Nostr notes by BrownsBay

Looks great! It's fine up there. All the roads are open (very ...

2026-01-18T05:07:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…07s7
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Looks great! It's fine up there. All the roads are open (very few exceptions, if any). All shops and restaurants are open (La Conner, Mount Vernon, Bow/Edison, Burlington, Sedro-Woolley). There's some lingering standing water in some of the fields.

I can’t begin to adequately describe how beautiful it was today ...

2026-01-18T03:32:11Z

I can’t begin to adequately describe how beautiful it was today up in the Skagit Valley. Sunshine and not a cloud in the sky. Could this be winter? It was a little chilly but I was dressed for success, four layers. We passed by flocks of Trumpeter Swans in the fields. We did a whole loop around Lake Samish. #bicycling #cycling #bike #SkagitValley #SkagitCounty #LakeSamish #WhatcomCounty #PNW #Washington

We were over on Whidbey Island last Saturday (1/10/26) walking ...

2026-01-16T20:48:33Z

We were over on Whidbey Island last Saturday (1/10/26) walking around Langley when looking north I spotted this mammatus cloud formation.
#weather #clouds #PNW #WhidbeyIsland

A couple weeks ago we headed over to Camano Island to look for ...

2025-10-16T03:25:17Z

A couple weeks ago we headed over to Camano Island to look for some yard art. We also included a walk around the big Stanwood wastewater treatment pond, a birding hotspot. 1/2

We were at the Woodland Park Zoo in early July. We're members ...

2025-08-08T21:58:12Z

We were at the Woodland Park Zoo in early July. We're members now so we kinda go whenever we feel like it. Food is usually involved after the zoo walk, sometimes 74th St Ale House, sometimes Gorditos, sometimes something new. #zoo #animals #Seattle

Two Glaucous-winged Gulls fight over a sea star off the Edmonds ...

2025-07-28T17:45:49Z

Two Glaucous-winged Gulls fight over a sea star off the Edmonds fishing pier. Initially the first-year juvenile had it, then an adult gull attacked it. In the end, the sea star was lost. Win for the sea star. #gulls #birds #birdsofmastodon

About a week ago Monday I cycled around the Skagit Valley with a ...

2025-03-27T04:02:06Z

About a week ago Monday I cycled around the Skagit Valley with a focus on viewing the daffodil fields. #flowers #daffodils #SkagitValley #SkagitCounty #photography #landscape #landscapephotography #yellow #agriculture #PNW #Washington #nature #bicycling

Photos were from January 11th, this year. I'll be posting a ...

2025-02-09T04:24:08Z

In reply to nevent1q…utaz
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Photos were from January 11th, this year. I'll be posting a few more photos of our walk there, including some birds. It was nice that it was winter and all the trees and shrubs were bare, giving an unobstructed view looking back at the barns. Plus, it was evening and the lighting was just about perfect.

The Twin Barns at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually National Wildlife ...

2025-02-09T03:32:37Z

The Twin Barns at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge.
#photography #landscape #landscapephotography #rural #farm #barn #architecture #outdoors #PNW #Washington #Nisqually #TwinBarns #nature

This little Ensatina salamander wandered into our garage and was ...

2025-01-22T03:37:56Z

This little Ensatina salamander wandered into our garage and was trapped in one of our humane mouse traps. After a quick photo session, I placed it out in some thick accumulated leaf litter under our big Japanese maple. #nature #salamander #Ensatina #amphibian #herpatology #herp #naturephotography

Northern Pintail study. Padilla Bay. #photography #landscape ...

2025-01-14T19:25:29Z

Northern Pintail study. Padilla Bay.
#photography #landscape #nature #birds #birding #waterfowl #ducks #outside #outdoors #PadillaBay #birdphotography #naturephotography #PNW #SkagitCounty #Washington #Nikon

Two Bald Eagles perched high in a tree. South Padilla Bay ...

2025-01-12T19:56:44Z

Two Bald Eagles perched high in a tree. South Padilla Bay Wildlife Area.
#photography #landscape #nature #birds #birding #eagles #outside #outdoors #PadillaBay #landscapephotography #naturephotography #PNW #SkagitCounty #Washington #Nikon

Padilla Bay #photography #landscape #seascape #nature #outside ...

2025-01-09T19:57:12Z

Padilla Bay
#photography #landscape #seascape #nature #outside #outdoors #PadillaBay #estuary #landscapephotography #PNW #SkagitCounty #Washington #GooglePixel

A Horned Grebe with laser eyes patrols the Edmonds marina, ...

2024-12-23T01:14:37Z

A Horned Grebe with laser eyes patrols the Edmonds marina, occasionally diving to look for a snack, typically little gunnels. #birds #birding #grebe #nature #naturephotography #birdphotography #photography #eyes #Edmonds #PNW

Walking around Langley last Saturday after our bird count at ...

