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My "Neck of the Woods"  -  Autumn

2/27/2019

4 Comments

 
You don't have to go far from home for adventure and beauty.   These scenes are within a one-mile radius of my house.
"Wandering is an inexpensive ticket to another level of being..."
         - 
Ann Zwinger,  from The Nearsighted Naturalist

"Be careful going in search of adventure - it's ridiculously easy to find."
-  William Least Heat-Moon
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There's no place on Earth like the American West, where one can experience a wide variety of absolutely stunning places and adventures.  The west has expansive spaces, solitude, jaw-dropping scenery - so spectacular, in fact, people come from all over the world to experience it.  Hear the roar of Vernal Falls in May in Yosemite National Park, stand atop the narrow sandstone fin on Angel's Landing with Zion Canyon spread far below, or feel Virgin River's current against your legs in Zion's narrows with rock walls towering far above.  The infinite Western Experiences list goes on.

The scenery doesn't have to be as dramatic as this, though, to be memorable.  The sea of sagebrush extending to the dark, flat basalt plateaus of the Great Basin can seem monotone at first glance, but walk through it during spring wildflower season, smell it just after a rain, watch a herd of antelope run swiftly by, or watch the sage grouse lek mating ritual;  suddenly this "monotonous"  place becomes spectacular.

For a few days last autumn, I treated myself to wandering with my cameras.  For me, it's a practice in meditation and like naturalist Ann Zwinger says, "another level of being."  What a luxury it is, if you are a nature lover, to have the time to "see" the natural world around you, to follow where it beckons; a bird song, a path, colors, the dark spot under a bitterbrush, or a hill top scattered with bunches of bright yellow flowers of the balsamroot waving in the breeze.

Here are a few images from "my neck of the woods."  I'm lucky to live where nature is so close.  But beauty is close to most of us if we just take the time to see.  A Boise foothills trailhead is within a mile of my house, as well as two farms where one can buy and learn about native plants.  My only limitation for this adventure was that all images are captured within a one-mile radius of my house.

This post received a few comments from friends that I thought worthwhile to mention.  One was that "Mother Earth is a gift."  So true, and to me a gift I will always have.  Also, some of the best images are captured "near home, where your familiarity can lead to shots that others would not see."

For more Boise photos, check out Gallery --> Boise.
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Northwest Boise foothills on an autumn afternoon
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First snowstorm of the season
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Sunny but chilly ride through sagebrush
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Rosaceae
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I wonder what I will find this time!
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Artemisia tridentata in bloom
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Gardening/Botany books at Draggin' Wing Farm
Two outdoor libraries within one mile of my house - this is a special place, indeed!
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Earthly Delights Farm next to Draggin' Wing Farm
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Sunset at Draggin' Wing Farm
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Alpenglow lighting Draggin' Wing Farm
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Textures and colors - native vegetation of the Boise foothills
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Huge sagebrush just up the hill 
​I wonder how old it is.....
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Horses' hoof prints, rabbit brush and clearing fog
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Another incredible Boise sunset
4 Comments
Linda link
2/28/2019 06:59:48 am

We are, indeed, fortunate to live where we do. I'm especially sensitive to how lucky I am when I hear of the natural (man-induced?) disasters unfolding both to the east and the west of us: mega-fires, mud slides, flooding . . .

Great images!

Reply
Sue link
2/28/2019 01:35:38 pm

Hi Linda,
I would have to agree we live in a relatively "tame" place compared to the floods, hurricanes, rivers overflowing banks, etc. When I was a teenager in Omaha, where I am from originally, our house got demolished by a tornado (yes, we were in the basement). But we do have fires almost every summer in Idaho. I love Idaho for its geology, too!
Thanks for commenting, Linda......

Reply
bestessays login link
3/5/2019 06:27:43 pm

All the photos you posted above are the therapies that I needed to see now. I am glad that you posted and have it shared it to us. I ma glad to know that a lot of people are giving enough importance to the beauty of our environment. Well, we all deserve to live in a place like this, so why not? I just hope that more and more people will be encouraged to take care of our environment. If we wouldn't care about it, who would do it for the environment.

Reply
Sue link
3/5/2019 08:23:00 pm

Hi BestEsays: I love your comments - thanks so much for appreciating this post. I know it's not as exciting as climbing a mountain summit, but I see that you recognize the "beauty of our environment," as you wrote, and that beauty is all around us. And I do admit I live in a beautiful place where it is easy to find good images and scenes. I agree with you, we should be grateful for our environment and take care of it.

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    Exploration documentaries          –  "explorumentaries"  list trip stats and highlights of each hike or bike ride, often with some interesting history or geology.  Years ago, I wrote these for friends and family to let them know what my husband, Fred and I were up to on weekends, and also to showcase the incredible land of the west.  

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    Sue Birnbaum

    A  trip to Jumbo Rocks Campground in Joshua Tree National Monument 38 years ago sparked my passion for hiking, exploring, and learning about desert ecosystems.  For the past 25 years, my husband Fred and I have explored the American West together; we love this land and I hope to inspire you to get out and explore through my photographs and trip descriptions.
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​Please feel free to contact me with comments or questions, or if you see any errors that need attention.
Thank-you for stopping by!


EXPLORUMENTARY.com
  • Home
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  • Hikes by State
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    • California Desert
    • Nevada
    • Wyoming
  • BLOGS
    • Adventure Blog
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  • GALLERY
    • DESERT PLANTS >
      • Beavertail cactus
      • Brittlebush
      • Christmas Cactus
      • Arizona Barrel Cactus
      • Parry's penstemon
      • Agave
      • Arizona Rainbow Hedgehog
      • Claret Cup Hedgehog
      • Desert Agave
      • Palmer's Penstemon
      • Silver Cholla
      • Cristate Saguaro
      • Indian Paintbrush
      • Ocotillo
      • Santa Rita Prickly Pear
      • Spiny Cliffbrake
      • California Barrel Cactus
      • Engelmann Prickly Pear
      • Velvet Mesquite
      • Joshua Tree
      • Buckhorn Cholla
      • Hedgehog Cactus
      • Fishhook cactus
      • Thompson's Woolly Locoweed
    • NATURE
    • BOISE
    • EARTH + SKY
    • URBAN
    • WATER
    • PATRIOT
    • ORCHIDS
  • Fit After 50
    • Brian Holgate
    • Fred Birnbaum
    • Dave Brasuell
    • Bus' Little Black Book
    • Mike Carlson
    • Ray Wilson
    • Bryan Krouse
    • Vickie Kearney
    • Maria Keezer
    • DOUG TRAUBEL
    • Boise Cross Fit Masters Ladies
    • Tim Clemens
    • Marcia Bondy
    • Becky Borczon Blake >
      • Becky B Downtown
    • Jennifer Cera and Sue Birnbaum
    • Dave Brasuell
    • Vance Powell
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