Today marks the start of longer days in the Northern hemisphere. Here comes the light! Happy Solstice to you, and may you take and enjoy lots of beautiful photos with the increased light.

Peaceful view of sky and Puget Sound in Washington State

Connecting up with Through My Lens Monday, Good Random Fun Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Tuesday Cheesy Photo, Our World Tuesday, Pictorial Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Wednesday Around the World (WATW), Weekend Reflections, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Skywatch Friday, Friday Bliss, Pink Saturday, All Seasons Sunday, My Sunday Photo, and Sunday Snap.

A few weeks ago the sky was incredible at sunset. The Cove in Normandy Park is at Puget Sound, so it’s salty but quiet water.

Dramatic sky at the Cove in Normandy Park, WA

Also on Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Pictorial Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, Wednesday Around the World (WATW), Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Skywatch Friday, Friday Just Be, Weekend Reflections, Pink Saturday, My Sunday Photo, and Sunday Snap. Have a great day and hope to see you soon.

Some friends have a truly spectacular backyard. Their flowers are extraordinary, and that’s just the one border. But even at that special place, several smoky days ago, the hazy air was an unwelcome visitor.

Haze from wildfires in the Pacific Northwest

Connecting to Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Pictorial Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, Wednesday Around the World (WATW), Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Skywatch Friday, Friday Just Be, Weekend Reflections, Pink Saturday, My Sunday Photo, and Sunday Snap. Have a fine day and see you soon.

We went camping. Even though the air was hazy with wildfire smoke, it was still beautiful out there.

Scenic view of Big Creek in Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington, near Mt. Rainier

Here’s a short video of the scene, from this view to the left:

Linking up with Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Pictorial Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, Wednesday Around the World (WATW), Friday Just Be, Weekend Reflections, Pink Saturday, My Sunday Photo, and Sunday Snap. Have a great day and see you soon.

The air was awful in Seattle this week, due to wildfires in British Columbia and in Washington. This was the worst I’ve ever seen or felt it.

Red sun in a very smoky sky at the Cove in Normandy Park, WA

Linking up with Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Pictorial Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, Wednesday Around the World (WATW), Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Skywatch Friday, Friday Just Be, Pink Saturday, My Sunday Photo, and Sunday Snap. Have a fine day and see you soon.

There are wildfires in California and our own Washington State, an early start to the fire season.

At the Cove in Normandy Park, WA, a smoky sunset last evening

Linking up with Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Pictorial Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, Wednesday Around the World (WATW), Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Skywatch Friday, Weekend Reflections,  Friday Just Be, Pink Saturday, My Sunday Photo, and Sunday Snap. Have a great summer!

A peaceful view of Puget Sound from Three Tree Point, south of Seattle.

Water, luminous sky and serenity at dusk

Linking up with Through My Lens Monday, Blue Monday, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Pictorial Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, Wednesday Around the World (WATW), Skywatch Friday, Friday Just Be, Weekend Reflections, Pink Saturday, My Sunday Photo, and Sunday Snap. Have a great day!

While at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Seattle the other day, we saw a great blue heron from pretty close by, looking for lunch. A tough job.

A great blue heron searches patiently for some fish to eat

Linking with Through My Lens Monday, Macro Monday, Blue Monday, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Pictorial Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, Wednesday Around the World (WATW), Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Friday Just Be, Camera Critters, Pink Saturday, My Sunday Photo, and Sunday Snap. Have a great day!

This mallard duck hen was looking fine at Country Village, in Bothell, WA. See post below this for a video of a few other members of her family.

Scenic duck swimming in a creek in springtime

Linking to Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Pictorial Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, Wednesday Around the World (WATW), Friday Just Be, Skywatch Friday, Camera Critters, Weekend Reflections, Pink Saturday, My Sunday Photo, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, and Sunday Snap. Have a great day!

I know flamingos are supposed to be pink, but the ones I saw in Florida a couple of years ago seemed maybe more orange. Posting just for fun on this gray Seattle day.

Brightly colored flamingos at bird sanctuary in Florida

Joining Through My Lens Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Pictorial Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, Wednesday Around the World (WATW), Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Camera Critters, Pink Saturday, My Sunday Photo, and Sunday Snap. If only one photo is showing here, please click on the curly letters of Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see a few more.

On a January day, not too far from my house, Puget Sound in Washington.

Overlook to Vashon Island, south of Seattle WA

Joining Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Friday Just Be, Skywatch Friday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, and Pink Saturday. Thanks for stopping by, and hope to see you here again soon!

We were in Issaquah, WA, finishing up dinner after a day selling jewelry at Salmon Days, and the sky just opened. I have never seen a such hailstorm (with lightning! thunder!). The roar of the hail and rain, an inch of hail on the ground, and rivers of water and ice because the leaves and hail clogged all the drains. Expect the unexpected, I guess.

Hail and rain crashing down in surprise early fall hailstorm in Issaquah, WA

Linking to Through My Lens Monday, Our World Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Tuesday’s Wordless Wednesday, Outdoor Wednesday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Weekend Reflections,  Shadow Shot Sunday 2, and Pink Saturday. Thank you for your visit here first.