Snow Dog...

...In His Element

Click on photo to enlarge - © 2009 jim otterstrom

We received over a foot of much-needed new snow today and Dallas couldn't be more content.

He really loves the snow, rooting around and frolicking in it like a kid. Then he'll pick a spot he likes and go 'round & 'round in circles, until he has the snow all packed down, before plopping himself down in his comfy new den.

He sat here like this today for well over an hour, under a steady snowfall, refusing to come in the house and leave all this fun white stuff behind. At one point I could hardly see him because he was so covered with snow.

~A Wider View Of The Dallas Den~Click on photo to enlarge - © 2009 jim otterstrom



The View From Our Porch At Noon TodayClick on photo to enlarge - © 2009 jim otterstrom

Makin' Tracks...

~Monday Morning~

Click on photo to enlarge - © 2009 jim otterstrom

During our brisk morning walk yesterday, Peggy, Dallas, and I left these fresh tracks in the 4 inches of new snow that fell Sunday night. Today is sunny and colder, 0° F when we woke up at 5:30, and only 28° at half past noon.

A nice day to be at home.

The Beauty Of The Season...

...From Our Own Yard Click on photo to enlarge - ©2008 jim otterstrom

The view eastward across our yard yesterday morning was breathtaking. How suddenly a landscape we have become accustomed to can be transformed by the magic of nature.

If you look closely, between the trees, you will see about six inches of our four foot high fence protruding from the snow.

Our Street - Robinhood Boulevard

Click on photo to enlarge - ©2008 jim otterstrom

Looking east from in front of our place. The fence on the right is our 4 foot high chain link perimeter fence.

To The West

Click on photo to enlarge - ©2008 jim otterstrom

The view down Robinhood to the west from in front of our place.

Our PlaceClick on photo to enlarge - ©2008 jim otterstrom

From the street you can barely make out our little cabin snuggled beneath the snow-laden trees.

From The Deck Click on photo to enlarge -©2008 jim otterstrom

This photo was taken from outside the front door of our house.

Our Mountain Cabin In The Snow
Click on photo to enlarge - ©2008 jim otterstrom

Morning light filters through the trees onto our roof, as Dallas, on the deck there, wonders what I'm doing as I wander around pointing my little black box at things.

This photo was taken from the east side of the yard looking due west.

The 'Temple Of The Lost Civilization', and it's new addition, my tiny toolshed, workshop, pub, and fallout shelter, is directly behind where I was standing.

More pictures on the progress of that project coming soon.

Got Snow???

~We Certainly Do~

Click on photo to enlarge - ©2008 jim otterstrom

This is how it looked on our deck this at 3:57 this afternoon.

It's still snowing, with more on the way.

Just Beautiful!!!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow...

Earth Home Garden at 2:15 PM Today

Click on photo to enlarge - ©2008 jim otterstrom

Nearly 12 Inches And Still Falling
Click on photo to enlarge - ©2008 jim otterstrom

Two Views Of Yesterday...

Rainbow Over Lucerne Valley - Monday, 9:48 A.M

Click on photo to enlarge - © 2008 jim otterstrom

One of my obligations as a friend and neighbor is to take Cheri, who lives across the street from us, down the mountain to her monthly doctor appointments. Cheri owns a car but she's disabled and cannot drive herself.

Yesterday I drove her down to Victorville for an appointment and we were treated to this breathtaking view as we came down the Cushenbury Grade, just below the Mitsubishi Cement Plant, and descended into Lucerne Valley.

It was snowing heavily when we left Big Bear Valley and made our way slowly through a white-out of wind-blown powder as we skirted Baldwin Lake (normally dry) and then began winding our way down a very slippery Highway 18 toward the Mojave Desert.

When we came around the last bend, where the narrow pass finally opens to the desert, snow and clouds gave way to a big desert sky being cleansed by fierce winds. A fine mist blown from the clouds behind us allowed the landscape to be decorated with the magical whimsy of a rainbow, of sunlight refracted through atmospheric water.

Oh, the Blue Planet!

3 Hours Later - Back On The Deck At Home

Click on photo to enlarge - © 2008 jim otterstrom

We got between 6 and 8 inches of new snow Sunday night and Monday, but it was somewhat difficult to estimate that measurement because the wind was blowing so hard that the snow piled up in uneven drifts.

Winter Sunrise Walk...

TODAY, at 6:45 A.M.

Click on photo to enlarge - © 2008 jim otterstrom

6:50 A.M.
Click on photo to enlarge - © 2008 jim otterstrom

7:12 A.M.

Click on photo to enlarge - © 2008 jim otterstrom

Three views along our sunrise walk this morning as Peggy, Dallas, and I happily trudged a few miles through nearly a foot of snow that fell Sunday night.

