september 25-27

we got out of dodge friday night, with plans to get up and hike- 5 or 6 miles- to the top of smoky dome. we got to enjoy a lovely sunset......

and the next morning hopped in the jeep and headed for the hills.

the aspen are starting to turn in pockets. these were a really pretty copper color.

this is where we planned to end up, but we got a bit off track and it was too rocky to get around from where we were. plus we had achy glutes & hamstrings & sore feet (not mine for once!), it was hot and we were making a big dent in the water so we decided to call it a good conditioning hike & try again later.

here's echo, mountain bouvier. he carried his & halle's water. we ended up taking off the dog's packs on the way down because it was pretty warm.

waiting in the shade for she who brings up the end.....

there were still flowers blooming in places. there is a beautiful stream and i bet that the flowers are just incredible in early summer.

i couldn't get photos to do justice to how pretty this stream is, but that doesn't mean i didn't try!

and the water was much appreciated by the dogs. unfortunately we left the stream for a fair part of the hike so we had to carry dog water along with people water.

it was a smoky, hazy day, not as clear as our last trip up.

another pretty water shot

lupine still blooming

the traverse was pretty steep in places. you can see echo thinking he has found a better route. And look Steve is in his Ed pants! Steve likes these for warm weather hikes, light, protective and the legs zip off!

here's the view from as high as we made it. About 9650 feet in altitude, so at least we got a good 2 grand in elevation gain. If only there was a stable snow pack to slide back down to the bottom on. Later there will be :) . My 2 cents worth, sp.

and back down and home, off to the iron mountain inn for dinner & the boise state game (and a few toddies). at least the hike was long enough to make me feel ok about eating that burger & tots! and it was good!

and home for another sunset.

and now for the house photos. steve saw this skier that my friend zella made & thought it would be perfect for fairfield. and so he is..... ready for snow....

this is the shed we got from steve's son. it will be very handy for stowing lawnmower, bikes, etc. bad thing is it has to be 10 ft from the property line, so it's pretty close to the house & no more great view from the back of the front porch. the windows by the table are also partially blocked. but we still have the great views from the back of the house. i'll plant something climbing & it will be dandy.

picked up some shrubs. halle is supervising placement.

we also got a few more hooks, and steve got them up, so we are increasing stowage opportunities.

in preparation for snow season, a grate to be installed for scraping ice & snow (and gravel). probably on the top step once it's been cut down.

and lastly, the snow shrine. sage, a dreamcatcher & crystals- Going to have to have a special little ceremony later this fall for grins to increase snowfall in the area. I'm still formulating the grand plan, might be we have more than one. (more of Steve's 2 cents)

Good darn thing Marianne packs 2 cameras, if it was up to me we'd never have a decent photo.