Ms.Lou's Reality

My Dad, the awesome fisherman

2012-01-27T11:14:00.000-08:00

A Tightloop

My Dad and his record 20" small mouth bass are featured in the above magazine's January 2012 issue. Scroll to the Small mouth article by Paul Melchior and you can see a picture of my dad casting (second page) and one of my dad with his record smallie (sixth page). Way to go Daddie-O!!

Monday.Jan 9

2012-01-26T16:13:00.000-08:00

…depart SeaTAc 630, Portland then KOA at 12:15. Long day of travel, pick up rental car, do a little food shopping at Safeway, head North to Spencer Beach State Park. Pitch tent, chilled on the beach, collecting thoughts over the long travel from cold Pacific Northwest to warm Pacific Islands. Sand in my feet. The ocean water is warm. What lies ahead of us on this trip?

We meet up with the Bruno family, friends of Todd’s from the Humbolt days and Alaska. Dinner at camp.

Noisy French Canadians snuck in at night, they were smoking up a storm and talking loudly. Luckily it was soothing French words.

Tuesday, Jan 9.

2012-01-26T16:12:00.000-08:00

Hapuna Bay public access area for a swim. Crashing waves and I am wearing the bikini, what a mistake.

After beach time, Todd napped while I visited the National Monument near Spencer. What an interesting and good site on the history of Hamakeahah.

Nearby in the cove, which was a location of a small village, sharks swam about. Typically the bay gets Black-tip sharks but the fins we saw were not black tipped and according to the rangers at the National Park, they were much larger than typically observed. If the water was clear, we would be able to see the sharks better, but this location has a sub-surface creek flowing into it with lots of silt which makes the water black. A bit strange considering the beautiful blue waters everywhere else here.

Before dinner we visited petroglyphs:

For dinner we joined the Bruno family at Roy’s. Returned to cards at the camp table, cribbage.

Wed Jan 12 part two

2012-01-26T16:10:00.002-08:00

After snorkeling, we checked out the national park.

Wednesday Jan 11

2012-01-26T16:10:00.001-08:00

Today we left camp early to head to Captain Cook Memorial for kayaking and snorkeling:

After snorkeling we walked about the park and saw some neat lava and water features:

looks like elephant skin.

Thursday, Jan 12

2012-01-26T16:10:00.000-08:00

Todd decides he would like to spend another day at Spencer near the Bruno family. So we drive to Wiamea, check out the town and purchase another night here, forgoing one night at Laupahoehoe Point SP. A good afternoon of rest. I wanted one night of “out on the town” and this night was it. Todd made 6:30 reservations at the BlueDragon Musiquarium. I am not sure if the Seaweed Martini or the handsome gentleman with me, but this was one very fun night. It started with drinks, then an ahi appetizer, fennel bread, then grilled fish for me and New York steak for Todd. More excellent stouts for Todd, a tasty Green Dragon cocktail for me. Then there was dancing, Todd asked me to dance and we did, up there on the dance floor, to one song. Him holding me close and me smiling greatly while gently leading him in a slow dance. And dessert of Chocolate Decadence with coconut ice cream! mmmm good.

Returned to camp and played another game of cribbage.

Friday Jan 13.

2012-01-26T16:09:00.003-08:00

Drive north to Pololu Valley, stopping for coffee in Hawi. No pictures from Pololu cause of the sun location and misty air would not capture the beauty. You should just go see it yourself. We picked up a pair of young hitchhikers who spent the night in the valley. The young lady was bitten twice by a centipede, ouch, heard they hurt here.

Stopped in Kappa park, under construction, going to look real nice when its done. The ocean view and crashing waves on the rocks were amazing to see after all the beach and calm seas.

we stopped off at a Chinese cemetery on the way out of Kappa Park.

We drove to the Waipio Valley viewing spot. Both of us were tired so we did not hike down to the valley floor. There was also a potential backpack trip but we bagged that too due to laziness, unpreparedness, and the extreme difficulty of the terrain we would be crossing.

We stopped off at the Kalapa St Rec area, where the air was colder (low 70's) with ironwood trees and fern lushness. We did a short hike to the rim and detoured up a creek, taking Blue Gum trail back.

We pushed on to Laupahoehoe Point beach park. This place is very beautiful with green grass, large trees and palms, and lava rock shoreline. The waves were crashing on the jagged rock.

This area was struck by tragedy in 1946 ago when a tsunami wiped out an entire school house of children. The local fishermen brave the rough seas and fish from the rocky formations. Local residents also have late night bbq parties. Aside from the donuts in the grass, the party was of no consequence and did not interfere with my evening. Spagetti dinner, yummy yum yum.

Saturday Jan 14

2012-01-26T16:09:00.002-08:00

Gotta move on from Laupahoehoe, pretty place but heading south of Hilo today to MacKenzie . Drove the Pepeekeo scenic drive. 4 miles of amazing tropical jungles with flowing streams. I enjoyed seeing the lush plants, relatives to the pathetic ones I attempt to keep alive in Idaho.

Reacquainted myself with the presence of rambutans. yummy, a treat I was exposed to in Australia but have not seen since, even in Mexico. So upon arriving at the Hilo farmers market, my quest to find rambutans paid off, 3 for a dollar or a bag for 3 dollars. Also picked up ginger root, garlic, and lemon to fight off this cold that I have been carrying about.

We met up with the Bruno family again and enjoyed a monsterous cheese burger and Kona Pale Ale at some south end place.

After the late lunch, Todd and I drove down to MacKenzie State Recreation Area. It is supposed to be haunted. We’ll see for our selves. Todd slept most of the drive. The park os on a rocky cliff with no beach nor ocean access. The area is a grove of trees with pine needle understory, no veg. One awesome feature are collapsed lava tubes that have filled in with vegetation. One was easy to access and connected via a cave to the other. The sunset was amazing and the stars were superb. Todd and I had a brief conversation about what is Romantic, such as in what makes a place “romantic”. The ability to obtain closeness with one another in a setting. The Brunos joined us here as their projected camping spot fell through.

Sunday Jan15

2012-01-26T16:09:00.001-08:00

The next morning we all moved out early. Todd and I went to IsaaccHale Beach Park to shower before heading out in search of lava. We drove to where we thought one could access lava and it was a strange end of the road hippie tourist trap. I was feeling super tired so we pulled over in some lava and I napped in the car while Todd read in his chair.

