Between being sick and being snowed in, I hadn't been on the trail this month, so since I had to turn in some paperwork at the entrance this morning, I decided freezing rain was not going to keep me from taking at least a short hike. I'd brought foul-weather gear but not snowshoes, so I strapped on the boot chains which are one of the perks of my job. For the most part, the Kautz Creek trail was already packed firmly by snowshoers. Keeping to the most used track, I only postholed a couple of times in the mile to Kautz Creek crossing where I sat to take this picture. Sure did feel good to be out there for a while, cold rain or not!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Storm Blues
The Breakfast Batch numbered close to two dozen this morning as availability of food is becoming more of an issue. They arrived in a flock before I got the door closed behind me, waiting patiently until I'd gone inside before massing on the crow board to gobble down dog kibble. The jays nosed in whenever they flew away, started by something, and in less than ten minutes, the goodies were gone and tummies weren't yet filled.
Feeding the crows and other birds is not solely my self-assumed neighborhood responsibility. Clyde also provides. Sometimes his offerings will be nothing more than table scraps, but in conditions such as we're now experiencing, he often buys a bag of cracked corn at a local feed store and spreads it by the half-gallon in his driveway. Not a speck will go to waste, and keeping the larger birds full allows the smaller ones to enjoy their ration of seeds at leisure.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Teasel Tans
Dipsacum fullonum (Common Teasel or Fuller's Teasel) is an invasive plant, therefore you should feel no guilt for cutting bouquets of the seed heads as long as you take care to prevent accidental dispersal of seeds. Sprayed with metallic paint or even clear varnish, these three-inch cones are a lovely addition to dried arrangements. When in bloom, the green head often shows a ring of small lavender flowers encircling it like a ballerina's tutu, rising on stalks which attain heights of six feet or more. The thorns are sharp, but can be easily removed by scraping with a pocket knife.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
The Next Great Adventure
Winter is the time of planning, maps and mountain guidebooks laid out on the table. What will I find in my cross-referencing? An old mine, perhaps, or a waterfall, off trail and hidden in rough terrain! Winter is when the adventures are mapped with compass and GPSr, routes plotted, alternate possibilities noted in case something unexpected appears between contour lines when taken into the field. Let's see what's out there!
Explanation to my readers: With "weekend" set as my goal for posting, I seem to have wound up with two images from the same day for two different weeks. :LOL:
Sunday, January 1, 2012
The One That Got Away
Seriously, fishermen aren't liars. It's just that water magnifies fish, so The One That Got Away always sticks in the mind as being bigger than it really was. And you can't measure one you landed if it's flopping around on the ground, so of course you step on the tail and grab the lower jaw while your buddy lays the tape rule against its side. They're all plump when they come out of the water, but because they kinda dry out a little on the way home, the girth is reduced a bit by the time you're ready to show off your "braggin' fish" to the neighbors. Forty-five minutes to land Moby Dick? It could have been an eternity! Nah, no fisherman is truly a liar. It's just that their perceptions are a bit exaggerated.
Please note that no fish were harmed in the making of this documentary. Mineral Lake is currently closed for the season and my line never touched the water. Honest.
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