Juniper Sky

Waiting for Dark

2008-12-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving evening: While the turkey finished cooking and the rest of the family was gathered at the fire, I was able to find a very faint comet, Comet Christensen. It is so rare that there is an evening in November that is warm, dry, calm and clear!

Venus Set

2008-09-10T21:03:00.000-07:00

Venus appears to rest on the shoulder of Mount Bachelor

First Quarter

2008-09-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

Solar yard lights frame a setting quarter moon.

Mother's Day

2008-05-05T18:12:00.000-07:00

The mother blue bird has carefully covered the eggs with a feather for this unseasonably cool May weather.

Poodle and the Pipe

2008-04-20T23:45:00.000-07:00

Melt

2008-01-15T11:04:00.000-08:00

It was good to see melt this weekend and we had a pleasant walk. Even little Harley came along.

Harley, trooping along

Molly's paw

Quiet Time

2007-12-31T21:32:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2007

2007-12-25T18:04:00.000-08:00

O Holy Night!

A Perfect Winter Night

2007-11-24T11:48:00.000-08:00

The moon, a fire and no wind. Just fine at 25 degrees.

More Comet Holmes

2007-11-03T00:49:00.000-07:00

It's cold out here! But I took a few of quick shots.

Comet Holmes from Juniper Sky

2007-10-27T23:03:00.000-07:00

I took this with my Canon Rebel XT. The comet was easily visible without binoculars even with a nearly full moon. It looked like a bubble....A bubble with a very bright center. One of the most beautiful comets we have ever seen!

Saturn and Venus

2007-07-01T23:02:00.000-07:00

The god of Agriculture hooks up with the goddess of Love. A jet got in this shot.

Saturn and Venus at dusk.

Five Baby Bluebirds

2007-06-11T23:39:00.000-07:00

The eggs have hatched and it looks like we have 5 healthy babies. All the other nests have families too, but this is the only one I have been monitoring. This may be one of the last times I'll open the box.

Hot, Tired Poodles

2007-06-10T17:07:00.000-07:00

Moon and Venus

2007-05-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

Gary took this shot on Saturday night through a scope. Beautiful!

Mother's Day

2007-05-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

This bluebird egg appeared on Mother's Day. Currently there are 5 eggs in the nest. (May 21st)

Moon and Venus Tonight

2007-01-20T22:42:00.000-08:00

The Moon and Venus put on a spectacular display while we were at the campfire. (Neptune and Mercury are in there somewhere too.) It was 24 degrees with no wind. Donner and Molly went exploring at sunset and came back with a rabbit.

Gary's Shot of Comet McNaught

2007-01-12T19:05:00.000-08:00

This is Gary's shot of the comet. He shot it through the Nikon Prostaf 82mm scope with the Rebel XT. Beautiful! It is magnitude -2.0. Venus is -4.0, so it is bright! (Brighter than any star in the sky).

This was not an easy thing to do at 11 degrees which was the temperature at the time! Currently, it is 3 degrees.

My Shot of Comet McNaught

2007-01-12T15:22:00.000-08:00

You have to look hard at this photo, but this is my shot of Comet McNaught with my Rebel XT. It was very visible naked-eye! Beautiful in the binoculars and we also looked at it with Nikon 82mm scope. If you didn't see it tonight, you may get a chance tomorrow right after sunset and very near where the sun set. After that it will be in the southern hemisphere.

Beautiful Weather

2007-01-07T19:17:00.000-08:00

We had about an inch of snow on Friday night, but nothing like we thought we might get. Saturday night was calm, no snow. Love this weather for January!

Molly is now 6 months old.

Christmas Scenes at Our House

2006-12-23T12:24:00.000-08:00

My lantern, the juniper and lights.

The aspen with a bit of snow and a natural frosty glow.

It snowed heavily in the late afternoon, but we still sat outside around the fire with a thin crescent moon in the west, no wind, and heavy scent of wet juniper in the air.

Gravel Dog

2006-12-13T21:10:00.000-08:00

This wasn't quite what I had in mind when they said he would turn silver...

Trail Run

2006-12-13T21:04:00.000-08:00

Harley at 8

2006-12-13T12:59:00.000-08:00

He's quite a little grandpa, isn't he?

Molly

2006-11-14T23:44:00.000-08:00

Molly joined our family on Nov 7th. She is 4 months old and looks just like her big step brother, Donner. Sweet, affectionate, mild-mannered and quite a lady... We love her, and so do Harley and Donner.

Donner and Molly

Tearing Down the Road

2006-10-30T14:42:00.000-08:00

Here's Donner doing what he loves best...

