Brad's Blog
Click here to zoom down to today's entry (after clicking, you can bookmark this page and it should always take you to the current date).
 
August 8
Life is continuing too fast for frequent bloggish reflection...
I took a potter's holiday on Monday, which is like a postman's holiday, where all the work you would have done had you worked is waiting for you when you return...
We went up Trestle Creek Road camping, which is about an hour northwest of Spirit Lake, national forest mountains...  On Sunday afternoon we arrived in time for a 3 mile round trip hike to Gem Lake


We saw people leaving (including a group of around 6 where the dogs outnumbered the people--most hikers we met had dogs...), since it was around 4 pm, but enjoyed experiencing the lake by ourselves. 
Then we drove to the trailhead for Moose Lake and a potential 9 mile loop hike.  We were thrilled to find an empty campsite there (it's the only one official site) with picnic table and room for two-three tents...  So we enjoyed our own private Idaho that evening as well...  The next morning we decided to hike to Moose Lake, and only met one couple coming out from camping overnight on a side lake...  So we got private time at Moose Lake:



It was a larger alpine lake than Gem Lake (no moose).  The hike in was about 2  miles, although there was conflicting mileage on signs...


Along the trail I got this artistic glimpse of some alpine firs...


At the lake this pika was chewing a bit of greenery...  On the way down I was whistling, thought it sounded cool, so I recorded it on video
After returning to the car we drove to Char Falls, which we'd first visited last year.  The road in was very rough, which proved an issue later...

Here's a short video of the falls:
It hasn't rained for months, so the falls was smaller than during the spring runoff, but lovely and approachable if you are able to climb down a steep trail to access it.
Above the main falls are a series of small cataracts over the bedrock.  Here's one with Butters in it for a sense of proportion (and because it's Butters)

Leaving the falls we blew a tire on the rocky road, which led to a few tense moments, as the spare was under inflated and the car has a few age issues, but we had a portable inflator and made it home on the donut spare by supper time...  (like all the other places we visited, we were the only people there, which meant a long walk if the spare blew as well)
On the way home we could see the 800 acre so-called Cougar fire up a different valley from where we were driving out, and smoke from Washington fires is making Spirit Lake less enjoyable than usual for August once again this year...  So far we're fortunate to have no fires really near, but everywhere is tinder dry...


August16
The days continue-- hot, dry, and smoky.  And work and the garden continue, although the cherry harvest is done...  I did take a day off Saturday for my annual bluegrass festival--Bluewaters (link is to my photos and videos)

August 19

This artistic photo is the result of leaving my camera in "illustration" mode after taking some photos at the bluegrass festival.
The mouse is looking for scraps by a flower petal on our back porch...
Then there was this one of a deer...


Aug. 24
Today was the first time in ages that the predicted high was as low as 72, so I looked forward to a walk up into the hills.  This morning was also clear, without smoke, which hasn't happened in a month also, but it smoked up in the afternoon... 
We went for the walk onto the ridge anyway--Butters and I...

Here's a nuthatch on a dead tree...

This is the typical distant view which if it were fog would be sort of dreamy and pleasant...

Here are a couple female wood ducks in the lilies on the Mill Pond...

books read
This Book is Full of Spiders by David Wong.  Rescuing the world from alien invasion is seldom as fun as this...

