Trail Trees

The Flagstaff trails offer a variety of sights: birds, deer, squirrels, horned frogs, distant vistas and numerous trees. Old, broken oaks seem to end up looking the most interesting.

This old cedar is on the Fat Man's Loop and looked just like this when I first hiked the trail in 1989. Many hands touch the branch that is about chest high which is why it's smooth.

The opposite side

Flagstaff

Looking up from the start of the Sandy Seep Trail

Josh and I visited Flagstaff last week--our home for 17 years. I hiked up the Sandy Seep Trail, then over to the Fat Man's Loop and up Mt. Eldon a bit--not too far since the snow was packed and slippery.

A sign on the Fat Man's Loop. I went up (to the right)

The Loop isn't hard, but it is steep.

A view to the north from the highest part of the Loop. The Painted Desert is in the distance.



Looking up a Ponderosa




Back to the trailhead--a round trip of about 9 miles.



Douglas State Lake

Hank and I ran ten miles today and at one point stopped on the dam of Douglas Co. State Lake. There was not a hint of wind and it was unusally warm for a winter day in Baldwin.

Snow Birds

We had a small dusting of snow last night. These jays decided to take over the large feeder.

Note the female cardinal, upper left. The jays know she's there.

A tussle ensues with a male cardinal and a few annoying sparrows.

The jays got the upper hand.

Several cardinals decided to visit the other yard feeders instead.

Meanwhile, Draco the Dragon basks indoors under his nice warm light.

Oklahoma Aquarium

We visited the Oklahoma Aquarium in Tulsa this week. I took a lot of shots--the fish, crustaceans, and other creatures in the aquarium--including river otters and beavers, are quite photogenic.

Ari sits in a tunnel surrounded by bull sharks. And they really are right in front and on top of viewers. If you like bull sharks, this is the place for you.

Bird Nests

 Late fall is a great time to look for birds' nests. When the leaves are gone, many nests are easy to spot. I saw these (in maple, cedar, and pear trees, in a rose-of sharon bush, and on top of a lattice) on my run around Baldwin today. This week I plan to explore the local woods and see what else I can locate.

Elk In Baldwin City

The bull elk usually snorts and moves away when I run by.

We moved to Baldwin City, KS from Flagstaff, AZ in 2005. One of the many things I miss is seeing elk everyday in our yard. We lived by forest service and the big bulls and cows felt entitled to stroll across our property stripping the fruit trees and drinking from the bird baths.

One afternoon I went out for a long run and thought about how much I missed them. As I ran past a thick stand of trees, I saw a large pen and to my great surprise a small group of elk were standing in it!

These elk are much smaller than the wild ones and the cows, especially, seem to have much less muscle mass in their chests.

I took this shot yesterday with my phone and wished I had my camera since they rarely stand by the fence.