From the Prairies, to the Mountains to the Bay~

The image above is the sun rising near the Idaho and Washington state border. 

Due to our government SHUTDOWN, we were not allowed into our parks, however, we could still drive through national forests as well as the many state parks.

The beauty did not escape us.

*Please take a few extra minutes to visit both posts published and shared on the following memes this day.

I would love to share this whole journey with you, and I have packed a whole lot into each post.
Thank you very much~

After reading my summary, please remember to double click on the image, to view a larger slide show of the images shared

 

I am linking up with Mary for:
"Mosaic Monday"

at: 

 http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.

and

I am linking up with Stewart at:

   Wild Bird Wednesday

        (http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/)

I will also be linking up with Sylvia at:

SkyWatch Friday

I invite you to check out more 'Skywatch Friday' posts from around the world at:

http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Our first glimpse of the beauty began once the sun had come up. 

The husby had his morning coffee in hand and I had my mocha frappe, we were set! 

The 2 pup-cubs had their morning walkies and treats and were already resting in the backseat~

I mentioned before that the husby drives long, hard hours and so most often I do not ask him to stop, or most times if I do, he does not, so I learned a new approach. 
I took the sunrise as it changed through my side view mirror ;)

I am shaking it up a bit here. 
The images above along Hoodsport Bay, in Washington and the bottom images are somewhere in Western Idaho, or Eastern Washington.  
We always enjoy how vast the changes are~

The husby and I both enjoy watercolouring and I told him, that I was taking some amazing photographs that we could use as subject matter~

Sunrise over the layers of mountains was absolutely stunning~

 

 

;(, the way that I caught most of the Raptors and other birds this journey. 
A Western Red-tailed Hawk~

 

The images below are small, but we are hoping that someone can ID these. 
I went through our "Field Guide to Birds of North America" and I guess I am looking wrong, for I cannot figure it out. 
My guess was Blue-winged Teal, but my book does not show any white on sides. 
I appreciate any help in advance~
 Thank you to Phil Slade for the proper ID of these chaps...American Wigeon...
Yea, I have never seen them until now...very nice~

 

OH MY Goodness ;)
A very large bird flew right in front and over our car as we traveled a 2 lane highway.
It was a juvenile Bald Eagle!

It landed at the base of that tree, which was right outside my car window!
The husby did STOP for this one, as no one else was around us~

A herding dog was bringing in the horses one afternoon in Northeastern Washington~

I could not believe our good fortune, and it was just beginning on this 1 mile stretch. 
The Bald Eagle had missed the catch and flew right past me, gorgeous.  
Please catch the rest of this story on next post, which is being published today also~

It made yet another fly over, just amazing sight, so close. 
The foggy mist and ever so slight rain, made for surreal looking images, but I was greatly pleased!

Washington, one state where rain and fog are just about a daily business had some areas where they were dry, and the watering systems had to be used~

Do you get the feel, that I could nearly touch this Bald Eagle, it was that close!
Not as sharp as I would have liked, but no complaints here~

Northeastern Washington, so diverse, as we found all of the states to be.
 Just look at that blue sky, image not tampered with, all natural~

 

From the mountains to the prairies, all stunning.
Blackbirds of some sort make a quick fly by~