Todd saw the Brunos again and they told him how to get to the lava. When my nap was over, we drove out to the lava. It began to rain while we were viewing the lava,, and boy did it ever begin to rain. I was sopping wet my shoes were squishing. But this did not deter us from checking out the steaming volcanic formation that covered a town in 1985 and blocked the southern highway.

After the wet lava walk, we proceeded to Volcanos National Park to see about camping. Luckily for us it was free weekend at the park and did not have to pay to enter. Found a spot to camp, at Kulanaokuaiki near the desert. Set up camp and it began to drizzle rain. Todd and I crawled in the tent as the rain began to increase. We both read a little bit and took a nap. Upon awaking to a wet tent, water was coming up from the floor, rain was coming in from above, we are nearing the point of saturation. What to do? We made a plan to exit, I grabbed my sleeping bag jumped out of the tent into a pool of water over 1 foot deep! We were so drenched by the end of the evacuation, that we drove near naked to Hilo and got a hotel room at Uncle Billy’s. After laying everything out to dry, taking a hot shower, we ate pasta and opened a great tasting bottle of wine, proceeding to drink the whole darn thing.

Monday Jan 16

2012-01-26T16:09:00.000-08:00

We return to Volcanos NP to see the flooding damage. To the untrained eye, one would never had known there were rivers running across the trail yesterday! Not a sign but one puddle on the road in. Most of the hikes we wanted to do into the crater and the drive along the crater rim road were closed due to high levels of sulfur gas. We went to the Jagger Museum, saw the big steaming crater, great seismic displays at the museum, and some photo ops.

Hot coffee at the steam vents and off we go, away from Volcanoes NP.

Next we stopped at Black Sands beach, another tourist stop, small, and not personal. And then on to Whittington, by far the better of the campspots. We chilled and greatly enjoyed our rest there.

Tuesday Jan 17

2012-01-26T16:08:00.003-08:00

Today we traveled to South Point and Green Sands beach. On the drive out we passed a defunct wind farm. A new one further in the distance is up and running.
South Point is the southern most point of the United States. I can't not believe people still launch boats from the high cliff.

To get to the Green Sands beach we had to hike in the heat for about 1.5 hours with no break from the sun but it was worth the effort. The beach had green sand and beautiful blue water with an enjoyable break. Fun and laughter, my favorite place to swim yet. There were plenty of other tourists there but we did not let this bother us.

There was plenty of trash in the coves along the beach, sad and painful to walk by them. The locals who are driving all wbout the dunes should take better care of the area.

After the hike we went out for beer at the southern most bar in the US. No need to stop, it was not anything special. The beer was medioche.
Another fine night at Whittington.

Wed Jan 18, through Friday Jan19

2012-01-26T16:08:00.002-08:00

Wednesday Jan 18. Gotta leave Whittington today, we both are moving slow as we both really like the vibe here. But by noon we push on. Stopping off at a local market where Todd enjoys communicating for over 20 minutes with a cockatiel named Ki. We bought delicious cookies from the lady.

Today’s adventure was a hike to Podue Bay..this is what was stated in the Lonely Planet: serenity. After a nearly 3 hour hike on lava, we arrive at the beach to find a jeep, two tents and six or more adults. The beach was small and shade scarce. Not real inviting. So we push on to the next beach. Unfortunatly this was not a beach but an interesting inlet of basalt river rock and ponds. Oh well, it was a place to sit in the shade, relax, and anticipate the hike out.

The lava in this area was phenomenal, to get up close to the small craters and collapsed lava tubes, find a skeleton of a wayward goat in the shadow of a basalt overhang.

Back out and on our way to Hookena beach. I have heard this is a nice place and dolphins come there. After a long drive and hot day in the sun, we arrive to Hookena and there is a massive party going on, no place to park, let alone quiet to set up tent. So we tuck tail and drive north to Spencer again, but it was closed for maintenance. Sticky, tired, and hungry we trudge on to Mahukona beach Park. Only to discover another party, but this one in the later stages. We sit on the rocks, enjoy a cheap beer and contemplate what the options are. Finally we commit to staying there, Todd looks for camp, and we eat dinner, crawl into the tent and sleep, not so soundly. Cats! everywhere. The next morning as we were packing up to leave, some guy came by to tell us the cats have ringworm!

So, to get out of the cat stink, we headed south to Mauna Kea beach and relax there, enjoying the warmth, some surf, and rest. I took a good long nap.

We went back north for lunch, it was okay at the truck. Drove south to Uncle Billy’s hotel. I do like Uncle Billy's accommodations. It is cheap, great location, and reminiscent of a time ago when fruity drinks and big parties were everywhere (think 70's and 80's).

We flew out Friday and I thought it would be nice to have a shower before flying home and we both did not want to sleep in cat piss. After a shower and organization, we went to Kona Brewing Company for beer and pizza. A good and relaxing last night on the Big Island Hawaii.

Travel out was a bit delayed thanks to heavy snow in the Seattle area, but Alaska Air treated us well, we stayed the night in Portland, complimentary, and returned to Seattle about one day late.

Return to the grind

2012-01-24T15:15:00.000-08:00

Hello All who care out there! I have returned from over a month of travel to family in Illinois, Seattle, and adventure in Hawaii. Stay tuned and I will have postings and pictures posted for your enjoyment.

Guidance

2011-12-07T16:25:00.000-08:00

Just in case you feel defeated after hearing about global climate change, here is a 7 minute story of a man's quest for god.
"MAN seeks GOD"

Pay Attention to Science!!

2011-12-07T16:01:00.000-08:00

Can you believe some people still think the world is flat?

Nobel-Winning IPCC Chair Rajendra Pachauri Urges Obama to "Listen to Science" on Global Warming

November

2011-11-02T17:06:00.000-07:00

Fall is here. It is the month of my birth.
Henry got to enjoy a relic of Todd's fall hunt.

Today may just be the last sunny day.
Snow is expected this weekend.

First timers

2011-08-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

July 24 was the launch date for the Main Salmon River, but I had to cancel to save the ability to apply for future trips. All was not lost though, over the weekend of July23-25, Todd and I took Henry for a three day float down the Grand Ronde River from Minam to the Bridge above Troy. This was an exciting trip as we have not done a multi-day in my raft before. I have been on multi-day trips before but that was a long time ago and someone else did most the packing and planning. We did well packing for this one, but I forgot to bring a book or something for the non-rafting moments.
Here is a breakdown of the trip.

