Methow Valley

Two weekends ago Amy and Liam accompanied me to the Methow Valley. I was there with my boss Chris Davis to make a presentation to the Methow Conservancy--we're working on a parcel-based development risk model that they will use to inform their conservation prioritization. The presentation was 3 hours long (!), and our modelling effort was very well received. We still have a few tweaks to make, but it's pretty close to being done.

We stayed at a cabin (ha!--this cabin is bigger and nicer than our house in Seattle) owned by a couple of UW professors that are friends with Craig and Sandy, a married couple who are also working as consultants with the Conservancy. We stayed in the Valley for an extra day and went for a delightful hike around a beaver pond just up the road from the cabin. We shared most of the hike with an Italian couple and their son Luka. We caught another red-legged frog for Liam to check out, and Luka was pretty interested in it as well. Best of all, the fall color is starting to kick in.

Packwood Report

Amy, Liam and I drove down to Packwood this past weekend to visit with Andy & Lynna and help them prep their house for painting. We also spent a fair bit of time visiting the enormous Packwood Flea Market (which happens every Labor Day), picking black berries, walking in the woods, catching frogs, and just running around outside. It was a nice visit.



Liam on his first ever pony ride. He was beaming the entire time.












LG wearing Dad's hat and looking cute.












Picking black berries! Andy & Lynna's property is covered with black berry bushes and they were all laden with delicious fruit.












The bounty from the harvest.











Liam and Uncle Andy indicating their approval of the flavor.










Aunt Lynna gettign friendly with Liklik.










Liam's first encounter with an actual frog (in this case a northern red-legged frog), captured by his dad and Uncle.










The eponymous legs, visible through the bottom of the mason jar we kept the critter in before we released him back into the creek.










Andy's bridge. He made this himself with some of the trees his neighbor cut down. The bridge crosses the creek that runs through their property and makes it easier to access several forested acres along the river.