With the deadline growing near for the CDP monthly theme, we have put our best man on the job. He has been putting in long hours to come up with the best shot possible. Don't even worry about the bags under the eyes. He's determined to stay on it until his work is done.

Sometimes you find color in the most unlikely of places. While on a walk at Tumwater Falls Park, we spotted this little maple showing it's colors against a backdrop of gray concrete.

A couple of days ago I promised to post the other public sculpture at South Puget Sound Community College so.............here ya go.

Here is another shot from yesterday's walk on the Chehalis Western Trail. Whenever you see a hollowed out stump like this one you know you have to go look inside. Of course I was elected to go see what scary thing might be inside ready to pounce as soon as I put my head over it, but no such luck. Whatever critter that calls this his (or her) home wasn't around. Whew!!!!! To live another day.

And a perfect day to take the kids and dogs and head for the Chehalis Western Trail. For those who aren't familiar with it, it's part of the "Rails to Trails" program. It was actually the Chehalis Western Railroad which operated from 1926 until the mid 1980's. Section by section it has been turned into a beautiful recreational paved trail for walkers, joggers, bicyclists, dog walkers and many others. The trail runs north and south through Thurston County. It eventually links up with other sections which go to Yelm and Tenino.

After a couple of rain showers, this afternoon turned out pretty nice. Being Saturday the campus of South Puget Sound Community College was pretty empty. A perfect opportunity to get a clear shot of this sculpture not far from the main entrance. There is another one just a few yards away. I will probably post that one tomorrow. Have a great weekend everyone!

It was a nice clear night for my wife and I to take drive. While touring a new housing area on Tumwater Hill, we drove past this water tower. The sky just looked so blue.

While on a walk from Tumwater Historical Park around Capitol Lake, this caught our eye.

Mother's Day is Sunday May 10th.

My wife suggested today's photo. Back in January on a day that neither of us had to work, & the kids were all in school, we took a drive to Tolmie State Park. Neither of us had been there before. It turned out to be a perfect way to spend a few hours. The park covers about 105 acres. There are no vehicles allowed on the beach, only people (and a few dogs). There are about 3.5 miles of hiking trails, picnic sites, a kitchen/bathhouse/comfort station & parking for approximately 60 cars. All in all a very nice park, & very nice day.

Just a couple of the literally thousands of beautiful flowers that are on display at the W.W. Seymour Conservatory located in Wright Park in Tacoma.

This evening we took a walk in downtown Olympia. We always love going by this beautiful old building. It currently houses the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. It has since 1906. This old building has quite a history though. It was originally built as the Thurston County Courthouse & opened in 1892. Over the years it has suffered through several earthquakes and one major fire in 1928. That was also the year that the present Legislative building was built. Significant changes have been made over the years including the removal of the original 150 ft octagonal tower with clocks on each of it's eight sides. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful historic building in the heart of downtown complete with a park right across the street.

A beautiful Dogwood in one of our favorite places to go. Tumwater Falls Park.

Originally, today's photo was going to be something quite different than this. But then this caught our eye. It's a memorial which stands at the L&I building in Tumwater. The plaque below reads: "Dedicated to Washington Workers who Lost Their Lives in the Course of Their Work." It's by artist Tom Torrens - April 28, 2007.

The family went out to dinner tonight. Plaza Jalisco, where I think they assume you are not going to be eating again for another week judging by the size of the meals. This is a shot of the chandelier in the entry. Funny thing, as we were taking this shot one of the girls said I was the third person to photograph it today.

While on a drive downtown we spotted this couple sharing a moment down by the water. They didn't seem bothered at all by our presence. Actually the name of this couple is "The Kiss" by Richard S. Beyer (1990).

If you live in the Olympia area you no doubt are used to seeing the vibrant pink blossoms of the Flowering Cherry Trees that are in bloom right now. This particular shot was taken at Tumwater Historical Park. Enjoy!

This is a photo from our last trip to the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. Located on the Nisqually River Delta in South Puget Sound, it was established in 1974 for the protection of migratory birds. Three thousand acres of salt & freshwater marshes, grasslands & forest provide a nesting ground for literally thousands of birds & waterfowl. There are (or were) 7 miles of walking trails, observation platforms for viewing & lots of photo opportunities including volunteer led groups. On Saturday April 18th from 9:00-3:00 there will be a "farewell trail walk". The dike that the trail is on will be removed this summer to allow Puget Sound saltwater to flow over 760 acres of the refuge. The restored saltwater marsh will help wild salmon runs & make for a healthier environment for native wildlife. I know that our family will miss it.

When visiting great examples of architecture there are so many photographic opportunities, you hardly know when to stop. This is just one of many that my wife spotted on a recent trip. Meanwhile protesters outside were doing their best to challenge the fact that there was a Christmas tree inside.