We came across two coyotes right after the second picture was taken and Dallas took off after them, having a ball and getting more than his share of the morning workout.

We saw the coyotes again on the way home, a few blocks from our house, after Dallas was back on the leash. One of them sat there just 25 feet away posing for us, but my camera batteries picked that particular moment to go dead. Dang It!

But what a brisk and exhilarating way to start the day!!!

Cozy Winter Coop...

~YARDBIRDS~ Click on photo to enlarge -© 2008 jim otterstrom

Some of our hens and the recently rechristened Boris Major, a bantam Golden Lace Cochin Rooster, enjoy the chicken yard before the approaching storm hits.

This is predicted to be a major winter storm so I decided to clean out the coop yesterday, laying down fresh alfalfa litter, and refilling the nest boxes with wood chips.

I also consolidated our three stacks of firewood into two, covered them with tarps, cleaned out the raingutters and generally straightened up the yard.

HENSPECTION!Click on photo to enlarge - © 2008 jim otterstrom

One of our Black Australorp hens carefully inspects the nest boxes after I freshened them up.

Everything Seems To Be In OrderClick on photo to enlarge - © 2008 jim otterstrom

The Black Australorp is soon joined by a Light Brahma and a Barred Rock who all seem to approve of the housekeeping efforts.

Food (check), water (check), edible litter (check), comfy nests (check), perches intact (check), OK, let's go back outside while we can!

ME FIRST!!Click on photo to enlarge - © 2008 jim otterstrom

The storm was supposed to hit last night but it was still clear and relatively warm when Peggy & I took our walk at 7 this morning.

It's clouded up now though and getting quite cold so it shouldn't be long now. Let's hope we do get some substantial precipitation, whether rain, or snow.

The chickens are ready...

The Matterhorn...

...as it looked December 9th

Click on photo to enlarge - © 2007 jim otterstrom

We're calling "Jim's mountain" The Matterhorn now! Click here to see the original post. But, to my credit, I did excavate a rambling little trail over & around one side of it so we can at least hike into in the yard now, without bushwacking through our stand of Oregon Grape.

Well, Shiver Me Timbers...

Click on photo to enlarge - © 2007 jim otterstrom

It rained all day Saturday and we thought the storm was moving out during the night so we were pleasantly surprised to wake up to winter on Sunday morning.

I see that our Badwater Springs mascot is still in good spirits even though the waterfall & pond are frozen beneath the snow.~

~NICE HAT DUDE!~

~Lookin' Out My Front Door~Click on photo to enlarge - © 2007 jim otterstrom

Nine inches of light white powder is what we found upon opening the front door Sunday morning!

~A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES~

What a difference 22 days makes! Just four Sundays ago we were sitting at that same table, in shorts & t-shirts, enjoying Orchid's acorn processing class, shown in the previous post.

Hey, like I said, I'm a little behind...

The next two pictures are for Linda at Urban Wild, she'll understand...

Buddha Kiss One - Sunday Morning
Click on photo to enlarge - © 2007 jim otterstrom

Buddha Kiss Two - Monday Afternoon
Click on photo to enlarge - © 2007 jim otterstrom

Adam & Jamie - Happy Easter!

Click on photo to enlarge - photo by Jamie Otterstrom

Our 21 year-old daughter Jamie lives near the shore of Lake Tahoe with her boyfriend Adam, where every spare winter moment is spent snowboarding.

Jamie and Adam are both outdoorsy nature-lovers who also enjoy hiking and camping, and Adam is an avid fly-fisherman.

They finally got an internet hook-up and sent us an e-mail today with photos for an Easter Sunday.

This is my favorite, Adam and Jamie at Donner Pass.

If you go into the Earth Home Garden archives, back to the 21st of October, 2005 (and scroll down from there), you'll find a brief photo-essay of Jamie's life.

postscript

Now maybe they'll even comment at the blog once in awhile...
;~)

The Garden Path In Spring...

Click on photo to enlarge

Yes, it is Spring!

This is what spring looks like at 6,750 feet above sea level, even in California.

And there is a path, and a garden, somewhere under that blanket of white.

I know this because I see the outline of the garden bench at the turn in the path, and the lacy limbs of the bare-naked Quaking Aspen just behind it.

To the left of the aspen is the Giant Sequoia I planted twenty-some years ago, a similar-aged Colorado Blue Spruce in the left foreground, and the much younger White Fir between them.

