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Author Archives: Teri J Pieper

Baking Again

It’s SO nice to have an oven again. For more than four years since we have lived here, the oven in this house has always been touchy and didn’t always work and now that it has been replaced, just last week, I am tickled to be able to push the start button and know that I can cook using something other than a hot range (that won’t simmer) or a slow cooker! Yesterday I made a braised pork roast with ginger and garlic. Today I made some rolls and bread using local organic flour from Bluebird Grain Farms.

 

Dinner rolls in the oven. The dishwasher, that replaced the old one in February, is reflected in the window.

 

I’m out of practice. They varied in size and shape.

 

Almost perfectly golden. And trust me, they were wonderful.

 

And a small loaf of bread.

Can’t you just smell it? Nothing better than fresh bread from the oven.

 

San Poil Moments

Along the way, Luna and I stopped in the San Poil valley to visit Dixie and her people. It’s a beautiful valley and sparsely populated. Our friends live on an old ranch with about a mile of riverfront – excellent habitat for birds, bears, moose and other animals. We walked and walked while Luna and Dixie ran and jumped and rolled in the mud! After the agility trial where dogs don’t get to play with other dogs, Luna was entirely relieved to see her old pal Dixie and bounded out of the car when we arrived.

 

 

On July 20th, a huge storm known as a micro-burst hit this area and tore down thousands, if not millions of trees. You can read about it here. Power was out for a week or more. Everywhere you go, you can see the damage. One area I saw looked like it had been clear cut.

 

Now that the wet season has started, people are burning debris leftover from the storm

 

Old farm machinery

 

They have draft horses to pull this sleigh and also for farming and logging.

 

So much dog fun!

 

Dixie is a McNabb, similar in appearance to a smooth-coated border collie

 

Rope growing moss. How cool is that?

 

Canada Geese flew off the river

 

The front yard. Peregrine Falcons nest there. Rattlesnakes den in those rocks.

 

A well-constructed beaver dam

 

These trees are full of birds in the spring and summer. Pretty quiet now.

 

Very pretty place

 

More moss

 

The neighbors’ cabin does not have indoor plumbing.

 

 

Stops Along the Way

As Luna and I travelled from Deer Park (north of Spokane) to home, we made some stops along the way. I always figure there is no point in travelling straight through in the most direct manner if you have some time to spare. After two days of agility trials, Luna was ready for some ground-sniffing walks without leashes. We both enjoyed the fresh air of autumn in the woods.

 

Happy Dog

 

Beautiful Ponderosa Pine trees

 

Love those undulating hills

 

These mushrooms almost looked good enough to eat but I’m not one to experiment

 

Golden Western Larch needles carpet the trail

 

This is a nice boardwalk over a wetland that is probably teeming with birds in the spring and summer. We only heard a few chickadees and siskens.

 

And a cool bird blind but no birds were in sight

 

I wonder how long ago this tree was cut down

 

Near the summit of Sherman Pass, it was quite cold and silent.

 

At Home Yesterday

After several days on the road, it was nice to wake up in my own bed. It was a glorious morning – cold, crisp and clear. Views from the porch were outstanding.

Looking down valley before the sun came up

 

This fellow arrived with the sunrise. He was on the trail of some does.

 

One of the does had been bedded down next to the bee hive. He could smell her.

 

Soon the big buck was gone but the scene remained.

 

Today is much colder with a bracing wind and a threat of snow.

Off and Running

Luna and I are at Loon Lake to attend a canine agility trial. We are total novices at this. Yesterday we had a pleasant drive across eastern Washington birding in various spots.

Through the fog across the plateau

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Are we there yet?

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Lots of fuzzy caterpillars at reardan ponds

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The historic Davenport cemetary can be a birding hotspot. Not yesterday

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Historic Loom Lake school

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Tired after playing ball

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Loon Lake

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Budhas hand? New to me in the produce aisle at Deer Park

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