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Tag Archives: fall

Stops Along the Way

As Luna and I travelled from Deer Park (north of Spokane) to home, we made some stops along the way. I always figure there is no point in travelling straight through in the most direct manner if you have some time to spare. After two days of agility trials, Luna was ready for some ground-sniffing walks without leashes. We both enjoyed the fresh air of autumn in the woods.

 

Happy Dog

 

Beautiful Ponderosa Pine trees

 

Love those undulating hills

 

These mushrooms almost looked good enough to eat but I’m not one to experiment

 

Golden Western Larch needles carpet the trail

 

This is a nice boardwalk over a wetland that is probably teeming with birds in the spring and summer. We only heard a few chickadees and siskens.

 

And a cool bird blind but no birds were in sight

 

I wonder how long ago this tree was cut down

 

Near the summit of Sherman Pass, it was quite cold and silent.

 

A Break in the Rain

It seems that we are already in November weather with cold gray skies, lots of rain and occasional snow/slush falling from the sky. It really is dreary. Luna and I did get out one afternoon last week when the fog dissipated and we had a nice walk along the shore of Patterson Lake. After the long dry summer the lake’s beach is much wider than normal. It’s water is used to irrigate nearby hay fields.

At this time of year, I really relish these days

 

Colors are really magnificent

 

Luna found a new/used tennis ball; probably lost by some other dog.

 

Luna loves tennis balls.

 

I saw several of these old bait jars. This one seems to be acting as a greenhouse for some tiny seedling.

 

Old fishing line like this is a hazard to birds and other animals. It can cause injury and even death. I gathered up what I found and disposed of it in the trash.

 

A broken fishing rod. This had to have been quite upsetting to someone.

 

A few dead fish littered the shore.

 

Beautiful light

 

Hard to believe it will soon be frozen.

 

 

An Egg in the Fall

Today the dogs and I walked a different route from usual. We went down the draw on the west side of our property, following the deer trails through the brush and scattered pine trees. No person has walked there for sometime. The deer use that area frequently and sometimes the dogs wander down that way but not often on their own.

I found this egg, lying in the trail under a pine tree. It is completely intact as if it had been recently laid.

 

It’s a pretty good sized egg – not from a song bird.

 

Here’s a view giving a fairly accurate impression of its size.

Do you know what bird laid this egg? Most birds around here lay eggs in the spring. Is it possible it’s been in an abandoned nest and only recently fell to the ground, without smashing? I know that crossbills can raise families anytime of the year as long as there is a steady supply of food but this egg is too big for a crossbill and I have not seen them at the feeders recently. The pines closest to this are pretty tall – fifty, maybe seventy feet. I’m not very good at estimating height. All comments on this are appreciated.

 

Favorite Tree

Do you have a favorite tree? I have favorite tree species such as larch (otherwise known as tamarack), aspen, ponderosa pine; depending on my mood and the season. But a favorite individual tree? I’ve admired this tree as long as I’ve been driving up and down the Methow Valley. It is between Methow and Carlton. I think it’s a maple tree, standing alone, near the highway. In the fall it turns a kaleidoscope of colors eventually, all red. I know, it’s a non-native, ornamental but still it has a stately grandeur that I enjoy when I go down valley.

This is how it looked today.

 

Bugs

When summer turns to fall, these bugs show up everywhere. Where do they spend the summer? They squeeze into every little crack and end up all over the house in unexpected places. This one was walking along the newly painted deck before flying off for a more private locale.