Just over the fence...

I've often wondered why the builders of our rambler style house set it so far back on the property. It makes for a large front yard, and a long and narrow backyard. Most of our garden space is in our front yard. So as I look out the kitchen window most of what I look out at is over our back fence. When I stand on our back deck my eye is drawn up and over it to the trees. We are lucky to live in a neighborhood at the top of a hill and having a school playground on the other side of our back fence leaves an open space to view the trees and mountains. At night it's pitch black once the school lights are out and we can see more stars than most people living in a suburban neighborhood can. In the early evenings we see flocks of birds flying overhead, sometimes it's just a lone Blue Heron that I hope won't spy the pond. When the skies are clear we have a view of Mt. Rainier. When it snows the trees are decorated in white. I enjoy this view year round, because it's always changing.
And now in Autumn we can see the leaves beginning to turn before they fall.

This is the view from the kitchen window right now. I've been watching these trees change over the past week. It makes washing dishes not such a bad job.

This tree looks like a flame bursting up from the ground. I don't know what type of tree it is, but have always noticed the columnar way it grows.

I think this is a Mountain Ash (Pyrus Aucuparia). If I'm wrong I'd love to know what it is. The birds have been in the trees enjoying it's fruit. It's just over the fence in the school yard. As the school has remodeled they have left many old trees and planted even more. I think that's why we see so many different types of birds here.

Some of the Southern Cascade mountain range is visible here. On a clear day we can see Mt. Rainier. Sadly these power lines were put up a couple of summers ago and kind of distract from the view.

Just past the large Cedar tree in our yard is another row of trees that are really changing now. Several summers ago some kids were shooting bottle rockets off and set one of the Pine trees on fire. Luckily it didn't catch the whole area on fire.

I feel so lucky to have such a beautiful ever changing back drop to our own backyard. The best part is we don't have to take care of it, we just get to enjoy it.