Hallowe'en

I wonder which is the hour of the witches.
In the late afternoon these two witches here set out to check the rabbit snares, again.
As i walk towards the snare i did set, i decide i will dismantle it. It is not my thing. As i am taking my snare, Jose calls out there is something in her snare.
Well i won't go into details, but these two witches are not as brave as they look. But we deal with it in the best manner we can, and tonight (Saturday) we will have it in the pot.
It is a humbling experience, And i give thanks to the animal several times in several ways. A little wiser again, every time i will have meat on my plate, i hope i am little more grateful.

Mendenhall river

Oct.28 2008
It is snowing today. We drive with the van towards the bluff on the highway,(2km South of here) Park our van off road and find the trail towards the Mendenhall river.
It is a beautiful trail through the thick Spruce forest, through a meadow , onto the little 'dike'. And there is the river! it is almost frozen over today. In the middle there is little openings. The water black, the ice white with snow and on the edge of the water beautiful grey patterns. The river here is easy to follow, as the beavers has been very busy. We follow the meandering river and some times take a short cut as the river bends back on it self.
In the forest on these strips of land, we follow a Three-toed Woodpecker. He lets us come very close as he is hammering away.
In the meantime snow is coming down in Christmas style. And i have to pull jose away from this magical land, as the van might be snowed in and the light is fading.

Cladonia borealis

I am not sure if this lichen is a cladonia bellidiflora. I think it is safe to say that it is a cladonia (cup lichen), apparently there are 70 species of cladonia.(in B.C. What about the Yukon?
Thanks to Cicero, I think (Nov.22 2008) that this might be a Cladonia borealis.


Early in the morning we set of to check the rabbit snares. No luck again. When you've been following my blog, you know we set the last snares at the Birch tree forest.

Will be continued..

Here i am. Well it does take 5o min to get to that spot, so when we find lots of fresh rabbit trails in the forest, but no rabbit in the snare. They are laughing at us!
From that spot we take the compass and go cross country towards 'maria mountain'.
The forest is open and easy to get through. Amids the poplar are big burned trees from a fire long time ago, we use them to align ourselves. They are straight black stems, with here and there brown/orange colors showing.
Underneath the mountain is 'moose trail'. we follow it north, as to go straight up the mountain on this side, is too steep with the snow on it. At the end of 'moose trail', (well i am sure the Moose itself does continue). But we take a man made trail up the side hill and leave it when we are on the North side of the mountain. I have never climbed up it this way, and wonder how thick the forest will be. Ah yes there are Alders, they can halter one, but here they are not too thick. We weave our way up, using the compass again to go South, as we can't see the mountain from being in the forest. A beautiful forest it is ; scattered big Birch Trees, scattered Boulders.
And while scrambling up Jose finds the bright red lichen. According to the literature, the bellidiflora grows on decaying conifers, as we didn't check what it is growing on, i have to find it again and give it a closer look(what's new).
The views are beautiful, even on this cloudy day, the mountains appear and disappear and only straight up is a little bit of blue sky.
Close to the top, we encounter a rock face, we love it, but go around it to get on top.
Ah what revelation! to reach the top, even the sun decides to peak through the clouds. We build a fire on the rocky top and have lunch.
It is interesting with the changing cloud coverage, how it changes the color of the white snow.
When are toes are frozen (we are still in hiking boots opposed to winter boots).
we descend on the South face. At places sliding down on my bum, i like it this way, but should bring a pad as i do rip my pants today.
Back close to the forest, lower down, we follow a lynx trail(at least that's what i think it is) It goes exactly in the direction we want to go, sometimes it takes short cuts where we take the trail. In front of "moose skull lake' it goes straight to the lake. Jose wasn't to keen on crossing ice again , but the Lynx entices her.
Coming through the swamp is another wonderful story, I was never there this time of year, a frozen little creek meanders through it. When you look, it could be that the water level was once higher, and we find an 'island' which closely resembles the swans nest we found the day before. Abandoned as the water receded.
We cross the lake safely!
Close to home we reset the snares we brought back with us from earlier today.
And that's where i am off right now!

