Visit Watery Wednesday for more water (or ice or snow) views. And try Scenic Sunday for more fascinating scenery.

I am trying a new meme today: Outdoor Wednesday. It looks great with some neat photos for you to browse.