Here's Gary doing what he loves best...

Lightning All Around Us

2006-07-02T13:43:00.000-07:00

Another splendid light display over the mountains last night! I was glad this storm never got over us. It was pretty intense.

Ancient Lightning Stump

2006-06-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

A Glistening World

2006-06-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

This morning I was in bed listening to the rain on the roof... I dozed off again, and awoke to a bright, glistening world.

What I Got for Mother's Day

2006-05-15T20:43:00.000-07:00

I got a double barrel Stoeger Coach shotgun!

Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann

2006-05-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is supposed to be a naked-eye object under the right dark sky conditions. I viewed it in my telescope, a Celestron C8, on Saturday night. What a gorgeous comet with a beautiful tail that filled the entire field of view. (It will be remembered as our anniversary comet, since this weekend was our 20th anniversary!) It's been quite some time since I set up the scope for various reasons....weather, other projects, laziness, my foot problem....but everything came together this weekend and it felt good to get it out again.

A bit of personal stuff: I have been having radiation treatments on my feet. It has been a winter from hell... nearly crippled.... but things are looking up and I am walking normal again! I'm also having UVB light therapy 3 times a week. (I always loved being tan, and now I am tan with the doctor's blessing!)

Light therapy

Donner ~ (That's German for Thunder, Not a Reindeer!)

2006-04-05T22:26:00.000-07:00

Donner is one happy dog after a run! He is so fun to watch as he bounds through the sage. He can stop and turn on a dime when he picks up the scent of a rabbit. Some dogs know just how lucky they are!

A brisk April day

Working the Trails

2006-04-03T19:40:00.000-07:00

It has been blustery, but I actually did some sunbathing in 41 degrees. The sun felt great!! Gary has been working on the trails. We are seeing many bluebirds. I suspect mice have moved into the bluebird house on the westside. I'm sort of afraid to put my hand in and find out, but it is quite packed with stuff and does not look like what a bird would do.

Harley on a sneeky-snoop.

Dead Raven

2006-03-11T21:47:00.000-08:00

This is a photo of a dead raven we came across when we were out riding around the property. It was high up in a juniper tree and I took this telephoto. I wonder what happened. Could it be Nile virus? Did it die during the recent cold spell?

We've had at least 6 inches of since last night. There's way too much snow for March! Oregon Juncos were the bird of the day at the feeder along with house finches.

A Frosty Turbine in the Spotlight

2006-03-05T17:57:00.000-08:00

A frosty wind turbine starts to turn in the spotlight.

Minus 4

2006-02-19T22:18:00.000-08:00

I knew I should have taken down that hummingbird feeder at the end of the season. Without the wind, below zero is almost bearable. We've still made it out for short walks, but the cat refuses to come along. Just as well, since the owl has been around. He flew out of the "Martha" tree this morning.

Both Harley and Donner got new coats this week and were quite happy with them. It sure will be nice when this cold is gone. I repaired one of the bluebird houses yesterday because before you know it, the bluebirds will be back!

Zero degrees at sunset

Juniper Silhouettes

2006-02-12T23:19:00.000-08:00

Saturday night was another blazing sunset... I think the silhouettes of the junipers are just as awesome! The bare tree in this photo was struck by lightning several years ago.

Later in the evening after sunset, the great-horned owl perched in the top of a tree like he had in October, but I wasn't ready with the tripod this time.

How Windy Was It?

2006-02-04T21:14:00.000-08:00

Well, the highest gust we recorded was 52 mph sometime after midnight. We have had some pretty good wind throughout the day, but it is calm and snowing right now. Gary put a new brush housing in the other golfcar and it runs better than ever now. The wind was strong, but we rode around for awhile and it felt more like March than February. Snow pellets fell while we were at the firebarrel.

Donner helped with feeding the birds

Bird Condo

2006-02-01T16:00:00.000-08:00

This big old juniper has numerous holes in it made by flickers. The woodpecker's marvelous woodcrafting ability is taken advantage of by a variety of birds for homes in the dead juniper over the seasons.

Happy Dogs, Winter Moves Along

2006-01-22T12:59:00.000-08:00

The windchimes were silent. Snow was gone except for in the shadows of the trees. Was that an early breath of spring we felt? The larkspur hadn't poked through the ground yet, but it won't be long. In the afternoon the western horizon turned dark and soon tiny snowflakes fell and the ground slowly turned to white...again.
Harley and Donner tried to hunt a jackrabbit, which we saw slip unnoticed through the fence. Tycho was also very active today and got to explore outside. I sewed most of the day on the "garden dress", then helped load 3 cartloads of dead sage. Calm and quiet around the fire barrel tonight. I took portraits of Gary and some shots of the old truck with the Big Dipper standing on end overhead.
Happy Dad

Happy Dog

Snow, Moonlight and Stardust

2006-01-14T23:33:00.000-08:00

Gary said he heard coyotes, but I never did. It snowed most of the day...heavy, wet snow that bent the juniper branches and sage and made it look like a different place. Tonight seems to be clearing finally.

