My Everyday Photos

Weekend Fun

July 19, 2015 – 1:39 pm
Posted in Twisp, Winthrop
Tagged Cider, farmers market, gallery, music, Twisp
Comments (2)

Living in the Methow there is no shortage of fun stuff to do and often a person needs to make a choice between various planned events. This weekend is the big Rhythm and Blue Festival outside of Winthrop so there are lots of people in town. And motorcycles too. We did not go to the festival. It’s a BIG event. We stuck to smaller things.

There was the Farmers Market in Twisp in the morning. In the afternoon we went out to the Methow Valley Ciderhouse to listen to Danbert Nobacon and Anna Dooley perform in the relaxed atmosphere under the big tent. After that we went into Twisp to enjoy a couple of gallery receptions – at the Confluence and also Donna Keyser’s D*SIGNS. Later in the evening Ken did go visit some friends who live across the river from the Blues Fest and he enjoyed the music from afar.

Music at the market

Bread

Honey

Watch art being made at the farmers market

A basket of glass eggs

First time I’ve seen naked ladies for sale in Twisp

Fresh corn

Peaches

Apricots

Perennial flowers for the garden

Blueberries

Methow Made hard Cider

Anna and Danbert

Hops

Comfy chair at the Cider House

Cider taster

Where the cider comes from

New mural being created in the alley behind Glover Street

The artist’s pallete

Donna and Ken share a laugh

Summertime

Just a few images from our hillside. Lots of baby birds this time of year.

Full moon on July 1

Fireweed

Western Bluebird

Says Phoebes

Cedar Waxwing watching its babies on the ground

Newly fledged Cedar Waxwing

Blue Lake Cool

July 10, 2015 – 2:26 pm
Posted in North Cascades
Tagged Blue Lake, dogs, labrador, North Cascades, wildflowers
Comments (3)

A couple days ago, the dogs and I got up and out early in the morning to find some respite from the heat. We made the short drive to the Blue Lake trailhead and were on the trail by 7:30! The forest was cool and damp and there were dew drops on the shrubs. We haven’t had dew in the valley for quite a while. At home the temperature continues to linger in the high 90’s and low 100’s during the afternoon so we needed a break. ‘They’ say there will be a break in this heat but with that break we have the promise of lightning.

Wildflowers were lush along parts of the trail. Crossing an avalanche chute, the views opened up into the North Cascades. At the lake we enjoyed the sight of the back of Liberty Bell, the iconic rock formation that dominates the horizon at Washington Pass.

We were the first to make the 2.2 mile hike that morning and had the lake nearly to ourselves all the time we were there. Going down, after we passed the halfway mark, we saw numerous hikers going up in the growing heat of the day. I imagine a few of them enjoyed the waters of Blue Lake almost as much as Sky did.

Interesting yellow fungus. It resembled cauliflower.

X marks the spot in the trail

What’s the big deal?

Luna liked the snow better than the lake!

I just know that mom will be so pleased if I can get this big stick and carry it to her!

A mud bath really made Luna happy.

Do we have to leave?

Just one more swim before we go

We did not see of these habituated goats. Whew.

An Owl on the Porch

Yesterday morning Ken saw a Great-horned Owl roosting on our porch when he went out to the kitchen. It did not stick around. This morning I awoke to the sound of angry robins and wrens and I thought that the owl must be back.

Thinking this might be a good photo opportunity, I stayed in bed waited for the sun to come up but it never really got bright this morning. This is because of wildfires burning in British Columbia and other parts of Washington.

Finally, I quietly walked out to the kitchen not even talking to the dogs and sure enough, that owl was perched on the snowshoes hanging above the deck. Robins were constantly hollering at it and occasionally dive bombing it. The dogs went out the front door and back via the porch and the owl just watched them from above.

I got a few images and came up here to process them. A few minutes later I went down for my tea and the owl was gone but the robins were still pitching fits about it. I looked around and found it on the bird bath and got a few more shots while it evaded the robins and then returned to the snow shoes. It hardly seems to be sleeping with all the robin ruckus around here. I wonder how long it will stay?

Trying to Keep Cool

June 30, 2015 – 4:27 pm
Posted in summer, Uncategorized
Tagged dogs, Harts Pass, Pacific Crest Trail, Patterson Lake, PCT, wildflowers
Comments (2)

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.