Day 1, put-in at Minam on the Wallowa River. Packed and near ready to go, Todd could not find his life Jacket! oops, it did not make it into the truck. So he rented a sexy one from the local rental shop. (Note: Minam Store does shuttles and you can rent all the gear you need for a decent price).

The first few miles on the Wallowa R is where the "big" rapids are. Glad we floated at 2900 cfs as higher flows would make bigger waves and lower flows would expose more rocks. Minam Roller snuck up on us, no problem for me. Red Rock, or House Boulder, was a fun wave train on the left and a thrill for me to maneuver.

Blind Falls was probably the trickiest but Todd oared it well. Martins Misery and the other named boulder-garden style rapid were no problem as we barely noticed which they were. Henry did not care for the rapids as he would get splashed and jerked. He spent most of the time in the center of the raft. Only pulled forward before a rapid that required maneuvering.

Our first camp was at "Arm Pit", named for its tucked away, small location and the filthy beach located on the Grand Ronde a few miles down from the confluence. Whom ever has camped there before did not read the regulations for Leave no Trace in the river corridor. We dismantled the two fire rings (illegal, one must use a fire pan) and picked up the beer cans in the bushes. What we did not pick up was the toilet paper, all located where the Groover (river toilet) should have been.

Todd cooked up Hash Browns for breakfast. Yummy yum. While, Henry would fetch in the sand and water. The sun did not hit camp until we left. My clothes were still damp from the day before.

A golden eagle also blessed us. He flew across the sky moments after we saw a bald eagle. The golden was significantly larger than the bald. Impressive.

Day two, we floated a little bit and worried about getting to far down the river putting us to close to the take-out. So by lunch, we selected a wonderful camp and chilled the entire afternoon. Swimming, PBR drinking, and getting a wonderful nap.

Henry was exhausted from swimming, fetching, and just being on the river. He was happy to just be chilling on the river. While at camp, I discovered, my legs were sunburnt. I was covered most the trip and must have burnt while napping during one of Todd's beach walks. OOps.

The next day we did not hurry out of camp. The floating had some fun unnammed rapids and lots of scenery. However, we underestimated how far day two float time was. We had lots of distance to cover, the weather was starting to change, and occasionally the wind would be upstream, side stream, and rarely downstream. We got off the river at 5pm. Exhausted, we drove home. Stopped off at Boggins Oasis for ice-cream and saw that the river dropped to 2100 cfs. Glad we finally got this trip in.

Leaps and bounds

2011-07-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Todd, the zoo and I went to Boise and on the way back stopped along the SF Salmon River. We went up to Stolle Meadows where the sedges were high and the river calm and meandering. No salmon up there yet so it was okay for Henry and Todd to be wading about. The steep banks and deep pools were perfect for Henry to practice his water jumps.

once again, photo by Todd

do you ever wonder?

2011-07-08T13:58:00.000-07:00

There are only so many weekends in the summer. June came and went quickly and the weather did not let on that summer was coming. However I was able to get out and notice the rise of the waters. Here are some pics of me and Colin with the raft on the St Joe and getting ready for a day on the Grand Rhond.

Thats two weekends out of 4. Not bad. Thanks Todd for the pictures.

family time

2011-07-08T13:54:00.000-07:00

I spent the fourth of July with my fam-damn-ly in the Kansas City area.
here are a few pics of the newest members:

Harvest time

2011-05-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

Shelley and I went to Riggins this week.

We hiked up Lake Creek-Patrick Creek trail for about 3 miles and gained about 3000 feet in elevation. Yeah, our legs felt great afterwards.
On the return stretch near the tree lined riparian corridor, we found some morrels. Not enough to run out and harvest but a few, plenty for one night's dinner for two. Yummy yum yum.

I also saw two orchids. Such beautiful flowers.

Sunshine

2011-05-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

A week ago the sun came out and the temperature was above 60'F. Whoa! So Todd, the zoo and i went to the Salmon River. The water was cold, very cold, but it felt great on my legs after the hike up the steep Salmon River breaks hill slope.

Happy Earth Day weekend

2011-04-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

What are you doing this weekend?
Todd and I are going camping, which means we are burning fossil fuel to get us there.

" Scow town again

2011-04-01T11:34:00.000-07:00

Greetings to all. I am back in Idaho, Moscow to be exact. We arrived with the high winds on Tuesday. Wednesday we moved all my stuff from the storage unit into our tiny little house. It was raining and super duper windy. What a fun time (insert sarcastic tone here). My items were not without wear as a few field mice decided to nest in the couch and one died in the rug. Picture this: unrolling the carpet in the living room and as the last bit rolls open, a dead mouse is nestled in the center. Ugh. Rats on the island, mice in the fields.
I reclaimed desk space at the university and will begin work on the thesis this afternoon.
So far, I feel more alive since returning here. Is it living in town? being able to walk from the house to town? having cell phone service at home? the coziness of the small house? seeing people a bit more alive than wealthy retirees? having acquaintances to say a bit more than a courteous hello to? Maybe. In time things will settle out, life will normalize, and I need to find a job.
No photos to add with this as our road trip down the coast was 90% driving with rain and squalls. Overall, not a relaxing trip for me. I developed a cold on the second day and the weather was not cooperative.

Well, its time to get to campus to start rolling the ball.

Mooooving

2011-03-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

The house is practically empty as most of our stuff is in boxes. Here is a picture of the pile of items that we moved to Moscow last week.

80 % all week

2011-03-01T09:57:00.000-08:00

hello

2011-02-26T15:36:00.001-08:00

enough said.

Winner!

2011-02-07T16:31:00.000-08:00

When one buys a lottery ticket, its common to dream of how they are going to spend the money. That is the easy part. Managing the money and the people coming out of the woods in the difficult part.
No, I have not won the Powerball, but I did win a permit to float the Main Salmon River late July. Imagine this dream: 7 days, six nights traveling the River of No Return. Idaho summer heat, water cool and refreshing to swim in, sandy beaches, and only the people in the group to play, talk, or be silent with. Ahh, the joy. But the reality is being picky of who to invite on the river trip. Of course everyone wants to come along, but who can pilot a raft? Who is willing to paddle in an inflatable kayak? I have been out of the river loop for so long, my boating connections are minimal. To anyone who actually reads this post, should you want to come and have or know someone who has a raft (and can pilot it), feel free to contact me. What's the worst to happen, I can say "NO".

frozen

2011-02-06T10:40:00.000-08:00

I drove out to Moscow Thursday to house hunt. The vehicle was loaded with items to go back into the storage unit. Along the way I encountered freezing rain. The rain along with road filth coated my vehicle. Here is a picture of the raft frame and dry box on top my car, 1 hour after the freezing rain storm.

