Always a pleasure to have the bundle of energy.
Like granddaughter
Like grandmother
Two strong women
Iulie’s sycamore getting taller
Iulianna at the Farm
June 21, 2024
farm, hiking, nature bubby, iulianna, iulie, moonshine Leave a comment
Snek on Trail
June 21, 2024
dogs, farm, hiking dog, golden, moonshine, river, shenandoah river, snake, trail Leave a comment
What dat?!
Silver Falls State Park: Oregon
May 9, 2024
hiking, nature George and Tara, hiking, nature, Oregon, photography, Portland, romey, Silver Falls, travel, video 1 Comment
On a beautiful sunny day in Oregon, we decided to stay wet by standing under a waterfall. Silver Falls is remarkable, stunning, and a great place to visit with friends. We visited as a day trip from Portland. (Make sure to expand the videos when viewing.)
The icicles!
The refrigerator!
The Best Kind of Skiing: Randonee
April 23, 2024
hiking alpine, avalanche gear, cross country, mountaineering, Norway, randonee, skiing 1 Comment
The decades long disagreement about whether downhill is better than cross-country has been solved! Randonee is the answer—a perfect combination of the two. Skis that you can hike up with (as long as your skins are working), but more importantly, also ski down with. Nothing like an edge.
Randonee skis have special boots that open and close according to mode, with downhill being much stiffer. And the bindings click in or are set in heel free mode. Cool stuff.
There is no better way to experience a mountain.
We used the cabin in Tyinkrysset as the base of operations for two adventures. The first up to the top of Tyinstølsnøse (1386 m) and the second up directly behind the cabin.
Ski rental also involves avalanche survival gear (and electronic locator, a shovel, and a body finding stick). Helmets are a must of course.
Tyinstølsnøse (1386 m)
What goes up, gets to go down too! So incredibly fun.
And then there is the campfire and some relaxing to do.
The second day adventure involved absolutely perfect weather and perfect snow. We skied down through the trees.
Bluebells 2024
March 25, 2024
animals, flowers, hiking, river bluebells, dogs, gem, maybeline, moonshine, river, romey Leave a comment
This year, the bluebells first started leafing up out of the ground on March 1st. And on the 24th the peak was beginning. Early early.
Good thing global warming is not real.
This is Maybeline’s first bluebell season.
Spring Wildflowers
March 19, 2024
farm, flowers, hiking, river bluebells, forgert me not, lesser celadine, river, shenadoah river, star of bethleham, walking, wildflowers Leave a comment
The first sign of bluebells was March 1 this year.
Lesser Celandine
Forget me not.
Star of Bethleham
Bluebells begin to really blossom March 18th.
Hiking Topanga
February 14, 2024
hiking, mountain, nature, ocean, travel hiking, LA, nora, pacific, panorama, romey, topanga, walt Leave a comment
Oh yeah, a morning hike to the top of the bluff. All told we may have hiked four miles. We started at Walt and Nora’s house and walked up to the Pacific overview. The weather was standard issue California — perfect.
Panorama
The crew (gem, nora, walt, romey)
Art?
It was a great opportunity to spend some time together.
Spring Peak Three: Rocket Time
May 9, 2023
farm, flowers, hiking, photography, river dames rocket, dog, flower, golden retreiver, moonshine, rocket, shenandoah, shenandoah river, wildflower Leave a comment
What’s the difference between Dame’s Rocket and Prairie Phlox? Why the difference between four and five (and alternate toothed leaves). This is rocket on the trail by the river that we walk every day.
Moonshine
And some black locust to perfume the air.
Final Moonshine
Bluebells Peak April 2, 2023
April 2, 2023
hiking, nature, plants bluebell, bluebells, flower, photography, river, romey, shenadoah river, shenandoah, Spring, video 1 Comment
It’s early for the peak. But the peak it is along the banks of the Shenandoah.
Romey looks like a bluebell too.
Moonshine does not look like a bluebell. Nor does he smell like one.
There are also other flowers available.
Big Dog, Little Girl
January 10, 2023
dogs, farm, hiking, nature, trees iulie, moonshine Leave a comment
Look at that smile on Moonshine’s face.
Tree elf.
Chopsticks
Little creatures are exhausting.
