So Long Atilla, my old friend

I have a history of getting way too attached to my cars. Back in the early 1980s, my first car, a 1979 Honda CIVIC had fallen into so much disrepair that was getting a little embarrassed to be driving it around. I had it painted because its brown paint had oxidized. under the steady California sun's UV rays  the car's synthetic seats fell apart. I had pulled T-shirts over the two front seats so it wouldn't look so crappy.

1979 Honda Civic Hatchback

But finally, although the car, at 80,000 miles was still running well I bought a new car. I took the dealership's offer of a measly $200 for my old car. 

The very night I sold the car I had a heart wrenching dream. I had an old hound dog which I hugged and wept over because I was being forced to give it up. Next morning I woke, called Honda and got my car back! Shortly thereafter I sold my old friend to a nice Hispanic man who needed a car for his daughter. I gave him my auto maintenance log that listed all car services and its milage per gallon of gas. When he drove off with the car, I felt good. 

Skipping over the car that replaced my brown bomber, in 2004, my friends Jeannie & Ron went with me to bargain and purchase a new car. I got a Mojave Mist color (brown again!) Honda CR-V. That was 21 years ago. I remember being horrified that this first car I was buying all on my own, cost as much as I thought my first house would cost, being approximately $20,000.  My brown CR-V ran by the name 'Atilla the Honda'. For years I commuted to the light rail in that car, as well as birded, including 2 trips to Yellowstone and a b'jillion wildlife refuges all over the western USA. 

My 2004 Honda CR-V

Alas, no car, not even my dear 'Atilla the Honda' can run forever. Last January after 21 years and over 280 thousand miles of faithful service, my poor old CRV suffered an oil leak. Two different Honda dealers couldn't stop the leaks. Anyway it was time for a new vehicle. The Honda was dead - long live the Honda.

I donated Atilla to National Public Radio. It was picked up from where it  sat in my drive way for 2 months while I worked up the courage to say 'goodbye old thing'. My next door neighbors commiserated with me, as they too had known and lost cars they loved. It was nice having the moral support. 

Atilla was stripped of its Washington License Plate

An honor guard Doe led the procession 
as my dear Atilla was driven off into the great unknown

End Note: My new car is, no surprise, a Honda: a 2026 CR-V Hybrid in Ash Green. This one, as the Scots say, is sure to 'see me out'.

The Starling Wars

Male Flicker visiting the suet feeder

Northern Flickers, a type of woodpecker, are all over Sequim. What Sequim lacks in variety of species it makes up for with some species in good numbers. There are Bald Eagles everywhere and I even see them shooting by from my living room windows. There are a couple of pairs of Northern Flickers that hang around, hopping around my balcony railing and sitting atop the Swallow nesting box I put there, but which is not large enough for Flickers. 

It occurred to me that HEY! I bet the Northern Flickers would love a nesting box. So I blew the mint on a beautiful Flicker nesting box from Wild Birds Unlimited. Handyman Don, hung the box off the back 2nd story patio, so the box faces trees and gets good lighting. The box was filled with cedar shavings and the only thing to do was to wait for the Flickers to discover their amazing dream house. 

Now, Barbara, my neighbor and long time friend, has the best view of the Flicker box from her cottage livingroom window. I was in my upstairs room at my desk and I got a call from her, telling me "There are Starlings going in and out of the nest box."

Oh, holy crap. A battle had begun. I raced upstairs and outside to the nesting box and lifted its lid.

The nest contained three, sky blue eggs. You would think that would make me happy but...

I double checked on line and sure enough, the blue eggs were Starling eggs - the EFFING Starlings hijacked the Flicker box! 

The battle for the Flicker nesting box had begun... 

Tip Toe thru the Tulips with We

Roozengaarde, a Tulip Haven 

Been in the Pacific North West for more than 5 years, meaning it is about time I took a trip to view the lovely tulips of Skagit Valley. My buddy Barb's 3 cousins visited the valley last year and came back with photos and tales of the splendid scenery. So we took the ferry from Port Townsend to Coupeville on Whidbey Island. Stayed 2 nights in the town of Mount Vernon while toodling around the Skagit. 

Less than an acre, but so pretty!

April is tulip season, and having squeezed in a visit on the last week of April, made us worry we would be disappointed, as in far fewer tulips. Instead, although we did miss views of dozens of acres of bountiful color, in no way were we deprived of tulip displays.

