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Tag Archives: black and white

Fall is Slow to Come

The calendar says that fall is only days away. The forecast shows a high of 90 tomorrow. Smoke from forest fires changes the reality of everything. Colors from a distance are muted and without depth. Up close they seem brighter and illuminated. Nights are cool but by late afternoon the oppressive smoke held down by high pressure gives everything a cooked feeling. Maybe it’s just the ever-present smell of charred forests. Initially it’s like a welcome campfire and then you realize it’s not going away. Most likely, some of these fires will burn til the snow falls. And in the long-range forecast there is not even a drop of rain. Normally weather like this in September would be welcomed with open arms.

This morning I took the dogs and my cell phone for a walk and this what we came back with.

 

This soft image has a painterly feel to me. Patterson Mountain is in the distance. On a smoke-free day, you’d see the mountains of the North Cascades beyond it.

 

The chokecherries have lost most of their leaves while the serviceberries have turned yellow and orange in recent days.

 

There hasn’t been a frost on our hill yet. I think the bushes are doing this because it’s been so dry for so long.

 

There’s a chokecherry that has not yet dropped its leaves. Looking up, early in the day, there is some blue sky.

 

Maybe I prefer this in black and white…….

 

Methow Valley Pursuit

This weekend MVSTA is hosting the Methow Valley Pursuit – two days of Nordic ski races. Today is a skate race with skiers going the 30k from Mazama to Winthrop. It is a slow course today with lots of new snow and more falling during the race. Yesterday was the classic race that began and ended at Winthrop’s Town Trailhead. During the race I helped with traffic control where the trail crosses Twin Lakes Road. In between cars, I made a few images.

 

 

Nicely groomed trails ready for racers and other skiers

 

This fellow biked up from town

 

He just wanted to go skiing. The course was open to any skiers – we just asked that they watch out for the racers

 

And off he goes

 

Lots of really excellent racers in this field

 

 

 

Great fashions

 

All ages

 

And always – having fun!

 

 

 

Classic Skiing in New Powder

This week, Mother Nature has brought our valley some wonderful airy powder snow! What a delight. So light, easy to shovel. One lady said she used her leaf blower to get it off her porch.

Neighbor Shelley asked me this afternoon if it was alright if she started some classic ski tracks across our hillside. Oh Yeah. She and her dogs were soon scooting through the spindrift snow as more was coming down. A little while later I moved myself away from the computer and went in search of the old fish scale classic skis and the glide wax and then had to look  for the poles before finding them out in the shop with a hoard of other ski poles. We could outfit a few skiers with our outdated equipment.

And the dogs wanted to go along. They already had a morning walk. And Luna and I had done some skate skiing in the soft snow at Big Valley this morning too. That was a real effort. So off we went, up our trail and then along the road to a vacation house where we found Shelley’s tracks coming from the other side of the hill. It was a bit much for Sam, the brown dog, so I thought maybe a shortcut back home would be a good idea. It was quite a pull up a steep hillside but eventually the old dogs made it up and then we were on our regular trail heading downhill towards home. The dogs will sleep well tonight.

 

Gliding through the powder!

 

 

 

Kelly can barely see or hear. She’s a real trooper. And nearly 14! Her birthday is Valentines Day.

 

Sam wants to go. She will will herself to go despite old age and arthritis

 

And Luna. Can you see me?

 

Our little camper is in that barn with the plastic doors. Waiting for summer.

 

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

 

Kelly is thinking. Home is right over there. Put the camera away and let’s get going. It’s nearly dinner time and I need to lay down for a while.

 

Home

 

 

 

 

 

Late Afternoon Light

At this time of year, late afternoon is 3:00 p.m. Hardly seems right. With the low angle of the sun, it lasts a while making for some good photo opportunities depending on the location. Yesterday my friend and I went birding to the Okanogan and while we dipped on our target wintering species, at the end of the day we did find a new place to explore – McLaughlin Canyon. Ken’s told me about it in the past, insisting that it’s a place I’d like and of course, he was right. We stumbled upon it from the east, coming from Tunk Valley, going up and over a divide and then dropping into this amazing rock walled chasm. The late afternoon light colored the rock walls with oranges and yellows, shadowed by burnt snags from wildfires in the not too distant past. A tiny Canyon Wren completed the scene.

Images from a Road Trip

A sinus cold has been sucking all of the energy out of me recently. It’s been all I can do to keep up with the basics and we had a family event a couple hundred miles away from here to attend over the weekend. It was great fun seeing everyone and being part of the festivities surrounding a 50th Anniversary Celebration. And I do enjoy road trips and a change of scenery. But being sick away from home is never fun. I think I am starting to feel better this morning.

Here are a few images from the road trip.

 

Obviously, not in the Methow anymore, Toto.

 

 

Nope, this isn’t our forest.

 

These maple leaves are HUGE, almost a foot across

 

Color or black and white?

 

I have enjoyed ferry travel since I was a little girl

 

Did you know that ferries bring Christmas trees?

 

This has something to do with an old movie called Harry and the Hendersons, I think

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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