Swans nest

Sunday, Oct 26 2008
That glorious day(see post below), when Jose and i where still sleeping, Don drove to work in a blizzard.
As i wrote yesterday; the day turned out very beautiful.

Finding the Swans nest: we cross the big pond and on the South side in between the marsh grass in one of the little ponds, there is a little island, 4 square metres. I brush of the snow, uncovering what you see, piled up grasses, with feathers and light brown, fairly big, droppings.
From the nest we continue towards the Mendenhal river, crossing different forms of frozen vegetation in the marsh.
Going over the little natural 'dike' which is densely forested. and there is the river,
an open flow of water in the middle. It is very peaceful, we spend a long time enjoying it all.
On the way back Jose pronounces it a place so beautiful, you can't describe it. Now we cross the pond straight across, there in the middle she has a different experiences altogether; one of horror, afraid to fall through the ice. Luckily for both of us she reaches the other side safely. The ice doesn't even make a sound. Which by the way it might do even when the ice is stronger.

A day of Glory

The '911 pond' has been calling me. I thought; why, since the swans have long left. And i knew we might be able to walk on the ice.
Once we where there i knew Why.
We park the van on the highway, and walk through the dark forest. It's like coming out of the tunnel, when we step out in the open. The yellow grass, the pond white and the sky blue. The grass has a dusting of snow on it and we walk on the ice underneath it. The pond ice is solid too, and full of crystals. Jose and i cross it close to the edge. In the midlle is a muskrat house, with open water around it, we stay away from it.
I know where i want to go; to the swans nest. I walk to the spot where i usually saw them. Sure enough - see picture -

Jose

Oct.25 2008
Thank you Jose!
All these new pictures you see, are made by her. I am always easily overwhelmed, and am very grateful,that while entertaining, the guest takes the photos.
I made my self extra busy,with mastering the art of trapping.
Early in the morning we set of to check our traps. As the frost bites through our clothes, we figure it is at least -15 C. nevertheless beautiful. There is nothing in our snares and we take them all home. In the afternoon, I choose one snare I will set. In the spring I found a place close to my Birch trees (see stories in May/June) where there were so many tracks,it seemed the rabbits had a party. It does takes us 50 minutes to get to that spot, which means setting aside 2 hours every other day to check the snares.
The spot is close to the little meadow where I always imagine Moose coming together. Today the places is magical, but no Moose tracks. It is here where Jose takes the photos I posted. I sit at the edge of the meadow on a bunch of dead dry willow branches, it actually makes a comfortable seat. I am out of the wind and in the sun. Overlooking the meadow where the grass bends in the breeze. Around the meadow are willow and surrounding the willows are poplar and spruce. In the transition from Willows to Spruce forest, this fallen over, long time ago, Spruce.

Rabbit snares

Today there is a stiff wind blowing, as if on the beach or on the top of a mountain, here in the Yukon at least.
But I am in town, and like to work on my blog. With a visitor around the house,time flies.
Tuesday and Wednesday we did several short walks. Our main focus to set some rabbit shares. Jose knows how to cook it. And i phoned Garry; how to make a snare, how to set it and how to give thanks to the animal.(Thanks Garry).

Last night; Around 5pm, it is still light , but we decide to take flash lights, which is a wise decision as it gets dark pretty fast.
And we do have to search about a little for our snares.
Earlier that morning we did find the perfect rabbit trail, and it is there that we find our snares are disturbed. Maybe next week we will make; one snare on the perfect spot. For now I doubt we catch anything, which is totally OK with me.

Our other walks all included finding trails and later setting snares. We did and up, on one walk, at Moose Skull lake, which is frozen, i stood on the ice, walked out, 3metres from the shore, some cracking sounds send me rushing back. The lake is pretty shallow, not to worry.
Jose marveled about how picture perfect our little lake is. We ended up at Elfin creek, which flows out of the lake. Magical as ever. Under the ice we here the rushing water, and at some of the little falls, there is still open water. This year even here are the high bush cranberry. Now on the bare branches. The bark bright red. This plant is also called Crampbark, and said to be good for menstrual cramps, i wonder if it has to with the color of the bark.
What a powerful place.