Coming of Age

2011-01-28T18:09:00.001-08:00

Sick and tired of sleeping on the ground in the wet and cold of the PNW, Todd made a decision:

Yup, he bought a camper for the back of his pickup. We have now entered the realm of RVrs of the world. Our maiden voyage was to the Washington Coast, Olympic National Park and Seashore area.
Inside the camper we were warm, dry, and comfortable.

Olympic Coast- Beach 3

2011-01-28T18:09:00.000-08:00

The drive out to the coast took 4 hours including the ferry. By the time we started seeing beach from the road, Todd was getting stir crazy so we parked and proceeded to go for a beach walk. Wow, I am such an inlander. The "ooohs" and "ahhhs" and "what is that"s we never ending. Henry was loving it also. The fetching opportunities on a beach are endless. These pictures were taken by Todd. Look for Scooby in the above tree!

Olympic Coast- camping

2011-01-28T18:08:00.002-08:00

We spent two nights in a designated campground. We PAID for camping, gasp! But, it was the only place we can camp on the beach and there were heated bathrooms. One night, we even had a campfire thanks to the neighbors who came out only to have a cozy fire. The view from the camper was good.

The sunset was beautiful. How many different shades of color can one photograph in one night?

Olympic Coast- morning

2011-01-28T18:08:00.001-08:00

More beach walking. What do you expect when visiting the coast? We probably walked 10 miles the entire trip. Picked up over 20 gallons of trash (mostly plastics and ropes).

Saw a seal, reflections, fog, sunshine, blue skies, twisted trees,

Olympic Coast - Afternoon

2011-01-28T18:07:00.000-08:00

Olympic Coast - Rialto Beach

2011-01-28T18:06:00.000-08:00

Thursday morning, Todd and I left the zoo in the truck and hiked Rialto Beach up to Hole in the Rock. The beach here was mostly pebble rock with no trash. The waves were steep and always crashing, you do not want to go swimming here. Up near Hole in the Rock, seastacks stood above the crashing waves, tidal pools swayed within the striped rock. Along the way, large woody debris protected the inland slopes.
This was out last hike as Todd was feeling the early stages of a nasty cold moving into his body.The top three photos are Todd's, the bottom 3 are mine.

Todd's Eye

2011-01-28T17:00:00.000-08:00

Below are some of the artsy photos Todd took while on the coast. He sees awesome patterns and textures in nature:

this one is better turned 1/4 clockwise.

New Years Day

2011-01-04T11:54:00.000-08:00

Welcome, 2011. Please be a better year than 2010.

This octopus never got to see 2011 as he probably washed up during the high tides earlier in the week.

To recap 2010 in a sentence: It was a year of discontent as I was homeless and experiencing thesis stress which over shadowed all good things. Sigh.

Welcome 2011

2010-12-31T17:51:00.000-08:00

May this new year be full of prosperity for all out there!

Art by: Ms. Shelley Jund

poor Henry

2010-12-27T19:57:00.000-08:00

Todd and I went camping for one night over on the Dosiewallops River. It rained the entire time. There was snow on the hiking trails (4"). But we made the best of it, ate, drank, and even was able to have a campfire.

But, I am not complaining. there is over one foot of cold snow at my Grandmother's house in CT.

Lost Alaska pics

2010-12-20T10:05:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pics from the trip to Alaska Todd and I took late November.

Here are pics of Canadian mountains as viewed from the ferry.

Here is the creek we camped by.

And here we are on a sleeting morning.

Sticky buns

2010-12-20T09:59:00.000-08:00

Last night I started making sticky buns. Today we'll find out how they will taste.

Funny part is, that the elastic of my skirt gave out and as the night progressed it kept inching down. Todd caught this pic of me in the kitchen, my hands were to dirty with sticky dough to keep the skirt up. Ha haa!

And finally the people shots

2010-12-08T17:44:00.000-08:00

Of course one must include Henry....

And the last night we made a banana creme pie. Cindy D dumped in the frosting some red food coloring. It tasted great but getting past the redness would be a turn off should it be at the store.

and soem more randoms. thanks Cindy D. It was a great trip and I greatly enjoy looking at your perspective of the place I live in.

Cindy D's visit to the beach

2010-12-08T17:41:00.000-08:00

Cindy D's boat shots

2010-12-08T17:40:00.000-08:00

We went to Port Townsend to look at the boat docks.

Cindy D's visit

2010-12-08T17:38:00.000-08:00

Cindy came up to the Pacific Northwest from the dry area of Phoenix. We spent the first night in Seattle, toured around Pike St Market the next day and was back to the island by Saturday night. The photos posted are all from Cindy Dulong. They are her eyes and photographic skills. Hitting this link FSK to see her blog. This will take you to one of her posts and you can tour around to see the others.

Snow!!!

2010-11-22T14:49:00.000-08:00

It is odd to experience snow on the island in November. What an awesome November it has in regards to weather. First lots of rain. Second high winds that toppled large trees and had out power out for over 24 hours. Now a snow "storm". I put storm in quotes 'cause if I was in Idaho, it would not be of significance and the only thing any one will look at is the ski hill.

Alien meal

2010-11-22T14:43:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I was having dinner at home alone. To treat myself I bought some stinky cheese, mussels, and a bottle of wine. What a decadent light meal for one. It was as easy to prepare and about 1/4 the cost of going to the Bistro.

Complacent

2010-11-19T11:00:00.000-08:00

Don't you all think that I have become complacent in my opinion and interests in corporate corruption and the ignorance of the general public. Call me what you may (Socialist!), but listen to the following interview, think about it, and see how you fit in to the whole health care system, what you want from the health care system, and what you are willing to do for having a basic right fulfilled for all! Why is it that we can not have basic health care for all? cost? BS!!!

Fort Casey State Park

2010-11-10T12:18:00.000-08:00

One of three forts along the straight. Designed to blow the sh^& out of invading war ships.

ugh, why does blogger rotate my pics? how can I fix it?

Blue skies

2010-10-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

The Pacific Northwest is also known for its gray, rainy days. Fortunately for me, we reside in the small rain shadow formed by the Olympic Mountains. The past few days were windy and rainy, like much of the country. Today was not that at all. Today was sunny. The skies were blue. The distant mountains freshly bleached with a blanket of pure snow. Riding the bikes into Langley, proved very rewarding.

