Our visting llamas had some visiting kids a few weeks ago. They were all equally curious about each other 🙂 It’s nice that llamas are gentle enough you can send kids out in the field to get to know them and not have to worry about anyone getting hurt. The llamas came up and sniffed them and checked out their offerings, then sort of drifted back out into the field.

My computer is broken! Turns out the old Inspiron 1100 laptop won’t work without it’s battery, and the battery has gone kaput! It hasn’t really worked as a battery for a long time, but I use it plugged in so that never bothers me. But recently it started shutting down with a ‘critical battery’ error even when plugged in. So a new battery is in the mail, but until it arrives I have to sneak on and use Dave’s computer when he’s not using it 😦

Not far from Trout Lake is a popular trail hike to the top of a rocky outcrop called Sleeping Beauty. This trip I clearly saw how she got her name.

As the sun went down and silhouetted the horizon she clearly looked like a woman laying on her back! Apparently she had more of a nose before the CCC blasted it off to put a fire lookout up there in the 30’s.

In the morning I was shocked to see she looked even more like a woman! The early sun highlighted the shape of the rocks to give the impression of flowing hair and a neck line. Beautiful! What an amazing natural formation!

Little Red and her 7 chicks are doing great. She’s very protective still, but the chicks are starting to figure out that I bring treats, and that I might be ok despite Mom’s warnings!

These are Big Red’s chicks, and they are getting much bigger, and starting to get real feathers on their wings!

And this one is starting to get feathers on her legs too! That means she is one of Penny’s babies, part Cochin. I hope it’s a girl 🙂

Little Red is the most skittish of all my hens, so if she even sees us looking at her from the window of the house she goes on alert, and if we go outside she takes the chicks back into the dog carrier and hides them. If we want the chicks to grow up to be friendly chickens I should probably take them away from her and raise them ourselves, but that’s a lot of work and she’s doing a good job with them so far. I think I’ll just let her keep at it for now.

Without my camera, again! I promise to take it along next time. I took Barclay and walked across the street to the park and hiked the horse trail up to horse camp. It gets pretty steep in a short distance, so it’s a bit of a trudge. At the top we stopped for a bit and sat under a tree and enjoyed the view of Yacolt Mtn in the distance, with threatening grey clouds interspersed with blue sky. Then we continued along the horse trail to the small meadow and cut over to the upper rim trail. About then I was regretting not bringing any water along because Barclay’s tounge was hanging out pretty good. So I saw a trail down to the lake and figured it looked like a pretty good trail, even if it was a little steep. Well, my mistake, it was VERY steep, and longer than I expected, even though the lake looks like it’s not very far down there, it’s actually quite a ways when you’re trying not to slide or fall on your butt! So we got to the lake without incident and he tromped around in the water and had a drink, and we continued on around the lake trail back to the beach, and then up to the parking lot.

The thing about Battl Ground Lake is that it’s a lake in a crater, and surrounded by ridges. So walking to horse camp takes you up to the top of the ridge, coming down to the lake level takes you back down it, going up to the parking lot takes you back up it. They aren’t particularly tall, but they’re steep. It’s a bit of walking. Good exercise though. From the parking lot it’s back downhill to the horse trail again at road level, and then it’s just a short walk home. We were out for an hour and a half or so. Apparently this did not wear Barclay out, because he’s been wrestling with Jack since we got home.

Before our little afternoon hike I rode my bike from work over to Burgerville for lunch. I was curious about the asparagus – they are selling asparagus now, but of course it’s battered and deep fried! I wondered how a fast food joint would sell a veggie. So I picked up a salad and an ice water instead and rode back to the shop with my lunch. So I got a bit of exercise there too.

I took Barclay with me for a walk Sunday from Hantwick Trailhead towards Moulton Falls. This is on a nice wide, flat, paved path, and there were lots of other walkers, bikers, and dogs. I was a bit worried about Barclay’s feet walking on gravel and pavement all that way, but he was fine. I even stopped so he could rest on the grass for a few minutes, but he wanted to go go go, and let me know by barking his protest – let’s get moving!

I wanted to get to a little waterfall on the trail, and I kept thinking it was just around the next bend. I forgot how far it was! By the time we got there and turned around I know I’d gone quite a ways, so I came home and did the distance calulation on Google Earth, and it was four miles roundtrip!

For our next trip I’d like to take the Bell’s Mountain Trail to the top of the ridge. I think there’s supposed to be a view of Mt St Helens from there. I like trails with a view. I’ll see if I can get Dave to join me for that on our days off.

Can you see all three?

He’s on my feet when we go to sleep, I don’t know when he ‘moves up’.