Stony Creek

Tonight Orionids meteor shower is expected to peak, according to my calander. This morning when i stepped
outside Orion was right above in the side, and falling star past through the sky.
Happy days I tell you. Yesterday morning we set off, to go up the Stony Creek trail. This walk is described in; Hikes & Bikes.
There is snow on our path, but hiking boots are still perfect for the conditions. At the end of the day mine were quite wet and i will have to put some grease
on again.
The weather is beautiful, after ten minutes we have to take of some layers. Only at the very top many hours later, we have to put some things back on.
Again there is many tracks of animals on the trail, and Barb wants to follow them all. What seems to be a wolf track goes ahead of us on and of almost all the way to the
top. Right above the tree line a Moose track crosses our path and above that there are only coyote tracks, some kind of bird and little rodents like mice.

The most beautiful prints in the snow come from the grass. Here and there are tufts of grass, their spikes (what's the word for the flowering stem of grass?)
making circles, in the snow, when the wind blew stronger then it did now.

On the way up barb also loves the shapes and bright colors of the tree roots from, long time ago, fallen over trees.
I always feel that, here in the Yukon, at least, what ever havvock Nature creates always looks beautiful.

For me the most friendly place is the tree line again, And what i love most is the rugged world above it. Today the sky is blue and the views fantastic.

On the way back we get a better look of the creek, looking down in it, Often we walk out to the edge of the bank, and that's were i took the picture above.
I zoomed it in, so what you see is a roaring creek among big boulders, the sticks probably big tree trunks.

We have some fun with the rocks in the clay bank. Is there really gold here, or is the work of the gold miner in vain?
We encouter several structures that indicate small scale goldmining.

At 5 pm when we come to the van the sun is still warm.

Later on at home it is Alexander that tells is that the sky is still clear and the stars are spectecular!

Sand and ice

A family of 5 at Mendenhall Landing

Today we drive out to Kusawa Lake. The road is actually pretty good,i don't think this road is maintained and sometimes this winter it will become
four wheel drive. It is lightly snowing today. We stop at the Landing, before i stop Jose spots Swans at the far end. See photo; two adults and 3 cygnets! there are also two ducks. As i stand around to take pictures the Swans fly back up the Mendenhall river honking loudly
as we stay a minute ,the honking resumes, and the Swans fly over in South Eastern direction.
The drive along the Takhini River is as always beautiful, here at this river, there's often Dippers in the winter, but today we saw
them at Stony Creek where we went to get water earlier.
At the lake we do the beach walk, where the creek comes out things are always different, Today we can easily cross, there is many little channels, bordered with ice. The sand forms beautiful patterns.
Chat, chat, chat, we are home at 4pm.

Red Squirrel midden

Good morning! The half moon is shining over a sprinkle of fresh snow covering Fridays snow.
With all this snow came my friend; Jose van de Ven, from Regina Saskatchewan, where it was 17 C. yesterday.
She comes here to walk wild places with me.
First she walks around the place in awe, We do get out for a real walk, the regular for me , but I am very happy to share it all.
In the fresh snow we see many tracks of the little animals.
Thank you all for the response on the squirrel storage place. I also did some reading up on wikkepedia. Apparently red squirrels make food caches underneath tree trunks away from the source of the food. The cache i saw was old (I like to find out
how to determine ;how old). And included many caches for Spruce cones. The field created by the left overs(non food part of the cone)
This is all is now called a squirrel midden.
By the way; Moose Skull is frozen over again, in a that beautiful blue green color.

Saltflats

Oct. 15 2008
Last day of Fall weather! and a beautiful one. Mary and i met at 9 am at the Takhini Saltflats. Blue sky and pink clouds above the barren ground. All color of the flats have disappeared. the first pond is frozen. The water of the second one, by lack of other colors, looks an incredible light blue green. Coming towards it looking through the bleached dead fall.
There's is some ducks in the pond, Oh, I forgot which ones.
In the distance on the other side we see something white. Ducks? and we imagine all sort of things. Till Mary resolves the mystery when at the the third pond we see white foam at the edges. There is more waterbirds, but they are weary of us.