2024-12-18T01:38:05Z

Walking around Langley last Saturday after our bird count at Possession Point (Whidbey Island, WA). Cool historic buildings. And a rainbow! #photography #history #architecture #rainbow #PNW #Langley #WhidbeyIsland #WA

This camellia sasanqua we planted in a shaded corner of the yard. ...

2024-12-07T23:20:08Z

This camellia sasanqua we planted in a shaded corner of the yard. It didn't bloom for a few years. Then about three years ago it went crazy with flowers, starting in late November and going through into January. A bright spot under our dismal gray winter skies. #camellia #flowers #white #landscape #gardening #PNW

I started keeping a daily journal a couple months ago, which I ...

2024-12-07T23:11:31Z

In reply to nevent1q…s3vs
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I started keeping a daily journal a couple months ago, which I find quite satisfying in that it's more personal. I started a couple blogs a few years ago but didn't stick with it. It was too time consuming and sometimes challenging to find content and audience (who really cares?). Posting and commenting on Mastodon and Bluesky works for me, and writing an occasional nature-oriented story on Daily Kos.

Now Dr. Oz? These new Trump nominations are becoming a reality ...

2024-11-19T23:17:19Z

Now Dr. Oz? These new Trump nominations are becoming a reality show where washed up TV celebs try and resurrect their careers, like "Dancing with the Stars," only worse in all consequential ways.

We made a road trip to Ballard today. We parked at Golden Gardens ...

2024-11-15T05:35:23Z

We made a road trip to Ballard today. We parked at Golden Gardens and walked to the Locks. A NOAA ship was coming in through the large lock. I chatted with the crew and found out that they had just come in from Hawaii. The ship, Oscar Elton Sette, I found out is based in Honolulu. The crew told me that it will be drydocked in Lake Union. #PNW #NOAA #BallardLocks #Ballard #ship #Seattle #photography

The blue-gray lichen is Pixie Cup Lichen (Cladonia asahinae). The ...

2024-11-15T04:12:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…rt42
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The blue-gray lichen is Pixie Cup Lichen (Cladonia asahinae). The moss is some kind of fork moss (Dicranum).

I went down to the Edmonds waterfront for a little birding time ...

2024-11-13T20:07:44Z

I went down to the Edmonds waterfront for a little birding time on Monday. I was greeted by this crow who announced my presence. #birds #birding #crow #Edmonds #nature #naturephotography #birdphotography #PNW

Currently we have three Steller's Jays every morning at the ...

2024-10-31T04:37:24Z

Currently we have three Steller's Jays every morning at the feeder waiting for me to toss them peanuts in the shell.
#photography #nature #naturephotography #birds #birding #PNW #outdoors #Stellersjay #jay #blue

The shear cowardice of LA Times & WaPo is unconscionable. The ...

2024-10-25T23:09:42Z

The shear cowardice of LA Times & WaPo is unconscionable. The infiltration of oligarchy into the press, our political system and daily lives is a five alarm fire. My Dad was a newspaper pressman for the LA Times for 40 years. It gave us a good life. I worked there during college. Back then, the LA Times under Otis Chandler and publisher Tom Johnson was one of the most respected newspapers in the country. It's a sad day, truly.

Musk is truly loathsome in every way.

2024-10-21T17:22:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…zsnu
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Musk is truly loathsome in every way.

Today I took the dogs out walking at Ballinger Park. The park has ...

2024-10-21T03:36:56Z

Today I took the dogs out walking at Ballinger Park. The park has been closed as it was being renovated/revegetated into a more wildlife friendly park. It just reopened. I went to check it out. Hall Cr has been rerouted with more bends. Acres of new plantings with native plants. It's been a great birding spot and will now be even better. I saw wood ducks! I used my Backcountry Nav app to trace my route creating a .kmz file that I used to map out the trails on Google Earth. #outdoors

Last Friday at Costco, Elon was in the house. #Tesla #Cybertuck ...

2024-10-21T03:05:03Z

Last Friday at Costco, Elon was in the house. #Tesla #Cybertuck

Going forward, that conversation will always be in the back of ...

2024-10-15T04:03:17Z

In reply to nevent1q…l6ck
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Going forward, that conversation will always be in the back of your mind.

My new weather station is setup and online. This new unit is the ...

2024-09-26T20:05:35Z

My new weather station is setup and online. This new unit is the Ambient Weather WS-4000 Solar Powered UltraSonic Wi-Fi Weather Station. It replaces an Ambient Weather WS-2902 Home Wi-Fi Weather Station, which we had going for about 10 years. The old unit seemed to be getting clunky, disconnecting more often with the console. So far, the WS-4000 seems to be working fine. Setup was relatively easy. We'll see how it works in the long run. #geekalert #wawx #wx #weather #AmbientWeather

I finished this book a couple weeks ago when I was in San Diego ...