Body Inc by Alan Dean Foster.   Slow pace, more a suspense novel with SF elements...
Sondahl blog index
Jan2024 (none)February
2024
March
2024
April
2024
May
2024
June
2024
July
2024
August
2024
September
2024
October
2024
January
2023
February
2023
March
2023
April
2023
May
2023
June
2023
July
2023
August
2023
September
2023
October
2023
November
2023
December
2023
January
2022
February
2022
March
2022
April
2022
May
2022
June
2022
July
2022
August
2022
September
2022
October
2022
November
2022
December
2022
January
2021
February
2021
March
2021
April
2021
May
2021
June
2021
July
2021
August
2021
September
2021
October
2021
November
2021
December
2021
January
2020
February
2020
March
2020
April
2020
May
2020
June
2020
July
2020
August
2020
September
2020
October
2020
November
2020
December
2020
January
2019
February
2019
March
2019
April
2019
May
2019
June
2019
July
2019
August
2019
September
2019
November
2019
December
2019
January
2018
February
2018
March
2018
April
2018
May
2018
June
2018
July
2018
August
2018
September
2018
October
2018
November
2018
December
2018
January
2017
February
2017
March
2017
April
2017
May
2017
June
2017
July
2017
August
2017
September
2017
October
2017
November
2017
December
2017
January
2016
February
2016
March
2016
April
2016
May
2016
June
2016
July
2016
August
2016
September
2016
October
2016
November
2016
December
2016
January
2015
February
2015
March
2015
April
2015
May
2015
June
2015
July
2015
August
2015
September
2015
October
2015
November
2015
December
2015
January
2014
February
2014
March
2014
April
2014
May
2014
June
2014
July
2014
August
2014
September
2014
October
2014
November
2014
December
2014
January
2013
February
2013
March
2013
April
2013
May
2013
June
2013
July
2013
August
2013
September
2013
October
2013
November
2013
December
2013
January
2012
February
2012
March
2012
April
2012
May
2012
June
2012
July
2012
August
2012
September
2012
October
2012
November
2012
December
2012
January
2011
February
2011
March
2011
April
2011
May
2011
June
2011
July
2011
August
2011
September
2011
October
2011
November
2011
Deember
2011
January
2010
February
2010
March
2010
April
2010
May
2010
June
2010
July
2010
August
2010
September
2010
October
2010
November
2010
December
2010
January
2009
Febr.
2009
March
2009
April
2009
May
2009
June
2009
July
2009
August
2009
Sept.
2009
October
2009
November
2009
December
2009
Jan.
2008
Febr.
2008
March 2008
April
2008
May
2008
June
2008
July
2008
August
2008
September
2008
October
2008
November
2008
December
2008
Jan.
2007
Febr.
2007
March 2007April
2007
May
2007
June
2007
July
2007
August
2007
Sept.
2007
Oct.
2007
Nov.
2007
Dec.
2007
January 2006February 2006March 2006April 2006May 2006June 2006July 2006August 2006Sept. 2006Oct. 2006Nov. 2006Dec. 2006



April 2005May 2005 June 2005 July 2005August 2005September 2005October 2005November 2005December 2005

Sondahl blog index
Jan2024 (none)February
2024
March
2024
April
2024
May
2024
June
2024
July
2024
August
2024
September
2024
October
2024
January
2023
February
2023
March
2023
April
2023
May
2023
June
2023
July
2023
August
2023
September
2023
October
2023
November
2023
December
2023
January
2022
February
2022
March
2022
April
2022
May
2022
June
2022
July
2022
August
2022
September
2022
October
2022
November
2022
December
2022
January
2021
February
2021
March
2021
April
2021
May
2021
June
2021
July
2021
August
2021
September
2021
October
2021
November
2021
December
2021
January
2020
February
2020
March
2020
April
2020
May
2020
June
2020
July
2020
August
2020
September
2020
October
2020
November
2020
December
2020
January
2019
February
2019
March
2019
April
2019
May
2019
June
2019
July
2019
August
2019
September
2019
November
2019
December
2019
January
2018
February
2018
March
2018
April
2018
May
2018
June
2018
July
2018
August
2018
September
2018
October
2018
November
2018
December
2018
January
2017
February
2017
March
2017
April
2017
May
2017
June
2017
July
2017
August
2017
September
2017
October
2017
November
2017
December
2017
January
2016
February
2016
March
2016
April
2016
May
2016
June
2016
July
2016
August
2016
September
2016
October
2016
November
2016
December
2016
January
2015
February
2015
March
2015
April
2015
May
2015
June
2015
July
2015
August
2015
September
2015
October
2015
November
2015
December
2015
January
2014
February
2014
March
2014
April
2014
May
2014
June
2014
July
2014
August
2014
September
2014
October
2014
November
2014
December
2014
January
2013
February
2013
March
2013
April
2013
May
2013
June
2013
July
2013
August
2013
September
2013
October
2013
November
2013
December
2013
January
2012
February
2012
March
2012
April
2012
May
2012
June
2012
July
2012
August
2012
September
2012
October
2012
November
2012
December
2012
January
2011
February
2011
March
2011
April
2011
May
2011
June
2011
July
2011
August
2011
September
2011
October
2011
November
2011
Deember
2011
January
2010
February
2010
March
2010
April
2010
May
2010
June
2010
July
2010
August
2010
September
2010
October
2010
November
2010
December
2010
January
2009
Febr.
2009
March
2009
April
2009
May
2009
June
2009
July
2009
August
2009
Sept.
2009
October
2009
November
2009
December
2009
Jan.
2008
Febr.
2008
March 2008
April
2008
May
2008
June
2008
July
2008
August
2008
September
2008
October
2008
November
2008
December
2008
Jan.
2007
Febr.
2007
March 2007April
2007
May
2007
June
2007
July
2007
August
2007
Sept.
2007
Oct.
2007
Nov.
2007
Dec.
2007
January 2006February 2006March 2006April 2006May 2006June 2006July 2006August 2006Sept. 2006Oct. 2006Nov. 2006Dec. 2006



April 2005May 2005 June 2005 July 2005August 2005September 2005October 2005November 2005December 2005