We visited Everett's Howarth Park over the weekend. It was pretty cold, and the sun was hidden behind dark clouds, but the park was still lovely. There were many

birds to see; a common flicker along the tree trunks, lots of winter bird visitors to the park. We could hear the sea lions honks and calls from just over the fence to the shore, too. It was cold enough we decided to traipse down to the beach another time, however. We enjoyed just walking around and seeing all the birds scurrying in the leaves and diving over our heads. We saw many bats begin to show up, too, just before we left. The "marching" tree trunks make a beautiful image, and I intend to return for better pictures to base some paintings on. It's just a lovely park, with a sweeping view of Puget Sound and the water in front of Everett.
It's a favorite picnic spot for our family, and we wanted to see what it would look like in the middle of winter. We found it was still a wonderful place for taking walks, and enjoying the trees and waterfront vistas. We look forward to visiting later in the year to enjoy the picnic tables and outdoor barbecues again.