Doing What Crows Like Best

Day 90: Today, I told myself I could do whatever I darn well wanted to do, and to that end, I stuffed the tripod, macro filters, jacket and a small bottle of Gatorade in my daypack and headed down to Pack Forest with the idea that I'd find the end of the 1400 Rd. Ah yes, I've done this before, and it's one of the reasons I never file a crowflight plan with friends. The closer I got to Pack, the less interesting the end of the 1400 became, and the Plan started undergoing revision. What if I went up the Hugo Peak trail to connect with 1400? That'd give me a nice view. And what if it doesn't look like there's going to be much snow on Hugo? Well, I could go all the way to the top, and then if I wanted to, I could explore the 1400 on the way back down. As it turned out, my only contact with the 1400 Rd. was pacing off its eight-foot width where the Hugo trail crosses it. I wound up on top of Hugo.

Ah, but the Plan was still under revision! From the top of Hugo, I normally walk back on the road, a hunter-gatherer's transit. Today, however, there was no possibility of Chanterelles to tempt me. As I walked toward the five-way intersection at Kirkland Pass, I said to myself, "Hmmm...maybe I should go out the Reservoir Trail," a variation which would add approximately another mile to the trip. Down the Reservoir Trail I went, and when I reached the junction with the Wildlife Trail, I took that instead of connecting directly to the road.

For somebody who was going to do a quick couple of miles up the 1400, I managed to rack up about seven in the end. It was a great way to celebrate the day before New Year's, a day when I ought to be allowed to do anything I darn well want to do.

Keyed In

Day 89: Some days, you just can't get keyed in. You can't find the key element for a project. You're keyed up, off-key. You can't fit the key in the lock. The key to success eludes you. We all have days like that, and today was one of mine.

I took pictures of lichens. I took pictures of cats. I took pictures of ice and snow and the Mountain. I wasn't happy with any of them. In desperation, I started pulling drawers open, hoping for the key. I found it..."them," I should say...a trio of skeleton keys for forgotten doors. Where did they fit, once upon a time? I have no idea, but at least today, they unlocked a small corner of my mind.

That Time Of Year

Day 88: It's that time of year again, time for me to resign myself to imprisonment by grey weather, time to do projects and time to put together jigsaw puzzles. There are several dozen on my closet shelf, most of the 1000-piece variety, and almost without exception, they have been chosen for difficulty of assembly. I like them hard, and I prefer natural scenes to those with evidence of humanity. No bridges, barns or tree-lined lanes for me! I want birds and mountain landscapes and flowers, all the things I miss in these dreary months of Pacific Northwe't winter.

With a sewing project also underway these last few days, I've been working on quicker 500-piece puzzles, things I can complete in an afternoon to free up the table for the machine in the evening. That said, I no longer have that excuse. I put the last eyelets in a new pirate shirt today, and when I get this Cardinal put together, my next puzzle will be a big one!

Fish-Face

Day 87: Rivalling Hoya bella, "Goldfish Plant" (Nematanthus "Black Gold," or "Fish-face," as I like to call it) is one of the most rewarding houseplants you can find on the market. Mine was given to me as a slip from a friend as an exchange for a piece of Hoya bella I sent her way. It sets blooms at frequent intervals (mine nearly always seems to have a couple of flowers) and branches nicely if pinched. It is tolerant of forgetful watering and although it benefits from strong filtered sun, it will still thrive in lower light conditions. The novelty of the "goldfish" flowers makes this plant a favorite in my kitchen window.

It's The Little Things

Day 86: Seriously, anybody can make this stuff, right? Even kids can make it. Well, I can't, or at least I can't make it tasty. Mine is either bland, not salty enough or too salty, too oily, burned, limp or otherwise unsuccessful. How can snack mix be unappetizing? Trust me, I know at least two dozen ways to make it so.

Friends make good snack mix. They've shared their recipes with me. I could stock a mom-and-pop grocery store with the boxes of Chex and pretzels I've wound up feeding to the birds. And the worst of it is that I really like snack mix...so much so that there isn't going to be any of this left to share with Kevin out of the container labelled, "For work." I already polished off the one labelled, "For home."

This delicious display was brought to you by a really good cook! Thank you, Patty!

Orbital Dance

Day 85: Even if I do lose 'em all, I have friends who send me new marbles from time to time! These are two from the dozen I found individually wrapped in a great ginormously huge bag under my Christmas tree, and I laughed out loud as I unwrapped each one. I picked these two for my blog shot today because the glass is so beautifully clear, unlike most modern marbles which are made with recycled materials.

Like most kids of my era, I always coveted cat's-eyes and marbles with swirls of color in clear glass. I had a particular passion for white cat's-eyes which in those days were quite unusual, likewise those with white swirls. I never played "keepsies" because I didn't want to risk losing one of my treasures, but on one notable occasion, I traded several marbles just to get one white cat's-eye. For years, it was the pride of my collection.

Alas, my original tin of marbles went by the wayside when I left home and grew up, but in number, my current collection surpasses the old by thousands. Most "commons" are kept in a five-gallon glass pickle jar and a large fruitcake tin. A few special treasures are kept behind glass on a shelf, as these will be when I get done playing with them. Thanks, Mousie! :wink:

Happy Christmas

Day 84: Happy Christmas, everyone! I've had a mix of rain, snow and wind this morning, and the power has been out for the last couple of hours. Now I'm on the run to get to my fishing buddy's house for Christmas dinner!