The natural world, life, and dogs.
After a weekend of rain and storms, the summer sun returns and I’m enjoying a glass of wine on the deck. Toward sunset, as the boys gnaw on bones in the yard, there's a scuffle between the tree swallows nesting in the box on the fence and a larger bird. Shielding my eyes against the… Continue reading Bird Encounters, Part I – July 11, 2016
“It’s opener there in the wide, open air.” ~Dr. Seuss July 11, 2016 was an odd and oddly fantastic day for wildlife encounters. The boys and I find fresh snow awaiting us as we start our run on Brundage mountain. Not just a dusting of hail that hasn't melted yet, but snow. Slippery and slushy,… Continue reading Stephen King Deer
I spend a lot of time in the forest with just my dogs for companionship. We're out there most mornings, all seasons, for at least an hour, sometimes up to three hours. It's how we begin each day. Sometimes a human friend joins us, but that's rare. A true introvert, I enjoy my solitude and… Continue reading Bored? Hardly.
Bear Basin is part of the Payette National Forest. Near town, in summer its network of single-track trails through tall firs and pines is popular with runners, mountain bikers and walkers. Dogs can be off leash. It’s also a great place for huckleberry picking. In winter, there are groomed, dog-friendly cross country ski trails. It’s… Continue reading An Unwilling Eavesdropper
Several bugs, actually. And like you or I catching a bug – a cold, the flu – the forest in many places is looking and feeling sick, many trees with brown needles, or branches devoid of needles altogether. The photo above was taken August 4, 2019 in the Payette National Forest, looking west through and… Continue reading The Forest Has Caught a Bug
Wild Sensibility 