Photos by Barry Hass

Spring afternoon sun

Shining through a hemlock grove

Paints stripes on a stream.

When we visited Alaska, we were over-the-moon excited to see our first moose. After a few days we realized that they were pretty common up there, and the locals took little notice of them. When we visited Kauai, it was the same story with wild chickens. The brightly colored fowl were literally everywhere, but only the tourists seemed to notice. That made me realize that almost anywhere we live, we are surrounded by fauna that we have stopped seeing unless they become a nuisance. But a visitor from elsewhere might find them pretty remarkable. Here are a couple of my local favorites.

Happy birthday, my love.

I wonder how long this farm house and tree have been keeping each other company.

All hail the sun god.

Spring is the time when the earth comes alive, and water – its lifeblood – rushes and gurgles through swollen forest streams.

The cold, wet weather we’ve been having has me thinking about warmer climes.

From a trip to New Mexico and Utah in March, 2017.