Planted the garden today. Its not very big but we still got worn out. Like #Mac after scott wears him out, kona just plops down and naps

Went on a great 4.5 mike firest hike today. Found some nice spring wildflowers.
The pink 5 petal flower is the first “salmon berry” bloom I’ve seen. It will make delicious orange berries later in summer.
The purple orchid is a “lady slipper”

The white lily is a “fawn lily”

The yellow flower is a common dandelion, but l liked the petal pattern.

After a fun day of photo bombing some if my flower photos it was time for kona to relax and stretch out on our lawn once we got home. I may do the same.

Didn’t see much walking around in the woods today, so i took some photos of Kona jumping back and forth over a creek.

Went walking today on a paved farm road. It poured down rain all day. Kona dog still found time to check out the neighbors collection

While taking our dog Kona walking Im starting come across early spring flowers. Im using my Canon 250mm lens, so I just stand back about 3 feet from the flowers to get these close up shots.

The red flowers are a wild Currant. The hummingbirds really like these flowers.

The small yellow flower is an Evergreen Violet

The yellow composite flower is an Oregon Grape. The state flower of oregon. It produces dark blueish edible berries. Eaten alone, they are really tart. Ive tried them and I recommend a sweetener. The berry is supposed to aid digestion, and acts as a antimicrobial.

Hoping to come across more native flowers as the weather gets a little warmer.

It might be a little chilly and wet, but Kona Dog loves playing fetch in the water regardless.

Spotted a herd of Elk today while hiking. I was sneaking up to get a closer photo, but Kona Dog had different plans. Once she smelled them, she was hot on their trail, so the only photo I got was of 4 cow Elk. Plus a photo of Kona running to check them out. There were two big bull Elk that I was trying to get close enough to take a good photo. Then I could show how impressive they they are up close. I’ll try again in the future.

Had a great walk in the forest today. Got to see a couple deer, but they caught me trying to sneak up on them and kept a close eye on me before prancing away. Kona Dog was exhausted after all the excitement and a 4 mile walk

I spotted a Cormorant Bird yesterday. I only had a cell phone to take a photo, so its not perfect. Kona dog spotted it and looks on as well. Cormorants like fish. They have long bill and dive under water to catch their prey while using their webbed feet for propulsion.

I was able to spot some Red Wing Black Birds today. Kona dog was more interested in begging for food.

Did you know that flocks of wintering red-winged blackbirds can number in excess of a million birds per flock. It also ranks among the best-studied wild bird species in the world.
I was able to capture these photos using my canon 250mm lens. The birds were a bit far away and in the brush, so the quality is not as good as I would have liked.

2 days ago it was 68F. Today started out at 33 and snowing. Kona dog took it all in stride.
I found a black cup fungus. First time I’ve seen one this color. It felt like lizard skin. I did a little research and discovered its called an Ebony Cup. Apparently it produces something called “Plectasin”. It has the ability to inhibit growth of pathogenic bacteria. Im not sure if its currently in use but sounds positive. Learning interesting things everyday

Spring has brought out the trillium flowers. These are the first I've seen this year. Kona dog is sniffing things in the background.

The trillium has traditionally been used as a uterine stimulant , and has been called “birthwort”.

Beautiful day today. Spotted a Kestrel hanging out on a tree. Kona dog had her interests elsewhere. A kestrel is a type of small hawk. One thing they do thats notable is hover about 20 meters above the ground then swoop down to grab their dinner. Other hawks are more suited for capturing prey while in flight. I took these with my 250mm canon zoom lens. The kestrel was a bit far, but I managed to get a couple shots worth sharing.

We were able to walk around around Hug Point at Arch Cape near Cannon Beach yesterday during a minus tide. Its not too common, but its fun. There is a nice waterfall you can climb around. Kona dog and I are looking down at my lovely misses from the top of the waterfall. Found a couple things while beach combing as well. A small limpet Shell and a couple Sand Dollars

I got photos of a Red Tail Hawk while walking Kona Dawg today. One out of the two is a really decent shot. Kona is far more interested in the side of the road. The Red Tail hawk is the most widespread hawk in North America. I saw this one on top of a large Douglas fir tree just as it was taking flight. I used my Canon 250mm lense for this one