I survived 2013, which I describe as The Year of the Hornet. Populations of yellow jackets and baldfaced hornets were off the charts. I worked through that season and only got stung a handful of times. The last three years, I've seen very few nests.
Semi-retired forester, nature lover, cat dude, Democrat. Live in Georgia, spend summers in Pacific Northwest. All pics are my own. I'm not a pro; I just like to share what I've seen. No DMs, unless we know each other, or it's related to one of my posts.
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I survived 2013, which I describe as The Year of the Hornet. Populations of yellow jackets and baldfaced hornets were off the charts. I worked through that season and only got stung a handful of times. The last three years, I've seen very few nests.
I've been working in Idaho since early July, and had not seen a hornet's nest in that entire time. Yesterday I saw two in 15 minutes. Hornets are a bit like the Borg; they let you get close as long as you are not perceived as a threat to the colony. Video was taken with my phone. #nature #hornets
Narvik is waiting for the mouse to drop. Too bad I can't get his full attention all the time. #cats #catsofbluesky
Certainly. Have fun with it!
I agree with you. I like the picture with the tree better.
My previous cat would go for walks (she chose where to walk, not me). Narvik just goes outside for a while, and wants to go back in the house. He's only leashed up when we're away from home. At home there is a big yard and no traffic, safe for him to be out unleashed.
I began harness training when he was a kitten. He never tries to escape, fortunately. My previous cat was a year old when I began to travel with her. She was a great kitty, adjusted to the harness right away and never complained. Not everyone is that fortunate with their cats!
Here is another version of the picture I posted yesterday, focusing on the old shed and cropping out the nearby tree. #photography #barn
Narvik out in the yard yesterday, soaking up some sunshine. #cats #catsofbluesky
Two kinds of old wood. An old ponderosa pine tree grows next to an old shed. Location is Meadows, Idaho. #photography #trees #barn #idaho
Narvik gets some window time. #cats #catsofbluesky
Narvik is ready to play! #cats #catsofbluesky
A view of Long Valley, looking east towards the mountains. Location is just south of McCall, Idaho. #forestry #mountains #idaho #landscape
I wish that I could run down stairs as fast as Narvik does when he's chasing the toy mouse! #cats #catsofbluesky
Rainy day yesterday, and the clouds were hanging over the mountains. #photography #barns #mountains #clouds #idaho
I've been posting lots of pics of Meadows Valley and the surrounding mountains. It's such a scenic place.
I've driven past the Rock Fire several times in the past week. It hasn't looked all that threatening. Just plumes of interior smoke. Today's rain should effectively end the threat. (The opinion of a forester, not a firefighter.)
All is well, Narvik is on patrol. He goes to the vet later today for his annual checkup. He won't be happy about it, but he travels well. #cats #catsofbluesky
Sunset in the hills of western Idaho. #sunset #idaho #photography
Payette Lake at McCall, Idaho after a passing storm. Video is a bit grainy because it was nearly dark. #idaho #lake #nature
Bigfoot was on the way to town to stock up on groceries.
On Saturday I was walking along a dusty road in the woods. All sorts of tracks could be seen. Snake tracks, rodent tracks, coyote tracks. And this bear track next to my boot print. #bear #nature
Aerial view of Narvik on his walk. #cats #catsofbluesky #adventurecats
A rushing mountain stream. Species in the foreground include Indian paintbrush, Engelmann spruce, lodgepole pine, and subalpine fir. #stream #trees #nature #idaho
A cat with a view, western Idaho. #cats #catsofbluesky #idaho
Goldenrod, blue elderberry, and mountains in western Idaho. #photography #mountains #idaho
Halfway. Narvik poses in front of a sign in Wisconsin marking the location of the 45th parallel. The town where we're spending the summer (New Meadows, Idaho) is also on the 45th parallel. #caturday #cats #catsofbluesky #adventurecats
Narvik at play, reaching through the back of a chair. #cats #catsofbluesky
Water striders in clear water. Surface tension allows them to stay on top of the water. The distorted water surface causes the unusual shadows. #insects #nature
Pics from yesterday's hike to Boulder Lake, southeast of McCall, Idaho. #mountain #lake #butterfly #idaho #photography #nature
Narvik settles down on the flat rock to watch for grasshoppers. He doesn't look very comfortable here, but he soon gets that way. #cats #catsofbluesky
This might be one of the most-seen "waterfalls" in Idaho, as thousands of cars pass by daily. As you round a curve going up the canyon on Highway 55 between New Meadows and McCall, this mini-falls greets you. #waterfallwednesday #idaho
This picture looks in the opposite direction from the fog picture that I posted yesterday. I had driven through dense fog, and was just emerging into blue skies as I gained elevation on a forest road. #photography #backroads #idaho #trees #fog
Narvik wasn't sure what to think of the printer when it suddenly came to life and began making strange noises. #cats #catsofbluesky
Idaho woods on a foggy morning. #forestry #trees #backroads #fog #idaho #photography
Today's Narvik pic. Observing the great outdoors. #cats #catsofbluesky
To find out for sure, you'd have to talk with whoever oversees that land. It's common to salvage dead trees after a fire. Note that the land next to the creek has fewer trees cut, in an effort to protect water quality. Landslide risk is a function of slope and soil type; it's not a risk everywhere.
