Skip navigation

Tag Archives: Methow

The Party’s Over

Ken doesn’t like it when the holiday season comes to an end. I feel a sense of relief that life returns to ‘normal’, whatever that is. It’s never really totally ‘normal’. Right now, the weather is dreary with rain on snow and friends are dealing with a family crisis. Is that normal? Who can say?

At any rate, presents are unwrapped and the mess cleaned up, decorations, except for the lights, have come off of the tree. New Years has come and gone and it’s back to work for most folks. The dogs are bored and wonder if they will ever have fun again. No wait – there’s dinner for them to look forward to! Hopefully, by tomorrow the tree will move on to its new life and become another bird feeder.

 

 

 

 

Methow Burning Fish

This wooden fish was created for a salmon celebration last fall with the idea that it would be burned at the end of the event. Folks would write wishes and send them into the flames with the fish. For various reasons, the fish was not burned so it has spent the last few months gracing the drive where its artist lives. In the rain and snow and intense sunshine, and most recently decorated with a Santa hat, it awaited its fate.

The artist and another friend delivered it to our house yesterday. Ken assisted the artist as the bonfire was assembled in the fish and around it in the cold daylight. I went skiing. Bought groceries. Ken went for beer. I made some turkey noodle soup.

Friends began to arrive by car and on foot around six. Lots of finger food was shared. Champagne. A campfire was started. Small fireworks were lit with the occasional BIG boom reverberating over the valley floor. Dogs, our three and three or four more, were kept inside with music to mask the noise. There was eggnog made from scratch. Deep, dark, moist gingerbread that matched very well with stout from the local Pub.

10:00 was the appointed hour. Not midnight. Somewhere during the evening someone stuffed the fish with sparklers and other small fireworks.

 At 10:00 pm, New Years Eve 2011, the fish was lit using only a simple lighter. No gas. It started slowly and soon there were fireworks illuminating the scene in neon colors. Eventually the entire fish was engulfed and then the tail and adipose fin disapeared. As the structure began to collapse into its own embers, the spawning fish dance began. It didn’t last long.

And then there was just another campfire and folks began to go inside for more food and eggnog and live music til midnight when the big fireworks were lit!

As one person is quoted as saying, ‘It was an innocent gathering of friends’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting a light for some more fireworks

 

The spawn til ya die dance

 

 

 

Happy New Year! Here’s to 2012!

 

At the Ice Rink

Finally, I am well enough to get outside and DO something! What a relief. Today I went skating for the first time this winter. Let it be known that I am a total beginner skater. I did skate the last two winters but still, not enough to feel competant on the ice.

Today was a stellar day in the Methow and our outdoor rink is situated near the river with a perfect view of Mt Gardner. Bald Eagles perch on nearby cottonwoods and complain in their funny voices whenever a raven gets too close. I arrived just as the ice opened right after lunch and lucky me – I had the whole place to myself! Soon two other women arrived, both friends – one is my neighbor and the other teaches skating. I managed to not fall and remembered most of what I could do last winter.

 

All that untouched ice

 

Mt Gardner, just beyond Spring Creek Ranch

 

Passersby

 

My tracks!

 

I always wanted to be tall

 

 

 

 

Lunar Eclipse at Ten Degrees

Brrrr. You’d think a person would have more sense than to stand around in the dark when the temperature is ten degrees, fahrenheit. Especially a person battling a head cold. But how often do you get to see a lunar eclipse?

It was foggy when I went to bed last night so I didn’t have much hope of being able to see this phenomonon and I didn’t do anything to get ready for it. Ken set the alarm and even woke me up after he saw the progressing shadow of the earth across the moon. He had the scope set up outside to watch it. It was a struggle to find everything I needed for night time photography and I overlooked one thing that would have made my images better. My other camera. It handles high ISO much better and would have allowed shorter exposures that would have been sharper.  Can I help it if my mind is all fogged up at 5 in the morning? It was fun to see, despite the cold.

 

 

 

This is what happens when you move everything during the shot.

 

 

The moon set and the sky was light in the east before the eclipse came to an end.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch

Back home in the Methow, winter’s grip grows tighter with cold temperatures and crusty snow despite calendars indicating that it is still fall. Sunny days do make it seem warmer.

Mt Robinson and Goat Peak

 

Fuzzy crusty snow

 

Sam is feeling a little better with new medications

 

Luna hardly knows the meaning of ‘having a bad day’

 

See, it’s still fall