And from a week ago, the last picture is a reminder of wonderful PNW coastal mornings.

Fungus amoungous

2010-10-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

One of the many enjoyments of the Pacific Northwest is the variety of fungus. Such a wonderful creation. What one sees above the surface is it's flower, its sex organ, its fruit of labor. Underground, the fungus is a complex web of microbia that fills the soil gaps like grout in a brick wall. But instead of inert grout, the fungus acts as a laboratory, chemically altering the soil, both mineral and organic.

Amature Photographer, T.Buck.

2010-10-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics that Todd took the past week. He has such a good eye for details.

More wilderness

2010-10-20T11:19:00.000-07:00

The cold start again, this one having the wilderness sign. Notice the snow!

The area we hiked into. the first lake, Ferguson Lk, is in the divit along the right ridge near the center of the photo. yeah, I walked to the lake. Below is a picture Todd took above the lake that we stayed at the second night, Fred's Lake.

This is camp #2. a sweet place it was. The morning was so cold, the water pump was frozen and for the first time in all my camping experience, we were out of fuel. so the boy scout stepped up, started a morning fire and we had smokey oatmeal, coffee, and warm water for the trail.

And a post would not be sufficient without Henry!

Weekend finally

2010-10-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Todd and I hiked into the Paysaten Wilderness. The morning we started out (Friday) there was a fresh dusting of snow on the ground, the wind was blowing at the summit/wilderness boundary, and it was cold, really cold.

The hike started at the top and went down about 2000 feet to the Middle Fork Paysaten River. From there we hiked back up 2000' to Lake Ferguson for our first night. Total for day one was 8.5 miles. My out of shape body was super exhausted. We still managed to tool around the cirque. Todd attempted to summit the ridge to look over to a different drainage but the steep terrain prevented it on this day.

And that was day 1. Stay tuned for day 2.

Meal time, again

2010-10-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a fun post of the various meals I have devoured:
Breakfast of champs:

Dinner for kings:

Appetizers for lovers:

Harvest season

2010-10-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

My oh my, its harvest season.

From Marv's Garden we obtained green beans, jalapeno peppers, acorn squash, and some other weird looking green squash.

Todd practiced his canning skills and now we have winter bounty.

Salsa!!! with lots of peppers.

Dinner is served

2010-10-12T11:33:00.000-07:00

Here I am providing for my family:

Sunset glory

2010-10-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

While my parents were visiting last weekend, we were treated with an amazing sunset. WOW.

And of course, a picture of Henry doing what he loves best...fetching.

Shinning, part 5

2010-10-01T20:30:00.000-07:00

I went downstairs tonight. An innocent trip into the basement to put Scooby to bed. there, on the wall of the basement was four letters, poorly covered in spackling, a pathetic attempt to hide a threat.

KIL

KILL

Why? Its like a 1970's horror flick: the female is alone, on a lake, isolated, the phone does not work, sprained ankle, pick your movie, twins at the end of the hall, messages written in lipstick backwards, what the ^*(& was that bump, knock I just heard?
I am sleeping with the lights on tonight.

October 1

2010-10-01T14:32:00.000-07:00

A new month and I am still not done with the thesis.

Here are a few more spider web shots, a baby snake in the grass (top left), and Henry stalking something in the rushes.

Such a gorgeous sunny day on whidbey is.

Fall on the Island

2010-09-30T19:38:00.000-07:00

There is a plague of huge spiders occurring right now on the island. The large spiders are geometric, angular, yellow, and did I say huge? The web deserves its own statement: Large, strong, sticky, and downright not fun to get caught in. I have encountered many of the webs and due to the knowledge of who inhabits the mitt of death, have also screamed as if I was a fly caught and facing doom.
One of these wonderful creations decided my office was a great space to set up shop. Not sure why. It is indoors and I have yet to notice a flying bug problem, but the large spider thinks is was a good spot to expend resources to set up shop. It has been there 3 days. I have not killed it yet. As a good friend once said about a black widow living in her bathroom, "we have an understanding, as long as she stays there and I can see her, we can get along."

There it is. In all its glory, the spider. While taking this shot, i also took some of the evening view from my office:

Are you jealous? Living the dream baby, living the dream.

Fun times

2010-09-21T14:31:00.000-07:00

Geez, my dog is my life.... here is Henry with his fetching partner Charlie.

Beach walk

2010-09-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

Ah, Sunday evening at Double Bluff beach. Sunset, fetching, and bare feet. the tide was high and going out so the walk out was different than the walk back.

And finally, we boated out on the lake and did a bit of fishing. i caught one cutthroat, Todd caught none. that's our place, the gray one over Todd's shoulder.

New Home

2010-09-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

The past two months have been very unsettling for Henry and I. Not to say we did not have fun, it sure was action packed: two weddings, family visit in Illinois, few weeks in McCall, and moving. This past weekend, Todd, Henry, Scooby and I moved into a lake cabin on Whidbey Island. It will be my first experience at coastal life. Fortunately, my tour guide and companion grew up in the area not far from here.

Here are some pics from my Chicago trip:
Mom and I at the Art Institute. I am my mother's daughter, if it were not for the grey hair, you may not know who is who from the back!

Me at the bean in Millenium Park.

Camping in Montana, outside Glendive. So neat, like the Badlands of South Dakota.

Grand Rhonde

2010-07-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

Thursday, Henry Todd and I rafted down the Grand Rhonde River in Oregon and Washington. What a great trip.

It was hot enough to make river running a blast, the water was warm enough to swim in, and the sun shine relentless. At the half way point, or there abouts, we stopped on a gravel bar for over 2 hours. What a wonderful break. I hid from the sunshine under the cheap wally-world umbrella.

Mom: I wore sunscreen the whole day, refreshed it twice, and hid under the sarong.

Henry had plenty of swimming and fetching too. He was so tired that at the take out, he slept in the rocks and dirt instead of wanting more fetching.

McCall stop

2010-06-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

After enjoying a bit of time on the SF Payette River, we returned via McCall and spent some time at the lake. Yes, more dog and cat pictures.

Before we returned to McCall, we stopped off along the Middle Fork Boise River. Here I worked on a report in the tent while it rained. The following day we went for a hike to a hot spring. The first trail was steep and the wrong one! The second trail was the correct one, more rolling hills, and the hot spring not so glamorous. We passed Boiling Spring, where one can rent FS cabins and soak in the pools which were very very hot, very hot.