Triumph Tulips - var. 'Rem's Favorite'

Double Peony Tulips

Triumph var 'Suncatcher'

Flaming tulips sprouting 8 ft up on tree branches

Barb enjoying tulip art

Fringed tulips renamed 'Porcupine tulips' by Barb and myself

lily flowered tulips

This is what the tulip beds & fields look like just after deadheading. The tulip fields are picked clean, then plowed under.

Triumph - var. Flamingo 

The tulip touring was so fun, might just have to do it again next year.

Sol Duc Hot Springs

Welcome to Sol Duc 

Sol Duc Hot Spring pool

Only a fortnight ago I stumbled on the existence of a natural hot springs, which is a part of Olympic National Park. I mentioned the site to my fitness trainer Karina. Only days later she told me her hubby and she had driven out there to scope it out and she suggested we have one  of our fitness sessions at the 'Sol Duc' hot springs. Yay!  

Széchenyi Thermal Bathes in Budapest, Hungary

I told Karina I have never been to a natural hot spring. Then it finally hit me yes I had! In 2016 I visited mineral bathes during a central European vacation. Turns out that when Karina was a teen, she too had visited the same mineral bathes. That gave us the happy squeals!

Sol Duc Spring water pools

Shortly after 3:00, I got out the pool - I was one boiled potato! I took some photos, then headed back to the Women's locker room for a shower and to get out of my soggy clothing. I met up with Karina and Hutch outside by the main door, and after a short photo session we were off on a short hike. 

Now walking, is one of the better exercises for me. Requires no special equipment other than my chubby legs and it can be done pretty much anywhere. Karina was the one who suggested a post soak hike, and just before we headed out, Hutch asked if I'd like to walk out and back to the car (our hike's starting point) or if I would like him to meet us at the hike's end. I opted for a one-way walk, and thank heavens I did. For whatever reason, my left hip was aching. Why? Who the heck knows. 

Skunk Cabbage

On the moist forest floor, there were giant Skunk Cabbages - a wild plant that has large lily-like flowers. Not uncommon at all, but always fun to see, when in bloom.

Our hours long hike ended (OK, it was more like 20 minutes) we headed back to Port Angeles. By the time I made it home I was quite worn out. I'm not sure why I was so tired - perhaps being boiled? Perhaps hiking a whole 20 minutes? Maybe all that fresh mountain air did me in. I was happy and thoroughly done for the day. 

Sixty-fifth New Yard Bird!

Short-eared Owl

Late this afternoon I was listless. Chatting with friend Barb on the phone, and gazing out the living room window. 

As I watched, something BIG flew around the large meadow across the road. At first my brain though 'Northern Harrier' but there were now 2 birds flying low over the field and they were quite large, no white rump like Harriers have and their wings were just too broad... and it was daytime, around 6:30 PM and... could those possibly be...?

"THERE'S AN OWL IN THE FIELD ACROSS THE WAY!" I shrieked into the phone. "BYE!" I was out on the front porch in seconds but already the birds had disappeared - if there was more than one... had I actually seen 2 owls? 

Since moving to Washington I have seen Barn  Owls, Barred Owls and have heard Great-horned Owls, but for the life of me, I couldn't even remember if I ever saw local reports of Short-eared Owls  here in Clallam County. Could I possibly be so frickin' lucky? 

No time to waste! So I jumped into my car, then slowly drove east on Anderson Rd, checking every field I passed. I knew the owls wouldn't go too far, as I am sure they enjoy hunting the same grasslands. Most days you can find  Northern Harriers floating over the fields.

Finally I spotted one of the owls. There is a HUMONGOUS field where I often see interesting birds. In winter sometimes mixed flocks of geese and ducks wallow around there. Numerous times I've watched Bald Eagles sitting on the ground there. Sometimes they regally sip water from puddles, and other times the eagles just sit - like me - and enjoy the view. But today was special. The birds present were Short-eared Owls.  

Most of my photos were fuzzy but happily there were some keepers

One owl floated around the field, much like the Harriers do - occasionally diving down into the grass, but sadly not catching anything. After about a half hour, the 2nd Owl was up flying around at the same time as the 1st owl. It only flew for a few minutes but at least I knew I hadn't 'wished' up a 2nd owl, there really were two. There was also a Bald Eagle that flew into a nearby tree along the bay, but today I only had eyes for owls.