2024-09-20T18:57:51Z

I finished this book a couple weeks ago when I was in San Diego for work. I get a lot of reading time in airports and on planes. I like history, especially history of the west and westward expansion. This book was in part a biography of Custer but included his cohorts as well and Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and other native Americans. Well researched and written, fun read. #books #history #western #west #UShistory #Custer #nativeAmerican #LittleBighorn

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/james-donovan/a-terrible-glory/9780316029117/?lens=little-brown

We read the whole series to our kids when they were little.

2024-09-18T17:36:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…94xw
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We read the whole series to our kids when they were little.

I believe Mount Stuart is the tallest nonvolcanic peak in the ...

2024-09-17T16:11:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…f0fq
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I believe Mount Stuart is the tallest nonvolcanic peak in the Cascade Range.

Someone said it's Mountain Monday. I'm here for it. This ...

2024-09-02T19:32:30Z

Someone said it's Mountain Monday. I'm here for it. This is Tahoma (aka Mount Rainier) from the top of Crystal Mountain last Thursday. My wife and I rode the gondola up and then hiked 5 plodding miles down to the base. After that, we headed over to Sunrise and hiked a couple more miles. I have a ton of photos from this trip, and still working through my Oroville photos for a flickr album. #mountainmonday #mountains #PNW #Tahoma #MountRainier #photography #volcano #glacier #Nikon #NikonZ5

That and hiking to Park Butte are some of my faves.

2024-08-29T03:21:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…ae9h
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That and hiking to Park Butte are some of my faves.

I'm pretty sure that photos 2 & 3 are lady ferns ...

2024-08-29T03:18:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…tx2v
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I'm pretty sure that photos 2 & 3 are lady ferns (Athyrium filix-femina). Giant chain ferns don't quite make it that far north. Here's one I photographed along the Rogue River in southern Oregon.

On this last work trip to Oroville, CA, I came across this huge ...

2024-08-26T03:56:58Z

On this last work trip to Oroville, CA, I came across this huge carpenter bee. I had just arrived at my hotel, opened the car door, and there it was. I scrambled to get my phone primed for the photo. These new phones are amazing. Anyway, the bee is a carpenter bee (genus Xylocopa) and the flowering plant is likely autumn sage (Salvia greggii) or some hybrid of it for landscape purposes. #nerdalert #nature #bee #naturephotography #macro #photography #insect #entomology #pollinator

0.75" (1.91 cm) over the last 24 hours here in SW SnohoCo. ...

2024-08-24T16:19:03Z

In reply to nevent1q…7hy5
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0.75" (1.91 cm) over the last 24 hours here in SW SnohoCo. 1.05" (2.67 cm) since the rain began here in the wee morning hours Friday.

After negotiating the twists and turns and sometimes bumpy Vashon ...

2024-08-23T19:09:10Z

In reply to nevent1q…u2qg
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After negotiating the twists and turns and sometimes bumpy Vashon roads, we found the Troll: "Oscar the Bird King" He's out there on the very eastern tip of Maury Island, Point Robinson. There's also a cool lighthouse on the point. #Troll #Dambo #VashonIsland #Vashon #PNW #art #sculpture

After our Point Defiance Zoo visit we still had much daylight ...

2024-08-23T16:34:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…9v3r
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After our Point Defiance Zoo visit we still had much daylight left. So, my wife says "How about we go over to Vashon and find the Troll?" Me "What are we waiting for? Let's go!" We line up for the Tahlequah ferry. The ferry is loading and with five cars in front of us, the boat is full. Dang! So, we walk over to Anthony's and have a beer and some clam chowder while we wait for the boat to return. Lemons to lemonade. #PNW #PNWlife #Tacoma #Vashon #ferry #WSF

Here's another volcanic rabbit hole to follow, especially for ...

2024-08-21T19:44:36Z

In reply to nevent1q…uepm
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Here's another volcanic rabbit hole to follow, especially for you Oregon and Portland peeps. Those hills around Portland: the Boring Volcanics. https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/cvo/science/boring-volcanic-field-hills-portland-basin

The final stage of a cinder cone eruption is often a basaltic ...

2024-08-21T19:38:53Z

In reply to nevent1q…uepm
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The final stage of a cinder cone eruption is often a basaltic lava flow. A classic example of this is Amboy Crater in the Mojave Desert. https://www.blm.gov/visit/amboy-crater-national-natural-landmark

Yep, basalt (lava flow) of Oligocene epoch age (roughly 30 ...

