Alligator lizards may look a little fierce with their long bodies, bumpy scales, and toothy grin, but they’re far from dangerous to people. Found throughout the western U.S., these reptiles are most often seen basking in sunny spots or darting into cover when startled.
I explored the southwestern edge of Punta Banda this weekend with friends. The blue waters, rocky coastline, and unique flora and fauna make this fog desert impressively beautiful.
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| A rocky cove roars with every wave. |
Today I rode my bike to a nearby sanctuary. Lengüeta Arenosa, a hiking trail wetlands preserve just south of Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, is a key migratory route for birds and an important fish nursery. The wetlands also reduce the impact of storm surges and erosion.
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| Baja California is the only region in Mexico with a Mediterranean climate. Worldwide there are only 5 areas with this climate. |
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. |
My friend Shar and her husband, who I spent the weekend with, love dogs, especially German shepherds. I hung out with two of their dogs, following them through trails on the property. They showed me beautiful vistas, lichen covered rocks, heart shaped moss, and late season flowers.
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| Someone's been pooping on this heart-shaped moss. |
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. |
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.
Succulents thrive in Baja California. Its desert lands are never far from cool Pacific moisture.
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.
The sun shined on Kettle Falls this morning. Grasses are beginning to deepen their hues of green that convert the sun's radiation into sugars to build stem and leaf, feeding furry and feathered creatures great and small. It was the perfect start to a travel day. I spent about 9 hours driving 460 miles to attend a week-long training on running a public information campaign during a wildland fire.
Today, I'm helping lead school children on a "Snow Investigation" journey.
Dry Falls near Coulee City, WA is stunning -- it's an alien landscape that's the remnants of what used to be the world's largest waterfall. Stretching more than 20 miles and many times larger than Niagara Falls, the water that carved this landscape came from the millions of tons of melted glacier ice at the end of the last ice age.
Bumblebees often licked river rocks at Kootenai River Campground, especially early in the morning. The rocks appeared dry. Perhaps minerals or some vital trace unnoticeable to my eyes drew them.
A larval infestation sounds awful, unless it's ladybugs. Hundreds of these remnants dot virtually every surface. Lady bugs pupate, then emerge after metamorphosis just like cicada and butterflies. Insects are incredible!
