Gone Feral In Idaho

we are now in my second least favorite season Boise has. number 1 is wildfire season that happens in late summer. my second least favorite is inversion season that happens in winter. it is continually smoggy with clear skies above that look grey from all the particulate stuck in the bubble that has settled over town.  the highs never get above freezing and the lows dip to the single digits. nonetheless, our little family bundled up for a walk on the green belt. Sadie was on to something here. She dug and dug for some varmint. Yep that's what we call little animals here.  These are rare mustache hair formations. Snow with a hoar frost the river had some thin ice with some neat frost balls on it more frost formations on snow Usually the geese are pooping all over creation, but they still look great in flight Splash at the white water park (with real white water) this mister froze when Sadie saw him, he was eyeing a lady duck ...

Snownose  The icicles are really growing  The ones hanging off the lights are near dangerous I took the new Sigma out for a few more shots. For what I'll be doing it'll be a great lens for me. These were some quick shots near sunset. I actually ventured out the doorway for these. 

But I just got my cheapo fish eye lens today and although the light was too low and I had no tripod, I had to dash outside in the gloom to try it out. I am in love with the new camera and lenses. I hope to reproduce these shots again after I get more practice in. Next time, in focus.

Kyle and I visited the MK Nature Center this week, it is one of my favorite places in town. We had our first date there. Note the fake petroglyphs on the larger rock.  I've also re-potted all the seedlings, we had to expand the grow op with an annex on Sadie's crate, she's the great plant guard dog.

I'm pretty much finished with Sadie's costume. I've wanted to do this ever since I got her 6 years ago.

Alpine strawberry revisit. I love these little plants- yellow wonder alpine strawberry. They are so soft, but not in a mush way, more like melt in your mouth. For such tiny berries, they have a lot of personality. Bright tangy with a tropical end note is how I would describe the taste.  My mom is in town so we have been enjoying taking the grand-baby for walks.  She's on the phone with my grandma right now saying, "No, it's not the boonies, they have streets and houses and streetlights, and flush toilets". Tomorrow we take mom on her first rafting trip. Main Payette, here we come!

The dwarf water lily opened it's first bloom today. There are three more coming up from the depths. They open in the direct sunlight and start to close as soon as the sun moves over the peak of the house in the early afternoon. I love the creamy texture of both the petals and the stamens and pistles. The fish are quite happy in their new home now that the water is warming up. They are still camera shy, but I watched them pig out on some supplemental food so that they don't eat too much of the plants. There is an all black one this year that I hope to capture with the camera.   Sadie likes her fish flavored water trough. 

A loosing battle with severe environmental allergies has sapped my get up and go, including my blogging. Luckily I have been taking photos, so I'll try to drag my but to do a garden update post. beware: rabid dog the quinalt strawberries are doing really well in their third year brandywine transplanted with homemade wall of waters tomatillo, looking great the pondtainer got some new plants, I will add some native plants as soon as I figure out what to plant gratuitous pic of the dog and corkscrew rush ground cherry random tomato bloom last, but not least, the first tomato of the year is a black krim.

Great Story, this looks just like Sadie, just 60 lbs bigger.   Unlike this Big Dog  which is utterly frightening.  

The G Rated version of Black Swan.  I present to you:  Black Sadie Pants in a Halloween crinoline! This isn't dog abuse if she got three small treats and never minded wearing a tutu, right?  If I had more time, I would have 'shopped in those crazy red swan eyes on her fuzzy face.  

I also got three more par 38's.  When asked where did those come from?  I said "Oh those, we've had those for years". Here are some pics with the new lights.  Tomorrow will be the first run with the fogger.  I'll take some pics during Saturday's pumpkin carving party (although I don't know who is actually showing up).  If you are a Local haunter and want to join us send me a comment and we'll figure out how to get you the address.  On to the latest pics...