Rooks Park

A spring afternoon at Rooks Park reveals that the water is flowing nicely, carrying much-needed nourishment to fields, crops, and more.

Springtime Silhouette

This shot was taken while on a walk to the top of the hill at Yantis Park in Milton-Freewater. Yesterday's post shows the view down into the valley from the top of the hill. This was looking up at the very top; I liked the way the clouds and sunlight looked.

View from Yantis

Things are just starting to turn green (this was taken at the end of March) and the trees don't quite have their leaves yet. This picture was taken from the top of the hill in Yantis Park in Milton-Freewater. At the bottom of the photo you can see the Aquatic Center, otherwise known as the only outdoor public pool in the valley (that I'm aware of!). It has a couple of slides and I've heard kids have a lot of fun at this pool during the summer. At about 11 o'clock to the pool is another noticeable building; I believe it is an elementary school, but I'd have to go back over there to refresh my memory.

Overprotective?

As my husband and I were eating our picnic lunch at a bench across the lawn from the group area, we noticed something rather peculiar. Instead of parking in the parking lot, which is a mere 20-second walk from here, the owner of this lovely bike decided his/her ride was too precious to leave in the designated parking area and instead pulled right into the park with it. I'm not sure this is in congruence with the park regulations, but no one in charge seemed to a) notice or b) mind, so here it stayed, where the owner could keep an eye on it. I know nothing about motorcycles, but this one does indeed look nice!

Merganser

This is a Merganser. I believe it is a type of duck, but one that isn't as common in these parts as the mallards I've shown you on a few occasions. There were several of them around some rocks in Mill Creek when my husband and I were at Rooks Park over the weekend. (Credit to my husband for this photo.)

River Snorkeling?

On a walk through Rooks Park on the eastern outskirts of Walla Walla this weekend, my husband and I saw these two gentlemen playing in the water. The one in the black shirt was fishing (we actually saw him catch something later), but what the other was doing we couldn't be sure. He would stand about knee-deep and stick his face into the water, wearing a snorkeling mask. We never did figure out what he was doing. This is Mill Creek - one of the main waterways through the towns in the WWV. Many years ago, the city built Bennington Lake, a reservoir a mile or two upstream from Mill Creek (if you could walk straight from where this photo was taken, you'd run into it) to help control the flooding that had happened on multiple occasions. They also widened Mill Creek, and as a result, the river looks like it has steps, such as the one you see here. They are evenly spaced, creating a not-so-natural look, but it's fun to listen to, as there are multiple small waterfalls. As you can see, the water isn't very deep, either. Some places toward the middle get deeper, but it would be difficult (though not impossible) to swim underwater here. (Credit to my husband for this photo.)

Daddy?

Could this beautiful male Mallard be the father of the babies from yesterday's post? It's possible...but there are plenty of ducks in the park. This guy was waiting around near the table where we were eating at the park, in hopes that we'd take pity on his quite obviously "starving" self and drop some food. We didn't, and he gave up. It's hard to refrain, but if you feed one, you'll soon have a crowd of them honking and quacking around you, and it starts to get oppressive. I love the little curl in this one's tail.

The Little Family

Here's a closeup of what the kids were finding so interesting at the park in yesterday's post. They eventually made their way down to where we were sitting enjoying our dinner, and I managed to snap a few quick shots before they floated away down the stream and under the bridge. I just love spring babies!

Spectacle at the Park

Tuesday night my husband and I had dinner in the park. We'd packed burgers, heated them up at the office, and then grabbed some fries from a nearby fast food place before heading to the park. This is a popular park in the warmer months. It's Lion's Park in College Place, and it's one of the best places to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon or a cool summer evening. As we ate, we watched these kids running around the stream. The boy in the yellow shirt and the girl in the pink had been wading, and were wet up to their waists. But all of them found something extra special to observe that night: A mama duck and her TWELVE ducklings. Tomorrow I'll show you a closeup of part of the little family.

All In a Row

We visited one of the areas many parks today, in an attempt to get rid of some old bread. The ducks here are usually quite happy to accept handouts, but they must have been fed earlier in the day, because they couldn't have been less interested in the scraps we tossed them. These male mallards appeared to be an inseparable trio. Though I missed getting a photo of it, just before this, they were all standing the exact same way, just looking at the water, but eying us discreetly. Finally we got too close for comfort and they all three plopped into the water and quacked disapprovingly as they paddled away from the shore into the safety of the pond. Ducks are plentiful in this area, but the only kind we really ever see in the valley are mallards. The females aren't nearly as colourful - brown and black, for the most part. The only colourful part is a purple band under their wings that matches the bands shown on these males' wings. I think the only water bird more plentiful than these in this area are the Canada Geese.

