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Snowy Owls

This year there has been a major irruption of Snowy Owls throughout the NW and other parts of the country. These bright white owls nest up in the far north and most years a few of them show up in Washington in the winter and occasionally lots of them migrate south. There are different theories as to why some years so many stray so far from their traditional wintering grounds – lack of food, overly bad weather, a succesful breeding season producing too many owls for the available food and so on and so forth. Whatever the reason, it is always a treat to get out in the field and see them.

Four of us drove more than 100 miles through Okanogan and Douglas Counties searching for them and we were fortunate to find two just before the cloud cover lowered nearly to the ground. This was the closer one and really, it wasn’t very close for my meager camera equipment. There are lots more Snowy Owl images out there of far better quality than mine. For me, it’s more about seeing the bird and being graced by its presence.

In addition to two Snowy Owls, we also saw a large flock of Snow Buntings, a Gyrfalcon, sevearl flocks of Horned Larks, numerous Rough-legged Hawks, a Merlin, quite a few American Kestrels and lots of waterfowl on the Columbia, Methow and Okanogan Rivers, including Trumpeter Swans and a pair of Eurasian Wigeons. It was a good day of birding.

 

 

As we watched, this bird spent much of the time preening

 

I like this image because it shows the big feather-covered foot

 

 

If you are interested in searching for Snowy Owls, here is a map showing reported sightings around the country.

Wax On Wax Off

Skiing isn’t just about gliding effortlessly through the woods on groomed trails. It takes some work to get to that point. In order to get to that effortless state, I really need to be in better shape. Around here, there are lots of top notch athletes who do make it look easy. One thing I can do to make skiing easier is to wax my skis once in a while, maybe once a week if I’m not overrun with other stuff to do. Last year I began waxing my own skis in order to save ten bucks each time I took them to town to be professionally done. I may not be as good as they are but I am getting better. A small greenhouse attached to our shed is a great place to wax skis on a sunny day.

First the wax is ironed on to the base

 

 

Pink wax for the forecast temperatures. That black stuff comes from the base of my ski. Sadly, the bottom is not perfectly flat.

 

 

That’s a pretty finished surface

 

The Party’s Over

Ken doesn’t like it when the holiday season comes to an end. I feel a sense of relief that life returns to ‘normal’, whatever that is. It’s never really totally ‘normal’. Right now, the weather is dreary with rain on snow and friends are dealing with a family crisis. Is that normal? Who can say?

At any rate, presents are unwrapped and the mess cleaned up, decorations, except for the lights, have come off of the tree. New Years has come and gone and it’s back to work for most folks. The dogs are bored and wonder if they will ever have fun again. No wait – there’s dinner for them to look forward to! Hopefully, by tomorrow the tree will move on to its new life and become another bird feeder.

 

 

 

 

Methow Burning Fish

This wooden fish was created for a salmon celebration last fall with the idea that it would be burned at the end of the event. Folks would write wishes and send them into the flames with the fish. For various reasons, the fish was not burned so it has spent the last few months gracing the drive where its artist lives. In the rain and snow and intense sunshine, and most recently decorated with a Santa hat, it awaited its fate.

The artist and another friend delivered it to our house yesterday. Ken assisted the artist as the bonfire was assembled in the fish and around it in the cold daylight. I went skiing. Bought groceries. Ken went for beer. I made some turkey noodle soup.

Friends began to arrive by car and on foot around six. Lots of finger food was shared. Champagne. A campfire was started. Small fireworks were lit with the occasional BIG boom reverberating over the valley floor. Dogs, our three and three or four more, were kept inside with music to mask the noise. There was eggnog made from scratch. Deep, dark, moist gingerbread that matched very well with stout from the local Pub.

10:00 was the appointed hour. Not midnight. Somewhere during the evening someone stuffed the fish with sparklers and other small fireworks.

 At 10:00 pm, New Years Eve 2011, the fish was lit using only a simple lighter. No gas. It started slowly and soon there were fireworks illuminating the scene in neon colors. Eventually the entire fish was engulfed and then the tail and adipose fin disapeared. As the structure began to collapse into its own embers, the spawning fish dance began. It didn’t last long.

And then there was just another campfire and folks began to go inside for more food and eggnog and live music til midnight when the big fireworks were lit!

As one person is quoted as saying, ‘It was an innocent gathering of friends’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting a light for some more fireworks

 

The spawn til ya die dance

 

 

 

Happy New Year! Here’s to 2012!

 

Scenes from the Town Trailhead

One of my volunteer ‘jobs’ is to be an ambassador for the Methow Valley Sports Trails Association (MVSTA). Today I was at Town Trailhead in Winthrop. It’s always interesting to visit with the skiers and give them a hand as needed and find out where they are from. During the holiday season, it is especially busy.

Last night we had a nice snowfall but then rain fell on top of it. The groomers did a pretty good job, turning the new snow into the famed corduroy surface that everyone loves to ski on. The sun came out and it was nearly like spring skiing! Too early. More snow is in the forecast this week.

There were lots of Bald Eagles and Pygmy Nuthatches for avian entertainment, two birds on opposite ends of the size spectrum.

But first, before I left the house, there was a valley-spanning rainbow (snowbow?)

The parking lot was a little bit sloppy

Early skate tracks in the corduroy

And the classic tracks ready for skiers

Skiers of all ages in their colorful outfits

And the new pedestrian bridge so you can ski to downtown, the rental shops, the pub, the art gallery and various other establishments