Wishing you a happy, happy holiday season.  And for tomorrow, Happy New Year!
A poinsettia, holding a bubble of water in its cupped bract; Wright Park Conservatory, Tacoma

Frozen Leaves

I'm sure you've seen those leaf skeletons, coated in shimmery metals.  We have several that we hang on our Christmas tree each year.  These oak leaves, frozen versions of the enegry-collecting green leaves of summer hung stiff and unnaturally still on their branches, just like those pretty little metallic leaf skeletons.

Icy Icicle Creek

In Leavenworth this December we took a walk along Icicle Creek and the Wenatchee River.  It was mid-morning, but so dark, the sun obscured by fog and low, thick clouds.  As the sky began to clear we were crossing one of the icy bridges and saw the sight you see here.
It reminds me of an image taken on a much warmer day, a sunny September morning on the Olympic Peninsula.

Well, hello there!

This curious little fellow was found in our yard, and seemed just as curious about its human observers as we were of it.

Summer's End

Early on a bright, clear and truly gorgeous Saturday morning, during Seattle's finest time of year, we headed east into the mountains toward wedding in Eastern Oregon.  As we crested the summit, our car forced us to stop and enjoy the scenery.  Sections of the highway were closed to allow for stabilization of the adjacent slopes, so the tow truck was painfully delayed.  We made it to a shop 30 miles away just before they closed for the weekend and while we waited for our ride back home we explored a bit.  Regrettably we missed the wedding.  The beautiful bright sky made a striking backdrop for these impossibly tall summer's end sunflowers.

I encountered these tiny cup lichen (Cladonia) on a decaying bit of branch nestled in the thick, carpety moss on the forest floor while seeking out a good spot to hang devices to snag martin hair for a population study with which i was helping.