I also know that beneath all this rests lovely native Mariposa Lilies, Scarlet Penstemon, Indian Paintbrush, Rose Sage, Humboldt Lilies, Crimson Columbine, California Fuschia, Wild Blue Iris, Antelope Bush, Western Wallflower, Bumble-Bee Penstemon, Desert Blue Bells, Snowberry, Grape-Soda Lupine, Wright's Buckwheat, Hedgehog Cactus, Wild Onion, Green-Leaf Manzanita, Prickly Poppy, Prickly Pear Cactus, Sulfur-Colored Buckwheat, Coyote Mint, Firecracker Penstemon, Blue Flax, Mountain Phacelia, Evening Primrose, California Poppies and so many other old friends.

They're cozy now in their frozen beds, it's where they belong, how they came to be what they are, and when the snow melts they'll come out to dazzle us, and our little part of heaven, with an astounding display of fecundity.

There will be thousands of shameless plants exposing their gorgeously colorful flowering sexuality to the world, inviting bees to wallow drunkenly in their pollen, as butterflies and hummingbirds drink of their sweet nectar, and all share in fertilizing the seeds of the future within the prolific womb of mother nature.

Birds of dizzying variety and plumage will soon frolic here too, repeating once again their own rituals and celebrations, in seeking sustenance for their lives, in finding shelter, and hopefully, a safe haven in which to rear their offspring.

That all this can happen on one tiny patch of earth is evidence enough of the miracle that is life, and proof-positive for me, as to the contemptable tragedy of even a single parking lot of equal size.

What has been squandered by humans, rendered barren and lifeless, is immeasurable. What remains is precious, sensual and sacred, every last piece of it.

...and this is Sunny Southern California!

Click on photo to enlarge

So, it snowed all day and this is how it looks at 5:10 P.M. in Big Bear City on April 5th. The photo below was taken at 5:56 A.M. which will give you an idea of what our day was like. I'd say we got 1 to 1 1/2 feet today but it's a bit hard to tell because the wind was blowing it around so much.
This is the way mountain living should be, unpredictable!
I so love mountains...

Sometimes An April Day...

Click on photo to enlarge

It's snowing again today with about 5 inches piled up on the deck so far and more expected throughout the day.

Springtime In Big Bear...

Click on photo to enlarge

Rain fell lightly all Monday night, and most of yesterday, turning to snow last evening, and we woke up this morning to a couple of inches of new snow.

March Miracle!

Click on photo to enlarge

Finally, winter has arrived bringing over two feet of snow to our part of Big Bear. It started snowing Thursday and didn't let up until late last night. Some parts of our yard are under four foot drifts and the picnic table on the deck has nearly two feet piled up.

Snow On The Deck...

Click on photo to enlarge

We won't be having lunch on the deck today, but is that beautiful or what?
;~)

Playing In The 'Garden'...

Click on photo to enlarge

Dallas demonstrates his love of snow in the yard today.

Snowcone...

Click on photo to enlarge

We got another light dusting of snow on Friday as evidenced in this photo taken Saturday morn.

Where's Winter?

Click on photo to enlarge

The second storm of the winter hit yesterday with forcasts of heavy snowfall, but only resulted in this dusting, bringing our total snow for the season to about 2 1/2 inches!

Last winter by this time we already had about 8 feet. We could sure use a real storm here sometime soon!

But the forecast did get us busy splitting some more of the pine logs piling up around here anyway (see post below).

There is so much tree cutting going on in the Big Bear area because of the bark-beetle infestation that local pine firewood is very cheap, or even free much of the time, if you're willing to do the hauling and splitting. We've accumulated (and are still collecting) several cords just from our own neighborhood, which we haul home in wheelbarrows.

Last year's heavy winter and wet summer were a welcome relief from the 7 year drought that triggered the bark-beetle infestation.

Global warming contributes too, and the poor forestry practiced during the past century, where we haven't allowed fire to naturally thin our forests, or eliminate underbrush & overpopulations of insects, while adding nutrients to the soil.

Instead we subsidize the building of logging roads and the clear-cutting of older large trees, which puts whole ecosytems out of balance, ruins watersheds, causing landslides & flooding, results in dense forests of smaller similar aged trees, increasing the fire danger, while creating unhealthy forests of reduced diversity.

Above you'll see part of my contribution to logging & deforestation, in our deck and picnic table.

But, in my defense, if all the trees I've planted in my lifetime were to reach maturity, I will have been responsible for the growth of far more wood than I'll ever consume.

I've planted hundreds of trees between here and the Santa Monica mountains in the past 40 years, many of which are still growing, and producing oxygen and wood, at this very moment.

Trees---so beautiful and beneficial, their wood so useful to us in countless ways---are a very renewable resource if we would only harvest them sustainably, and then limit our numbers so we don't keep over-running the planet like so many bark-beetles.