The natural world, life, and dogs.
Old age and treachery will always beat youth and exuberance. David Mamet My father often shared the above quote as he aged, along with Growing old ain’t no place for sissies, which is attributed to Bette Davis. My father lived to be 85, and had he not smoked for 30 years, compromising his lungs, he… Continue reading Running Through the Ages
I have a dog who delights in bouldering. Oxford Dictionary: bouldering (noun) - climbing on large boulders, either for practice or as a sport in its own right. I noticed Conall’s affinity for climbing downed trees and boulders soon after bringing him home as a puppy. I chose Conall and his breeder when she shared… Continue reading Boldly Bouldering
The plan, starting out, was to run what I call the grand loop, going up one side of the mountain to the summit, dropping off the back side to cruise a sweet three mile stretch of brand-new trail to the other side, then meandering one of two ways back down to the start. Eleven-ish miles… Continue reading Life Skills: Dealing with the Unexpected
“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
An Abundance of Wildlife Encounters during a Mountain Run on July 29, 2019 Conall was on edge during our forest hike yesterday (Good Sense, posted 7-29-19, a day later). This morning I took him running on trails we visit frequently at a nearby skiing and mountain biking resort. Finn stayed home because I wanted to… Continue reading Like Being in a Nature Film
Tail nubbins: the docked (also called bobbed) tails of certain breeds of dog. Usually done to meet breed standards or for “cosmetic” reasons. Controversial (obviously). Other animals, wild and domesticated - such as deer, elk, llamas and alpacas - have naturally short tails, which I also refer to as nubbins. A typical view for me… Continue reading Tail Nubbins
Let me take you along on one of my favorite summertime trail runs through the Payette National Forest. It's early morning, nice and cool, the sun just rising above peaks and ridges to the east, filtering through the tree tops. With Conall leading the way, we'll start at 5,900 feet, climbing upward for some four… Continue reading Nature’s Therapy: Wildflowers
A Forest Run, July 14, 2019 Lots of wildlife sightings on this morning's run in the forest near home. Quite the morning, sparking some fond - and exhilarating - memories. Hoping to avoid free-roaming cattle and skunks, I drive to a forest access a couple miles north of home. Right out of the car, Conall… Continue reading Wildlife Alerts
Wild Sensibility 