Walks

 It is finally getting cool enough for some winter gear. A hat that covers the ears and a scarf for protecting the chin and face while in the wind.

In the woods and valleys the winds rarely blow as the land is steep and heavily wooded. So even on a cold blustery day a walk in the woods can be rather pleasant.

Hobby has switched over 
to her mild winter gear!

Look!

Moss under the skiff of

snow!

However, my walks have to be planned and short so that I can be back before the other half wakes from his nap. He still needs help switching his oxygen over from the CPAP to the concentrator. Last night was the first time in over a week that he attempted it himself when getting ready for bed.

I keep close by which isn't hard as we are surrounded by a forest.

But I do need my fresh air daily no matter what the weather. 

I went without Charlie on New Year's Day for a really hard and fast hike on my neighbor's land. One I wouldn't normally take any friends on. It is rough, gnarly, and hilly. There are two valleys to negotiate through and a lot of brush with thorns. Did I mention the creek hopping? 

I went to the back valley and followed the stream that empties into Black Bottom. If you grew up in the area you call the stream Black Bottom. If you aren't local, you call it Readscreek.

This part of the valley is landlocked. There are no roads into it, no easy access except on foot which makes it really unique.

The stream develops from several large springs up the valley and used to be rather wide and fast. With all the years of drought, the stream has shrunk to a mere creek, but it is still wild and beautiful.

In the photos below, the stream used to be much wider, covering all of the flat land. After flash floods all the grasses are washed away and one can find cool rocks that are left behind as well as car, tractor parts, and tires.

Years ago this 'dragon' tree fell across the wide stream. Now just the head of the dragon is left with a little creek under it. Where the dragon head is ... was where the stream extended to.

The only place I found any tiny 'waterfalls' over rocks was towards the east end of the valley. Here, the water moved swiftly which it used to do all along this valley.

I turned and climbed the steep deer trail out of the bottom and headed up the old logging trail to the ridge. Half way up the trail there is a rock shelter that forms an ice cave each year from the seepage of water and the runoff of melt water.

This year has been so dry and so has the winter so the seepage is limited and with the warmer than normal temperatures, the ice is not forming rapidly.

Below is what it looks like in a good year. This isn't the best shot I have of it, but I generally hike to this spot throughout winter to watch the ice grow.

and another shot from 
a very good year !

Our walk on the 2nd was much shorter and nearer the house. I had Charlie along and he and I followed deer trails.

We were mostly going for the exercise and the fresh air. We wound up exploring a run off ditch that had some interesting tree formations and roots. These things never cease to amaze me.

When there is a large snow melt or a heavy rain, these dry runs become flooded with rushing water. It washes rocks, soil, and other debris down the narrow run creating a unique area to explore when it is dry.

Otherwise? 

Not much going on here.

What should I search for in January? Odd trees maybe? I need a project!

Pretty skies

  This year has been fairly plain when looking at sunrises and sunsets. Or perhaps I just didn't get my butt out there to watch them. Most of the summer was dealt with smokey or cloudless skies with no moisture as we went through a summer of drought and Canadian fires.

Thank goodness right now that has changed. The mornings and evening have been presenting us with a few glorious skies.

The 4 second video below is a time lapse of a sunset a couple of nights ago. I set up the camera on the porch while I filled the big stock tank and let the camera do it thing.

I had taken a still shot too.

Friday night wasn't brilliant but it was still worth seeing.

Another 4 seconds of the sunset. It is something that I am

fooling around with. It isn't brilliant, but

this way I can see if I am getting any progress

at all.

Hobby, my minifigure 'self' likes going out and watching the skies with me. Poor thing, she is getting quite worn from bouncing about in my pockets.

Sunrises!

I'm so happy for brilliant mornings and spectacular evenings. In the winter, I can watch both the sunrise and sunset from our porch. In the summer I have to walk out to the pastures to the north.

Sundance after our last snowfall. She'd just taken a snow bath and was watching deer while eating at the hay feeder.

Hopefully we get clear skies and I can actually get out on one of these nights to view the Geminids shower this week.

Discovery and Explore

 

Hobby wanted a tripod, but she rummaged through the leftovers of Lego pieces and found a Chandelier top which she converted into a Quadpod.

She isn't sure how it will all work out, but for now, she is pleased. She thought she'd also try her hand at Infrared Photography, she was very surprised at how the Skunk Cabbage appeared white!

Skunk Cabbage Patch Below:

Below: Skunk Cabbage Spadix [center bumpy thing], the hooded Spathe is gone from being stepped on by wildlife.

The plants huge leaves will soon appear.

The Big Spring is located about a half mile or so from our house. The hike to get there isn't too bad, as long as you stick to the valley. The spring comes up from the ground and is probably the warmest spot in the valley. Most of the early plants can be found here.

I found the first Cowslip or Marsh Marigold yesterday. The spring is dotted with them, I imagine with the warm weather this weekend, more flowers will open.

Charlie in the Big Spring shot in IR.
The blue colored lumps

are moss covered rocks.

In contrast the rock wall has ice on it. The sun only shines on this section of the valley when their are no leaves on the trees. The rock holds onto the cold. This little pond is a great place to cool off on a hot summer day.

It is only about knee deep but the water stays at 45 degrees F most of the summer.

Just above the wall with ice on it...I found fern curls emerging from the detritus.

Charlie sits and waits for me to make through the tangle of dead trees. He knows exactly where we are going now that he has been hiking this route for 5 years.

Come mid June, we won't be able to hike much further than this spot as the plants and weeds will be waist high and we won't be able to see our footing unless the deer and other wildlife make a trail along here.

In another few weeks though, I can come down and dig up fresh wild parsnip to take home and eat.

Today we should get off to KVR to hike the Jug Creek Trail. I want to get up on the rock formations while I can still see through the trees.

Wild life...

It's story time again! What has Hobby the Photographer been up to lately?

She is still on a mission to photograph wildlife.

I'm not too sure she is going about it the proper way though.

Really? Pizza for

a Saber Tooth Tiger?

Funny how she seems to work things out.

One thing for sure, is she needs warmer clothing. I convinced her to put on a hooded snowsuit for her adventures in the snow .... finally.

And of course, what does she find?
Penguins! Penguins!
Who would have thought she could find them?

[This idea came from fellow blogger Aurora. Hobby will blame her for that.]

OH and see that light? We had sunshine for a whole hour yesterday!!!

Hobby asks the penguins to take her to their friends.

No Hobby, I don't think Penguins eat hotdogs!

Whoops. Perhaps I am mistaken!

 After finding penguins, she asked them to show her where she could find some Polar Bears.

I think she should be more careful around wild animals. Don't you?