The Tibetan Cookbook of the Dead

I'm way behind on logging the fun things I've been doing. This is last weekend.

( Colorado )

Mom: Did you know it's Ski to Sea this weekend?

[FYI- This is a 93.5-mile multi-event relay race from the top of Mt Baker down to Bellingham Bay. A Ski to Sea Race team consists of 8 racers -2 in the canoe leg- for the seven race legs: cross country ski; downhill ski/snowboard; running; road bike; canoe; mountain bike; and kayak. A racer can only be on one team, and only complete one leg.]

Me: Yep, it's Memorial Day weekend. [Pause] Wait, you said it right!

Mom: What?

Me: Whenever you've ever mentioned it all these years, you've said "Sea to Ski." Every time! And I always sigh and say, "Mom, the race goes downhill, not uphill."

Mom: Well, it should go uphill. Now, that'd be a race.

I might as well do a quick hiking log. I'm tired and won't do it justice, but that's ok.

Stehekin Riverside Trail (and don't be imagining that this is flat or something insane like that...)
Mileage: 17.2 with a ~35 lb pack + another 7 or so miles without. Around 24 total.

( Tired chitchat about an awesome hike. )

1. When I work out in the garden, I am accompanied by cats Wicked, PA (aka Punk Ass), Bamf, and Sancho. I feel like I'm being stalked by a feline gang.

2. I occasionally leave spare food out for nominal ferals Buttons and Puffer, and real feral Gray Cat. Today, the big tomcat Gray Cat wanted the crunchies, but dainty and petite Bamf was not gonna let him have the food in HER neighborhood. She ate it, then immediately puked it up in front of him. Wandered off, leaving a steaming pile of briefly-digested food. I think the message was clear. (I hosed the driveway off and put out a few more crunchies for the poor guy.)

3. I went online to see if I could order ear medication more cheaply than acquiring it at the vet, and found a multitude of reviews that claimed the med made pets go deaf. The instant horror is even worse in that I've been wondering about Tashi's hearing for quite some time. Gah. :( (Well, she either heard me breaking a cup in the kitchen, or was drawn in by the flurry of movement.)

Did another hike yesterday, this time up to Heather Lake. It's in full spring break-up right now.

( A few pics )

I'd write a full hiking log, but my heart's not really into it right now. Tashi has been sick all day, and I'm distracted by worry. I don't know if I pushed her exercise too much and she's simply sore, or if she's suddenly going downhill. She's 16.5 years old, and a purebred (average life span 12-15 years) with pretty bad arthritis so it could be either one. I gave her an early shot of Adequan and am hoping for the best. She's sound asleep on her heating pad right now. I'm planning on leaving her there for the night, instead of taking her in with me when I go to bed. Wow, not yet ready to have her exit my life. (Note: I'm not asking for advice, so don't go there unless you really think it'll be helpful. Thanks for understanding.)

Anyway, took a few shots of the snow-covered lake area. The only comment I should make is taking credit for keeping a quartet of nervous hiking newbies (young men) company up the last mile of snow to the lake, and preventing them for setting out across the lake to explore a snow cave underneath a series of ongoing avalanches. Me: "There is nothing about that, that is a good idea." These hapless little lambs were custom-made clientele for Search and Rescue. I didn't see them down the mountain, but I figured they knew the trail by then and could easily follow any of the other groups that showed up after us.

(Seriously, they were so green. Kid: Why are all the avalanches on the other side of the lake. Me: 1) Don't be disappointed about that. 2) There are no cliffs on this side of the lake, thank gods.

One or another of them repeated that particular whine no less than six times. They really, really wanted to be where the avalanches were. Or in the snow cave. Or out on the "frozen" lake in breakup season. Argh.)

( A few pics )

During the daily brief sun break, I went back out to the river. After an hour or so of stalking the bank, I saw some otters. I literally had less than ten seconds to frame a shot before yet another $#%@ guy (with a dog) popped up over my shoulder and loudly asked, "What are you looking at?" The otters disappeared immediately. Argh! *sigh* This time, I said that the animals were scared of dogs and asked him to move a little further down the trail, but he refused to budge. I walked away, whereupon he left. I circled back, but the otters were definitely gone. If I ever do see the white otter, I'm going to have to be prepared to shoot the pics quickly, because the very act of lifting my camera draws too much attention.

The universe threw me an apologetic bone, though. On the way home, I saw a field of snow geese being stalked by three coyotes. The coyotes weren't that aggressive and seemed to be herding them more than trying to get lunch, but one eventually made a lunge. Immediately, the flock lifted. My camera was focused on one of the other coyotes at that moment though, who simultaneously... took a dump. I played the pic back and thought, "This is either awesome or awful."

( Coyote Pooping with Snow Geese )

On my third expedition in the search for the white otter, I made progress in that I actually spotted an otter. Three, actually. I saw the first almost immediately and the other two just a few minutes later. One little guy at the second sighting starting huffing at me, swam toward me, and chittered at me from the edge of the bank. As I was trying to focus on him through the distraction of the reeds, some idiot curious guy with a freaking dog stepped up right behind me and asked loudly, "What are you looking at?" Otters disappeared in an instant. *sigh* But what can one do? It's a public walking trail and people are going to do what people do best: unintentionally ruin someone's shot. :D I really wish I could afford a longer lens, so I don't have to get so close. Soon.

No sign of the white one yet. I quizzed Mizue a few days ago, map in hand. She last spotted him 1.5 miles north from where I looked last week, which is where I went today. I wonder if he's slowly migrating upriver. I'll be expanding my search about a half mile per week in both directions over the next few months. (This is also my training for the half-marathon. It's a lovely run.)

It must have been. Because...

( Heron preening. )

( Immature Bald Eagle drying his wings from inopportune dip while chasing a Pileated Woodpecker. )

( Sand Hill Crane bathing. )

( Snowy Owl preening his tail feathers. )

( Harrier Hawk preening talons. )

( Another Snowy Owl, because why not? )

( And another Snowy Owl, being attacked by a scary dragon rawr. )

( Mature eagles, already quite clean, thank you. )

I took these geese pics about a month ago, in a rare bright and sunny day. Lately, I've been stalking eagles, but the days have been so dim that all my shots have turned out noisy. Shame, I have a would-be great pic of three eagles squabbling from yesterday, and a few shots of an eagle fishing from a few days ago. I have one large-ish expenditure I'm going to make (nothing fun, just stuff); after that, I begin saving for my wildlife lens. Of course, that doesn't cure the dark and rainy days problem! Brightness will always be better when you're shooting a bird that's a freaking quarter of a mile away. :D

I was eagle stalking up HWY 20 in Rockport yesterday. People gather there exactly for this purpose, mostly on a bridge across the river. Swarms--okay not swarms, but plenty--of eagles hang out there and pose prettily for the cameras. I bushwhacked down to the river to see if I could get close enough for actual good photography (no wildlife lens = get closer to the animal). I pretty much failed, but I stumbled across the bizarre sight of three knives jammed into the river bank.

I figured they were left there by a fisherman who'd been somehow interrupted with his mid-river filleting of salmon (?), or they were a weapons drop. :D Not too likely on the latter, but when I crawled out of the bushes onto the bridge, some people walking off started making nervous jokes. Yeah, three knives in one hand look kind of weird, especially completely out of any context. The woman was disturbed enough that she offered me some napkins to wipe the dirt off, so I could stash them in my shoulder bag. Heh.

Flying in Synch -


( A few more )