More Spring Foliage

I saw this carpet of tiny purple flowers as my husband and I were walking our dog through Yantis Park in Milton-Freewater. It's a rather small park, and there were LOTS of other people there with their dogs, so it certainly wasn't quiet. But this little corner was virtually unbothered, and I couldn't pass these little guys up without a photo. I don't know what they are - they'd probably barely fit on the tip of your pinky finger, and they are a ground-cover. Perhaps they are an immature myrtle? Anyone know?

The GC

This could mean a number of things, and you're welcome to your guesses. But to ease your curiosity, I'll tell you: It stands for "Golf Course." Though not as classy as some around the world in places such as Hawai'i, it's a nice little oasis in the middle of an otherwise rather brown summer landscape. Though it is still spring, so the course doesn't stand out as much as it will in a couple of months. To the left of the bench is the entrance where golfers of all ages can be seen pulling their caddies up the sidewalk. Just before that, to the left, is the clubhouse (is that what it's called in golf?).

A Springtime View

From the same hill as yesterday's post, this is a view out over springtime Milton-Freewater. In the distance you can see the Blue Mountains, with some snow still on the higher parts. There is probably still a couple feet of snow at the summit. In the foothills you can see a grain elevator and the green fields, just starting the work they'll continue all summer until harvest. The foreground is a residential area of the small town, and the grass at the entrance to Yantis Park, where this photo was shot.

Christmas in March?

No, not really. But this beautiful multi-coloured pile of brush is actually a dump pile of abandoned Christmas trees. How they get here and who puts them there remains a mystery to me, but every January you can hike between Rooks Park and Bennington Lake and find this unnatural bird and small animal habitat in an unused waterway. I wish I could post the aroma this pile gives off...it's lovely! Closing the eyes and taking a deep breath will almost convince you it's still Christmastime.

A Proper Geocache

My husband and I joke that it's not a proper geocache unless there's a skeleton at the site. No, we've never found any human remains (that we were able to recognize as such), but there was a day that we found four in a row that were located near the site of some animal's last breath. This one at Bennington Lake (see Thursday's post) was no exception. The shape of this skull makes me think it was a deer, but the teeth look almost too sharp to belong to a simple herbivore. Though once again, I am no expert. Anyone want to venture a guess? Oh, as a side-note, we found peices of the rest of the skeleton a few yards away from the tree.

A Closer Look

I'm not enough of a horticulturalist to know what this is in its winter brown attire, but it caught my eye as we passed by on our Saturday afternoon walk at Bennington Lake (see Thursday's post). The contrast with the grey-blue sky and its coordination with the field behind it demanded attention...so I snapped a shot! If anyone can identify this plant, kudos to you!

Skywatch Friday

Though the composition of this photo could be better, this is the first time I've ever captured a bird of prey with my camera. Or any camera, for that matter! I wish I could have zoomed in more, but my little point and shoot won't get any closer than this. I believe this is a hawk, common to the valley, as the many fields provide plentiful feeding grounds for them. In the foreground is a nesting box - or what's left of it - a common sight in parks with acreage such as what surrounds Bennington Lake (see yesterday's post). For today's skywatch, we're watching not the sky itself, but what occupies it.

The Old Plant

I can't read the numbers perfectly, but I think the date says 1928. Even here in the western United States a building from this era is considered quite new, although buildings start becoming "old" when you get back to the 1800s, which will make a lot of you laugh. Remember, this is one of the newest parts of the world. This old power plant sits on the banks of the Walla Walla River, nestled up against a hillside and blocking one's view of the lovely riverside path that meanders through brush, trees, and other bits of nature. Again, this is not a place to hang out after dark, or probably even close to it, but during the day it's kind of fun to explore. And yes, this is how dreary it really looks in January. Surprisingly, there are still bits of green in the valley, but my guess is this has something to do with its proximity to the river.

Wall Art 2

Here is the second part of yesterday's post. For more information on what and where this is, see yesterday's post. Enjoy your Sunday!

Wall Art

Another geocaching photo. I have a lot of these, since I entertain myself by stocking up on daily photo blog shots while husband searches through brush, water, mud, grass, trees, and sometimes questionable items to find whatever cache may or may not be there. Really, I make it sound worse than it is, but the most enjoyable part to me is finding new things and documenting them with my camera. And, of course, sharing them with you afterward. This shot has two parts; tomorrow you will see the other part. This wall borders a parking lot in a small park next to the Walla Walla River. Apparently we have a lot of talented wall-painters in this valley...or else just one who really likes doing it. This particular section of the river flows through the southeast part of Milton-Freewater. I believe what used to be at this location is an old water plant, but I'm not certain about that. The building has been converted into a covered picnic area, but in all honesty, it's not a place I'd want to spend time exploring after dark. We found plenty of broken beer bottles, among other things. Including the geocache, which was along a riverside path behind the old plant/picnic area. Monday I'll show a photo of the old building.