So Long, Spring, ‘Till Next Time

Spring officially ends June 19th this year. It's always a little sad saying goodbye, watching nature's exuberant bursts of growth and color wane during the hotter and drier months of summer. Where I live, at 4,000 feet in the mountains of central Idaho, spring starts arriving in April and doesn't really gain steam until May… Continue reading So Long, Spring, ‘Till Next Time

Wildflowers in (Frosty) Early May

When you live in the mountains - elevation 4,000-5,000 feet - "spring" is a flexible term. Spring can arrive in early March, for a few days anyway. It will be sunny and warm (in the 50s!), migrating birds start arriving with their beautiful songs, and one willingly - hopefully - believes spring has arrived. It… Continue reading Wildflowers in (Frosty) Early May

More Wildflowers and Wild Weather

Nature is in a dramatic mood lately! Can't say that I blame her. Sometimes you just have to let those feelings out. Here's one of several minute-long videos I took of a lightning and thunder storm that hovered overhead for quite a while last night. It started just before sunset and featured both sheet and… Continue reading More Wildflowers and Wild Weather

Wildflowers and Weather

In a 24-hour period over April 27-28 the weather gods overseeing Idaho's central mountains served up a smorgasbord of offerings for our enjoyment. Rain, sun, wind, thunder and lightning, and after the storm passed and the clouds parted, a stunning sunset ushering in clear skies and night stars followed by a new day of birdsong… Continue reading Wildflowers and Weather

Signs of Spring in the Mountains

I was born and raised in a suburb of Seattle, where the climate is "temperate." That's a kind way of saying it rains (or drizzles) a lot and the temperature variation throughout the seasons is small. It rarely falls below freezing or rises above 90F. It's cloudy most of the time, even when it isn't… Continue reading Signs of Spring in the Mountains

Snow!

Whether considered blessing or curse simply depends on your outlook. I regularly share photos of my outdoors adventures on my personal Facebook page. Most photos feature one or both of my dogs while we’re on a run or walk in the forest, through all of the changing seasons. Recently, after posting photos from a run… Continue reading Snow!

Tracks and Bones

Winter is beginning to show signs of arriving in Idaho's Salmon River Mountains, my home. I love winter. I love snow, almost as much as my dogs do, except I don't roll in it. Having real winters with snow - as opposed to Seattle's dreary constant drizzle with the occasional snowpocalypse that brings everything to… Continue reading Tracks and Bones

Always Something to See

I don't run every day. Usually my dogs and I run a couple of days in a row, then take a day off. Rarely I'll run three days in a row but leaving Finn home one of those days, which breaks my heart, seeing his sad eyes as Conall and I head out without him.… Continue reading Always Something to See