Last of the strawberries in early October. Can you spot the frog?? He blends into the strawberry plant very well... look in the middle of the picture
Colonial Peak (left) and Pyramid Peak (right) with the Thunder Creek flowing into Diablo Lake, about 1500 feet elevation (west side of Cascades)
Same day (October 14) but further east and 4500 feet... at Washington Pass (east side of Cascades)
Liberty Bell.... we went to see the larches and their changing leaves. So awesome!
M & D at Rainy Lake... more larches on the glacial shelf along the mountainside behind us :)
No trip to the east side is complete without ordering a Cinnamon Twisp
Jake came to visit in early October
Breaking through the corn maze
Fiona cat found the baby seat!
First snow of the season -- November 3rd. But it melted a day or two later
Annual desert trip, towards the end of October... here is me leading a group down the Bright Angel trail at Grand Canyon. My dad took the picture from a vantage point along the rim
Funny coincidence that Dad and I were both in the Grand Canyon at the same day at the same time!
A couple of days later... Bryce Canyon. It is never a bad day in Bryce.
Peeking down Wall Street trail
In Zion... from the top of the first set of switchbacks on Angel's Landing trail
Hooray--- it's Chanukah time :) Latkes are sooo good.
Celebrating the first night
Two sweet cats :)
Early December sun. Wood shed is only a quarter full. We'll see how this winter goes with our wood stove and how much we burn through. I've got some more to chop but maybe I'll save it the work until spring. And will focus on getting more wood earlier next year so it can have time to dry.
Small seasonal creek/drainage ditch is starting to fill up
A look at many of the tree plantings in the clearing
Dec 19... torrential rain... like 24-hours straight of cold, huge rain. It flooded everything. This event allowed me to study the water ways in the backyard and to follow the natural drainages. Though I got very cold and very wet, I learned more in 10 minutes about how water in the backyard SHOULD flow... and so I have taken the first steps in digging out an old path. Water has memory and I watched her remember the way. The first test will be this weekend, as we are expecting rain for the next three days
I'd never seen water here before. Look back two pictures to see this area dry!
Even the neighbour's yard hosted a small rivulet
The tiny ditch at the mailbox has NEVER filled up before... it was full after a couple of hours.
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Hooray. It is the beginning of 2018. We are past the darkest day of the year and looking forward to the light. Our baby is on the way and expected to join us in early February. Tomorrow, Mom flies into Bellingham and this weekend we'll be having a baby shower.
今年もよろしくお願いします。