Ain't Idaho pretty?

mini vacation_ Grand Jean

2010-06-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

After camping outside Lowman, we continued up the river towards the Sawtooth Mountains. Set up camp along the Grand Jean road. The weather was rainy and we hung about camp and allowed the pets a play date with us. Todd managed to get in a nap between twig tossed with Henry.

Mini Vacation- SF Payette

2010-06-25T09:58:00.000-07:00

After Boise, the zoo, Todd and I went camping along the SF Payette River upstream of Lowman.

Two nights at one camp spot proved to be very relaxing. The first night was very cold. In the tent we had both Henry and Jazzy with us. JAzzy was cold and needy of attention and proceeded to snuggle up with me for most of the night. This is not a posed picture folks! Henry is a great camping pal, he passes out cold upon entering the tent.

The first night of camping with the cat proved successful as shown by the smiles on our faces (really, the cat is smiling).

The nxt day we checked out the river and by 2pm were on the raft floating downstream. It was a great flow, pushy but the rocks were mostly covered and the waves not so big. We purposefully skipped two sections above and below the portion we did due to some not so straight forward rapids.

Mini Vacation- Boise section

2010-06-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

Last week, Todd and I took the zoo to Boise and stayed at Shelley's for a few days, then up to the South Fork Payette River for some camping and rafting, followed by a few days in McCall before heading back to Moscow.

In Boise, the humans went to dinner at Mai Tai. Mmm, sushi and saki. Todd has never tried saki and now knows how easy it is to drink more than you should.

The following day was a bit slow for all of us. We did a small hike up in the foothills behind Shelley's place. Spring flowers were blooming after all the early summer rains.

BAck at home, the cats tolerated each other well and Scooby was safetly chirping in his cage.

stealing

2010-06-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

From my kleptomaniac friend:
Skinny

Stolen for the video at the bottom of her post. Dogs are soo cute!

processing...

2010-05-27T16:12:00.000-07:00

Data, drowning in data. Do you ever wonder what is on my mind? Do you ever wonder what it is that I am doing here in Graduate School? I do:

Washington weekend

2010-05-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

School is over, classes that is, there is still much to do towards thesis finishing.
The weekend of May 14 was a relaxing weekend of no school, thesis, or lab work. Todd, Henry, Scooby and I traveled to the San Juan Island for his brother Steve's wedding. It was a small ceremony, great weather, and much fun especially with the girls: Emma and Sarah.

After the island adventure, we went to Darrington, WA to camp on the river, do a short hike, and relax before heading back to Moscow. Henry had much fun on the trip. slept like a rock every night!
The place we camped at had many balancing cairns along the river. The prior tenants were talented and had much focus. There were over 10 cairns scattered through out the gravel bar, on logs, even over the raging river.

RIP Atilla

2010-04-15T18:08:00.000-07:00

A friend's dog, a smoking dog, a cute, tough , farting dog has passed away today. Atilla was a loving, kid hating dog that loved to smoke, eat smoke that is. She was dressed up as fashionable as her owner, she could hike with the best of em, and above all she was loved dearly.

Spark

2010-04-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

Went camping in Riggins this weekend. It is a low elevation town, nestled in the Salmon River Mountains, on the confluence of the Main Salmon River and the Little Salmon River. The weather was warm, partially sunny, and no rain or wind.
Gina and Caleb meet up for fun times around the campfire. Henry received so much attention and play time, he was beat tired the next day. These moments are satisfying to me because he is satisfied.

On Sunday, Todd and I floated the Salmon River from Island Bar to the town take out. A short 5 mile stretch with one significant rapid. Henry did fine, although he was having "separated pack" issues and whimpered, yelped, and all other continuous nervous sounds. He could not stand Todd being so far away in the kayak while we were in the raft.

To the worlds oldest and finest Friend!!

2010-04-06T08:47:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 38th BIRTHDAY TO CINDY DULONG!!!

For Keegan's Easter Feast

2010-04-02T15:19:00.001-07:00

Lamb:
How To Make Roast Leg Of Lamb

HaHa Video Jug

2010-04-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

Dating Humor:
How To Be The Perfect Girlfriend

These folks have a great list of "how to's" that I found very humorous. Get lost on the page and learn something light hearted.
here

Clean coal

2010-04-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

If there is such a thing as clean coal than my house is a sterile structure with super clean, non-shedding animals and no dirty laundry.

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/3/31/we_are_tearing_down_our_mountains

Birdy-sitting

2010-03-19T10:01:00.000-07:00

I have been watching a bird, excuse me, a cockatiel, since friday morning. Scooby is a good bird. Very social. the dog and cat have learned to no bother the bird. All the animals in my house right now are very needy of attention. It is actually draining cause I have to give each one individual attention and the others cut in or squawk. Everyone wants to be the center. What about me? It can be very draining taking care of the zoo.

Maiden voyage

2010-03-19T09:51:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, my neighbor Colin and I went down about 5 miles of the Clearwater River in my raft. The water was low, the wind was blowing up stream, and I was learning about the fit of my raft. it is a bit smaller than the old one, the set up with where one sits and the oar location is different, not to my liking, but these are fixable.
I also pulled out my wall tent that I twice spent summer in. the old tent was not in as bad condition as I feared, a bit of work needs to go into fixing it. I am unsure if I want to keep or sell the loving place. Lots of memories, good and bad, coincide with the tent.

cat lady

2010-03-13T19:07:00.001-08:00

I knew it was over when the cat joined me in the bath.

research

2010-03-10T20:07:00.000-08:00

So, i spend a lot of time workignon the computer and I do not have a TV. netflix has been my secret lover. For some reason, today I have lost myself in the internet maze:
Survivaball!!

Salt river : This one goes out the Cindy D, someday maybe we can float the salt!

Present to me.

2010-02-22T14:00:00.000-08:00

A few years ago I once had a raft and sold it. Since then I have regretted that decision. Now, there has been redemption. I just bought a raft package, anyone up for a road trip to get it?:

12 foot 6 inch NRS Sprite self-bailing raft. 1100 denier hypalon tubes and floor. 18 inch tubes. 11 D rings. Made in 1995 but 303'd, tarped and kept in dry climate controlled storage for most of its life. About 50 days on river total. This boat has no delamination, cracks, leaks, or other defects what-so-ever. Comes with 3 Carlisle breakdown oars, rowing frame, cooler, drybox, break-down camp table, plenty of cam straps, 2 hand pumps (1 a Carlisle barrel pump), electric pump, gear sling, web gear net, repair kit, extensive wrap kit, waterproof ammo cans / rocket box, drybags, throwbags, plus a bunch of webbing and carabiners. All of the gear is in excellent condition. Add a camp stove and you have all that you need for a multi-day whitewater trip on any river. $3000.

