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Just a meandering soul sharing my backyard. Visit my Flickr page too! www.flickr.com/photos/meanderingwa/

Sunday, January 15, 2012

SNOW DAY!!!

As forecast, right on the mark we have a snow day.  Snow started falling lightly yesterday afternoon and started again sometime around 6 am.  I have been feeling giddy for days as I see this as a great opportunity for photographs.

I also LOVE the sound snow makes when you walk through it,  I love that squeaky, scrunchy sound!

I had to go into work today so I took a slow breakfast waiting for good daylight before heading out.

My terrarium, which I introduced you to before, is thriving.  I have new fern fronds springing up and even some new mosses.

This morning my favorite Allogona townsendii , Oregon Forest snail, was making a show on some new fern.  I put my camera inside the terrarium for a photo-op. 




While looking in I also spotted a newcomer.  A Crane Fly has hatched and was hanging from the ceiling of the tank. 



These insects have massive legs.  The nymphs live in soils and leaves.  I have brought home leaves, soil and barks to build my tank and I can also assume a certain population of microbugs.  I have one Potato Bug ( rolly polly / sow pug / pill bug) for sure and many tiny spiders.  I have even spotted a few worms.  I will support this Crane Fly as long as need be.  The adults do not feed, only mate.  Typically they might emerge in the early Spring, so this one may be out of luck unless a second one emerges.

Suitably tanked up on coffee I set out for work.  I needed this photo for my daily Flickr "365 Days in Colour" picture.  Color of the month is purple.



Weather here is like no other place.  We have a Convergence Zone which sets up and weather on either side of the zone can swing wildly.  Add to this hills and pockets and some pretty massive bodies of water...

You never know what you are going to get.

The freeway was free and clear until getting to the hill above the edge of the convergence zone.  Coming down the hill on I-405 to Hwy 522 it was near whiteout and it certainly was not going to let up.

I tell you Pearly Mae, my wonderful Honda, made me proud.  Front wheel drive, manual transmission, the only way to go in such weather.

I made it up the hills to work, no problems.  Here there was at least 3 inches on the ground and being Sunday, the road in to the facility was nearly trackless.

Two hours later and the snow is slowing down I return home.  I decided to stop at the pretty mitigation area in our business park.  I know there will be opportunity for some pictures.  Besides I love walking in the snow.

Scrunch scrung squeak squeak rumpf rumpf



This rustic rail fence was a recent addition and I certainly like how it takes us out of the industrial park and into another place.

Young Douglas Fir and Hemlock trees do well with our snow.  Their limbs yield away and drop snow.



This Cottonwood dominates the meadow edge.  In the Spring it is glorious and is sends off the sweetest scent.




This area was mitigated to support the run-off of the industrial park complex.  The pond and marsh hosts quite a diverse population of birds year round.  It is a great lunch-time walk destination on those days where work allows.



There is always something interesting here, like this dried up Queen Anne's Lace



The pond hosts ducks herons and a lot of Red-winged Blackbirds.  I have seen Muskrat tottering across ice before.  Today it is mostly mallards and blackbirds.



A Red-tailed Hawk sits in the Cottonwood, hopeful for a meal.



The bridge marks a turn around spot for me, The snow really started bucketing down and I have a 20 mile drive of unknown quality ahead.



It turned out to be fine, with the usual cautious people and crazy people.  There was notably less snow at home but now it has been really coming down for a few hours.




But no worries, Professor Mass, my most trusted weather guru predicts SLUSHMAGEDON by Wednesday.    http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/

Wherever you are, stay warm.



3 comments:

  1. I am green with envy. No snow here, just sun, eternal desert sun. Heard that three donkeys were killed by a black bear at the rescue next door. It sounds so strange and I would love to hear your take on it. I imagine it must be true, but why would a bear do that? I'll note something about it tomorrow in a post. Back to this: the photos are so nice and the picture of that tree is just gorgeous. I'm glad you got some snow to enjoy.

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  2. Unless they have visual, or evidence like paw prints and perhaps fur, I find it hard to believe bear would do that. Bears are not "big Carnivores" and few carnivores kill for "fun"

    I would more likely put it on a Coyote pack, if anything

    I assume they have contacted the Fish and Wildlife. Abnormal animal behaviors, whatever the species needs to be taken note of.

    I am enjoying the snow. Makes me feel like a kid.

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  3. Snow always makes me feel like a kid too. I didn't speak to the guy so I don't know if anything was eaten.He supposedly saw bear tracks, but it really makes no sense to me. I also know that donkeys, unless very young or old, can kill even mountain lions. The coyotes around here have a great deal of respect for them and have never messed with them as long as I have lived here. I have seen them in the same fields, keeping their distance. According to this guy, he had also spotted a mountain lion around here. Still, he wouldn't make up three dead donkeys, so who knows. If I see him, I will ask to whom, if any, he reported this. Thanks you for much for this information. I always enjoy getting feedback from you.--Inger

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