I had an appointment today (actually today! The actual date of this post!) and afterwards I was drawn in by the sunshine and the nearby walking trail along the Columbia River. This is a few miles south of my normal walk into work. Just as beautiful.
One difference walking along this stretch is that it’s part of a very active park, and the wildlife are clearly very used to humans being around (actually, they mostly seemed shocked I wasn’t giving them any treats). Say hello to my squirrel friend!
Outside the Crystal Palace in Parque del Retiro was a large pond. There were many ducks, and so obviously I took pictures. SPANISH DUCKS.
It took a bit before we realized the pond was filled with turtles. And so of course I took more pictures. SPANISH TURTLES!
After a long walk around the park we stopped at one of the many cafes for a bite to eat. I finally had the first of many glasses of sangria. We were entertained by the little bowls of potato chips that were a normal item handed out (much like a bowl of nuts I suppose, but still…)
On a recent non-foggy walk into work along the Columbia River a great blue heron flew by me and landed on an antenna. I’ve seen them land in trees, but this was really unusual. I walked by and he was quite unconcerned as he surveyed the river.
I was going to walk on that sidewalk, and I turned the corner and saw this.
I opted to take a different route.
At work there is a large pond area with fountains that provides a heat-sink for the HVAC systems of nearby buildings. It also provides a waystation for a lot of geese. On this hot day, the geese were swimming under the fountains to stay cool (I presume) and we all enjoyed a rainbow together.
This is our cat. She adopted our home (when it was a construction site) when she was a kitten and lived through lean times before living in luxury. She apparently saw the potential. Because she was a stray, she was named Stray Cat. This has caused no end of confusion at the veterinarian.
I don’t think I’ve ever timed a photo of her better than this one.
On my morning walks by the Columbia River, I’ve recently been seeing giant pelicans (specifically, these are American White Pelicans with close to a ten foot wingspan!). It’s so cool to see them in flight – though I’m not equipped to get a nice photo of that. But I also spotted one in the water; the quality isn’t great because I’m far away and using my phone, but that silhouette is unmistakable!
Yes, I know most people would quickly move along when a snake is on the walking path.
Me? I stop for a chat and a photo.
This time a red-headed finch joined us for a bite to eat. Then he promptly ignored me.
Longhorns, chilling at the ranch. As they do.
@KellyOSullivan 