Skip navigation

Jays at Washington Pass

It’s not unusual to see Canada Jays at Washington Pass. These sweet birds, often referred to as Camp Robbers and formerly known as Gray Jays, are gregarious and opportunistic. They have evolved to know that people often have food with them and so when they see people, they will investigate the situation. And people see these sweet looking birds and often want to lure them closer for fun and photos. I watched as others fed the jays in the parking lot and was able to get some nice photos of them in the snow.

Dog Portraits

Yesterday I had a family photo session near Mazama and afterwards I took Luna and Molly up to the pass to play in the snow. Sky was on her own adventure so it was just the two of them for a change. There isn’t much snow up there but it’s a start.

A Walk in the Dark

It rained off and on all day yesterday and poured down hard in the evening. It rained so hard I could not see lights across the valley for a while. I don’t mind that. But then, I woke up at 2 am and the sky was clear and full of stars. I laid there for a while and finally talked myself into getting dressed, gathering my camera gear and going out in the dark. The dogs were confused and wanted to go out too but then they wanted in. Ken was out of town for work.

The moon had already set. The stars were uncountable. The night was dark. I ventured down the driveway and up the road a bit. I heard sounds of animals moving in the brush and hoped that none of them were cougars or angry deer. For the most part it was quiet except for the occasional vehicle on the highway down below. I saw a few shooting stars but none crossed my images.

When I was done, sleep eluded me for the longest time.

I’m still working on the process of processing these night sky images.

 

A Snowy Hike

Last week’s hike – a mixture of fall and winter.

Sky is pretty excited to be out in the snow

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Luna knows it’s good to have a more sedate pace

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Not Yet Fall

But it sure feels like it, looks like it, smells like it. Temperatures have plummeted and there’s been significant rain for the last week or so. The dust is gone, replaced with dampness and even mud. Some things seem greener but maybe it’s just that the rain rinsed off the dust and debris of summer days. It is good hiking weather as long as I remember a hat and gloves.

It was 41 degrees when we got out of the car today and everything was wet from yesterday’s rain. Skies were kind of blustery looking with no real patches of blue. The sun made a brief appearance on the uphill part of the hike. There was no need to carry water for dogs today. I wasn’t planning on Sky going swimming today but she rolled in something unmentionable and it seemed like a good idea at the time.

A family of Canada Jays had a fondness for dog treats and when they dropped them, Sky and Luna managed to get them before another bird scooped them up. Don’t tell the Audubon Society.

Luna will be 13 years old in less than a month!
Oops.
Why are you letting those birds eat OUR treats?