The weather man predicts snow, but on this sunny walk it seems unlikely, not so ,next morning the world is white and wet snow falls all day.

squirrels

This is a squirrel...place. Please help me out, if you know a name for this phenomena.
Around here it is a common sight. For apparently many, many years the squirrels have been bringing their spruce cone harvest here.
I took this photo this afternoon, on the north side of our 'crocus hill'.
The Spruce trees you see, are actually alive, you can't see their green tops.
on their branches hangs Old Man's Beard.

Yesterday i went for an early morning walk, today a late afternoon one. Both times
the weather was incredible. It has been above zero all that time.
Plus 6 C, i believe.

I did actually set off earlier this afternoon, it was so still and soft, suddenly i felt one drop. Somewhere in the woods here i still have some logs for my very future sauna, i lifted them of the ground, so i can move them this winter, with a sleigh.
By the time i was done more drops came down, i returned home to bring in the laundry.

Then at 3pm the sun came out, and i set out for 'moose skull lake'.
Yes, it is totally not frozen!
I checked out some cranberries, but you know, what ever the reason, this year lots fell off. Most years they remain on the bushes till next summer.
From the cranberry patch i went straight up the back of 'crocus hill' and that's where I came up the ancient squirrel nest.

Salmon fishing

Just before i took pictures of Eagles, i saw people walking around with incredible big cameras, i laughed, erroneously, at the sight of it, now standing here amidst the eagles i can see their point. I wonder if i could have gotten the perfect shot.

Oct.12 2008
In the middle of the night, Don wakes me up to see the Northern lights.
when we wake up again it is raining. We drive around town a bit; one of Don's favorite pastimes, buy a fishing licence, have coffee. And finally we settle at the Chilkat river. Here is where i was supposed to make breakfast but first i walk out in the river on a spit, towards some eagles that just sit in the low water. After that, i climb the rock across the road. It is the second time now, that i come upon a little trail, made by a kindred spirit. I like that; somebody going nowhere,just exploring.
Actually it does not and up nowhere; It is a lovely spot overlooking the river, and as i work myself through the bushes, i see more and more Highbush Cranberries. I go down to get a bag and pick over a litre of berries. Don must be getting hungry, not really, we both don't really care and snack if we feel like it. And after i visit him a bit, no fish, i walk towards the eagles again.

It is at the Chilkoot river, where i make, what is now called, lunch.
As always we have a good time at this beautiful river, but no fish.

Somewhere in the afternoon we will have to go back, as we want to be home for thanksgiving. I don't want tell you again that i was laughing at people, what a nasty person i am, but Don and i always try to stay away from the crowds. And it is interesting to see how they congregate. On our way home we drive past 'the crowds'
And finally settle on a spot where to try a few casts on more time. I am not telling
where this spot is, as it is where we got a big salmon! And you know fisherman, they don't like their favorite fishing hole broadcasted.

The Eagles are telltale anyway. Right where we park, there is one sitting high up in the tree. Later i see bear prints. All weekend we only had Seagulls fishing with us. From now on i will watch for eagles and bears , when it comes to salmon fishing. Oops, i am not the fisherman, who cares what i think.

Anyway this most amazing spot, we get to the river by walking through the forest. The forest here; big barren Poplars, big barren bushes, a thick layer of decaying leaves on the ground. It's a sight alright.
The beach; full of fist sized rocks. I gather a bag full of clear white ones, with or without lines of different colors.
The river; full of fish!
The trees across; full of eagles.
And as you see in the picture, in the background the mountains.

I continue along the river through the forest, as the beach is gravel bar.
What a commotion! Before i see it, seagulls and eagles are flying in front of me. I am approaching an inlet. On the ground are many remains of fish. I try to sneak up, but when i reach the inlet, the birds have gone, some still in the branches high up, all i find close by, right under my feet, are paw prints of a big bear!

