I took my dog Libby for a run on the Sammamish River trail early Saturday morning and couldn’t believe how gorgeous it was with the early sun shining through the snow-covered branches.  Here are some shots I took with my camera phone.

Tip:  I recommend clicking the ‘Show as Slideshow’ option.

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I was clicking around on BBC News today and came across this video showing a seagull sneaking into a store and trotting out with a bag of chips – funny stuff.

My mom came out to visit last September and I surprised her with a seaplane ride with Kenmore Aviation.  I have to say, it’s one of those things you should consider doing when you have folks coming in from out of town – the ride we took was the 20 minute scenic flight over Seattle and a neighboring island, and it was a blast.  Here are some of the photos I’ve been meaning to post for, oh, nearly a year…

 
Kenmore Air Harbor in South Lake Union

 
Mom starts her first seaplane ride.

One of the nice things about these rides is that everyone gets a window seat.

As you take off there’s a really nice view of Lake Union.

You get amazing views of downtown Seattle.

Here’s a tugboat pulling a ship in Puget Sound, with Mt. Rainier in the background.

No wonder they call Seattle the Emerald City.

One of my favorite photos from the trip.

As you land you get a great view of Seattle’s Gasworks Park.

Mom moving pretty sprightly for 84!

 
The pilot was nice enough to take a photo of us on the float plane.

The 20 minute seaplane ride is $89 per person.  20 minutes may not sound like much but it really packs in a lot, including the whole seaplane experience.  On top of that everyone we dealt with was friendly, and you’re guaranteed a window seat, so I highly recommend it as a treat for yourself or your visitors to Seattle.

Here’s the link to Kemore Air, and you can check out their flights to the islands also.

Actually, a funny thing happened at the condo – a Redmond listing I was showing a few weeks ago.  It’s a third floor unit that backs directly to a private wooded area, and the view from one side is directly into the tree tops.

As a former biologist, whenever I peer out onto a view like that I always hold out a vague hope that I’ll chance upon something unusual - a pine marten leaping after a squirrel, perhaps, or an owl peering curiously back at me.  In 8 years of showing homes the usual fare has been your run of the mill robin.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I looked out of the master bedroom window to see something moderately large and furry snoozing away in the crook of some branches about 20 feet away, right at eye level.  Its back was to me, but based on its size I’m pretty sure it was a raccon.  (Close-up below.)

It slept the whole time we were there, apparently oblivious of the traffic zooming by a stone’s throw away.