Memories of a good time

2010-01-29T09:20:00.000-08:00

In late April 2008, I was ending my stay in Arizona and nearing the day I return to Idaho. My good friend Shelley was in Sedona with her family and we planned to leave from there to travel north together. Well, I kidnapped Shelley, brought her down to Phoenix for a night out on the town to get a bit of city before heading back to the hills. This pic is from the morning after...lovely group we are!

In this pic: Ruby ass (top left), Cindy D, Shelley J, Cindy A (middle row l-r), Atilla and Henry (bottom row l-r) at CindyD's old (dusty) place.

New memeber of the family farm

2010-01-28T20:18:00.000-08:00

Since January 4th, Jazzy has been a new member of my family-farm. He is a great looking, 6 year old black cat, with all his claws, attitude, and charm. He talks lots especially in the morning..."get out of bed and feed me!"
Between him and Henry, there is not much attention for myself. The dynamics of the house are considerably different since bringing in the second neutered male beast into my home. Henry loves eating kitty roca and cat food. Jazzy hisses at Henry often. He also likes to sleep behind the stereo, walk across my laptop computer, and does not like to be picked up. Here are some photos of the new family member....He also likes to give affectionate head buts. Be ready, they have some force in the moment!!

Dog rescue!

2010-01-27T09:58:00.000-08:00

For those who need a heart warming story today:

Dog rescued after spending days out at sea on a hunk of ice!

And here is a dog that makes everyone smile:

Chichi!!!!

New Years pic at Port Townsend

2010-01-19T14:58:00.001-08:00

Here is a wonderful picture of Henry and I on the coast...

MLK Weekend

2010-01-19T14:52:00.000-08:00

It was a three day weekend and I sure had fun. Saturday was a lazy day of reading, a nap, and an excellent workout at the gym. On Sunday, Tim, Sue, Todd, Henry, Scooby, and I went to Jerry Johnson Hotsprings. WE scored the river side tub with the waterfall of hot water. Once again, i did not get good pics and it could have been cause I waited until dusk to take any. We drank plenty of beer, laughed, engineered a section of wall that Henry moved, and had a few resting moments of silence. That night we were going to camp but instead went to Lochsa Lodge for a cheap stay in a hot cabin. Watching the neighbors party was good television for us to comment on while cooking a meal of deer steak and potatoes. Mmmm.
The following morning we hiked back into the hotspring to look at the upper tubs. It was such a wonderfully nice day that we hung out at the upper tub and did not even get into the water to soak. it was just awesome to hang out. Here is a pic of Tim and I on the log above the tub.Here are a few more pictures from my camera; you will see why i did not post these earlier..

Holiday BREAK!!

2010-01-14T14:36:00.000-08:00

Fitting that the first day of school is when I finally get around to posting the few pics I have of the new Years vacation in Seattle/ Olympic NP.

In Seattle, Todd and I went to the Bodies exhibit. Should this come to your town you must go see it! Such an amazing feat of art and science. Tastefully presented, informative, and not creepy.

My camera is not the greatest and my photographic patience does not help. WE rode a ferry twice to get across the Puget Sound. The rides offer moments of rest for either 30 min to 1 hour time. for a land locked girl, these rides were pure enjoyment, for Todd, a Port Townsend native, the rides were nap times.
After crossing the first ferry ride from Seattle to Port Townsend, we began the drive to Olympic NP to go hotspringing and camping. The weather was great for us, however, even with clear skies, the forest is always dripping!

New Years night was a moment to dry out, thanks to Camille offering up her cute home in Port Townsend. A wonderful dinner was followed by a quiet midnight celebration on the back porch of Sirens (a bar). New Years day was the highlight of the trip for me: Fresh oysters collected and eaten bayside by me! mmmmmmmmmmmmm, a little lemon and cock sauce on a cold salty oyster.
Next we went to the Dosiewallops River for more camping, hiking, biking, and we were even able to get a small campfire going. The fire was fueled by a series of business cards (for escorts) that Becky brought back from Vegas. If the lady did not make the cut she was burned immediately.
The vegetation was lush. The mosses and lichens and small succulents kept my gnome nature excited!
Henry did great on the trip. Running over 20 miles next to a bike and hiking up a steep trail tired the boy out. He did not move once the whole night in the tent, did not even open his eyes when pushed! Can't wait to do it to him again.
the trip was a wonderful experience, pleasant, and perfect for the holiday break before I slave away to finish the graduate study that has overcome my time.

Vulcan Hot Springs

2009-12-25T12:31:00.000-08:00

The ski into the springs was 1.75 miles across the wonderful meadow. The snow was glittery of silver rainbows with windswept texture on the frozen surface. Across the SF Salmon River, the trail continued to meander up a creek that occasionally was steamy. Upon reaching our destination, we were pleasantly amazed. The entire creek is filled with hot spring water, the source if directly from the ground. I personally, have not seen any place this amazingly active since Yellowstone NP. The hot water comes from conical fissures in the rock surface. Amazing large moss and other plants thrive in the tropical bliss.
We found the pool, filled with debris and mud. Pretty gross. But we went in and moved up towards where the water was still moving and out of most of the gunk. But not away from it enough. Gina and I both were bitten, multiple times, by something in the gunk. We did not feel it until the next morning. Lesson learned: do not go into a gunky hot springs no matter how "natural" it may be.
We left the springs, skied back to the cabin to eat lunch and pick up our gear for the ski out.

Stolle Meadows 2009

2009-12-25T12:15:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, Gina, Henry and I skied 6 miles to Stolle Meadows cabin near the South Fork Salmon River. The drive in was blessed with a small dusting of white snow under a heavy gray sky. The air was breezy, enough to keep a chill.
Gina and I geared up ready for the ski in.6 Miles later we came upon the cabin that will be home for the night. The cabin was outfitted with a propane stove-top, pots and dishes, a bucket drain sink, wood heat stove, solar lights, 5 sleeping cots, and a table with 5 chairs (which we used for drying racks). The only "complaint" we had was the lack of strategically placed nails to hang dry clothing.
We had a wonderful evening of food, white russians, and good company. Sleep would have been great except for Henry pacing all night long except for the brief moment he slept on the cot with Gina! (I am amazed at this interaction)
Wednesday, the cold (12'F) morning was clear and blue. Looking south towards Vulcan Hot Springs, the steam cloud billowing up from over the ridge was calling me to visit. I have never seen a spring put out that much steam in winter. So, after breakfast, off we skied to Vulcan Hot Springs.Since there are many photos to be posted of the Hot Springs, I will just do a new entry.