Three Guardsmen

Oct.11 2008

Saturday afternoon Don and i took the orange van to go to Haines. Past Haines Junction we can see that it has snowed quite a bit,
but all is melting now. We drive into a little side road, where I have been told are red currants earlier in the season.
All ready, i forgot where exactly that road is. Was it before or after the beaver pond? The beaver dam broke by the way, the pond empty, a field of black mud channels,
still some water in it. Well I did find the road, now I have to make a note, next time, where it is. I didn't drive in it very far, it is very muddy, lots of puddles.

We pass Dezeadeash Lake, which is very grey and choppy. The lakes we pass today, none of them totally frozen, actually some still totally open.
But about their colors; Every shade of grey you can imagine, from black to light grey, and the Three Guardsmen Lake a shining silver.

We still see some ducks, definitely some Mallards. And Swans everywhere! The juveniles harder to see, as they have the color of the water today.
Some lakes just have one family, and on one lake we count atleast 24 adults, and while counting, once in a while, depending on the light,
we get a glimpse of the young.

On the Haines road, it is a drive back in the season, Back to Autumn. It is interesting how we come through winterscapes, then green grass, slush, rain, sunshine,
fall colors, back to snow. The willow is an interesting tree (bush) in this changing seasons landscape. Back 2 months ago it seemed the first
tree to change colors, but now lots are reddish brown, some still yellow green, and some barren.

We see a flock of Canada Geese and Don spooked a flock of Ptarmigan, when walking into the buck brush.

I said we came upon some sunlight. Glorious! I'll print a picture of the Tree Guardsmen, one of them peaking through the clouds.

Enjoying the ride as much as our goal, we always stop many times, and it will be dark before we get to Haines.
One place I always enjoy tremendously is right at the treeline, coming towards Haines. The forest here is magical. From the
road there is not much to it, you're on the summit and suddenly you're in the Spruce forest. But at any season I invite to
walk into that world there. One aspect encountered today. Bright blue blueberries on bright red stems, no leaves. Too bad they don't
taste as good as they look, they taste if they've frozen and thawed out a few times, they probably have.

The ascend today beautiful as ever, the big mountains highlighted by the almost full moon.
Still some 33 miles(the name of a settlement)to Haines along the Chilcat, it is dark when we park the van on the beach right outside of Haines, Moose soup out of the thermos is our meal and we retire early. Our matrass the bison hide i dried, it proves to make for a very warm bed.

Thanksgiving

Happy thanksgiving!

And i give thanks for all i got!
Waking up this morning our beautiful world here, had a dusting of icing sugar.
Sun and wind melted it quickly.

I have to say i would rather have been outside, but i busied myself in the kitchen. processing food gathered in the wild over the weekend and cooking a thanksgiving meal. I try to use as much wild and homegrown food as i can.

our dinner will be; grouse(wild) with walnut(my sisters garden) -juniper(wild) stuffing.
shrimp(Haines). roast potatoes(my garden). cooked greens and carrots (harvested today, the very last) Salad (only the carrots and onion from my own garden).
And dessert is mince meat/cranberry pie (home made moose mince meat mixed with wild cranberry preserve from Mary).
What abundance! How delicious!
Thank you Mother Nature!

Trumpeter Swans

Oct. 10 2008
3 Swans on the '911 pond'. What you see, might be what it is. I spend an hour at the pond and didn't see any other water birds and as you look at the picture, where the swans are is the only open water, their reflection is on the ice.
I don't know if these 3, are from the family that was raised at the pond, or 3 others taking a break from flying South. I also don't know if these are adults. Last month the juveniles still looked different, more grey, then the adults. These 3 where totally white.

Moose tracks

I am afraid I have fallen prey to the spirit of the hunter. This morning, Don didn't take me hunting and at 11.30 am I set of on my own. Without a gun though, not even a bow and arrow. I rather not...

Oddly enough I found myself searching for that elusive Moose.
I left my bike at the old gravel pit, and took the trail North bound. (my blue ribbon trail). On that trail are old Moose tracks, and it comes close to a meadow.