On a good day, I count my good fortunes that someone is paying me to walk in the woods. Lately, though, I've had dense brush on steep ground that makes me question what I'm doing out there. 50+ years of field work, and my ancient knees are telling me that it might be time to retire.
Mudslide risk is much greater after a fire than after a thinning, as there is less live vegetation to hold the ground in place. And yes, 115 years of vigorous fire suppression - in places that are ecologically adapted to fire - has contributed to the mess we are in. Climate change makes it worse.
Yeah, it gets me that people still try to dry-lab their plots. They forget that GPS and software has ways of catching them. If you aren't willing to do the work right, don't take the job.
Historically, many of the North American forests burned periodically, and the trees tended to be more widely spaced. When trees are close together, the heat from a fire does not disperse; plus the risk of a crown fire is much greater.
I stopped working in the Georgia Coastal Plain a long time ago. Fleas were never an issue, but the heat, humidity, standing water, mosquitoes, and dense brush are enough to deter most field workers from stepping foot on that land!
Research shows that the best course of action is thinning, followed by a prescribed burn. This is not practical everywhere (and it's why we have professional foresters who can use their best judgment for each situation). See alt text.
Never mind that I had just given him plenty of attention. That was five minutes ago, and now he wants more!
This is where I was working yesterday. Downhill from me is a rounded hilltop where loggers have thinned the trees in an effort to reduce fire danger. Location is western Idaho. #forestry #trees #mountains #idaho
Sometimes Narvik gently reminds me that he is more important than anything I'm doing on the laptop. #cats #catsofbluesky
Private lands. Weather has been cooler than in previous summers. And of course the humidity is low.
Yep. All of the boulder pics I've posted recently are from the area east of Cascade, Idaho. Nearly every hill is topped with gray boulders of all shapes and sizes. The scenery makes a good diversion from the usual daily work.
Ever feel as though you are holding up the weight of the world? This tree would like to have a talk with you. #forestry #trees #nature #geology #idaho
Here's Narvik, seeing what's going on outside. #cats #catsofbluesky
Two views of a Douglas-fir snag full of woodpecker holes. One shows a random assortment, while the other is more anthropomorphic. #forestry #trees #nature
For #caturday here is an oddly lit picture of Narvik. His hind leg is not labeled, that's his toy mouse! #cats #catsofbluesky
He stays near me on the bed. That's close enough. I've never been one to want a cat on top of me when I'm trying to sleep. He does get in my lap when I'm at the computer. Typically stays there a few minutes and then goes on to other cat things.
A ponderosa pine grows from a crack in the boulders. Location is near Cascade, Idaho. #forestry #trees #nature #idaho
A pic from Narvik's outdoor walk late yesterday. #cats #catsofbluesky
When I travel with a cat, this is the setup that I use. A small throw rug, scratching post, food and water dishes. Plus a litterbox, of course. The cat feels more at home when its possessions are in the room. #cats #catsofbluesky
Three views of the Rock Fire, southwest of Donnelly, Idaho. Lightning started the fire late on August 12, and it quickly grew to around 2,000 acres in size. #fire #wildfire #idaho #forest
Took this picture of the Rock Fire at 4:47 this afternoon. The Rock Fire was rockin' all day.
