elk

Nature’s Gifts

emyloom 1 Comment

I am thankful this today for the awesome beauty in nature. All around the world but especially for the beauty I see every morning when I wake.

In this season I have enjoyed the beautiful changing colors of the trees, gorgeous sunrises over Mt Si and a first dusting of snow on its highest peak.

Often in morning the elk are in my yard or I see them grazing in the fields along my four mile route to work. Several times I’ve seen them crossing in the middle of the Snoqualmie River.

It has been raining for days and on that same route I cross two bridges over the river. It is full and pushing the limits of its banks. To see it meandering through the tree lines banks brings a calm and peace to my heart.

The flowers are gone for the season but the birds still visit my patio. From my kitchen window I can see the Anna hummingbird drinking from the bright yellow blown glass feeder.

Last week a small sparrow splashed about in the deep red bird bath. He seemed so full of joy. I was amazed because it was quite chilly out and I know that was an ice cold bath but he didn’t seem to care.

I hung a suet cake for him only to see it ravenously consumed in a day by the regal deep blue Steller Jays with the prominent black crests. They are lovely but quite the naughty rascals.

A few weeks ago the black bear crossed the lawn looking for food in my trash. Sadly he found nothing here to fatten him up before his long winter nap.

Several times in the past few weeks the rain is interrupted by short sun breaks. When they arrive I am guaranteed to be blessed with a rainbow over the mountain.

I often have my camera ready and get photographs of these awesome events (the 4000+ pictures in my iphone are witness to this). However, when I am driving or when my phone is not around, I do something Josh told me once long ago when he was only five. He said to just blink my eyes and “Take a picture with my heart”

“For each new morning with its light, For rest and shelter of the night, For health and food, for love and friends, For everything Thy goodness sends.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Why Do the Elk Cross the Road?

emyloom 1 Comment

I have lived in the Upper Snoqualmie Valley for 22 years and we see the elk herd often in the fields around the community. I previously wrote a piece about them, “The Elk and Our Complicated Relationship.” (link below)

No matter how much of a pest they can be at times, I have never grown tired of seeing them. They are beautiful and amazing to see them in large numbers. The bulls can weigh between 600-800 pounds and cows weigh between 400-500.

Often in the evening, the large heard can be seen in the fields around Highway 202 between Snoqualmie and North Bend. There is a larger field on the north side of the road with a band of trees, and you can see them in the field then a few minutes later they will just disappear like ghosts into the tree line. Sometimes they can be seen on the south side of the road in a smaller field just grazing. I know they must cross the road many times both in the morning and in the evening, but I have never seen this event.

Once I drove by in the early evening, and they were on the south side of the road, I drove around and around hoping to see them cross but they seemed content grazing in the smaller field.

Last night as Chris and I were headed home they were all queued up at the edge of the road in the south field. We stopped but the cars behind us started honking, so we pulled into a gravel lot. The lot was made recently for safety, because Highway 202 has a very narrow shoulder, and it was dangerous when people pulled off to see the elk.

We got out of the car and walked closer, but keeping a safe distance. It was a process, a few elk would get close to the road and cars would honk, or wiz past and they’d recede a little. The elk at the back kept pushing forward and they looked like people do when they trying to get into a concert… pushing in and looking up ahead to see what is holding up the crowd. Finally a car stopped in each direction. It took them about a minute but the lead elk ventures into the road and they all follow.

It was quite comical when the final two cross the ditch, one stopped to inspect or eat something in the middle of the road and then the other stops there too to check out what is going on. They really seemed to not care that cars were lined up waiting on them. They were going to take their sweet time. Finally driver that had stopped first and had been waiting now for nearly 5 minutes, started moving forward and the elk jump out of the way.

I shared the video with some friends and one of the asked me, “Why are they crossing the road?” Ha! – Of course just to get to the field on the other side and because they can.

To learn more about the history of the elk in the Upper Snoqualmie Valley follow the link below. https://www.meadowbrookfarmpreserve.org/meadowbrook-elk-history.html

The Elk and Our Complicated Relationship