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Winter Escape

When it’s winter here, it’s frequently very, very nice in other places – places where there are exotic birds, tropical flowers and clear turquoise water. I was lucky enough to visit one of those places recently. I returned home this week to singing Red-winged Blackbirds (a sure sign of spring) and more new snow. Yesterday we received another five inches of wet heavy snow. And I came down with a head cold. It’s hard to believe that just a few days ago I was enjoying the warmth and humidity of Central America with my long-time good friend, Kim. This trip is the beginning of the celebration of one of those big milestone birthdays for both of us. It was my husband’s idea and part of it was a gift from him. Many thanks to Ken for the good idea and the gift!

Our first stop was Belize City, the former capital. It is a mix of new and old and rundown and downright ruined. We found a pleasant enough walk along the seashore although we were disappointed by the amount of trash we saw.

Flying over frozen north central Washington. That’s the Columbia River and Wenatchee.
I think this is the mouth of the Grand Coulee.
We tried not to bother the dogs.
A church in Belize City
I love the colors.
I don’t think they do it this way at home.
House plants growing wild.
We waited but did not see a ballerina!
Maybe they are waiting for the ballerina too?
Oh yeah. We made it.

End of Winter Dog Walk

This morning was cold – cold enough to freeze the old snow and make a hard platform for walking. The dogs were incredibly happy to walk and run anywhere without worrying about crushing into the soft snow. I was too. I remember that this happened last year about this time too. We took advanage of it and really enjoyed a long walk in the hills.

Those mountains!
Sage sprig emerging from the snow.
Last year’s grasses.
Oh look, Sky found a stick.
This is when we heard the coyotes singing and we all stopped to listen.
Sky found a bigger stick!
This Bald Eagle tolerated the dogs right below.
Ever changing light.

Dogs of Winter

Winter is coming to an end. Mud season has begun. From the looks of it, it will drag on for quite a few weeks. There is still two feet of snow on the ground. Mostly it’s been too soft to walk on recently so we’ve had to stick to plowed roads or ski trails for exercise. Still looks like we are having fun.

February full moon
Our icicle art is nearly gone
Falls Creek with Don and Molly
Frozen Falls Creek Falls
Cedar trunks and rock
Tickle and Sky
February swim
A good roll in the snow
Vera and Sky
Wyatt came to visit!
So serious
Luna says no, I’m not getting on that snowbank.
Seven dogs all in a row
Sometimes it looks like this
And then it looks like this

 

Winter Wonderland

Up until yesterday we’ve had wonderful snow days mixed with bluebird days for most of the winter. Monday was a perfect bluebird day! Powder snow covering the hills above our house, blue skies forever and a temperature that wasn’t too cold. Wonderful conditions for ski shoeing with my fat Hok skis.

Looking up valley
Sky looks over our neighborhood
My turns
Fern crystals on the snow

A 30k Kind of Day

Yesterday a friend and I skied Methow Trails’ Community Trail from Mazama to the Town Trailhead in Winthrop – a distance of thirty kilometers or more than eighteen miles! For some people that’s not a long ways but it is for me. It was sunny and cold. Colder than I usually like to ski. My water bottles froze shut and had to be forced open. Brrrrr. My feet and fingers suffered some, but in the end I was refreshed and exhilarated.

The trail winds through the forest and across fields and along the river. It crosses the Methow River and several streams – Goat Creek, Wolf Creek, Spring Creek and some side channels. With all the cold weather we’ve had, the ice formations are fascinating. Cold weather also makes the skiing slower and more challenging and squeaky too! We did it in almost exactly four hours with one twenty minute break at a warming hut and several shorter breaks.

Ice on the Methow
Interesting patterns on Goat Creek.
View from the Suspension bridge
So incredibly bright!
A good day.