Angel. Thank you for posting those beautiful photos of your area.  Would love to see it all.

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 It's  hard to believe that I have been back for over a week, for the most part trying to overcome the ravages of jetlag. But I had unfinished business to attend to, having attended a Shavuot celebration in the village square (a moshav actually, named Beth Itzak) where I took a lot of pictures the day before my departure. Then we had a family photo session. Illy, my Sweetheart's daughter arranged a family photo session, the fruits of which follow below.

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Bubble and Don, beautiful family photos, and know you will have many more to share in the future.

I know you both will treasure these beautiful photos and the memories they enclose!

Angel, looks like a dreamland and that bench  with trees around would be the spot to inspire me for more writing.
What are those long legged birds?

Sato your Hydrangea is incredibly perfect in color, sharp detail, shape. Is that in your garden?

Sato, your hydrangea is beautiful, crisp and clear!

Bubble, the majority of those photos are from Creamer's Field, a 2,200-acre Migratory Waterfowl Refuge, and Sanctuary which lies partly inside the city. There are select areas open to the viewing public and you may also see other wildlife including fox, badgers, porkypine, caribou, moose, and bears. And, as always here, a river runs through it.

The birds shown are Sandhill Cranes that may fly as high as 20,000 feet.

They look very different from the European cranes!
I like your new avatar

good afternoon

Sato, thanks for all those lovely flower photos  Also good to see you post

Patricia,  As I always say, I enjoy your pictures.  Give  Kitty and extra pet from Taffy

Don and Bubble, all I can say is such love and beauty













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Thank you Gloria!

Bubble, while the Sandhill is the one most commonly seen, we do have two others, a Lesser Sandhill Crane and the Whooping Crane. There is one in the states called the Eurasian or Common Crane. Is that the one seen in Europe?

Beautiful grand daughter.  Sandy.   And, hard to believe that little Fe is 2 already.  Looks like that ice cream con just hits the spot.  She is so cute !!

Joy

Sandy, what a lovely looking family. Love that smile and those eyes. Ice cream cone almost looks to big for her

What a lovely family Sandy.

Sandy, - great photos.  Maeve is beautiful and Fe is darling. 

Mary Ann

Two lovely young ladies, Sandy! I know you are very proud!

Sandy - wow, beauty runs in the family!

Lovely photos everyone.

Sandy beautiful family. Fe is a heart stealer for sure! Thank you for sharing.

This is for you Bubble. Cranes in  flight. It had issues, or I did, with resizing.

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Our Alaskan squirrels seem smaller than the ones I've seen stateside.


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And yes, it is an adult.


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Reflections


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Black Rapids glacier, aka The Galloping Glacier, about 138 miles south of Fairbanks has a reputation of suddenly moving rapidly and then stopping at least twice or so per century. The last time in 1937 it made national news by advancing across the valley for three months at the rate of one mile per month.


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This down from the foothills, snowmelt pond in the Refuge, each spring through the end of June, covers three miles and is usually ten or more feet deep before it disappears into the earth each year.

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Thanks Angel. Beautiful nature around there.
That last of the pond is a dream.  We have something similar in my town but of smaller scale where rain water collects into a pond surrounded by eucalyptus trees.  It is a well known site for migrating birds and a lovely place for picnics.

Patricia, I found that very interesting about the  Glacier, thanks for posting

Alaska has some beautiful and interesting scenery.

Angel. You certainly have beautiful scenery.  Interesting about the glazier. In New Zealand I actually stepped on to one, of course there was no movement.

Every Wednesday there is a plants market on one of our pedestrian streets.
I went yesterday and bought small cacti to make a small garden next to my desk.
I wanted plants not requiring much maintenance because I tend to forget watering, or do it too much when I remember.

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