Skip navigation

Category Archives: Uncategorized

Trying to Keep Cool

This last week has featured temperatures over 100 degrees, Fahrenheit! Our house is not designed for extremes of heat and it is difficult to keep it anywhere near a comfortable temperature. Outside, it’s been too hot to do things that need to be done. While we ignore them, the weeds grow gleefully upward, blooming and spreading their seeds. What’s a person or dog to do?

Ignore the weeds; that’s for sure.

Sunday the thermometer topped out at 110! In the morning we took the dogs and a PFD and some floaty toys and went to the lake. We got an early start so we could find a coveted place big enough for us and the dogs without bothering other recreaters. There were several rowing sculls on the water and a canoe and some people swimming for exercise or fun. The dogs were ecstatic and we threw and threw their bumpers. When I thought they might be tiring, I put them away. Sky disappeared into the bushes and came out with a brand new tennis ball! That dog has a nose for tennis balls. If you ever lose one, call on Sky and she will find it for you. But then you have to throw it for her. Again and again. We floated around in the water with PFD, just relaxing and enjoying the cooling lake. Back at home, we all felt somewhat rejuvenated and got a little bit of work done.

Late in the afternoon we packed up a picnic and drove to Harts Pass at about 6100 feet elevation. It was much cooler up there – in the sixties and it felt SO good. There was a threat of thunder storms and we had a little bit of light rain but nothing that chased us away. Ken chatted with a fellow who had just started the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), traveling north to south. He plans to arrive at Mexico in November. We wished him good luck. The mosquitoes were annoying when we ate our picnic so we ate fast. Then we headed out for a short walk on the PCT. We were greeted by pikas, hoary marmots, Swainson’s Thrushes and a few wildflowers. There were small patches of snow – nothing like last year. It’s already very dry. Many of the creeks are quite low or even dry and it’s not even July. Compare that with a day on the same part of the trail last year in July here.  The flowers are not as floriferous either.

 

 

This dog accompanied a long distance swimmer back and forth across the lake
Shooting stars in full bloom
Bog orchid
Elephant head
Heather
Silver forest from an old burn
Silky phacelia
Luna was SO happy to see snow
This is the snow field featured near the bottom of the blog post from last summer.
Clearly, I am equipped for whatever the day has to offer.
Jacob’s ladder
columbine
Something like fireweed but not fireweed
Phlox
Slate Peak. It’s pretty obvious from this point of view that the top was removed before the lookout was installed
Silky phacelia
Did you lose a glove?
Native rhododendron
Rosy pussytoes
Native rhododendron
Phlox with raindrops

 

 

Shades of Green

This time of year it is easy to soak up all the shades of green like a refreshing drink of water. Soon many of those greens will be shades of pale gold and brown. This pretty draw is on the Big Buck section of the Methow Wildlife Area. The big cottonwood in the clump of aspens always stands out for me.

Early Spring at Blackpine Lake

Last year we visited Blackpine Lake on April 23rd and it was still mostly ice-covered and there was enough snow that we parked a ways away from the campground. You can see a blog post from last year here. We went this week on April 8th and drove all the way to the lake and found much less ice. It is such an early spring.

MA managed to catch three fish this time. Sky was completely obsessed with her fishing pole and was no help at all. She could not stand the thought that her good friend was standing on a dock with a stick in her hand and flailing it about and yet not throwing it in the water. I finally had to leash her and DRAG her away from the dock. And then she was cold and wet. We sat down on a bench and Sky scooted right in close to me, shivering. Have you ever hugged a wet dog? She soon quit shivering but still wanted, more than anything to return to MA.

All the dogs enjoyed some time in the water, even young Quincy. He looks like he’ll be a good swimmer too.

Ponderosa pines
Very early for paintbrush (Castilleja sp) to be blooming
And where are those two off to?
Reflections
Ice
An attempt to get all the dogs in one photo. Here’s two.
Threre. Where’s Quincy?
There he is!
I really needed an assistant standing behind me with a toy or treat.
Milling around on the dock
What do you see Quincy?
The fishing pole!
I don’t think he planned to jump off the dock.

 

 

Getting to Big Sur

We camped for most of the two-week trip except when we stayed with my aunt and uncle in Napa. From Napa we drove to Big Sur. Looking at the maps, it seemed like a pretty easy half-day drive. As with most of the trip, it took much longer than we expected. We finally arrived at a campsite in time for sunset and a very late dinner. I know it’s too many sunset images but how can I decide what to cut?

The Golden Gate
Alcatraz
San Francisco
The dogs were not impressed
Sand Dollar Beach
Paintbrush
Field bindweed. It was everywhere

The Sledding Hill is Open!

I like to wait til there is deep soft pillowy snow before I try sledding. Right now the snow still has a crust on it but new snow is falling so it could be nice soon. That didn’t stop Ken from giving it a try. He just got a new plastic sled to replace the one that burned up in the fire so it was time to give it a spin. He said it was very fast and it certainly did take him almost to the edge. That’s why I like the deep soft pillowy and slow snow!

Getting ready
Sky says – Hey whacha doin?
Hey, where’d he go?
I can catch him!
See that edge there? If he goes over that, there is a state highway at the bottom of the very steep hill.
Luna says – well that was fun.
What goes down has to come up.
We can wait here Luna
Oh look, Sky found a stick.
Weren’t we going to put in a tow rope?
How much fun is this?
Hey Luna, look at the cool stick I found.
Again?
Catching air.
I wonder if she should be running with sticks?
To the edge.
Sometimes you have to fall out of it to get it to stop.
The hardest part.