Canadian & Alaskan Scenes~

On September 29, 2026September 30, 2026 By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Sunsets, TRAVEL REVIEWS, Wild Life152 Comments

A vibrant sunset over the ocean, with bright orange and red hues illuminating the sky and reflecting on the water.

Ocean Sunset progression,

A vibrant sunset over the ocean, with dramatic clouds in shades of orange, red, and blue.

off the coast of British Columbia.

A scenic view of a tranquil waterfront with several houses nestled among trees, set against a backdrop of mountains and clouds.

Small community,

A scenic view of a coastal landscape featuring lush green trees, a small house near the water, and mountains in the background under a clear blue sky.

on Pennock Island,

A scenic view of a tranquil body of water surrounded by lush greenery and rolling mountains in the background, featuring a small rocky island with trees and a green marker.

in the Tongass Narrows,

A serene lake reflecting the blue sky and clouds, with distant mountains in the background.

near Ketichan.

Scenic view of a coastal town surrounded by mountains, with buildings along the shore and misty peaks in the background.

Ketichan.

A scenic view of a calm blue waterway surrounded by lush green forests and mountains, with a boat navigating through the water under a partly cloudy sky.

Ward Cove Alaska.

A winding wooden boardwalk path through a lush green forest, surrounded by tall trees and ferns.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park,

A tall wooden platform surrounded by towering green trees in a forested area, with two people standing on the platform.

and The Treetops Hike which takes you 33 meters up into the canopy.

A suspension bridge surrounded by tall evergreen trees, featuring colorful flags hanging along its length, with some people walking on it.

The bridge during The World Cup! The bridge is over 130 years old, 70 meters high, and 137 meters long. It has of course been rebuilt several times over the years. I walked it very quickly as it was a tad intimidating and swayed a lot!

A bald eagle perched on a metal railing with a blurred natural background.

Grumpy wet Bald Eagle in the rain near Ketichan,

A brown and white owl perched on a tree branch, with its eyes closed and nestled into its feathers.

and a very wet and sleepy, Barred Owl in British Columbia. He may have been chilling, but I was thrilled to see him, even if he didn’t wake up! It’s daytime and he needs his zzzz’s…..

A close-up of a falcon perched on a leather glove, showcasing its distinctive plumage and sharp beak.

Captive Saker Falcon British Columbia. For more images of this amazing bird in flight, see:

https://cindyknoke.com/2022/11/05/saker-falcon-2/

Note: I used google ai and image search to identify where I took the photos I couldn’t place. If you notice an error, I would like to know. AI does make a fair amount of mistakes.

We are heading off glamping now. Yep, it is on our bucket list. So, I will post some photos soon and share all the camping-glamour with you!!

Cheers to you from gorgeous Canada & Alaska and her incredible creatures~

Glacier Bear~

On June 15, 2026June 15, 2026 By cindy knokeIn Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, TRAVEL REVIEWS, Wild Life258 Comments

A light-colored bear standing near a tree in a lush green forest.

You can see her spirit in her souful eyes.

A young bear peeking out from behind a tree, partially hidden by greenery.

She has many names, Glacier Bear, Ghost Bear, Spirit Bear.

She is a Leucistic Alaskan Glacier Black Bear with black skin and translucent/pale fur, and is one of the rarest animals on earth. She is rarely seen or photographed and her population amongst Alaskan Black Bears is less then 1%.

A close-up of a brown bear standing on a rocky area surrounded by greenery.

She is more rare than her cousins, The Spirit Bears in British Columbia, and we watched her for about half an hour from a skiff on The Chilcat River Eagle Preserve near Haines Alaska..

A light-colored bear standing next to a tree in a green forest setting.

She was entirely unafraid and very curious about us.

A bear sitting beside a tree in a dense, green forest.

I now know why indigenous people’s call her Ghost Bear, even up close, and we were close, she has a gauzy, ghostlike, appearance.

A close-up of a light-colored bear standing near a tree, surrounded by lush green foliage.

We are on a three generation trip to Canada and Alaska, introducing the seven year old twin grandsons to all the wonder.

A close-up of a bear partially hidden behind a tree stump, surrounded by lush green foliage.

But none of us, including my camera and I, were prepared for the the most amazing wonder of them all. I forgot all about my camera settings since I have never photographed a glacial ghost bear before!

A light-colored bear sitting among green foliage in a natural setting.

Cheers to you from soulful Spirit of Alaska~

Don’t Pet Spot~

On April 28, 2026May 20, 2026 By cindy knokeIn Conservation, Coyotes, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, Wild Life210 Comments

Coyote walking through a grassy field, with its tongue out and alert expression.

He bites,

A coyote sitting in tall grass, with greenery in the background.

he’s hungry,

A coyote standing in a dry, grassy field with a curious expression.

and he’s wild.

A coyote sniffing the ground in a grassy field.

Spot probably got kicked out of the coyote pack which sometimes happens.

A coyote walking through a grassy field, with its tongue out, showcasing its natural habitat.

Loner’s like Spot have a tougher time hunting and surviving.

A coyote lying on the grass with a stick in its mouth, surrounded by sparse vegetation and flowers.

Don’t try to take his bone, he wouldn’t like that…..

