Snowshoeing in December with Mike

Mike and I decided to try a different snowshoeing hike.  Shorter and a different spot.  I was having trouble with pain in my leg so shorter was a good option for me.  This trail is 1/8 of a mile past the Ranger Station on Mt. Spokane.  Right where you see the orange flag. 

We were above the fog that covered the city.  

Mike was having technical difficulties with his snowshoes.  He wore different boots on this trip. He had to lift the snowshoe totally off the ground to move because of the boots.  He took the snowshoes off and put them in the car. Mike hiked in his boots. He won't wear those boots again.  

Deadman Creek!  Hard to see with all the snow. 

I just love this view!!!   The feeling I get when I am in God's creation is truly hard to explain.  It is supernatural.  

The Gleasons!

Mike getting adjusted! 

We had to share the trail with snowmobiles for a short distance.  We didn't encounter any snowmobiles but there was a difference in the trail.  

You can't tell this is a bit uphill but it is.  Mike wanted to check out some animal prints to see what animal had trudged through the snow.  

Deer was the answer. 

Our journey was ending.  What a beautiful afternoon!  I could just stare at this picture forever.  I love the snow and being out in God's creation, especially in the winter!

The end!!!

 

Christmas 2020

The celebration started on Christmas Eve with a fire, some sausage and a guitar.  

I played a few Christmas carols and we both sang!  It took Mike a minute to get on board but he did. 

No chestnuts roasting on this fire just sausage of some kind.  

Just posing.  Didn't eat the sausage. 

Christmas morning.  Welcome long expected Jesus!  I love this time of year.  2020 has been a challenging year for sure with this Covid thing but this day was a day to celebrate the birth of our King.  Mike and I had already purchased presents.  A gun club membership for him and a new lighter weight kayak for me.  The Lathops got these paddles for me.  We had pancakes and scrabbled eggs for breakfast.

Later in the day we headed up to the Lathrops to share a bit of Christmas with them.  There was a new ping pong table and Layne and I headed straight to the basement to play.  Layne wanted to model her chicken socks.  

Lucy joined the ping pong party after awhile. 

It's a new bike for Lucy!  I want one!  It is pretty nice.  

The chickens.  Layne got chicken socks and Justin got a chicken shirt.  

A little outdoor basketball.  BRRRR

Kristin and I were the photographers. 

These squishy balls were a hit.  The girls threw them all over the walls and sometimes on the ceilings.  

New sign! I love it!!!!!

Katie and her boyfriend Chris celebrated in Seattle. 

I added a couple of pictures from the New Orleans Gleason clan.  Rivers on his new go cart and Gray along for the ride.  

Michel and Steve!!  

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

The Star of Bethlehem December 2020

This was copied, not my words.

 

THE CHRISTMAS STAR appearing this year on December 21st is making news. It's amazing that this occurrence is also happening in the year 2020.

IN THE YEAR when Jesus was born, there was violence, chaos, political and social unrest. It was dark.

THE MAGI FOUND HIM by way of the star, which was the "meeting" of 3 stars: Jupiter, Saturn and Mars. They followed the star until it rested on where he was and they began to worship him. In a time where it was dark, Light was brought in to our world. Jesus stepped in to the chaos and brought peace.

FAST FORWARD to 2020. It's a time of violence, chaos, political and social unrest. It is dark. Winter Solstice, December 21st, is the shortest day and longest night...it's literally the "darkest day" and is the beginning of what most would say the cold, dark winter season.

BUT ON the darkest day this year, Jupiter and Saturn meet, giving us the Christmas Star! How fitting...that in the moment of time during the Christmas season that we get to see this beautiful reminder...that even in the darkest of times...Light will, and has, stepped in. In our chaos He is there. In our darkest time, He is there. He brings Light, and makes all things new.

SO AS YOU LOOK out on Dec 21st for the Christmas Star, may we be reminded of His power, and His Light that he brings for all mankind. He is perfect at stepping into chaos and bringing it into peace. (Copied from a friend... you may do the same.)

I was so excited to see the Star of Bethlehem. A once in a lifetime experience. It had been 800 years since it was last seen. It was visible starting on December 16th. On December 21st Jupiter and Saturn were the closest together.  Of course they were actually millions of miles apart.  If you were at the right angle they looked like one bright star. The Star of Bethlehem.  So fun.  I researched and researched how to take picture of stars and how to take pictures at night.  It was confusing so I just played around with the settings.  Mike brought out his spotting scope and we got a few decent pictures. Looking through the spotting scope was amazing. You could see the moons around one of the planets. 

If you click on this picture and enlarge it you can see the moons.  

We saw the Star of Bethlehem on the 22nd of December but it wasn't as bright and brilliant.  I just loved this!   

This is not my picture.  Someone took this in North Dakota.  A better camera, the correct angle and perhaps a filter of come sort.  Or they just knew how to photograph this.  Beautiful.  

Idaho Eagles! 2020

Well, it was a different year all around in 2020 including the eagle viewing.  Where there are usually hundreds of eagles we found 4 or 5.  I watch the eagle count on the internet and it never got over 100, in fact it was going down instead of up.  We decided to wait no longer and off we went.  Good thing we did because it wasn't getting any better.  As were were driving to the eagle viewing place in Idaho I saw some flying over Lake Coeur d'Alene,  Ah, there is hope.  We stopped at our first place and nothing.  I researched the lack of eagles and there was a lack of fish to eat.  We could see a difference too.  Usually they're a lot of dead fish along the shore.  None this year.  The eagles had to go elsewhere to eat.  We did find a few far, far away in the trees.  

Mike got the spotting scope out and we took some pictures.  Not our best pictures but it was all we could do.  We did see them flying and got to watch the through binoculars! Amazing.  

An old eagle.  His white feathers aren't as white. 

We persisted and got to see some eagles.  The pictures weren't great but the day was.  The tradition continues. 

Eagle watchers!

On the way back to Spokane we stopped at Jimmy's Down the Street.  It is all part of the yearly eagle tradition.  

And there you have it.  The sign in the men's bathroom.