?? Half a kilometer into the trail, there is orange flagging way up on a tree above my blue ribbon, written on it is 'farmed'.
Who put it there and what does it mean? I see no vehicle tracks or human, and we are in the middle of the forest in between ridges.
Obviously I am not the only one venturing out here.

When I come to the end of the old creek bed, I go East to find that meadow. I walk in a dry bog , with small Spruce.
I realize I have turned off the trail to soon and have to go one ridge higher to the North. Soon I find it, I always love coming to openings. The meadow is yellow, surrounded by dark Spruce. The Sun is out and there is no wind. No Moose neither.
Walking onto the meadow, I sink in through a crust of ice. I stay on the South side and follow the Animal trails.
East towards where Don and I ventured yesterday.

Lo and behold on the trail there are fresh Moose tracks. Easy to see as there is still snow here. See picture, don't be alarmed, all snow, but here, has disappeared.
I follow the tracks for a while, which is not that easy. As their are several paths woven together. Exciting enough the Moose does go into the direction where Don was calling yesterday. I feel for the Moose, having gone out of his way to find the caller, having found none.
I loose its trail where the meadow ends. As there is no snow in the forest at higher ground.
I want to intercept the fire smart, and go in that direction.

The landscape here always amazes me, being formed by the Glacier.
But who or what decides , where to make gullies and ridges? I picnic on a beautiful grassy slope. Here it is summer-time warm!
I follow the slope, as there is a deep gully towards the Fire smart, full of dark trees. The grass slope makes way for ribs of bedrock.
And soon I find myself in a boulder field, full of fallen over trees, and quite heavily forested. The going is actually not that hard, as I can use the fallen tree trunks as bridges from boulder to boulder. I know it will get harder though, as I know I will get out in the old creek bed, which has very thick forest around it. Lucky for me that strip of thick forest is smaller then I anticipated.
So close to home and so many places yet to explore!

Moose hunting

Another fine day. It's around 0 Celsius, depending on the sun if it is out and where you are. Deep in the forest on the North side of hills, there is still a skiff of snow.
Again Don and I went out this morning.
He is looking for Moose. It is hunting season and we live in an area where hunting Moose is allowed. As long as you stay 300 metres out of the subdivision. And, for meat, we mainly eat wild meat. Today deer, a road kill Don came upon one day. Our freezer also contains Bison and still some 2006 Moose. We package our meat well, and never had problems eating meat that old. Although I am trying to finish the old stuff first. I never throw anything out! Every year we do go out to hunt, as one never knows if one gets something.
This morning we left a little later as we are staying closer to home. Around 8 am.
We drive to the old gravel pit in the subdivision, turn East on the Fire smart.
I would have left the truck behind here, but Don likes to drive it very slowly over all bumps and stumps. For me, going out with Don is always a great exercise in following. Which I am not so good at, but have learned to enjoy very much.
Shaking around in the truck we are heading straight for the sun, which is just getting up. In a small space between dark tall Spruce, we see the mountains,above it bright orange and above that clear sky.
On a hill , before a bog, we park the truck, and hike North. We follow a grassy ridge, with mainly Poplar and Spruce. When the ridge ends, Zig-zagging through the woods, Sometimes thick Spruce, some times spruce bogs. In the Bog we do find game trails. Here and there we stand still and Don 'calls' the Moose.
We come upon a hill side with very tall poplars, I made pictures, but it is hard to capture the feel of walking among those tall bare trunks, colored in the morning light.
After more calls, close to another bog, we have tea.
The ground is very cold, and I start picking some cranberries and crowberries. They are not that abundant and it proves a very noisy activity; throwing frozen berries in a container.
No Moose, but lots of fire weed fluff floating around, always something special in woods.

morning glory

Sunshine!
It is just beautiful out. And I wonder why I am sitting behind the computer.
Everything was sparkling fresh an hour ago, now the wind has come up and only a few sparkles in the dry yellow/brown lawn are left. There is still some green in the garden and even some colors from hardy late bloomers.
I am feeding the birds again. (I quit a few weeks ago, due to bears in the area).
But the only visitor is the shining Magpie, with his loud and clear call. Is that correct? Is that his call?
This morning Don and I went out again at day break. Dark when we left. Driving towards the highway we descended in the mist. Ascending we came out again, and so did the sun. Lovely.
The higher we go the whiter the ground. Pine trees covered in hoar frost. We leave our van behind and hike on. A winter hike, wondering what to think of that.
I love the snow, but as it always comes early here, I can't say that I am jubilant.
By the time we get back home the sun is out in full force and everything starts dripping and shining and sparkling.
On the way home Don insist on checking out the mushrooms. Which are by the river in the mist. By golly we still find some 'white pearls' in the grey soil, Shaggy Manes.