The moon was shining on the snow so beautifully. Donner and I spent some time in the field taking photos of the moonlight with the trees. Donny got a bit frustrated with the snow sticking to his paws. It was the deepest snow he had been in. It was funny watching him and Harley bouncing through the brush trying to track a jackrabbit.

Tonight is the night (morning around 2 a.m.) that Stardust enters the atmosphere. I doubt I'll make it that late.

Lightning Tree

2006-01-13T08:01:00.000-08:00

Tycho Turns 18

2006-01-11T00:26:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to our sweet little baby dog, Tycho, who has been a wonderful little companion and friend. He is an important part of our lives and has been everywhere with us...from camping, boating, snowmobiling, and star parties... Happy Boofday, Baby! We love you!

Strolling Through Paradise

2006-01-08T22:50:00.000-08:00

Seeds are germinating on the sunlit slopes of the anthills. The flocks of robins are gone. Dusk is noticeably later... More signs the season is moving along. We had a light snow and the morning was calm and crisp.

View from Hottub ~ Orion Over Butte

2006-01-07T22:20:00.000-08:00

A wood-heated hottub on a cool January night ~ Orion, so majestic after sunset in January, towered above the snow-covered Butte glowing in the moonlight. I grabbed my tripod and had to get in a few shots. Tonight was crystal clear at dusk after a wild afternoon of hail, wind and snow.

Wind Power

2006-01-02T22:38:00.000-08:00

The wind has been great this winter and we have had all the power we can use. Here's a photo of the turbine in full furl (as it did much of New Year's Day with that storm that came through). It sort of sounds like the doppler effect of a helicopter coming at you when it does this, but you get used to it. The wind turbine, along with solar panels, has been a good combination to living off-grid.

A New Year

2006-01-01T21:00:00.000-08:00

I took the telephoto lens on the morning walk and got some great shots of Donner racing in the sage. I just loved his expression in this shot. Such enthusiasm to greet the new year!

Poodle and Puddles

2005-12-31T14:54:00.000-08:00

The "dry wash" is running again with water. This is the third time we have known it run in about 10 years.

Ice in the Hottub

2005-12-23T22:15:00.000-08:00

Gary, chopping and chomping at the ice!

It has been near zero for quite some time and the hot tub froze up pretty good. Today was around 50 degrees and felt wonderful!

Visitation

2005-12-19T15:58:00.000-08:00

I didn't know angels left footprints...

Cold and Windy ~

2005-12-10T20:47:00.000-08:00

It has been cold, mostly because of the strong winds. We went on several rides with the dogs and had 2 propane heaters going. The dogs were bundled up in their coats with an extra blanket. Donner and Harley got to see several pygmy rabbits. We saw many, many animal tracks in the snow. It looks like we may have a fox around again. The wood rat has built a very stylish 3-tiered nest in his tree. Donner found the carcass of a dead robin. Harley found the bones of the turkey carcass I burned in the fire pit after Thanksgiving. Tycho is almost 18 yrs old now. He is still eating good, but stays inside most of the time. Bitty, the cat takes care of himself and is sometimes outside all night, but sleeps inside during the day. No campfire tonight...we sat in the cabin and told stories.

Gary checking the weather station.

Two of my babies. Aren't they cute?!

Sunset on the hill.

Pinyon Jays

2005-11-29T11:07:00.000-08:00

The pinon jays come in flocks throughout the year. They are beautiful birds, funny to watch, and very noisey. A big flock can empty a feeder in an hour or so.

Thanksgiving 2005

2005-11-24T16:04:00.000-08:00

Beautiful, crisp frost on this pristine morning. The traditional dinner. Now the rain has set in and it is much warmer. Up to almost 50 degrees today!

Up a frosty trail with my boys...

Donner's First Snow

2005-11-12T11:30:00.000-08:00

Donner loved it. We walked early in the morning to the upper property. He found a frozen, dead kangaroo rat that was a lot of fun for him until I got it away. Harley took the route through the sage and got a lot of hunting for rabbits done. They didn't want to come home. Then Gary and I rode Stryker with the dogs through the entire property. Beautiful morning!