Single shot silent Saturday: Joshua Tree NP rocks

somnambulistic gardener?

 
Friday afternoon, I looked down, there was a shovel in my hand, dirt on my jeans, and, apparently, I'd turned over the soil on one of my 5x14 foot garden plots.

Did I commit a crime while sleeping, and wake up after burying the body?

Nope: it's somnambulistic gardening, gardening while asleep (or otherwise in an altered state).

Weather's been SO GORGEOUS lately, I think it's casting a spell upon me, and my body starts gardening, while my brain is still checked out.

Today it grabbed hold of me again, I planted lettuce (marvielle de quatre saison, in the back on the right, 2 long rows) and Swiss chard (neon lights, in the blob section in the foreground). Pretty much too early for the latter, but I really don't care; it was delightful.

And now that there is dirt under my fingernails, my mood is MUCH better than it was this morning. Hooray for earthen meditation!

xobb

upside down mountains explained...

 
I have on a few occasions taken upside down pictures.

This only happens if:
1) I've been steeped/hiking in quality nature,
2) there are comfy rocks around which make me want to stretch out like a cat in the sun,
3) there are great views,
4) I've eaten recently or am eating,
and
5) I'm over-the-top happy.

Typically, 1+2+3+4 = 5. (math folks, please forgive my poetic license)

Anyhow, on this particular day I was hiking with friends at Mount Rainier National Park. Parking at Sunrise, we hiked toward the burroughs (first and second burroughs, ended up just seeing but not getting to third) via Frozen Lake. (pretty big pics today, so click to enjoy)

Hiker heading across a talus-y but blessedly ice-free trail: Frozen Lake is just past the end of this hillside, on the right.

Looking back (northwest: can just see frozen lake left of the people), this is the part of the hike I thought might end in my death. Happily, it did not. Hence photo (Yay! I'm ALIVE!)

View west.

View southwest.

 

 Then alit on second burroughs.

Check out this CRAZY scale check (teeeeeeny people).

In your FACE mountain.

This is the last photo I took before I flipped.

I blame it all on Mount Rainier grandeur happiness overload.

I stretched out on my sun-warmed lunch site, lay back to see what the view was like behind me, and took some photos, much to the amusement of passers by.

I'd found a very cozy rocky sitting area, was facing my two dear friends, and staring at this gorgeous, lilliputian alpine plant community (which I adore and admire), as I shoved a sandwich into my maw.  (sigh)

 panning from left to right...

Way too happy.

These flowers were up there: can they get any more perfect?

I think not.

 Last shot I took before 2nd flip shot.

That plateau on the right is where we saw (from very far away) mountain goats.

If you'd not read that post, my friend (wildlife biologist who works there) SMELLED them many minutes before we saw them. And they were far away. How's THAT for knowing your stuff?!? Wow.

This was a snack shot (biobabbler requires frequent stops for eating; my friends are ALL very patient).

Photo slightly altered to protect the identify of my friend, who is ever-patient and understanding of happiness-fueled goofiness.

Here's a view of where I was sitting for the snack stop:

Beautiful, comfy rocks, beautiful lichen, crazy view, AND stuffing food into my face = why I flipped 2nd time.

Hiking alone frequently, I got into the habit of including my shoes/legs in the shot to prove I was there. Or, shadow shots. Or both. =) It's not the clearest pic, but the shoes crack me up.



Anyhow, that is the FULL explanation of that series of flipped photos.

They were flipped 'cause I flipped.

'Cause Mount Rainer is THAT amazing.

=)

xobb

(for other pics from that trip, see this, my most conceptual post ever)

Mumday surprise interpretation--delayed

  
See, the site I used to watermark (and shrink) my pics is having problems: server keeps timing out.

Meanwhile, here's a picture from that day, and this is the slope I walked across (note icy snow ahead) without killing myself, which is probably partially responsible for the happiness overload that ensued very shortly thereafter.

So, pardon the delay, but the whole story will arrive before too terribly long.

=)

biobabbler

More Mount Rainier National Park: snippets of Sunrise

    
For those of you who don't know, Sunrise is an area of Mount Rainier NP that's east of the mountain peak, and is much drier than Paradise (which is south of the peak and 4 of 5 pictures on Mumday).

I

Love

Sunrise. 

Scariest part of my day/week/month: walking the snowy part of the trail above. Walking slowly, carefully on previous passers paw-prints praying precarious position prevails. Made it past and determined that we NEVER had to go back that way (gravity pulling me DOWN vs. slowing-my-up would be even scarier) and suddenly my mood was MUCH better.

I'm a snow-weenie. I attribute it to early formative years being in San Diego. Saltwater I'm not afraid of. =)

Well, snow I'm not afraid of. Slipping OFF of snow down super-steep-slope-which-plummets-100s-(1000s?)-of-feet-below-me-with-no-ice-axe-or-other-thing-to-grab-hold-so-I-die scares me.

I made it! Oh, and the view back is cool, too.

Frozen Lake is just visible just downslope from the furthest point of the trail, to the right of the brightest snow blob (that's technical talk).

 Looking west. (still celebrating the fact that I didn't fall =) )

Looking south(ish).

Alright. I am alive, grateful, and ready to continue forward...

Tiny bit more up before...the view...

Oh! Check out the scale: TEENY tiny people.

Herein lies the joy of this trail: you feel SO CLOSE to the mountain. It's so amazing. Great views everywhere, but THIS experience is a major motivator for THIS hike.

pretty alpine posies

lunch view, Part I. Tiny, beautiful plants abound.

lunch view, Part II

(yes, there is a story there, which I'll expand upon later)

So, out of web-space re: pics, so until I clear that, I'll just show you this one, a delightful caloric wallop after all that hiking. =)

Pastry I made which required a "butter packet"

FYI, anything requiring a butter packet is going to be good, even if slightly burnt.

Heavenly trip.

Whattapark.


(sigh)


biobabbler