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Author Archives: Teri J Pieper

At the Ice Rink

Finally, I am well enough to get outside and DO something! What a relief. Today I went skating for the first time this winter. Let it be known that I am a total beginner skater. I did skate the last two winters but still, not enough to feel competant on the ice.

Today was a stellar day in the Methow and our outdoor rink is situated near the river with a perfect view of Mt Gardner. Bald Eagles perch on nearby cottonwoods and complain in their funny voices whenever a raven gets too close. I arrived just as the ice opened right after lunch and lucky me – I had the whole place to myself! Soon two other women arrived, both friends – one is my neighbor and the other teaches skating. I managed to not fall and remembered most of what I could do last winter.

 

All that untouched ice

 

Mt Gardner, just beyond Spring Creek Ranch

 

Passersby

 

My tracks!

 

I always wanted to be tall

 

 

 

 

Visions of Sugarplums

The tree is up. It has lights on it. Does it need more lights? Do you think I should stop now? What about the ornaments? And where’s the ladder? I’ll need that if there’s going to be star on top.

They’re Dogs. What do you think they dream about?

 

Christmas cookies at our house

Lunar Eclipse at Ten Degrees

Brrrr. You’d think a person would have more sense than to stand around in the dark when the temperature is ten degrees, fahrenheit. Especially a person battling a head cold. But how often do you get to see a lunar eclipse?

It was foggy when I went to bed last night so I didn’t have much hope of being able to see this phenomonon and I didn’t do anything to get ready for it. Ken set the alarm and even woke me up after he saw the progressing shadow of the earth across the moon. He had the scope set up outside to watch it. It was a struggle to find everything I needed for night time photography and I overlooked one thing that would have made my images better. My other camera. It handles high ISO much better and would have allowed shorter exposures that would have been sharper.  Can I help it if my mind is all fogged up at 5 in the morning? It was fun to see, despite the cold.

 

 

 

This is what happens when you move everything during the shot.

 

 

The moon set and the sky was light in the east before the eclipse came to an end.

Late Afternoon Light

At this time of year, late afternoon is 3:00 p.m. Hardly seems right. With the low angle of the sun, it lasts a while making for some good photo opportunities depending on the location. Yesterday my friend and I went birding to the Okanogan and while we dipped on our target wintering species, at the end of the day we did find a new place to explore – McLaughlin Canyon. Ken’s told me about it in the past, insisting that it’s a place I’d like and of course, he was right. We stumbled upon it from the east, coming from Tunk Valley, going up and over a divide and then dropping into this amazing rock walled chasm. The late afternoon light colored the rock walls with oranges and yellows, shadowed by burnt snags from wildfires in the not too distant past. A tiny Canyon Wren completed the scene.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch

Back home in the Methow, winter’s grip grows tighter with cold temperatures and crusty snow despite calendars indicating that it is still fall. Sunny days do make it seem warmer.

Mt Robinson and Goat Peak

 

Fuzzy crusty snow

 

Sam is feeling a little better with new medications

 

Luna hardly knows the meaning of ‘having a bad day’

 

See, it’s still fall