Blue Sky, Berries, Bears....and SNOW!

Well, I had this post all planned out but, for some reason this bloger program won't let me move my pictures around this morning.....so..... I guess i'll kind of go in reverse order here today.

Yesterday I found myself with a day off, and some time to get up into the hills to do a little hunting. What an amazing weather shift we've had here in the last week! As i parked at the trailhead yesterday morning i was greated to that soft crunch of new snow as i stepped out of the truck. Man i love this time of year! So, i dawned my gear and headed up, up, and up some more until once again i came out on "The Ridge" as we call this spot. What a cool hike. Nothing like hiking in deep timber, in the dark, in the snow and then pop out into a giant meadow basin filled with snow!

This isn't the most conducive for bear hunting, but with Deer season only a few short weeks away i wanted to check on a couple of Bucks that we've had a hunch would be hanging out in this basin. Sure enough, it didn't take me long and i found them. I wish i could have taken a picture of these two old grand bucks, but my battery died in the camera and the distance they were at wouldn't have done them any justice. Let's just say they were BIG! I watched them feed for over an hour and then eased back out of the area and messed around in another basin for a few more hours before heading back to the truck and back home by 4 to greet the family and have dinner going.


I love this time of year for the fact we go from summer to fall in a short weeks worth of time!
Look at this picture from just last Sunday. Although it did freeze up here that morning, it was 65 deg. at 2 p.m. when i took this picture!

This spot is refered to as "The Secret Trail". Good name huh? The seceret in this spot is there is NO trail! Anyway, no bears this day either. We ended up near the top of the rock that morning before asulting a few other spots and heading back to the meadow for some water and the trek back out to the rig. Chuck and I did manage to each fill two containers full of blueberries while we hiked around. Nothing like those berries. So sweet and tasty this time of year! Once home and sorted i ended up with 6 cups worth......just enough for a blueberry pie for Thanksgiving!

The Berry picking was really brought on the day before by these three chracters.

My friend Chuck his wife Minda and there two kids Jake and Livy invited Isa and I up to pick some berries and have some lunch on the mountian last Saturday. Actually Kai and Nicole were invited too, but Kai was sick that day so, they opted to stay home and rest. So Isa and i are never ones to pass up a chance to hit the hills so away we went.

Isa really likes Livy, and had to have a picture with her. So the wish was granted.

While i had the camera out, i might as well try and get a good picture of Isa with Mt. Baker in the background. I told Isa to smile.......and well, she did.......I call this her Cheezy smile.....eyes closed and all!

Not to be distracted for to long, we had some berries to pick right....so pick Isa, pick!

After not to long i here this little inocent soft voice say...."Look dada i pick berries" so i had to get a picture of that too.

Most of Isa's berries were consumed before they ever made it into the container, Jake and Livy's berries had the same fate. The kids had fun though, and a good time was enjoyed by all.

So with that, i'll wrap this up.

From the North.....Where blue skys are filled with snow and blue berries taste good too!

Mark...."The Iron Skillet"