I love Taco bell

2009-12-21T14:14:00.001-08:00

Taco Bell's New Green Menu Takes No Ingredients From Nature

Taco bell is my fast food achilles tendon. The crispy tacos are so "fresh"/ however, now I am not so sure....

Holidays

2009-12-19T15:12:00.001-08:00

Tis the holiday season.
Happy Holidays folks!

Ha!

2009-12-19T15:06:00.001-08:00

this one goes to Cindy D

Elk River Falls-FROZEN

2009-12-08T09:05:00.000-08:00

It has been a while friends.This past Sunday I went to Elk River Falls with Henry and Todd. It was a cold day, temperatures around 20F, with a chilly wind that sang in the tree tops. A few times the trees would sway, the wood would creek, and I was in fear of one snapping off a top. The falls were partially frozen, adding to the beauty of the sunny day. Henry stirred up some elk, but did not chase them cause I called him and he returned immediately. He can be such a good dog.

The God Squad v. ecology

2009-10-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

Another paper written for my class:

We humans are very egocentric. We believe we know everything, can control anything, and it is our divine duty to conquer all. However, Mother Nature has the upper hand. From the space between electrons to beyond the outer reaches of Earth’s atmosphere, many connections exist in the ecological web that humans are unaware of. It is only through our actions do we learn of these connections and sometimes the actions are irreversible and negative in consequence.

Aldo Leopold is a typical human who made a bold statement towards the eradication of predators. The vicious furry buggers were in direct competition for resources that humans desired. By eliminating the competition, more deer and elk will be available for human consumption. This direct linear thinking of predator-prey dynamics is an example of human’s narrow vision and ignorance of the interconnected environment.

The article “Linking Wolves and Plants” exemplifies a terrestrial context of trophic cascades and tangent impacts to the environment. In my graduate study at UI, my research is focused on aquatic ecology; specifically a keystone zooplankton species and its role in nutrient cycling, water clarity, and trophic influence. I have read articles on ecology and trophic cascades by Pace, Paine, Carpenter, and many other important scientists. Even in the “isolated” context of a lake, the boundary between the biological and physical worlds is not defined. Every year, new knowledge is obtained and every year that knowledge is contested. Even in the scientific world, earth systems are not certain and humans continue to make mistakes.

As for management of a species or ecosystem, we strive to do our best with what little understanding we have. The most difficult part is determining the most direct holistic goal of any management activity. This includes natural systems and human interests, neither of which coincide.

Back to wolf reintroduction. In the mid 1990’s I was all for wolf reintroduction. Bring back the natural balance that our human fears destroyed! Screw the ranchers! Wolves were here first. This naïve view from an urban idealist has been challenged. What a better challenge than one that impacts personal ego. Two years ago, while working on the Payette National Forest, my dog and I encountered a wolf. 20 Linear feet above the road on the cut bank was a beautiful gray wolf staring down at my dog. I yelled, my dog returned to me, the wolf strolled up over the ridge.

I still today question how I fit in the wilderness with a four legged companion. However, it still boils down to my idealist view of preserving the natural wilds for what they provide to Mother Earth’s complex design. Let them (predators) come. Let us stop trying to interfere.

Blue Green in Willow Creek

2009-10-18T20:19:00.000-07:00

For those of you who may be interested in where and what I am doing for my graduate research, here is a short video of a wonderful cyanobacteria bloom in Willow Creek Reservoir. Video taken in September 2009.

The object out there is the long distance circulation machine. I(S) wOuLd put the nA(R)me of the machine But big brothE(E)r is watching and I do not need another notice to the superiors of my blogging (see prior post January 20 2009).

Weekend..cold in McCall

2009-10-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

This weekend was packed full of fun.
Saturday, Molly, Henry, Marius and I went to McCall.
On the way we hiked Rapid River. The dogs swam a bit in the cold clear water. We only encountered one couple with a dog. I picked this trail for the scenery and by staying in the canyon, we could avoid most of the hunters. It was opening weekend for Elk season.

After Rapid River, we went to McCall for the Cultural Day festival, hiked a little bit on Brundage Mountain, at at Crusty's Pizza, and finished the evening off at Gold Fork Hotsprings.

The next morning included breakfast at FoggLifter Cafe. Mmmm good coffee.
(Southwest: Wallowa Mtns, and Seven Devil Mtns)
On the return drive, we detoured to the Heavens Gate lookout. What a view of the area. To the north was Craig Mountain and the Camas Prairie, the East was the Salmon River Canyon and many jagged peaks in Salmon River Mountians, the south was Rapid River and the start of the Seven Devils, the WEst was Seven Devils, Wallowa mountains, and Hells Canyon.
(Northwest: Hells Canyon)
THIS IS GODS COUNTRY!
I love the beauty of Idaho.
(East: Salmon River Canyon)
I returned to Moscow with two lumps of Crusty's pizza crust and two growlers of beer from the Salmon River Brewery in McCall. Highly recommend both places should you ever be in the area.

I must mention, the temperatures were high of 10' Celsius to low of 10' Celsius. Had to use metric for the Norwegian guest. For those who are not in science or used to internationally recognized units, interpret it as really cold.

AZ video

2009-10-05T13:57:00.000-07:00

I have been getting into video making since I did one for a class project. This phase soon will pass. There is much work to do for school.

I have been tagged.

2009-10-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

Where's your cell phone: pocket
Your hair: thinning
Your mother: packrat
Your father: geek
Favorite Food: bacon
Dream last night: anxiety
Favorite drink: juice
What room are you: bedroom
Where were you last night: home
Something that you aren't: tall
Muffins: poppyseed
Wish list item: FinancialFreedon
Where did you grow up: Illinois
What are you wearing: REdANtsPAnts
Your pets: neurotic
Friends: Biatches!
Something you're not wearing: makeup
Favorite store: hardware
Favorite color: green
Last time you laughed: morning
Best friend: supportive
Place you go to over and over: work
Person who emails you regularly: cindyD
Favorite place to eat: Mikeys Gyros

Rules:
one word answers
pass it on...

I tag Gina..
Mom
George