Paul D. Natkin: June 2010

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

On the Edge, always on the Edge.

On the Edge, May 9, 2010

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

By late spring, the grass along the edge of the park grows quite tall. Now, by summertime, it's even taller, as I will soon show you. In fact, it's so high that from certain vantage points, the shores of the East Side are obscured.

Tall Grass at the Edge, May 19, 2010

Monday, June 28, 2010

This old tree is covered in moss. That's typical in these woods: sooner or later everything gets covered in a layer of green. They say the grass is always greener on the other side. They say a lot of things. I've always wondered who they are.

Log with Moss, May 31, 2010

Sunday, June 27, 2010

According to information I found using Google, the full moon was on June 26th. But I went out in the wee hours of June 27th, and it was still full.

Full Moon in the Wee Hours of June 27, 2010

Saturday, June 26, 2010

It's often said that it's all about positioning. I don't mean to be repetitive, but I'm determined to find the right spot for the thimbleberry blossom.

Thimbleberry Blossom, May 31, 2010

Friday, June 25, 2010

Thoreau said that to know a fern you must forget a fern. It sticks in my mind, whether I like it or not.

Ferns by the Roadside, May 31, 2010

Thursday, June 24, 2010

At the Viewpoint you'll see everything under the sun.

Viewpoint in the Sun, May 31, 2010

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Here, the thimbleberry blossom is visited by a bee.

Thimbleberry Blossom with Bee and Other Insect, May 31, 2010

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Thimbleberry blossoms draw a wide variety of insects. I draw the Viewpoint.

Thimbleberry Blossom with Two Insects, May 31, 2010

Monday, June 21, 2010

There are several kinds of ferns growing in Interlaken Park and Louisa Boren Park. Here you see sword ferns, which cover the steep sides of the ravines in many places. It's been said the pen is mightier than the sword.

Sword Ferns, May 31, 2010

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Вот...новый поворот...и мотор ревет...

Hairpin Curve, May 31, 2010

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Thimbleberries aren't something you'll find at the grocery store. Many parts of the plant were used by Native Americans for a wide variety of medicinal purposes.

Thimbleberry Blossom with Insect, May 31, 2010

Friday, June 18, 2010

Inside each of the several hairpin curves in Interlaken Park there's a separate world.

Branches Covered with Moss, May 31, 2010

Thursday, June 17, 2010

I don't mean to give the impression that time is standing still. May 31st isn't forever.

The Blue Wall, May 31, 2010

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Above the closed road there's a wall, painted blue. I remember it when it was new. Now it's old.

Under the Blue Wall, May 31, 2010

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

I have not yet identified this white fungus, which I found growing on a log near the bollards at the entrance to the closed road. That entrance can be reached by going up a very steep street that starts in Montlake, near the Greek Orthodox Church. I consider that church one of the most memorable pieces of architecture in Seattle.

White Fungus, May 31, 2010

Monday, June 14, 2010

Many kinds of fungus grow in the two-park area. Some kinds are quite visible, while others are hard to detect.

Fungus, May 31, 2010

Saturday, June 12, 2010

I believe this is the tallest cottonwood in Seattle. As I recall, this is what I was once told by plant expert Arthur Lee Jacobson.

Tree with Three Trunks, May 31, 2010

Friday, June 11, 2010

This is Herb-Robert (Geranium robertianum), also called Red Robert or Robert Geranium. No one knows where the Robert part comes from. Robert Natkin, who died on April 20 of this year, was a painter known for his colorful abstractions.

Herb-Robert, May 31, 2010

Thursday, June 10, 2010

A place can look entirely different when seen in a different light. The same can be said of faces.

Woodpecker Stump, May 31, 2010

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

In the past, you could drive all the way through Interlaken Park. But today a section of the road is closed to automobile traffic, making a wonderful, safe place for people to walk with dogs or strollers and for bikers to bike with bikes.

Side of the Road, May 31, 2010

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Behind any terrain or landscape there's a great deal of history. One thing leads to another, and that's what makes places what they are.

Woodpecker Stump, May 31, 2010

Monday, June 7, 2010

I didn't make it to the Viewpoint today, and now the sun is about to set. The sky was mostly gray today, as it has been so many days this year. I always say I like gray skies, but if every sky is gray, even in the late spring or early summer, you don't appreciate a gray sky as something special. I hope tomorrow is sunny for a change.

Fallen Trees, May 31, 2010

Sunday, June 6, 2010

I still haven't managed to catch sight of the woodpecker I've heard repeatedly in the vicinity of this stump. There's no question in my mind that he's there. The evidence is clear.

Clear Evidence, May 31, 2010

Not only birds, but also insects, love to feast on the ripe salmonberries. You can barely detect the little insect here, but if you look closely, you'll see it on the right side of the berry.

Salmonberry with Insect, May 31, 2010

Here, you see a salmonberry with red, rather than pale orange, pigmentation.

Salmonberries with Horsetails, May 31, 2010

Salmonberries are native to this area. They can be found as far north as Alaska.

Salmonberries, May 31, 2010

I suppose the salmonberry plant was given its name on the basis of a perceived similarity between the color of its berry and the color of the flesh of the salmon. Cooked salmon is generally much pinker than the salmonberry, which is usually yellowish-orange. However, raw salmon and certain salmonberries sometimes do come a little closer to each other, color-wise. The image below isn't intended as an example.

Salmonberry in Sunlight, May 31, 2010

There are ripe salmonberries for a few weeks. Because there's a great deal of variation in the amount of sunshine that reaches different parts of the two-park area, the bushes begin to produce ripe berries at different times.

Three Salmonberries, May 31, 2010

The salmonberries are mature now. Very often the ripe berries are snatched up by the local birds. The two-park area is inhabited by many species of bird. Sometimes you'll see whole flocks roosting in the treetops. Birds of a feather flock together.

Salmonberry, May 31, 2010

Saturday, June 5, 2010

You often won't see many people if you walk in the two-park area. But you'll see traces of human activity.

Bottle Cap, Buttercups, May 31, 2010

Friday, June 4, 2010

These three guys were just taking off. Other people hung around longer. That's usually the way it goes: some people go, others stay.

Three Guys Taking Off, May 31, 2010

The buttercup is beautiful, but it's an invasive, too.

Buttercup, May 31, 2010

As the weeks go by, and spring turns to summer, the hillsides are covered in ever-deeper layers of vines--Himalayan blackberries, clematis, and several others species, which, as far as I know, are all invasives. There's also English ivy, of course, but that can be seen even in winter. It's an invasive too.

Looking Down, May 31, 2010

Thursday, June 3, 2010

The Viewpoint is a favorite hangout. Activities engaged in here include, but are not limited to, sitting, talking, singing, guitar-playing, stretching, reading, drinking coffee, eating meals (including picnicking), stargazing, moon-watching, dog-walking and dog-grooming, jogging, tightrope-walking, getting married, painting, writing, birdwatching, kissing and photography.

Guys Hanging Out, May 31, 2010

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Looking over the edge, you can peer deep down through the many layers of vegetation that cover the hillside. This gives the spine a good stretch.

Looking over the Edge, May 9, 2010

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

As spring turns into summer, the grass grows longer along the edge of the Viewpoint. There was a time, long ago, when things were much wilder here.

Long Grass at the Edge, May 31, 2010

Paul D. Natkin