Skip navigation

Tag Archives: photography

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!

 

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.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fireworks at the End of the Road

Winthrop celebrates the holiday season with a weekend of Christmas at the End of the Road. Fun activities with horse drawn wagon rides, Santa Claus, a 5k fun run in the snow all culminate with Saturday night fireworks. The beauty of winter fireworks far outweighs the summer versions, I think. Gently falling snow. No fire danger. And the event starts early enough that you can join friends for dinner afterwards!

These images are all from my little pocket camera. Sometimes I am amazed at what a good job it can do.