Quiet, crisp and clear is how October went out. More classic fall, days I can’t recall. Of all the months, perhaps October is the month with the most change. This year October began mild and sunny, with some warm rains mixed in as the month progressed. Then on the 25th we had our first snow. … Continued
Goodbye sweet September… and that it has been. From the very beginning to nearly the end. Warm, dry late summer days filled the month up until the autumn equinox. Although these days were almost hot at times, the cool mornings and long quiet evenings were idyllic. On que, the equinox came and the weather moved… Continued
The summer of whacky weather almost skipped the Methow Valley altogether. Almost. As I type these notes at the close of August and half way into harvesting our home field of einkorn here, Mother Nature has ushered in a pretty hefty rain storm! And a fast drop in temperature as follow up. No real damage… Continued
Nothing but clear, blue skies here as July winds down and we welcome August. This was as nice of a July as any, in my estimation, with long sunlight, temperatures in the 80’s and 90’s, light winds and NO smoke to speak of. Some birds (quail, robins) are having their second clutches and these are… Continued
Ahhh… the long, sweet days of June. The early light of dawn, the extended soft light of dusk. Some days even before first light, birds have begun to wake and as dawn strengthens a growing cacophony begins: Catbirds, Chats, Bluebirds, Sparrows, Warblers, Orioles and lest we forget, the ever persistent House Wren! Why I ever… Continued
April, the reverse of November, is a month I love almost as much and for many of the same reasons. Unlike many, I dig “shoulder seasons”… wherever that term came from? Separated by half a year, November is the going-to-bed month while April is the waking up. November often goes from crisp and sharp, to… Continued
February may be the shortest month by calendar days, yet this year as it draws to a close we are reminded of the long winter here in northern Washington. True to February form, we did finally get a little more sun this month with a handful of warmer days that highlighted the gathering daylight. Red-winged… Continued
I first met Jolly Miller on New Year’s Eve the winter of ‘96. That was a bigger winter than the one we’re in now. We’d had 6 feet of snow; on New Year’s Eve it began to rain. Brooke and I walked up the then – quiet Rendezvous to neighbor Lee Miller’s for a party. … Continued
‘Tis the season, truth to tell! Thanksgiving has come and gone and this year could have easily passed for a Christmas setting. Hopefully, most have gotten into better eating shape at this point because now the real test comes: Christmas! Winter descended on our little Valley November 7th and has been building on that early… Continued
Late summer to early winter that fast. And so the seasons have rolled here in the Methow this year, with little time at all for fall. The later start to summer kept things 3-4 weeks “behind” all the way to November. July was more like June; September more like August; October definitely more like September… Continued