(Note: Please Remember that All photos on this Blog are copyrighted to Peggy Ann Rowe-Snyder, in the year stated, and that Peggy Reserves All Rights of the photos copyrighted! Thanks!!! Hi-Res copies are available, as are matted photos.)
Clyde has been on vacation this week. So, on the 15th of July, Clyde and I went four wheeling with a new friend that Clyde made named Jeremy. Jeremy brought Travis, since his wife is very pregnant. Clyde brought Diane and me.
The jeep got to pretend it was a mountain goat again, only this time we were not hanging off the sides of mountains like we usually do. This time we took real “four wheel drive” paths, though not the really rough ones. This time, we went on paths that I could literally touch the ground underneath us..No wait, beside us, without extending my arm from my side window–yes, the jeep drives kind of sideways, and no, I didn’t exactly scream.
The boys stopped about halfway through and shot at clay pigeons. I was glad that they threw them for each other, that saved my arm. I’ve tried in the past to throw them for Clyde, and most of mine end up by my feet in pieces. I just can’t get the hang of that thrower thing. They laughed a lot as two boys with two shotguns raced to see who was hitting it first, and so forth. Boys…these guys are in their 30’s and Clyde is 43!
Where we stopped to shoot was very close to a local mine, a mine where nickle is mined from the mountain that has been around for years and years. Hence, the name of Nickle Mine.
Here is a photo of part of the mine:
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z177/pegrowe62/7-15-2007/11.jpg
Where we were had obviously been worked over at sometime in the past. It was bare of trees save a few here and there, and looked like it was mostly just brown weeds. I took out my camera because I eyed a purple flower. I figured if I could get pictures of that purple flower, I’d be happy as clam.
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z177/pegrowe62/7-15-2007/01.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z177/pegrowe62/7-15-2007/02.jpg
With me, one photo naturally follows another.. my eye catches colors and objects. I think I just do not take for granted anything much I see… I can not explain it other than that, but in jumping from one scene to another, I realized that this seemingly dead spot on top of this mountain was not dead at all.
From this area we continued on our adventure. We traveled from Boomer Hill to Doe Creek (off of Cow Creek). We stopped next at a pond, made by the mining company and probably is not recommended for swimming, or drinking, but I got some neat pictures of ants swarmming on this little bush. One even found it in his little heart to bite me and remind me that I was invading HIS space! By this pond we found dragon flies, ducks, deer, fawn and elk tracks. It was pretty awesome.
From there we went down to Doe Creek, and onto Island Creek, where Jeremy showed us the best swimming hole yet. It is out of the way, and you can only get there via some sort of four wheel drive with good clearance, as we literally cross Cow Creek and then drive down it some distance. The hole is deeper than I am tall in places, but it goes down gradually, and it has a gravel bottom rather than a rocky one where people can hurt themselves (ya, I did that too!).
It was a fun day, and we hope to do it again someday soon!!
Here are my photos:
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z177/pegrowe62/7-15-2007/03.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z177/pegrowe62/7-15-2007/04.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z177/pegrowe62/7-15-2007/05.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z177/pegrowe62/7-15-2007/06.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z177/pegrowe62/7-15-2007/07.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z177/pegrowe62/7-15-2007/08.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z177/pegrowe62/7-15-2007/09.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z177/pegrowe62/7-15-2007/10.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z177/pegrowe62/7-15-2007/12.jpg
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z177/pegrowe62/7-15-2007/13.jpg
hopefully, soon I’ll get busy and get the ants,and pond pictures ready to share. These were all taken up on the mountain top where the guys shot their guns..
hugs to all!! Peg