2024-08-21T19:08:27Z

In reply to nevent1q…ed52
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Yep, basalt (lava flow) of Oligocene epoch age (roughly 30 million years bp), resistant to erosion compared to the surrounding rocks. There's probably much more to the tectonic story of how these rocks were formed, where they formed, and how they got to be where they are. The photo screen cap shows the hills I think you're referring to. "Roadside Geology of Oregon (2nd ed.) by Marli Miller is an excellent book to have with you while traveling around Oregon.

Amazing structural geology out there, the Horse Heaven Hills, ...

2024-08-21T18:21:42Z

In reply to nevent1q…v7w7
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Amazing structural geology out there, the Horse Heaven Hills, Rattlesnake Hills, the Yakima Fold Belt, etc. You probably know this website where you can access geo maps, historical topo maps, etc. https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/ngmdb/ngmdb_home.html

I have yet to hike on Badger Mountain despite all the work trips ...

2024-08-21T18:05:56Z

In reply to nevent1q…sy7x
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I have yet to hike on Badger Mountain despite all the work trips I've made to Tri-Cities. I understand that there are ice-rafted erratics and stone piles high up on the mountain. There was quite a backup of floodwater at the Wallula Gap. Anyway, here's a link to the Eugene erratic. https://www.nps.gov/places/erratic-rock-state-natural-site-bellevue-erratic.htm

Glacial erratics are fun to find here in the Puget Lowland. The ...

2024-08-21T17:50:11Z

In reply to nevent1q…hm0h
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Glacial erratics are fun to find here in the Puget Lowland. The bigger ones are named. Even cooler are flood-rafted erratics into the Willamette Valley from the Missoula floods, all the way down to Eugene. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacial_erratic_boulders_of_the_Puget_Sound_region

An old college friend, who is filthy rich and became a Mormon, ...

2024-08-20T18:10:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…70v6
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An old college friend, who is filthy rich and became a Mormon, once told me he learned everything about business through the Mormon church. This tracks.

A visit to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium last weekend. A ...

2024-08-19T23:03:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…8c3t
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A visit to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium last weekend. A 33 second video of the hammerhead shark. A ray photobombs. #PointDefiance #zoo #aquarium #Tacoma #nature #video #shark #hammerheadshark #ray
https://youtu.be/a2CPeuh-pRU?si=E8cjd7gVZSwGHNbe

A visit to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium last weekend. ...

2024-08-19T21:36:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…66ev
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A visit to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium last weekend. Last two photos, I promise (except for a shark video). These two photos show some of the amazing landscaped grounds in full bloom, but don't do it justice. You must see it. #PointDefiance #zoo #landscape #flowers #bumblebee #nature #Tacoma #photography #GooglePixel

A visit to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium last weekend. ...

2024-08-19T20:24:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…shke
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A visit to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium last weekend. #zoo #animals #PointDefiance #Tacoma #photography #nature #marinelife #Pacificseanettle #jellyfish #shark #hammerheadshark #aquarium

A visit to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium last weekend. ...

2024-08-19T18:30:35Z

A visit to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium last weekend.
"Charlotte gave birth to a female muskox calf, Willow, on September 7. The fuzzy calf is becoming more steady on her little legs while staying close to mom. As the adorable calf grows bigger and stronger, she will continue to bond with Charlotte in the muskoxen habitat and behind the scenes."
#zoo #animals #PointDefiance #Tacoma #photography #nature
#muskox #Nikon

I flew over Crater Lake around 10 am on my way to Sacramento. It ...

2024-08-15T04:03:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…zqxl
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I flew over Crater Lake around 10 am on my way to Sacramento. It was clear then. Good, clear views of Shasta, too.

Last Tuesday, I went for a hike to Snow Lake right off Snoqualmie ...

2024-08-11T19:38:25Z

Last Tuesday, I went for a hike to Snow Lake right off Snoqualmie Pass. I took my dog Daisy with me, one of our two dogs. She won the toss, just me and Daisy. This is an extremely popular trail. We got an early start. On the way out, there was nearly a constant stream of people hiking up. Despite the popularity, Snow Lake is simply beautiful. I'm rediscovering hiking again after the last two years of cycling a ton of miles. #PNW #hiking #outdoors #mountains #GooglePixel #photography #Cascades

Today's bicycle ride, 80.8 miles. This is the longest ride ...

2024-08-09T01:39:51Z

Today's bicycle ride, 80.8 miles. This is the longest ride I've done in a long, long time. I am pooped. #bicycling #cycling #PNW #SnohomishCounty https://ridewithgps.com/trips/209953517

I love Mexican food. Here's a shoutout to one of my favorite ...

2024-07-03T21:52:24Z

I love Mexican food. Here's a shoutout to one of my favorite taquerias, El Antojo, a small chain here in Pugetopolis. My wife and I had breakfast there yesterday at the Burien location after her eye appointment in Tukwila. Photo is of huevos en chili verde. #food #Mexican #desayunos #breakfast #taqueria #PNW https://elantojo.com/