I'm trying to play a word game on my laptop, but Narvik has other ideas. #cats #catsofbluesky
Fixer-upper with a view, near Cascade, Idaho. #idaho #abandoned
Narvik finds that special blade of grass to investigate. #cats #catsofbluesky
Idaho mountains, with fireweed in the foreground. Location is about 12 miles north of New Meadows. #forestry #idaho #mountains #photography
Here is a pic of Narvik when he was a kitten. He has a line down his belly, making it look like his fur was sewn on. #cats #catsofbluesky
While doing field work on Saturday, I came upon this stone face in the woods east of Cascade, Idaho. Nearly every hill has rock formations on top. Use your imagination to decide what it looks like. Left image is unedited. Right image is cropped and lightly edited. #photography #idaho #nature
A pic from last August, Narvik keeping watch from the porch of the cabin. #cats #catsofbluesky #adventurecats #cabin
The hills east of Cascade, Idaho have all sorts of interesting rock formations. Here are two pics from yesterday's time in the woods. #forestry #geology #nature #photography #idaho
Happy Friday from kitty Narvik. #cats #catsofbluesky
Fog in the valley, sunshine in the hills. Location, western Idaho. #forestry #photography #fog #Idaho #nature
Narvik wanted to be playful, but those claws are sharp! #cats #catsofbluesky
A wet day in the Idaho woods today. #forestry #trees #nature #clouds #photography #idaho
I've parked way back in the Deep Dark Woods to do my field work. #forestry #nature #idaho #photography
Narvik likes to explore the holy apple tree. #cats #catsofbluesky #adventurecats
Georgia to Idaho, 2600 miles. In a month or two, we make the return trip.
A single berry on the thimbleberry plant. Pic taken at 5,000' elevation in Idaho, and fall colors are beginning to appear on a few leaves. #nature #red #photography
This was Narvik on the second day of our trip last month. "Where are you taking me?" #cats #catsofbluesky
Birds eat the berries that people want, and leave the others alone! When I was a kid, the birds and squirrels raided the mulberry tree in our yard, but wouldn't touch a roadside tree a half mile away.
Blue elderberries in the mountains of western Idaho. #nature #idaho #photography #mountains
A path through the woods, east of Cascade, Idaho. #forestry #nature #trees #idaho
A late #Caturday greeting from Narvik. #cats #catsofbluesky
Narvik when he was a kitten, playing with a toy mouse. #cats #catsofbluesky
Little Salmon River, north of New Meadows, Idaho. #river #nature #idaho #photography
About three months. It was hard to find a harness that fit, he was so small.
This old cabin has seen better days. Location is east of Cascade, Idaho. Note wildfire damage on the mountain in the distance. Trees in the foreground are mostly lodgepole pines. #idaho #abandoned #forestry #nature
Narvik takes a break during a recent walk. There are always things around him in need of observation. #cats #catsofbluesky #adventurecats
For #RockinTuesday here are two views of a Douglas-fir making its living in the cracks of a boulder, slowly making the cracks larger. #forestry #trees #nature #idaho
Here is Narvik, on his walk at sunset. #cats #catsofbluesky #sunset
Here are two more pics from Saturday's sunset in western Idaho. #sunset #clouds #photography #idaho
I'm fortunate to have unobstructed views when I'm in Idaho. Back home in Georgia I'm surrounded by trees (which I like) but there are no views of the horizon.
While I was busy taking sunset pictures, Narvik was staring through the back door even though he had just been outside. He likes to keep track of what I'm doing.
Sunset pics from two evenings ago. The forecast didn't call for rain, but it came anyway. #sunset #landscape #photography #idaho
The sun is hitting the tops of the trees across the Little Salmon canyon. Working on steep ground is tough, but the views are good. #forestry #trees #nature #idaho #landscape #photography
Narvik is up to his neck in grass, and he doesn't mind at all. #cats #catsofbluesky #adventurecats
#Alternating light and shadow, New Meadows, Idaho. #landscape #idaho
Today's nature post is a bit of tree ID. Several species of true fir are found in the western US, and their ranges overlap. Grand fir and subalpine fir can sometimes be hard to tell apart. Here are two trees growing side by side. See alt text. #forestry #trees #nature #idaho
Narvik is giving me that stare that says "share that food with me." Trouble is, he rarely eats anything that I offer him, so I usually ignore his pleading eyes. He prefers his canned food instead. #caturday #cats #catsofbluesky
Seek app says that it's spreading dogbane. Here is another butterfly in the same patch of plants. The flowers were getting plenty of attention from various butterflies.
This is a great spangled fritillary (Speyeria cybele), subspecies leto. Females have the dark wing pattern, and this one flew off before I could get a better pic. I've only seen a few of them in my life. Location, near New Meadows, Idaho. #butterfly #nature #insects
Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) lives up to its common and scientific names. The slightest breeze sets the leaves in motion. Location, western Idaho. #forestry #trees #aspen #nature
Keep your paws crossed for a good day and a good weekend. (Those are Narvik's paws, by the way) #cats #catsofbluesky
Here are a few more pics of Shoshone Falls, Idaho. The area is not pristine. There are houses and an artificial dam above the falls, so you have to crop tight to keep them out of pictures. The emerald ash borers will eventually find the ash trees in the park. #idaho #waterfall #photography