A coyote lying on the ground in a grassy field, looking toward the camera with a relaxed expression.

But Spot looks quite healthy and curious!

A coyote standing in a field of dry grasses, looking towards the camera with a slight smile.

The loners let humans get closer,

A coyote standing in a natural habitat with tall grass and wildflowers.

but I keep my distance.

A soaring hawk with outstretched wings against a clear blue sky.

The Red Tailed Hawks came closer too, curious about the brave coyote and the cautious human.

A golden eagle with outstretched wings perched against a blue sky.

Cheers to you & Hope All is Well from The Holler’s wild ones~

The Eastern Sierra~

On February 28, 2026June 8, 2026 By cindy knokeIn Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Wild Life258 Comments

Got slammed with 111 inches of snow in the most recent 5 day storm.

UC Berkeley’s Snow Lab records this as the snowiest 5 day stretch in 40 years.

But the Sierras are once again,

silent,

still,

serene.

Even the twin waterfalls are sleeping!

Life perseveres, waiting for spring thaw.

The White Mountains (in the back), are home to the few surviving California herds of wild mustangs who are now going to be captured and removed by helicopter roundup and bait water trapping. See prior post on these magnificent wild creatures and their keystone place in the wild habitat:

Wild Mustangs of Mono Lake~

The US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management are moving forward with plans to capture and remove approximately 500 wild horses from their home near Mono Lake in California’s Eastern Sierra. The mustangs have lived here since the 1800’s. The Forest Service and BLM claim the horses are a danger on roads and disturb sensitive habitats.

Interestingly, cattle are allowed to graze in much of this “sensitive habitat.” Reports indicate wild mustangs are consuming habitat allocated for privately owned cattle. In more than 50 years I have never seen a wild mustang on a road, and neither have my friends and family, some whom live in the area, and had no idea they were even here.

https://americanwildhorse.org

https://www.easternsierrawildhorses.com

Cheers to you from The Eastern Sierra and her not long remaining, wild & free mustangs~

We See You~

On June 4, 2025November 6, 2025 By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Wild Life276 Comments

(click to enlarge)

You bird watcher,

you.

You think,

you watch us?

Our lives depend,

on watching you.

We appreciate,

your jelly,

but we don’t really trust you.

You are a human after all.

Cheers to you from the wise and wonderful Holler Hooded and Bullocks Orioles~

For more on these orioles see:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bullocks_Oriole/overview

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hooded_Oriole/overview

Columbia River Gorge (Oregon Side)~

On May 2, 2025May 3, 2025 By cindy knokeIn Conservation, Flowers, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, TRAVEL REVIEWS, Wild Life233 Comments

We are staying in The Gorge Hotel built in 1921 where my grandparents once stayed,

with the wildflowers blooming,

driving up to find the views,

my grandfather painted in his Columbia Gorge paintings.

This observant robin didn’t let me distract him,

from his worm,

and this friendly elk licked our car windows!

Cheers to you from the gorgeous Gorge~

Elkish Attitude~

On April 25, 2025April 25, 2025 By cindy knokeIn Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, TRAVEL REVIEWS, Wild Life206 Comments

Who do you think you are?

Can’t you see we’re busy?

You are not a member of our clicque!

We have a hard enough time getting along with each other.

You are just toooo much!

We just want to rest in peace,

but you human, are not getting the message…..

and you are NOT invited for dinner.

Besides we are much more handsome than humans.

Cheers to you from the handsome haughty herd of Cannon Beach Oregon~

Happy Easter Wishes~

On April 18, 2025April 18, 2025 By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, Wild Life243 Comments

Flying,

to you,

from The Holler,

and,

your feathered friends! (note the hummingbird’s tongue)

Cheers to you & Happy Easter~

(_/)
( • .•)
/ >🥕

Hollerites~

On April 8, 2025April 8, 2025 By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, Wild Life273 Comments

Our tiny,

mighty,

sleepy,

Holler hummers,

are flying jewels,

in the garden.

They make every Holler day,

a happy day.

Cheers to you from The Hollerites~

Magdalena Bay~

On December 10, 2024December 14, 2024 By cindy knokeIn Birds, Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, TRAVEL REVIEWS, Wild Life243 Comments

Click/Tap to enlarge.

Meet Mr. Red Rock Crab. He is quite large! We have been traveling out of wifi and satellite range on the Pacific side of the Baja California Penninsula in Mexico and into The Sea of Cortez through the narrows where the two oceans meet.

This view between the rocks is where The Pacific Ocean meets The Sea of Cortez.

This is a pristine, unpopulated desert ecosystem extending for hundreds of miles, surrounded by oceans that are teeming with wildlife.

This bull sea lion is suspicious and watches me with one eye,

before he relaxes and resumes his nap.

Rare, rarely seen, huge, up to 5000 pounds, and endangered, this Sunfish basks on the surface of the ocean sideways to absorb heat from the sun before he dives deep into the cold ocean to forage. For more click on following link:

https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/ocean-sunfish#:~:text=The%20ocean%20sunfish%20(Mola%20mola)%20looks%20like%20the%20invention%20of,the%20world’s%20heaviest%20bony%20fish.