TRACKS

Snow had fallen during the night. The walk to the park in the dark was made more interesting by new tracks put down by the paperboy’s bike, joggers, automobiles, and animals. I took my camera in hopes of seeing deer along the river path. But someone with big feet and a big dog was just ahead of me. Any wildlife had gone for cover in the brush. I was glad in a way. At six a.m. in July this trail is all chirpy with birds, and the sun is easing through the greens in the leaves, (cue Grieg’s Morning Mood from the Peer Gynt Suite). 

But, even with the reflected light from the snow, the place had turned to Mirkwood (insert scary music from The Lord of the Rings).

I almost expected evil creatures to appear in my path. There were no giant spiders, and the place felt friendlier as sunlight turned the sky pink. A bunny had left tracks across the pathway.

They reminded me of another snowy morning in Grand Teton Park. I went to get photos of the rose glow of sunrise on the Teton Mountains. I found myself following very large bear tracks down the trail.

I tried to be very noisy and slow to give Mr. Bear plenty of time to get away. Glad I never saw the maker of those big footprints!

STUFF I'VE LEARNED part 3

First, congratualtions to Running Spider for answering the Poetry Quiz for my last posting. I have edited that post by adding the words to the poem under my photos. NOW...

Here is the third installment of the list of valuable information that I started on November 02.

* Sometimes less is more. Sometimes more is not enough. And sometimes more is just more. * You don’t always find what you want in a person, but you usually get what you expect. * Don’t become so focused on the windshield bugs that you miss the scenery. * Even though powdered baby food looks like fish food---the fish don’t like it---especially in large quantities. * A cow chews her cud approximately twenty-five times before she swallows it. * The value of a kitchen appliance is: The amount of time and effort it saves you—minus the time it takes to learn to use it—minus the time it takes to clean and maintain it—minus the area it takes up in the kitchen. * When you are traveling long distances by car or bus never pass up an opportunity to pee. * It is never so bad that it can’t get worse. * Don’t keep ointment for sore muscles next to the toothpaste. * You can tell a lot about a couple by the way they put up a camping tent. * When you take the “Do Not Remove” tags off your pillows--no one comes to arrest you. * It is not a good idea to scream at the driver.

CATCH OF THE DAY

Our family always schedules a fishing trip during the days after Thanksgiving. 

Two of the young men who went along this year have birthdays during the last week of November so they received poles and tackle boxes in anticipation of the event.

They all usually go to a big icy lake north of here.

This year the fishing was superb.

Everyone in the group caught fish

and they came home with their limit early in the afternoon.

The fish they caught were rainbow trout ...

and brown trout.

The fillets from these big fish are pink in color and have a flavor near to cod and lighter than salmon.

I did not go along but stayed home with some of the ladies and babies. Thanks goes to Hubby and the dads for taking some of these photos and giving their time to share skills and make great memories.