We were cruising the canyons on jet skis when we came upon this small group of wild sheep coming for water. They were a bit suspicious but not afraid.

The lighthouse was established in 1890 and this photo is of the lighthouse keepers home. The site is assessable by trolly from the lighthouse parking lot near Avila Bay and is a very popular tour. It is run by a board and docents. They close at 5:00PM and I’ve asked several times to provide a sunset tour for photographers. That hasn’t happened yet so all we get are these sunny day shots.
According to my map the Olympic Peninsula has 29 waterfalls. They all require some level of walking or hiking. Some harder than others. Ludlow Falls is an easy one as the trail is well maintained and not too far or steep. In the typical nanny state fashion there is a large green fence that “protects’ you from falling in and/or getting too close. In order to get a clean shot you have to pre-focus, compose, then raise your tripod higher than you can reach and use the remote release. This photo is of the upper end of the falls. In order to get the lower end you would have to wade upstream and around the fence. That would be better done in the summer. This day was very cold.
My first post of 2014 comes from the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island, WA. We were on the island visiting my son’s family and took the four grandkids there for a hike. It was cold, raining, and cloudy. There was very little in bloom but I did find this Golden Weeping Willow which is a hybrid and has this wonderful winter color.
The Reserve’s 150 acres has natural woodlands, landscaped gardens, including a Japanese Garden, a Moss Garden, a Reflection Pool and the Bloedels’ former estate home. Portions of the property over look the sound.
There is a reason it’s called Emerald Bay, however, this photo doesn’t show you why. I’ll post the iconic shot tomorrow but I wanted you to see what it looked like our first morning in South Lake Tahoe last week. I have all wheel drive and needed it to get up the mountain. Had the camera wrapped up like a baby between shots to keep it warm and dry.