A grand trip

A skiing we went, with me being the one to cry, "Wait for me!"

The grandkids Em and Cord, the daughter and the grandma headed east out of Driggs toward the Tetons, skis and other gear packed.

We got to the trailhead in mid morning and found a place to park.

Em and Cord take ski lessons and showed it. What troopers. They started a bit slow, but once under way and especially after some trail mix treats, they literally kicked it into gear. The daughter found her stride after a quick wax job on her skis. She, too, has been practicing.

As luck had it, the trail groomer was right ahead of us, making perfect tracks for us to follow.

We skiied past the Boy Scout camp nearly to the campground before time ran out and we had to turn around. It was nearly a race to get back to the start.

The weather warmed up and we were hot enough to steam up the car windows on the way home. Teton Canyon is beautiful any time of the year, but last sunny, clear Saturday, it was the most perfect spot on earth. Thanks Sally.

Cabin fever

No, we don't live in a cabin. And no, we're not sick.
But my-oh-my did we have a desparate need to get out of the place.
It's the sunshine that does it.
When the winds are howling and the skies gray, the choice is always to stay in the den. That's why they call it that, right? The den.
After a great snowshoeing trip yesterday in the sunshine, it was just too difficult to stay indoors today.
So we took a picnic lunch to our destination - Palisades Reservoir - and headed out, through field after endless field of bright, white snow.
Tracks occasionally broke up the whiteness, tracks of snowmobilers and of animals.
Swan Valley is famous for its winter deer herds and we saw lots of their tracks and a few of the actual animals.
The other plentiful sighting was of fishermen. Ririe Reservoir had about 100 with their tents and augers. They were set up all along the South Fork of the Snake. Palisades has a few and there could have been more, but we didn't drive too far along the shore.
Home now, we're both a little snow blind for looking out at the sparkling crystals on all sides for 150 miles, but it's better than that disease it cured.

Another round of winter

Another round of winter hit this weekend, giving us a nice few inches of snow and covering up all the ice and dirty winter look. I headed out along the greenway this afternoon in a snowstorm with my trustee snowshoes strapped on.

I've found the snowshoes offer a mobility option that skis can't. Even on warm days when skis would stick those shoes work fine.

It wasn't sticky warm today, though, with the temperature in the mid 20s. I ran into a couple of California people on snowshoes. They had thankfully and luckily made tracks so I could see some definition. The light was very flat. As visitors often do, the couple were praising the greenway and the recreation choices it allows. They visit both summer and winter, they said. And they like to use the walk.

The past few times I've snowshoed the train it's been just me and the swans, eagles and mystery tracks. So it was nice to see someone else enjoying it, even though it was snowing and rather miserable weather.

Finding a pal

You just never know when a day is going to turn out perfectly.

We were a bit sad because this Christmas day was our first as a couple without family staying with us.

It was great opening our gifts under the tree at our own pace, but something, mainly someone was missing.

A blizzard was dumping horizontal snow outside, making sure we couldn't travel to visit anyone, and preventing anyone from driving to see us.

Then we opened up a gift that contained a solar-powered flamingo. It would change our lives.

Well, at least the guy I built later in the back yard from the several inches of wet snow that fell during the day.

Mr. Snowman was just a snowman until I introduced him to the bright, cheery flamingo.

Now he's grinning ear to ear about his new pal.

Thanks to all of you for the wonderful gifts. And Mr. Snowman is expecially appreciative.

New season

As you all can see, we've moved from squirrels gathering nuts to weather conditions that are driving us nuts.

The drive to deliver the grandchildren to their momma was blizzardy Saturday afternoon, but safe thanks to the expert driving of the grandpa with his four-wheel drive truck.

This morning for work I had to install cleats on the bottom of the snowboots. (Yikes)

But we love it. It means skiing is ahead. Icicles have formed, not like in the Northeast, though, and there is about 4 inches of snow on the ground. Hurray for the new season.

Pretty squirrely day

I forgot to mention the most visible wildlife of all, our squirrels. This one is about a foot from the door, ready to run in if I open the door.

Thanks

A wildlife count for the day, after finally getting outside for a change. Seen today: 1 bald eagle, 30 trumpeter swans, about 20 mallards and mates, a muskrat, a chickadee and dozens of finches and sparrows, also a sparrowhawk.

Not a bad number for 45 minutes of walking along the river.