A creative bunch!

Last night friends and neighbors gathered at the "Carving Cabin" to whittle away at pumpkin flesh creating fabulous lighted creations! It was great to see old friends, catch up with new ones and have a little fun getting up to our elbows in pumpkin slime. The jack-o-lanterns came out fan-tab-u-lous.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Why I do what I do

Monkeying around with the camera over the years has lead me directly into the profession of my dreams- writing and photographing the places I love to explore. With each shutter, composition and aperture setting comes the opportunity for an editor to swoon and perhaps purchase the next cover or inset for a story. For me, looking back on those photographs fills my souls cookie jar. I've recently started watermarking my work, in an effort to protect my blog from poaching. While it's a bit unsightly, I feel it's the best move since this is a public site.

"Seldom do people feel happier, than when they are outside."

Bandera Mountain

I trucked up Bandera on a day out of dreams this week. A record breaking 70 degree forecast was planned for the foothills! The wind was whipping at the top of the mountain and I didn't get that suntan I had planned, but the wind gave the cheeks some color regardless. The colors blew my mind and it was a 'picture' perfect autumn day. The rest of the photos can be found here.

Snow Lake/Gem Lake

More beautiful fall weather inspired me to hit the high country before the snow (any day now) prevents me from doing so. The highest peaks are already very snowy and frost is now present on the bushes in down lower. This time of year, the nip in the air is a constant reminder that winter is not far off! The rest of the photos can be found here. Sunny days and changing colors = my personal bliss.
Oh one legged hopper, I feel your pain. I too was hobbling around earlier this year, not going anywhere fast. Hang in there little friend, and may you live a long hoppy life!

Chantrelles!

Because he is perhaps one of the most generous and thoughtful people on this planet, our friend Officer Richards (a fun-guy...or fungi) made a special trip out to our town to deliver some hand picked chantrelle mushrooms to us. Chantrelles are a northwest delicacy and sell for nearly $20.00 a pound in specialty stores! They are hard to find unless you know what you are looking for (and are a specialist in identification) and many people have a special place they return every year to find them. It's a little game around these parts to find a secret mushroom patch and in late October, early November there are people romping through the woods everywhere! Last week a friend and I went foraging and had no luck, although the hunt was fun. We certainly found fungus among us, only what we found may have made for a really interesting evening (and perhaps a trip to the ER or morgue)!

Freeze 'em, stew 'em, sauce 'em, soup 'em... can't wait to eat 'em! Come for dinner- there's plenty of 'em.

Cool facts!

Chanterelles grow in a symbiotic relationship with living trees. They gather moisture and minerals to feed the trees, and in return, trees offer the mushrooms food in the form of photosynthesized carbohydrates. Because of that intricate relationship, Chanterelles are almost impossible to cultivate and are not yet commercially grown (although researchers are trying).

In many parts of the world, including California and the mid-Atlantic coast, they grow around the base of oak trees. In the Pacific Northwest, they favor Douglas-fir and western hemlock forests. But wherever you seek them, you’ll always find them around the base of living trees!

WA Magazine

Recently I was contacted by the editor of Washington Magazine, who had heard about my photography and wanted to find out if I could send him some photos for possible use in their fall spread. Two of my photos made the final cut for the publication!

As it turns out, following your heart really works....

Fall has fallen!

The first snow fall of the season hit the Cascades and the mountains got the first of many dustings to come! We took advantage of a sunny Saturday to get in another late season hike and to enjoy a little exercise in the cool fall weather. We chose Ingalls Lake for the scenery of the yellow larch trees and the eye popping views of Mt. Stuart. Our friend Lisa came with us and the three of us had an awesome and unforgettable day. I took so many pictures (shocker) that I actually posted them all online. You can check them all out here. Below is a sampling including the first one, which is the first snowball of the year coming directly at my forehead. Good times!

He's back!

Several neighbors have reported sightings of this little "HOOT" down in our "Hootville". He's been hunting for a mate and we've heard him vocalizing a bunch. It's such a wonderfully, hollow and haunting call.

Owls are so grand and mysterious. They are also perfect mascots for autumn- perhaps because their mating season falls right in line with the leaves changing. Happy fall everyone!

"The wise old owl sat in an oak

The more he saw, the less he spoke

The less he spoke, the more he heard

Why aren't we like that wise old bird?"

Hillsides of Blueberries

I paid a visit to one of my favorite peaks recently. This time of year, Granite Mountain is a sea of wonderful smelling and tasting blueberries. I spent the whole day hiking, feasting and gathering berries to bring home. Once again, the first few days of fall turned out to be prrrrrrrrr (insert kneading paws here) perfect, that is.

LOADED, bushes. Just loaded.

The lookout tower made a fine place for lunch.

This is Glacier Peak, one of the Cascade Volcanoes.

Lookout tower in the distance...

Hillsides of blueberries- all of these bushes were brimming with deliciousness...

Chillin' and Grillin'

This colorful feast just looked so tasty, I couldn't resist a photo.

Elk Rut

It's mating season in the meadows of North Bend and the elk once again are edgy. Just as darkness falls, they come out and start the shenanigans. It's fun to watch, but the lack of light makes photos tricky. The big bulls are a spectacular site.