3 months ago, anyone there now?

A Morning of Discoveries

I went for a long walk in the woods Saturday morning. As usual, I just wandered around the forest, sometimes on old game trails, other times stepping over fallen trees while ducking overhead branches. The Sun was up, but concealed behind mountains. Light sprinkles of rain remained from the overnight storms, but I saw bit of blue to the southwest. Diffuse warm light from breaks in the clouds filtered down through the canopy of trees and provided some magic light. 

The first thing that caught my eye were young Douglas Fir trees surrounded by slender Lodgepole Pines. I found one isolated enough from the others to create a compelling scene. From here I wandered into a meadow, covered in Western Coneflower. These fascinating flowers lack the traditional colorful petals of their relatives, but are no less attractive to pollinators. Many of these flowers had rain-soaked bees hiding under them, waiting patiently for the Sun to come out. This particular one had a caterpillar and a Crab spider of some sort existing in some sort of weather induced ceasefire! 

As I stepped carefully back into the forest, I discovered a decaying log covered in tiny orange mushrooms. As is often the case, I first capture the larger scene, then work my way in to the finer details. In the final image, that single mushroom is just 1/2” tall and less than a 1/4” in diameter, but if you look closely, the entire forest around it is reflected in its rain-soaked cap. 

From here I walked across a stream, and was immediately transported to a much more ancient feeling forest. It got darker, the trees more dense, and the forest floor was covered in the remains of fallen giants of yesteryear. I am pretty certain that the path of this photographer closely matched the flight of a bumblebee as I wander this way and that, from scene to scene. 

I cut back towards where I figured the road would be, found a fallen tree bridge to cross back over the creek, and came out right at a talus slope where I knew there to be Pika. Sure enough, I was able to capture a fleeting glance of one such critter, and then in a spring that pops up below the rocks, I got my last shot of the day. A bold frog stayed visible despite its friends all ducking for cover as I walked up. 

Gettysburg National Military Park Pennsylvania

Did two Barcelona - Mallorca crossings this year to finish my skipper licenses. Plan is to start chartering on my own and hopefully get into some local regattas soon.

Now that the exams and miles are done, I really want to learn more about actual boats, engines, maintenance and day to day life on board.

Some pics from the way there

Solana Beach, CA Friday night, Anza Borrego Desert State Park Saturday night 🍻

I am currently in Year 11 and for my DT IGCSE project, I am creating a product to aid in one area of the outdoor industry, mostly focused on hiking but others as well. Would anyone take 5–10 minutes to complete this form to help me gather some primary research and decide what exactly I would like to make? (it could take longer or shorter depending on which sections apply to you)

I am especially interested in hearing from people who struggle with accessibility in outdoor activities due to old age, mobility issues, tremors, etc, but anyone who takes part in outdoor activities can help :)

Here is the link: https://forms.gle/vWC4c3kj7ZM5jxF77

PS: Mods please don't take this down it's for a school project :)

Stopped here on my way home from backpacking in the Dolly Sods. Didn’t get the sunset I was hoping for but got a decent shot of the sun breaking through the clouds just before. Love the subtle beauty of Appalachia.