One of my favorite things to find in the forest are mushrooms. Oyster mushrooms and shaggy manes are common in Northeast Washington. Morels are plentiful, too, but they require special circumstances to harvest.
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| A morel mushroom emerges from deep forest litter on the Colville National Forest. |
Today I spent the day making Christmas stars from retired Forest Service aerial photos. About 100 square photos printed on cardboard sometime in the 1960s were being tossed out last month. I took home a box full knowing I'd be able to make a cool art project out of them. Soon these will adorn the Christmas tree I cut for the Republic Ranger District office.
A squirrel almost killed me and a coworker today. Chip, as we call him, has been hoarding pine cones at the base of trees. In planters. Everywhere!
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| Chip regularly harasses Forest Service employees during District meetings. |
Today I found a crystal quarry somewhere between Horseshoe and Hardscrabble mountains on the Colville National Forest.
A faint flickering florescent light cast over the northern horizon as I arrived, the atmospheric effect of the sun's energy tangling with the earth's protective magnetic field.
When you slow down and look close, magic reveals itself in beautiful ways.
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| Spotted this spider while collecting campground fees on the Colville National Forest. |
Today I went for a hike around Long Lake on the Colville National Forest. Along the way, I noticed lots of scat along the lakeside trail showing how abundant a particular predator is in this area.
After work today, I went hunting for edible mushrooms. I found this beautiful coral mushroom.
Huckleberry as far as the eye can see! Ferry County is a special kind of paradise.
Since Monday, I've been commuting about an hour each way from Republic to Colville to attend a training. On my way home each evening, I've seen quite a bit of wildlife, including lots of deer, a pine marten, and this moose.
I joined co-workers at the Ferry County Conservation Fair where we made fish prints from rubber fish molds. The annual event is held at the Ferry County Fairgrounds. The keepsakes are to remind attendees of the importance of clean water on the Colville National Forest.
Today, I'm helping lead school children on a "Snow Investigation" journey.
