January 2012 - Dang. or "how we took live trees for granted on this walk"

So i have been taking a little break these last few days;

Mr. Foresterman has been cutting down burnt trees

and 

I have been skinning/stripping them.

its a special project we will show you later.

but right now I cant type much

because skinning the burnt bark off 

involves a pole permit,

muscle, 

and a sharp blade

...

and the ability 

to avoid slicing your hands off...

and

now

my arms are like 

tyrannasaurus rexs dangling little appendage arms.

ow.

Anyhow,

Above are my Bighorn mountains in the distance 

(MINE. ALL MINE.)

 And in the foreground are used to be trees,

that burned up last year,

that are now dead.

being skinned by me.

only the skinny ones...

anoxeric trees make good poles.

WARNING - This might become one of those drinking game blog posts...

  Since we are surrounded by 144,000+ acres of National forest land,

as part of my January 2012 walking therapy 

prescibed by Mr. foresterman for me

-We would take walks off of our hayfields into the US forest, even on cloudy days -

In January 2012, what everyone might have not known, is that I was on warfarin 

 due to a dvt I had gotten in surgery.

I couldnt really have alcohol, nor vitamin K stuff. 

Basically taking warfarin is like having permission to eat all the crappy foods you wanted to eat when you were 12, 

but certainly dont want to eat as a grownup - you know better...

Warfarin thins your blood, and eating healthy food like greens 

could make you bleed out.

This whole process lasted about 6 months, and it was not fun,

because i never got my IR count regulated -i had to have weekly draws. 

but one thing I could control was my body's stamina.

Exercise was best.

So we walked. all the time.

for circulation

(so little veins could take over where my damaged arteries couldnt)

and 

for keeping me at a good weight

(twinkies and doritos are not life sustaining)

we had to pass our old homestead to walk West of our place.

It burnt up.

Whimper, the homestead, now a pile of ashes! WHIMPER.

lets all whimper together now!

in the key of "G" !

let me go get my banjo!

"NOOOBODY KNOWS>> THE TROUBLE IVVVE SEEEEENNN"

wheres the tequila?

Okay, let me get a grip - it was hard cleaning up these photos...

So we would climb hills, to see all the vantage points, like the Bighorn Mts. (MINE) and our house...

here Mr. foresterman is contemplating other things,

not knowing

that in 6 months these trees would all be aflame, dead or dying.

Dexter seems to be in deep thought also.

though his thoughts are more likely about 

which tree next to relieve myself on?

where are the treats in her pocket?

whats that great/terrible/edible smell?

is that a squirrel?

there were so many little rest stops we would take on our walks

Here is a little cave thing

lots of them. lots. 

also, the word "thing" is a science word. really.

in my world. *cough*

and 

I would bravely stick my camera in

and be absolutely dissappointed that there is no treasure in there.

maybe next time we'll see something!

I did this a lot.

During January, you can do this without the threat of rattlesnakes,

a plus!

But as we continued to walk, these little signs became treasures to photograph, because they tell us what we own, 

and what the USFS (whose all of us! really!) 

owns.

Too bad this tree and sign burnt up too.

are you thirsty?  Im thirsty.

actually, i think this is starting to become a tequila post.

and you wonder why i only posted 3 times in January 2012

foreshadowing is not a gift, let me tell you.

anyhow, this bearing tree burnt up too.

Want a Margarita?

and this ancient stump, which we believe that one of the trees in the original homestead that burnt up came from this stump,

also burnt up too.

got that?

But i do have its memory in a picture...

let me go make a few pitchers full...

Okay, let me get a grip,

 lets try happy thoughts, without the use of alcohol.

for right now.

This is a yucca plant, and the animals like to eat not the sharp pointy leaves, 

but the white bulb at the base of the leaves -

its edible!

like a margarita...

and here is a bobcat print in a patch of snow!

You can tell it is made by a feline, because the print shape is round, not oval,

and there are no toenail tracks.

Felines retract their claws when they walk,

canines dont...

And by these use to be alive but only alive in my pictures now 

ponderosa pines,

should i add strawberries to the blender?

here is coyote scat.

okay, poop. coyote poop.

looks like he had a bunny. or two.

Should I heat up some snack burritos too?

and

these three sister ponderosa pines are now gone too.

salt rimmed glasses, the only way to go.

 sigh.

SO heres a toast to the trees - you guys were beautiful...

and we took you for granted.

I am so very sorry.

:(  

*she raises her glass, and looks to the west...*

~

Next up, SOLO walk into the National forest

(mr. foresterman had enough of me wandering away)

I promise it will be a non-alcoholic post!

~