Is it Winter or Spring or Inbetween?

Yesterday we hiked and it was about 48 degrees and blue sky. Today, we are in a snow storm, warm, but huge wet flakes falling down.

These photos show moss greening up on the slopes we hike. The warmer weather is releasing water from the high mountains, too. This stream bed is dry most of the year.

Another Moose Sighting Today!

This seems to be the year of the Moose. We have Moose tracks in on our property (no actual sighting yet), we have seen a bull Moose regularly up in the Gash Point area, and Jack has seen a Moose in the Sweathouse drainage. Today, on our hike up a ridge south of Sweathouse Creek, I got to capture a few photos of this Moose.

Click on the photo for a larger view. The photo isn't the greatest, the Moose was nervous and didn't want to stand still very long. I like to try to lean on a tree to steady the camera, but I didn't have time.

It was a beautiful day and we were lucky to see this wonderful animal. It doesn't get much better than this.

On my hike today...the snow is melting, the sun was out.

A beautiful day. It is still cool in the trees and the lichen on the branches was a lively green.

The Chicken and the Egg

I love birds and that goes for chickens, too. They are good companions and not to difficult to keep once you set up a coop and pen. I designed my coop so I have an entry room. In that room, I can open a piece of the wall to gather eggs from the egg boxes with out going inside the actual chicken house. There is a built in, self-loading feed compartment that holds one 40 pound sack of layer pellets. Just make sure they have plenty of water and you and the chickens are all set.

Clean the straw out of the coop 2 to 4 times a year, depending on how much mess they make. Use the soiled straw in your compost. Once aged, it makes a great soil conditioner and fertilizer.


I like to let them free range during the day, but when they return to roost in the chicken house at night, I close the pen to keep predators out.

The eggs are wonderful. The yolks area a dark yellow, almost orange and the whites are firm, not runny like store bought eggs. They are well worth the effort.

In the slideshow are some of my chickens and some of my neighbor's, Amy Sage, chickens. She has quite a setup, too. Currently, she has goats. She is interested in giving the goats away. Any takers???

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Woman and Man's Best Friend...has passed away

I always wondered exactly what "a heavy heart" meant. I now know what it means for me in a poignant, piercing manner. Last night our beloved dog, Bela, passed away in her sleep. Finding her on her bed and realizing that she was "gone" was almost unbearable. I think my heart fell from my chest and shattered on the deck. Somehow, it is back in my chest, but is a heavy lump, sitting there, in the way...aching for Bela.

Yesterday we had taken a hike up one of our favorite ridges. Yes, she was almost 13 years old and her hips were getting stiff, but on the hike she was spry and as happy as usual to be out with us in the mountains. We were enjoying her golden years. She was alway a good dog but lately even better. She stayed in close proximitiy and always looked at us with adoring eyes as if to say, "Are you having as good a time as I am?" Tears flow, hearts ache, but that doesn't bring her back.

Thank you Bela for all you gave us, even in your passing. You will always be in my heart. You adored Jack (he spoiled you) and you loved me (after all, I fed you). I hope you know how much we loved you and will always miss you. They often say, "she was one of a kind." You were. There will never be another spirit as wonderful as you.

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Mule Deer and that Moose again!

Today on our ski, we went back up Bear Creek and Gash Creek early in the morning. The snow is better when it is cool and of course, the Super Bowl is on this afternoon.

I saw the moose again and this time, Jack was with me. He was on the next ridge over (from where I saw him two days ago) and as we skied by, he saw us, but was so uninterested he bedded down. The photos of the moose are with the Pentax Optio. I can ski with it and not worry about hurting the camera, but it isn't much for zoom or focus.





As we skied on, it is funny. The moose tracks were all over the snow covered road. They reminded me of a drunken sailor. I am sure it was easy traveling and he was looking for browse, but he zigged and zagged!

On the way down, we saw a young mule deer doe and her fawn. It was the "furriest" fawn I have ever seen. I hope you can see the curley fur in it's ears. I took the deer photos with my Canon EOS 40D.


Click on the photo to see a larger view. They will open in a new window.