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Up, Up and Away

From black and white to so much color it could make your head spin!

Ken and I received a gift of a hot air balloon ride for a wedding present. Three years ago. We tried to schedule it but the weather would not cooperate or Ken’s job didn’t cooperate or something or other. This year, it all fell into place. On the day following our third anniversary, Kurt and Melinda of Morning Glory Balloon Tours took us on a beautiful airborne tour of the Methow Valley; this place we call home. It was peaceful and stunning. The weather was perfect. Blue skies, green hills, snow-capped mountains. Exactly what we had hoped for.

Kurt readying the balloon
Looking from the top to the bottom of the balloon ‘envelope’.
Ken and Kurt admire the colors
Melinda holds onto the bottom edge of the balloon envelope
Ready to fill it with hot air
up
up
Up it goes!
Inflated and ready for us
With little fanfare we were suddenly floating above the tree tops. Looking down valley.
Mount Gardner looming above Sun Mountain Lodge
The Methow River with the highway bridge at Winthrop near the top.
Winthrop looks bigger from up above.
The Sawtooth Mountains above the western edge of the valley
Did I mention snow-capped mountains and green hills?
Kurt Oakley, pilot and co-owner of Morning Glory Balloon Tours.
Ken enjoys the view
Tree shadows along the river
Shadows are really interesting from above
Looking up valley towards the North Cascades
Higher still above Winthrop
The North Cascades
The Sawtooth range above Twin Lakes
Just about all of the upper valley
Looking down valley towards Twisp
Above Harrier Hill. Studhorse Hill is in the background with Pearrygin Lake just to the right of it.
Our house! You can see the beehives on the right
Some steep hillsides
The chase crew waits for our landing. We ended up in a different field. There’s no steering up there.
Landing shadow!
Down it goes.
They are pretty quick deflating the envelope and getting it packed up for another day.
Kurt even has a matching shirt for the balloon!

Many thanks to our dear friends and this wonderful gift!

My World in Black and White

On May 31st there will be a reception for three featured artists at the Winthrop Gallery. Don McIvor‘s woodwork, Katie Swanson‘s textiles and my black and white photography will make up the exhibit. I am very excited to show my black and white images from near my home and in the beautiful Methow Valley where I live and play.

The show will run from May 28th through July 7th. The Winthrop Gallery is located at 237 Riverside Avenue in Winthrop Washington and is open from 10 am til 5 pm, seven days a week.

Spring Aspens

We hope to see you at the reception on May 31st from 5 til 7 pm or stop by during the day sometime while the show is up.

 

Lost Homing Pigeon

This bird arrived at our house last night and roosted in the darkness and is still here this morning. I wonder if it will remember where it belongs and head home or if it is hopelessly lost? It seems unafraid of me. The dogs make it nervous. The bird makes Sky nervous. Sky’s not used to birds that sit on the railing and stare at her. The pigeon is very pretty with the iridescence associated with these birds. Both of its legs have bands. I imagine I could catch the bird and read them but then what would I do? Is there an online registry for homing pigeons? And what does it eat? Would it enjoy some black oil sunflower seeds that I feed the wild birds? If I catch it, should I try to confine it til its owner is found?

On the Water

What fun to finally get my kayak back on the water. It’s been a challenging spring with lower back pain slowing me down at every turn. It is on the mend and while it’s not pain-free, it’s mostly tolerable. The weather is improving this week too. Yesterday was even what you might call warm. Well, depending on where you live and what you’re used to!

I moved stuff around the garage on Saturday and dragged the boat outside to hose off the dust and other winter accumulations; yesterday I put the racks on my car and finally, finally I loaded my boat with some trepidation anticipating that spasm of back pain. I managed without causing anymore pain so I took off for the lake. Ken and the dogs followed a while later with the fishing boat. I saw some Wood Ducks and a pair of Hooded Mergansers and Canada Geese, in addition to lots of singing Yellow-rumped Warblers and other song birds. It was nice to get out if even for just a short while. Today I’m a little sore but mostly tolerable still.

 

 

Patterson Mountain, still covered in yellow
A male Hooded Merganser trying to get a female’s attention.
Sky just now noticed me
Ken teaches the dogs about fishing tackle.
Sky was very interested in the fishing. Luna was along for the ride.
He caught several trout
Supper?

Hillsides Covered with Yellow

Balsamroot sunflowers are in full bloom this week. Their sunny color paints the hillsides of the Methow valley with vivid pigments that invite you to get up and go outdoors. If you’re not out in the hills this week, you are making a mistake. MA and I took the dogs to Patterson Mountain, a popular and easily accessible hiking trail near here.  There were several cars at the trailhead so we knew others were out ahead of us and we did see them but mostly they were leaving as we were arriving so on top of the mountain we had it mostly to ourselves, except for a talkative raven.

The contrast of green hills crowned with yellow and the snow-covered mountains and blue skies surely make this the prettiest time of the year. There were other flowers – rock cress, shooting stars, blue bells, serviceberry, even a late twin flower. The bitterroot were not yet blooming. That surprised me. But the star of the day was the Balsamroot.

What a day!
Sky in the flowers
Luna and Sky
Frida stops to smell the flowers
Oh yeah, you have to drink it all in!
That yellow lab joined us for a short time.
Sky found a stick! Imagine that.
Sky followed the sign indicating a switchback in the trail. Isn’t she a smart girl?
Oh yeah, perfect day on the trail.
Oh look, Sky followed another sign.
Patterson lake with Mt Gardener on the left and the Wolf Creek and the upper Methow on the right
Even though they got to go swimming before the hike, the sun is starting to slow them down.
This Dusky Grouse stayed put as all the dogs walked by and then when MA went past it finally could not stand it and had to get up and walk giving me a great look!
Handsome bird in the flowers.
Resting on the mountain top
We love our snow-covered mountains.
Luna, where have you been?
Heading down.
The flowers and the mountains.
My favorite time of the year.