Magpies, Goose Eggs and the Headless Horseman

It is no longer safe around our house. You have to beware of the hulking dark shapes in the woods. I wouldn't want to be curb stomped by an angry momma moose! With that in mind I went for a late afternoon hike instead at Palisades Park. The light drizzling rain enhanced all the woodsy, decaying leaf smells.

As I approached the road crossing I was surprised by a burst of black and white from the trees and I counted at least 60 congregating magpies. They weren't as loud and obnoxious as they usually are so they must have been getting ready to roost. Or maybe they know what is in store for them the next few months, weather-wise. About the same time I spotted a large empty egg on the ground. It was white and I figured that it had to be a goose egg. Since it is so late in the season maybe someone near here raises geese. I guess it is possible that the magpies robbed Canada geese nests earlier in the year and the empty shell survived the dry summer months. I have often observed magpies stealing eggs from robin nests. Regardless of how it came to be there I soon spotted a second one and know it has to be the work of those crafty thieves.

About half way through my 4 mile hike I took a short rest at the base of the basaltic cliff that is the main feature of this park formally known as Rimrock. This undeveloped and relatively undiscovered park is a real treat. It overlooks the city of Spokane and the view at sunset from the top can be stunning. There are miles of trails and it is a great place to wander on foot, mountain bike or by horseback. I found myself thinking that if this area existed where I grew up, in flat-as-a-pancake Western New York, it would be a full State Park. It would be treasured and likely loved to death.

As I walked through the fading light of deepest dusk and through weeds higher than my head my memories were stirred about similar walks in my teen years in the fields near my house. Then I started thinking of earlier memories like the scary Halloween witch and caldron while out trick or treating when I was really little. That really scared me as a child (around age 4 or 5) and made me chuckle today. The headless horseman then made an appearance in my minds eye as well. Wouldn't that be a great costume to re-create? You would have to scare people from a distance so that you didn't run over anybody....hmmm, like at dusk at the far edge of a U-pick pumpkin patch! You would have to practice a very loud maniacal scream!

Song Stuck in My Head

"In the morning when you rise,
Do you open up your eyes, see what I see?
Do you see the same things every day?
Do you think of a way to start the day?
Getting things in proportion?
Spread the news & help the world go 'round.
Have you heard of a time that will help us get it together again?
Have you heard of the word that will stop us going wrong?
Well, the time is near & the word you'll hear
When you get things in perspective.
Spread the news & help the word go round.

There's a time and the time is now & it's right for me,
It's right for me, and the time is now.
There's a word & and the word is love & it's right for me,
It's right for me, and the word is love."

----YES (from the song "Time and a Word")

Birthdays...

Birthdays should be celebrated, thought about and enjoyed! We went to a jazz/world beat show on top of the Saranac building in Spokane which is the only totally green building here. It was a benefit to raise money for our cool community radio station KYRS. Jan and I went to the wooden boat show in Couer d'Alene and then to Joe and Sunny's house for a BBQ. Fun times!

A Short Hike with Heifers

On Wednesday I did short hike in my favorite area east of Fishtrap Lake near Sprague, Washington. It was hot and lots of cows on the blm land. I did not see much bird life but on the way home just back on the paved road I drove through a swarming of thousands of dragonflies. I had never seen so many in one place before and wonder what brought them out to that dry flat field?

Tuesday Evening Bike

I went for a 'short' bike ride on the Fish Lake Trail. On the initial gravel section overlooking a large but nearly dried out pond I saw three Great Blue Herons soaring away in their arcing flight. It was nice to get to smooth pavement after crossing the railroad tracks at the F.L. Trailhead. The orange tinted clouds where reflected on the surface of Fish Lake as I passed above. Fish were feeding all across the lake sending out ripples across the calm surface. There were an abundance of bugs along the trail this evening and I kept my head down as much as I could to keep them out of my mouth and eyes yet glancing up frequently to avoid the other trail users. In one open section a pall of dust had settled over the fields and houses near a dirt road that reminded me of the fog that is so common in our area in November and February.

I turned around at the Cheney trail-head and as I sped back racing the darkness the bugs grew thicker. With my head down I suddenly saw a dark patch of movement in front of and to the right of me. I had to swerve to the left while shouting and luckily the Porcupine turned back to the right. I nearly ran over him on my bicycle! I also could have swerved too violently and fell on him although I was probably traveling too fast for that. It was a very close call. As I got back to the gravel section I had to be careful with all the potholes but I had no real problems the rest of the way. The full moon over the canyon wall stayed with me and guided me back safely to my car.

Lasting Summer

We have a month to go of Summer so here is a perfect quote that I found today:

"Never could I have enough; never stay long enough. The hours when the mind is absorbed by beauty are the only hours when we really live, so that the longer we can stay among these things so much the more have we snatched from inevitable Time."
- Richard Jefferies The Pageant of Summer

Early Morning Head Clearance

I needed to get outside to clear my mind and de-tox from the recent stress that I have been under. With resolution comes a search; a return to the state of inner peace where I dwell. I almost always turn to nature in order to do this. Here is where I manage my internal happiness.

I got up at five, grabbed gear, food & water and headed west towards Hog Lake. It was cloudy and cool but a very pleasant temperature to hike in and, extra bonus, no bugs! I hit the 'trail' at about 6:15 am and had decided to explore a trail I hadn't know about before. I saw it on the bulletin board at the entrance to this chunk of BLM land. It headed south along the creek formed from the outflow from the small Hog Lake Dam at its southern end. Very wild and green with interesting rock formations like most of the other areas here in the 'channeled scabland' areas. It was very fun exploring someplace new and close to home. And the bird-life was everywhere; wrens, thousands of swallows, cinnamon teals, yellow-headed and red-winged blackbirds, gulls, hawks, wood ducks, and robins.

I explored several overlooks above these small lakes, seemingly only visited by hunters, then I headed inland a bit and found the horse trail that I knew to be around here. I followed it south and then west up to the highest point in the immediate vicinity which happens to be out in open country with only an occasional lonely Ponderosa Pine. Quite a contrast to the lowland canyon by the stream/marsh/pond topography. I headed back on this higher ground, exploring as I went. I knew that I would eventually find game trails down to the stream area. I did and came out pretty close to where I had parked. I really like this open country to hike in! You really can't get lost as long as you pay attention to the lay of the land.

I then drove to the north end of Hog Lake to more familiar trails because I wanted to check on the waterfall which all but drys up in the summer. It was flowing nicely and as I approached the sun finally began to come out. I mountain-goated the talus slope of sharp angular basaltic rocks that ring like chimes when they fall against each other. A very beautiful day and very renewing for my spirit!

Home by 10:15 am and was safe and warm when the hail, snow and rain hit...