E is for Evergreen

Tina's PicStory theme for the week is simply "E". And around here, E can represent the Evergreen trees that are so prevalent (various pine trees); they need to be able to survive year-round and shed the snows that can happen for 10 months of the year at our high altitudes (don't feel bad for us, as those same altitudes give the sun year-round warmth, we can be out in short-sleeves shirts in the middle of winter and get 300 days of sunshine in an average year). These photos are all taken in the nearby Black Forest Regional Park. We start with a shot of the trail winding through the trees.

 I love the long morning shadows.

 And those glorious Colorado blue skies!

 Here's a view of Pikes Peak from the park.

And a soccer field - lots of kids will be playing here later in the day. The field is surrounded by those ever-present evergreens.

This is my part of Our World Tuesday.

Temple Guardians

Inside the South Korean Buddhist temple building in the previous week's photo were four detailed statues. Each one had a very specific meaning and purpose, I believe they were guardians of some type, but unfortunately I don't remember the explanations.

There are lots more photos from this vacation still to come for Vintage Weekly.

Capilano Lake & Totems

Here are the last of my photos from last year's visit to the Capilano Suspension Bridge in Vancouver. First is a small lake, showing just how rainy it was the day were were there. But no excuses, the photography must go on! (Given the many horrible conditions in which I've used my camera, I'm amazed that it still works - it's a low-end consumer DSLR.)

 And here are some totems near the entrance.

And that's my Scenic Sunday entry for the week!

Strange Cloud

Here's a cloud photographed driving at sunset in north Denver. I was stopped at a gas station at the time and I'm sure people wondered what I was doing. One person even waited in their car so as to not get in the way while I took the photo!

It's for Skywatch Friday. It's also a strange weather phenomenon for Tina's PicStory theme of weather.

Portland's Morrison Bridge

For Our World Tuesday and Sunday Bridges, here are my last photos from Portland, Oregon. This is the Morrison Bridge.

If you've been reading my blog for a while you've probably figured out that I'm fascinated with bridges. Unfortunately there aren't many where I live, so I have to photograph them when I'm on vacation.

Korean Temple I

One of my favorite things about visiting South Korea was the incredible Buddhist temples that we saw. Here's the entrance to one.

The beauty and harmony with the natural surroundings is hard to convey in photographs. Since this is an old scanned print, I'm linking it to Vintage Weekly. And I've got many shots from South Korea to follow this one, just check back each Saturday evening.

Capilano Treewalk

The Capilano Suspension Bridge in Vancouver has more things to see than just the bridge (see my post from a week ago). The Cliffwalk wasn't open when we were there, but the Treetops Adventure was.

This consists of seven footbridges attached to the trees, almost 100 feet above the ground.

You really feel as if you're in the forest canopy up there, and it's not to be missed.

And this is my Scenic Sunday entry for the week.

Snowy Sunday

We had another 8 inches (20 cm) of snow Saturday night. We're not complaining - after an almost completely dry March it's great to have some moisture in April, and it makes for nice Skywatch Friday photos! All these photos were taken in our yard early Sunday morning.

 It doesn't take long for the clouds to break up after these storms.

 And before you know it, those classic Colorado blue skies are back!

The timing was perfect, the fertilizer I put on the lawn on Saturday will have soaked in!

Views From Capilano Suspension Bridge

One of the must-visit places in Vancouver is the Capilano Suspension Bridge (although it is a little pricey and touristy). For Tina's PicStory theme of "from above", and for Our World Tuesday, here are a couple of photos taken while standing on the bridge on a rainy day.

Yes, that's my foot in the last one, as I'm leaning out over the railings. Those are trees below!

Seoul View 2

Here's another view of Seoul, South Korea, from a 1998 trip.

It's my only trip to Asia, and I'm linking it to the Vintage Weekly meme.

Capilano Suspension Bridge

One of my favorite places in Vancouver is the Capilano Suspension Bridge, even though it's a little touristy.

It's suspended high above a chasm, I hope you're not afraid of heights!

It was rainy and misty the whole time we were there, but that meant I had to find places where the mysterious feeling would come through more strongly. (And shield my camera as best I could, as it's not a professional weatherproof model - it's been through a lot more than it was designed for!)

This is my Scenic Sunday post for the week - join me on Monday for some views from the bridge. And I'm also entering it in Sunday Bridges, as it's a wonderful pedestrian bridge.

Double Lightning Strikes

Here are a pair of summer double-lightning strikes for Skywatch Friday and for ein stück himmel (a piece of heaven).

Both were taken with long exposures from my yard, as are all my lightning shots (we get a lot of thunderstorms where I live). The second was a little out of focus so I didn't think it deserved its own post, but I thought it was worth showing anyway.

OMG Grade Pears

I'm going back to last May for these shots from Seattle. These are from the famous market, and cover several memes. First, they're for Our World Tuesday.

Lots of flowers were for sale.

Seafood too, tastefully arranged!

And for Tina's PicStory theme of fruits, as well as the Signs Signs meme, here are some incredible pears, as well as ordinary apricots and cherries.

We always visit this market when we're in the Seattle area.

Seoul, South Korea

This week I'm posting the first of many photos from a trip to South Korea in the summer of 1998. My wife is from South Korea and it was very exciting to visit her homeland with her. Here's a view of the largest city, Seoul, including the Han River which runs through the city.

I've got enough good prints to keep Vintage Weekly busy for many months!

Mercer-Slough Rainforest

Going back to one of my favorite places from Bellevue, here is some rainforest growth in the Mercer-Slough park.

And that's the last of my Bellevue photos from last year's trip, and my Scenic Sunday entry for the week.

Springtime in the Rockies (Blossoms and Snow)

It's springtime in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, which means an incredible variety of weather. It seems early in the year, but suddenly this one type of tree has blossomed all along the front range, in Colorado Springs and Denver. I don't know what type of tree it is, but it's certainly beautiful.

Those photos were taken in downtown Colorado Springs on Sunday, walking around in a t-shirt and shorts. This next photo was taken on Tuesday, at the end of a spring snowstorm.

And this great variety of weather and skies within two days is my entry for Skywatch Friday.

Our Dog Socks

I'm posting a photo of our little dog Socks for Tina's PicStory theme of D this week, and for Our World Tuesday as he's an important part of our world.