2008 December Archive at Beside the Stream

Archive for December, 2008

Mule deer finding apples

Published on December 30, 2008 in deer. 5 Comments

I’ve been saving a box of apples for the deer since fall. The sun was out after a week of snowstorms, so I took the apples behind the house and threw them, one by one, into the forest. It took a while for me to figure out that the apples went farther when I threw them underhand, so a lot of apples ended up in the snow instead of under the trees. A few hours later, the deer herd came sniffing around.

They let me get surprisingly close to them. This is the second winter I’ve been photographing them, they’re accustomed to me, and there’s a stretch of deep snow between us.

Here’s a buck in a stately pose, both ears forward,

and here he has one ear towards me and the other cocked behind him. He’s winking his inner eyelid (your left, his right)_ (love the tripod). He looks formidable when he’s eating,

but he looks like a kid when he paws through the snow for apples.

Pretty cute for such a dignified animal!

This little deer found one apple, and was willing to go far for another.

Stepping high through the belly-deep snow,

keeping both eyes on the prize

fearlessly floundering through

until it gets its heart’s desire.

Delish!

It’s not every day you find old apples in the snow!

The last pour

Published on December 29, 2008 in market. 2 Comments

This is 8AM on December 22, the date of the last pour. The floor is nearly ready–all these screens get propped up on the little pieces of brick, and then the Putzmeister starts pumping.

The first wheelbarrow of concrete is dumped beside the building,

and then the pour begins in earnest. Except that the concrete is too thick. They need 20 more gallons of water in the concrete truck, and it’s in the middle of a snow storm.

The batch plant is so close that it’s easier for the cement truck to go back there for the water than for these guys to work outside with a hose and bucket. I left, and returned at noon.

The entire slab is poured, and it looks finished to me.

But it’s not done by a long shot. These guys worked the surface of this slab until nearly 11PM.

They did a beautiful job.

An elk herd steals some hay

Published on December 28, 2008 in elk herd. 2 Comments

Sam called me on his way to town at sunset: there’s a big elk herd gathering in the valley, he said.

The sun is glancing off the top of the cliffs, and far below the elk are gathering at the left. There’s a yellow farm shed under the cottonwood tree, and there are four big horses and four piles of hay to the right of the shed.

Small groups of elk are streaming in.

This mom and her yearling definitely got the same invitation

as this big bull.

The herd is getting bigger

and bigger

and bigger until the gang of elk

spills over into the area where the horses stay,

and takes over the hay piles. There were roughly a hundred elk massed together like a flock of birds.

It was too dark and cold to stay, so I came back early the next morning to get a picture of the full herd. But the elk were gone, along with half the hay.

Deer with a tripod

Published on December 27, 2008 in photography. 0 Comments

Bob found an old tripod for me for Christmas.

What a difference! If I knew then what I know now, I would have found one sooner.

Still snowing

Published on December 26, 2008 in snow storm. 2 Comments

It has been snowing for a week,

and it’s still coming down.

Merry Christmas!

Published on December 24, 2008 in birds. 2 Comments

There’s a red-tailed hawk sitting at the top of a tree specially in time for some Christmas photos.

He looks to the left with those big brown eyes,

and he looks to the right. He stays on this branch for a good ten minutes, trying to see something to eat and wondering why I’m looking at him.

Then, in just an instant, he

throws himself into the air,

arcs,

and in a couple of strong strokes flies to the top of a telephone pole.

No mice, no voles, and very very cold. Merry Christmas!!

Holiday shopping

Published on December 24, 2008 in small town life. 4 Comments

I meant to make Bob’s present, but

it’s not done. So I drove slowly into town.

It’s a mess, and there’s more snow coming.

A nice pair of socks, some good olives, an interesting glass… it took all afternoon, including stocking stuffers from the grocery store and Christmas breads from the bakery. We make lobster bisque on Christmas Eve in memory of my grandfather, so our holiday warm-up is wrapping, cleaning, cooking… and no more shopping. Alleluia! (Hoping you’re ready too.)

Icicles

Published on December 23, 2008 in dogs and snow storm. 0 Comments

This is after the last storm. The icicles form, and then the snow on the roof slips.

The icicles on the porch are pointed right at us, and Bob takes them down..

These I leave up.

We’re in a whole other storm now: it started snowing at dawn, and still hasn’t stopped. Jessie thinks this is very

excellent

weather.

A Christmas Grasshopper

Published on December 21, 2008 in insects. 0 Comments

When I took this photograph in August, I thought it’d make a nice Christmas shot.

Now that we’re in December, icicles hanging and piles of snow, this grasshopper on yarrow just doesn’t look Christmasy to me. Pretty, though. So this is either a Christmas Grasshopper, or a festively colored insect shot I thought you might like for no reason at all.

Happy Holidays!

Pour #2

Published on December 20, 2008 in market. 2 Comments

We’ve had a lot of snow

but the market keeps moving along. The sliding glass doors are in,

and this guy is just finishing the surface of the last corner of the second pour.

The site dog is wise to concrete, but I asked Jessie to leave.

They’re getting ready for the third pour on Monday.

Also, (thanks to your helpful poll responses) no urinal in the unisex bathroom.

Beside the Stream