May We Raise Children Who Love The Unloved Things May we raise children who love the unloved things — the dandelion, the worms & spiderlings. Children who sense the rose needs the thorn & run into rainswept days the same way they turn towards sun… And when they’re grown & someone has to speak for those who have no voice may they draw upon that wilder bond, those days of tending tender things and be the ones.–Nicolette Sowder

Every year, Great Blue Herons nest at Commodore Park near the Hiram Chittenden Locks in Ballard, a suburb of Seattle. They build their nests in the treetops and it’s a pretty cool experience to visit this site, especially for a bird enthusiast. This is one of my favorite photos; looking for a fresh salmon dinner. A word of advice is to avoid the benches under these trees as they’re covered in heron poop.

Two clouds (one that looks to me like a bunny) tethered to each other; my view from the front door. No rain today but it’s freezing in the shade and only slightly warmer in the weak winter sun. ☁️☁️☁️ It was the kind of March day when the sun shines hot, and the wind blows cold, when it is summer in the light and winter in the shade. — Charles Dickens from Great Expectations

Wishing a very happy Woman’s Day to all strong, intelligent, talented, and simply wonderful women of this world! International Women’s Day is a global day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. IWD began in New York City on March 8, 1857 when female textile workers marched in protest of unfair working conditions and unequal rights for women.

A few days ago, we had a special weather alert telling us it actually might SNOW on the beach! The temp dropped significantly. It had been raining off and on all day and I was SO hopeful, as excited as a first grader; sadly it didn’t snow here. There were…

A while back, the two of us sat on the floor contemplating a puzzle of wild animals. “Don’t help me!” “I can do it by myself!” “OK, I won’t, but I’m right here if you need me. All you have to do is ask.” She cocks her head, slyly looks…

California Lilacs, or Ceanothus, are some of our most fragrant and colorful shrubs here in California. They are also evergreen and very drought tolerant. Our extreme rain has caused my prize ceanothus plant to bloom like it’s never bloomed before. What’s even more amazing is that a few years ago I thought it had died and planted other things in its place when I noticed a few sprouted leaves, so I decided to watch and see what happened.

As much as I love seashells, I love sea glass, too. Did you know it takes an ocean about thirty years to break down glass into these jewels? The beaches in my area aren’t great for sea glass OR seashells, but we do have a lot of rocks, so I…

Happy National Pancake Day! It’s not just Fat Tuesday; it’s the day to celebrate pancakes, too! When the original Angel Boy was young, my pancakes were a source of extreme disappointment. They looked inviting on the outside, but the interior was often mushy and undercooked. Finally, my son had such…