Looking forward!

 It's been a looooong time!  I'm not even sure posting will work...so lets see? 

 

The Rogue River in Oregon has and continues to be a favorite place! 

We weren't able to go this year but are planning to go next June and with some family in toe!!  

Can't wait!  

We will eat ice cream, take long walks, fish and drive up to Crater Lake!  We'll be sure to go early in the day as the line of visitors get quite long!

We'll find the bluest blue water and crisp clean air!  

I'll probably wear this same shirt and Jim will have his Beaver hat on!  

Thinking.....

...about the many places I have never seen but am familiar with.  Yosemite National Park is one of those locations.  It is the subject of many artists paintings and it is easy to understand why.  When I look at these photos, taken by my brother, I am awe struck at the beauty!  Gary and Margie have visited Yosemite twice now.  Once last year and once this year.  Both times were in November.  The cold, cold weather had not quite taken over, the snow had not fallen and the park was virtually empty.  They were able to take in the spans of the outdoor arena without the distraction of cars and other noises. 

Here are my brother and SIL.  They have been married a year.  I posted about their marriage in November of 2009 at "My brothers marriage."   It is very nice that he took his bride back to this spectacular park just a year after their first trip.

 Included is a map, which I found on the Yosemite National Park web site at:

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/directions.htm

The park sits almost due east of San Francisco and near the eastern boarder of California with Nevada.

With a place like this within a couple of days drive of our place...I wonder when we get to go?  :) We shall dream of that day!  Have you been to Yosemite National Park?

A crow and a hawk!

A quick glance out the car window (while driving down our driveway) made me stop and back up.  It may not seem like something grand but to me it is.  The sun was coming through the trees, and I was able to peer into the woods a bit further than I could the week before, and that was all.  Noticing the small things is what keeps me looking...and there is no shortage of small things to see!  What makes you stop and go back? 

When we drove to Camp Sherman a couple of weeks ago, I saw two large crows sitting on a log off the side of the road.  One of them looked very big, old and scruffy.  I quickly mentioned them to my husband. He stopped the car and backed up quite a ways.  He saw the birds and exclaimed to me..excitedly, "That is a crow and a hawk!  The hawk has a mouse in his mouth and the crow is waiting for the hawk to fly off so that he can grab at the mouse!" 

I tried to get a picture but of course by the time my camera turned on..the birds flew off.  It was something to behold and I'm glad we stopped the car and backed up.  We may never see anything like that again! 

A simple walk down the driveway gave me ample reason to be at peace with whatever is sent my way.  Earlier today I took Maggie, our little Pomeranian, to dogie daycare and found out that the person who runs it has just been diagnosed with cancer.  It was a stinging realization to just how life can change in the matter of a day.  Her life matters.  I know what to do. 
But, in the meantime, right here under my nose is Gods grace poured out and showered down in every small detail. 
A mother robin is out gathering worms for her little ones.....

and another mother sits under cover, waiting the arrival of this years babe.  Her one year old is sitting with her.  They see me and off they run.  Bop, bop, bop!

The wedding area is coming into it's own.  I can see the brides path right through the middle of the green lush cathedral landscape.  We have a few weeks before the big wedding day in this spot.

A wild iris peaks out at me....with more just around the bend. 

Each one a little different.....

...but related to the other.

A little further down the driveway a large mighty maple tree looms ....

and I stop to gaze up at its grandness.

Ahh...there is Bart face to face with a blue jay....he looks at me and looks at the bird.....

..then another bird twitters in.  They spread in opposite directions and ....

Bart scolds! 

It's ok!! 

Snail sighting

Snails are mollusks, more specifically, gastropods. 
This guy is a Pacific Sideband Snail.  He lives in our woods, and was out crawling around after the rain last week.  We don't usually see them intact but do find the shells. He had never seen a human before and didn't shrink into that shell on his back. He stayed as is even after three flashes of bright light from the camera.  Slugs are more common and not nearly as interesting.  The most common remark when a slug is seen is "ick!"  "Where's the slug bait?"  I didn't encounter even one slug on this day! 
This little creature was left alone because there is plenty for him to eat in the woods.  But, he better stay away from my garden because the bait it out! 

Going to the source....

..to find the Camas Lily was on my list of things to do.  The sky was dark, a torrent of rain covered the sky but just as soon as the rain came...the sunshine poured out in a stream of light across the green earth.  I grabbed my camera, raincoat and put on waterproof shoes.  I was intent on finding the blue hued flowers and see that wave of color for myself!

Just beyond the Chritsmas tree field...I could see the blue Camas Lilies gently bending in the soft breeze.

Beautiful....Blue Wave of Color!  I didn't want to leave this spot but there was a possiblity of finding the Oregon Fawn Lily...deep in the woods, so on I went.

  

What is that off in the distance?  It is the Oregon Fawn Lily!  Another rare sighting and worth the trudge through the rain covered forest!

See the spotted leaf at the base of the Oregon Fawn Lily?  It is unmistakeable.   

The Oregon Fawn Lily does not lift its head but hangs over the stem.  

By simply placing the camera underneath the bloom and clicking, the heart of Oregon Fawn Lily is captured. 

After the rain, this was a good day to walk deep into the woods.

Walking daily......

....is a healthy habit. It gets me into another neighborhood that is quite different from our farm. The neighborhood I am referring to boarders Stone Creek Golf course and is the golf course. This route has been the same path I've taken, with my walking partner, for the past four years. We have worn out several pairs of shoes and enjoyed some pretty lively conversations! We often talk about the benefits of walking like: lower cholesterol, keep weight in balance, eye health, lower blood pressure and attends to vitamin D deficiency. I'd like to say that walking has allowed me to lose weight, but that is not the case. It allows me to eat without gaining. We walk in the rain and sunshine. There is also the exception of rain blowing sideways and extreme wind! Many times we have gotten wet down to our underwear but not as often as some report! Every day it doesn't rain is appreciated and noted! :)

A friendly neighbor puts out fresh water for those who walk with their dogs.

Daffodils grow freely against the fence and will be there for years to come.

Way up, over our heads, we hear honking. A gaggle of Canada Geese fly in V formation, heading towards the East, with a stop at the pond.

We head down into the wooded area, along the creek and behind the golf course.

Deer fern grow on the rocks and trees along the path. They are so pretty and won't grow in other places...like pots.

Trillium are scattered all along the creek and path.

Ahh..the sunshine is beginning to peek out beneath the fluffy white clouds!

Many of the homes along the golf course are large and very well appointed. We get to look at their pools and lovely landscapes as we tread by.

This planting is exceptional and if we ever saw the owners outside we would say, "thank you!"

In a few short weeks it will be changed out and another amazing show will be displayed!

I encourage those of you who want to walk to find an area that is safe and one that you enjoy. Start out slowly and build up to a distance that is further than you think you would like to go. Four miles sounds like a lot to me, but it is the distance that has built up my strength and given my body the opportunity to repair itself in areas that were lacking. It is also the distance around the golf course and back to my walking partners house. It's been a good thing.