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A Fine Day for a Hike

The girls and I. How many times do I start one of these posts with that phrase? Well, once again, the girls and I had a lovely hike under blue skies. Wildflowers were starting to fade and water was scarce where I expect to see it most of the summer. This is the case everywhere right now. Fire season is upon us and our skies are smoky. We wish for rain but so far, nothing measurable.

As for the green hat, Willow found it. She took a hard right off the trail and went about 30 meters and ran back with it. She had smelled it and was so proud and happy to find it! She played with it and tossed it in the air and did no damage to it despite how it looks. I got it away from her and I need to get it to a lost and found. Later she found a folding saw that was rusted shut.

We attempted an old fashioned selfie with the camera’s timer but I think we will need to try it again, maybe with a remote instead. Willow has little patience for staying while I fiddle with things. The girls were super happy to find the last snow field and rolled and played in it for quite a while.

The Loon Family Grows Up

Last week, I had a chance to see the loons that I photographed early in July. The youngsters are growing up fast and growing some basic feathers. They have lost the soft gray look they had just weeks before. Now they are a bit scraggly looking but you can see that they are beginning to resemble their parents in winter plumage. The parents spend hours everyday searching for food for the little ones. They mostly seem to eat crayfish (crawdads) and occasionally a little fish. It takes a lot of little meals to fill these kids’ bellies. The youngsters are learning to dive and swim underwater. Soon they will have to feed themselves and learn to fly. They will migrate to the Columbia or perhaps the ocean and the young ones will return in three years to set up their own territories and hopefully nest, and produce a new generation. And like their parents, the young loons now wear four leg bands – three colored ones and a metal one – so that when they are seen again, they will be recognized. If you ever see a loon with color bands, try to remember the sequence of the colors on each leg. You can report the band information to the USGS banding lab.

Not Afraid of the Dark

Last week I was up late and had a great opportunity to photograph the Milky Way. It was absolutely lovely. And once my eyes adjusted, it was not truly dark at all. I love that my camera captured the air glow caused by ‘the light of excited atoms’! I also love how the clouds flirted with the Milky Way and I love the reflections of the night sky on the lake. It was a really lovely night and I was lucky to be there.

A Morning Walk

The girls and I enjoyed a very pleasant walk to a normally busy lake yesterday. We got off to any early start so had the place to ourselves for about an hour. There are still a few wildflowers and the huckleberries are getting ripe. Willow and Sky and I all had little treats along the trail. It was really lovely.

And clearly, I have a favorite rock. And a favorite Spotted Sandpiper too.

Family Photos

Family photo sessions are always special, especially with my favorite loons. I hope to see them again soon.