Our first year here, we had snakes. Last year, not so much (cats, we figured). This year, we have one who has taken up residence in the tall grass, raspberries and iris along the top of the terrace wall.

On a lovely spring day.

No lettuce? No problem!

leftover Salad

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 3/4″ squares
1/2 cucumber, sliced thinly
1 medium carrot, grated
1 slice onion, chopped finley
1 slice jalape�o, chopped finely
A couple drizzles olive oil
Splash balsamic vinegar
celery salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
Tamari rice crackers, crumbled

Mix all ingredients. Eat as your first meal of the year out on the deck.

Seen at Nature Church today, a momma deer and her adolescent twins. This little guy and I startled each other coming around the corner. I saw his mom up the ravine my trail was traversing. After keeping my distance for a while, I took a few slow steps closer, and this guy took a couple toward me. Then he stomped his front foot. I backed away, and he trotted up to be with momma, and a sibling I hadn’t noticed. The three of them kept their eye on me and kept eating.

After a bit, the little ones bounded up the hill, and started frolicking. Bucking and jumping and racing across the ravine and back.

I walked up my trail past them to join the main stem of the creek for my usual walk. When I came back 15 minutes later, they were still cavorting.

Windows 8 FTW!

At Sauvie Island for Saturday Nature Church, we also saw about a million Canada geese, one Blue Heron, two deer, a flock of sandhill cranes, a bunch of smelt, and a really big tundra swan in the rehab pen.