Frost

'Elfin creek' Oct.04/08

On 'moose skull lake' there is little bit of ice, a thin film that has blown to the South-East side. When I walk through the moss on the shore line. There are small puddles with ice on it, when I walk on the moss beside it, the ice miraculously disappears.

I am used again to the 'drab' colors. And wonder also, if they have miraculously changed while I am looking at them. Because the colors seem vibrant now.

Last night at dusk, Don and I went out again looking for Moose. It started to drizzle, and the now shaded colors of the moss, where lit up by a sprinkle of white snow. The snow melting instantly on anything other then moss, I think.

Mendenhall Landing

Mendenhall Landing

It is a beautiful peaceful frosty morning here.
I have to admit that when I got of the plane, Thursday morning, things looked pretty drab.
I could write a book comparing the two worlds. 't westland and the Yukon.
Of course I do love the latter most, but in the near future I might write a post about the beauty
in Nature I have experienced in Holland.

I also have to admit, that I had no urge to go outside, and resume my 'job' as Keeper of Wild Places. Lucky for me
Don was eager to be outside with me and took me on a little road trip. First stop the Mendenhall Landing,
to check for Shaggy Mane (wild Mushrooms). Sure enough, we found some.
I have to make one comparison here; All is so Calm, even when the wind is blowing. I think it has something to do with
the fact that there are no obstructions here.

From there we drive to the first Takhini Campground. Don does some fishing and I walk along the Takhini River,
South. I am delighted to find some sort of path, first along the road, then dropping down to wards the River.
Where one can't walk on the river's edge, there is a little path in the Blueberry bushes. The Bushes still Red, where as the trees
have dropped most of there leaves. Which actually swirl around in the river.
I come to an island, which I can still reach through two inches of water. No more Path, but here and there Human footprints in the
sandy mud. Again I am touched by the peacefulness of it All.

I walk back to Don, who has caught no fish. I sit at the river bank scanning the mountains, and find a flock of Sheep on
'gemini mountain'. We talk to the only people in the campground. Next week they leave with Condor for Frankfurt.
The day before I was sitting in Frankfurt's Airport. I am aware of the way we look. and wonder if these people can picture me in
Frankfurt, where (to me) most men where black suits. Don and I are dressed in clothes, well... we probably would be picked up and be thrown out of the Airport. I love it!

Next stop; the Cranberry patch. The leaves are very dark now, and the Berries almost black and hard to see. We pick a bit and
continue on our way home. We drive in a little bush road, which is muddy at first, going through a mossy spruce forest,
The road gets dryer towards the river, and follows the river bank. We realize it must make a loop towards the Kusawa road and so we continue
Indeed it does, coming out by an old gravel pit, where there are many trails in all direction. To come in from this side we would have
to stay on the right side of the pit (South) . Follow it towards the River (west) and so on following the main track in order to do the loop.

Thank you Don, for taking me out. I am ready to explore more and enjoy!

Holland

Hi! I am back.
I was in Holland, visiting relatives, the last two weeks.
All very enjoyable.
For 'wild places' I choose a picture of the North Sea.
My concept of Wild Places, doesn't apply there at all. I am from, 't Westland. Which is probably one of the most build up areas, in the Netherlands.
Although this time I was happily surprised, how many places of true Beauty there where. The deep Green of the grass and trees everywhere. The amount of birds; Swans and Blue Herons everywhere. And then the dunes ,the sandy beaches and the North Sea.
I have seen many beautiful sites in Nature over there.
My all time favorite; Big Waves.