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Camp Life

We went camping last week. We went to our favorite little campground on a lake in the Okanogan Highlands, almost exactly one hundred miles from here but still in the same county. It was lovely. We walked in the woods, paddled on the lake, played dog games and ate good food. We saw some friends, listened to loons, Ken went fishing, and we generally relaxed. I tried some night photography but the nights are so short and I needed some sleep so I did not succeed.

I highly recommend a good campout.

Brook trout
Good eaters
It rained some
Camping is tiring
Oh the dreams she had
Breakfast
Caption this
Luna likes a good watering spot

Night Sky

I may have stayed up too late the night before last. I had read about noctilucent clouds and went outside to look for them. It seemed like something I could see and not stay up TOO late. I don’t think I saw any but it was a lovely end to the daylight with long lingering dusk light over Winthrop. Also, some strange rosy light over Mount Robinson, north-north-west of here. It didn’t last long and I can’t tell you what caused it. I have lots to learn.

The weather forecast said partly to mostly cloudy so I was surprised when the clouds completely went away and the stars began to show themselves. I think this is the first time in two months when there was no moonlight and no clouds and I could see the core of the Milky Way! I was surprised by the weather. I did have enough camera gear to make some images of the night sky. I wished I had a more accurate forecast so I could have tried some new stuff I am trying to learn. It is always mesmerizing to watch the pageant of stars as they flow across the night sky, changing with each passing minute.

I am lucky to live in a place where I can walk out my door and see the stars. However, I am looking forward to going other places to practice photographing the night sky.

Lingering light to the north after 10 pm
Can you see the rosy glow behind Mount Robinson?

A Windy Walk

The girls and I had a windy walk yesterday. I know, I keep complaining about the weather but this wind gets on my nerves. Some days though, I just need to make myself go out in it. It did not take away from the beauty of the late spring flowers and the green, green leaves. It did make them harder to photograph. Wild roses are at the peak of flowering and filled the air with vibrant scent.

ponderosa pine
wild rose
white violet
I think these are thimbleberry blossoms
water abstract
fern
wind-blown grass
tiger lily
Sky got a good stick
unfurling fern
more fern
scarlet gilia
aspens
old friends

Not Yet Summer

The weather here remains unsettled. The wind frequently howls, clouds come and go, the temperature doesn’t go much above 70 and there are occasional thunderstorms. It’s June and feels very cold. But why should we let that stop us? I woke Ken up yesterday and told him we needed to go for a hike. There are lots of projects around here to do and he continues to work from home and now he has to travel again so there’s no time like now.

It was a LONG bumpety bump drive to get to the trailhead at 6800 feet elevation and given that it had rained hard at home the previous night, we should not have been surprised to see new snow. Not a lot but I imagine that the folks camped up there were not real happy about it. Along the trail little and big rivulets and small streams were running joyfully down the mountainside. Flowers bloomed in snow and standing water. Anemones were everywhere. Water dripped from evergreens as the snow melted.

Ken fished for brook trout while the girls and I explored a bit around the lake and Sky took great joy in swimming for sticks despite the cold water. She shivered when she sat still.

It was a lovely short hike despite the long bumpety bump drive.

Lupine
Brook trout, just before it got away
So much anemone
Buttercups!
Water everywhere
Happy, happy dog!
Last year’s aspen leaf. The trees haven’t even leafed out up there now.
Some odd fungus
I think this is elephanthead. Maybe Pedicularis groenlandica
Moss spores
like abstract art
Willow leaf buds
Looking SW

Mountain Hike

The girls and I got a late start yesterday but still managed a very pleasant (mostly) hike in the mountains. The trailhead was only forty five minutes from home and there was no snow at the start. It was cloudy and spit a tiny bit of rain but not enough to get out my coat. Luna enjoyed the cool temperatures but not the rickety bridge across one of the big creek crossings. We hit snow about two thirds of the way to the lake and near the lake were walking on snow all the time. I had to be careful not to get to close to the edge and get my feet wet. Sky was ecstatic and of course, wanted me to throw sticks but I didn’t. It’s pretty shallow with logs under the surface where she could hurt her legs. As if to make up for the lack of stick throwing, she rolled in something unmentionable after we left the lake. I scrubbed her in the big creek using a hemlock branch but didn’t get it all. She had a bath at home.

Sky says the bridge is still good.
Cool bumble bee
Western white pine
Sunshine at the end of the hike