Nature – Page 38

February 16, 2020February 13, 2020

Frozen bubbles

I’m not sure where I first picked up the idea of freezing soap bubbles.

That said … I do remember once seeing videos of the process I thought, “I want to do that!”

So we gathered supplies, namely a straw and bubble solution, then watched weather forecasts for the ideal temperature ( -12º to -30ºF – you can have some success as high as 9-12º).

Finally it got cold enough … 7ºF. Time to pull out our bubble solution. We placed it outdoors to cool down for 30 minutes. Then headed outside to give it a go.

At first we used a straw to blow the bubble and allowed them to drop onto the front step – FAIL

Next we attempted to use the straw to place a bubble on the step – FAIL

Then we allowed the bubble to start freezing on the straw, then carefully placed it on the concrete surface – SUCCESS!

February 9, 2020February 12, 2020

Scouting the Fall River

Crooked River, near Post Pile Campground

A perk of living in Central Oregon is that you are moments away from some of the state’s (and nation’s) best fishing and some of these blue ribbon waters are open year around.

If you have spent any time at all on this blog you are aware that we are on the Crooked River … a lot. Even in the winter it is a great spot to spend the day. However, there are two other streams open in the winter; The Deschutes and the Fall offer good fishing as well.

The Fall River is spring fed, it literally bubbles out of the ground a few miles from our house. This means it is amazingly clear. We’ve not spent a lot of time fishing this water, though we have walked the banks numerous times.

This last week we headed over to the Fall and spent a few hours on this gorgeous stream. Crystal clear water criss crossed with deadfall and what should be excellent fish holding pools.

It is a difficult stream to fish successfully, as the clear water makes spooking fish a distinct possibility. The water is stocked but even these hatchery fish are finicky eaters. We are thinking all the Euro-nymphing practice will come in handy. Now we just need to find a couple of good spots to wet a line.

January 26, 2020January 24, 2020

Snow Boots

Right after the holidays Central Oregon got a huge boost to the snow pack. In the few years since moving here we’ve grown accustomed to these “foot in a day” dumps of snow. The scene outside our front door can change dramatically in a matter of hours.

Luckily the neighborhood gets a regular snow plowing and our Subaru has it’s winter boots on. We’re basically ready for winter’s inevitable challenges.

As pointed out numerous times in our blog, morning walks with Tip is how we start the day. The addition of a layer of snow means you need to add traction devices to boots and boots to paws.

The latter can be a bit of a challenge. Tip doesn’t mind wearing boots, however they do add to prep time. Then there is the occasional occurrence with boots coming off in deep snow.

Often the walk will start with boots on and end with them in pockets … we’ll get the hang of this eventually. For now we don’t let it interfere with the morning’s activities.

January 16, 2020January 22, 2020

Stick Game

December’s snow melted away between Christmas and the first part of January. We took the opportunity to do some exploring along the upper Deschutes River. It’s closed to fishing this time of year, meaning far fewer people and with only a hint of snow on the roads you can get nearly to Wickiup Reservoir via USFS roads.

At one spot we stopped to grab some pix of lichen and such with the macro lens.

Tip figured it was a good time to play a bit of fetch. He proceeded to pull a stick from the pine needles and insisted one of us throw it for him.