Gretchen Fawn Photo - part of the Snoqualmie Moms Support Collective

Here's our little back yard surprise you have been waiting for! Baby junkos. They always nest on the ground in tall grass. Aren't their little yellow beaks so precious? The whole nest could fit in the palm of my hand. These are only ONE day old! "Have any worms?" they peeped at me! I felt bad the momma bird was all up in arms about me being near the nest. I promise to let you be with your babies momma bird. I just needed a few pictures to share. "Chit, chit, chiiiiiit!" She cried. Snuggled back in, right under those chamomile stalks. Good thing I didn't clean out the "weeds" last year! Can you see the dog hairs in the nest? They gathered them from the yard and trampoline from our golden retriever, Bacca. The mom and dad bird looked like they had mustaches with the hairs and grass in their beaks! So sweet! Enjoy~ Gretchen

This lilac plant was given to me from my Step Mom, Debbi when I first moved to Snoqualmie. I stuck it in this pot and in the last 6 years, It took off and grew into a beautiful bush! This momma junko has a surprise she's keeping! She's been flitting around in my yard for the last two or three weeks. She's been gathering dry grass and dog hairs. The Daddy has been right there by her side gathering and building. It's been so sweet to watch them both from our dining room window. If we go outside, they "chit, chit, chiit!" their warning that we better stay away from their special project. I had not gotten to planting or weeding my lovely mother's day pots this year. And it's a good thing....this one is holding some special treasures! Check back on the blog in a day or two and I'll reveal the surprise. Promise! Enjoy~ Gretchen

The cherry tree I planted last year is LOADED with blossoms! I can't wait to see how many cherries we get. My littlest will go out and gather them in a bowl so we can all divvy them up. This tree has 4 different kinds of cherries grafted in. Rainier are our favorite kind, but we will eat any of them! This is my lilac bush. I had to wait three years before I got a blossom! This is a pale lilac color and I also have a pale pink. They bring such a wonderful fragrance to the yard. I hope it doesn't rain when they open, then they last a lot longer. Any guesses what this tropical like plant will produce? It's a yellow lily! These also make the yard smell amazing! I have five or six of these and they never fail to make the most majestic, tall, fragrant flowers. They smell so good, I almost forget the weeds I need to get at below them, almost! This rhubarb was a gift from my Grandmas yard. She had been growing it ever since I could remember. I got a shovelful of th...

I just wanted to share with you a couple of my new portraits that were taken at the Quad at University of Washington. This is the perfect time of year to capture the flowering cherry blossom trees. They are a beautiful symbol of spring. I was able to wear the necklace that belonged to my Grandma Ruth who passed away last year around this time. I love how these turned out. A special thank you to Cheryl Ford Photography for taking them today! Take half an hour to stroll through UW soon, you won't regret it! Enjoy~Gretchen