Good Morning! The monsters look like they had a good time outside yesterday. They'll be nagging your eyeballs out to go outside all the time now. Mine do, unless it's raining, or "too cold". They're really very spoiled kitties. I'll open the door and they'll stand there, half way out, look at the rain, flip their tails and look at me like "Make it stop. I wanna go out." Then they'll turn around and go back to bed. Cats believe the rule the world.
I had a good ride yesterday. It started out cold and overcast, but ended up with a little sun by the end of the ride. There were quite a few riders out on the trail. We can ride year round here, but I think everybody's getting spring fever. The redbuds and wild pears/plumbs are blooming but we still don't have leaves to speak of, except on the ornamental Bradford pears. We'll have to make one last ride down to those big rocks you like so much before there gets to be too much undergrowth to get there. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for all those downed trees right at the beginning of the trail. With the leaves on, you just can't see far enough ahead to see which way you need to go go plan your route through them. But I guess it makes you appreciate it all the more when wintertime rolls back around and you can go again.
Yesterday we took the trail with the big steps down to the creek. I took some video but I don't know how it turned out. I may have just got the back of Bob's head and my right knee. ;o) I'll have to wait 'til Monday to send it to you if it looks ok and isn't too big to send.
I heard some good news yesterday. The Forest Service has cleaned out all the hurricane downed trees off of our trails again over on the Wilderness side of the Forest. I'm just tickled pink coz I didn't think they'd do it 2 years in a row. I think we've got a new Managing Ranger and I think things are going to be a lot better. We rode through some logged areas yesterday, and as you know, I'm not a real big fan of logging because all I've ever seen them do is clear cut and leave a big mess, but I was really impressed with how this looked. They left all the trees that appeared to be 10" and under, they didn't leave a mess. They've also been doing controlled burns all over the forest and everything looks so neat and clean afterwards. I wouldn't mind if they did the whole forest that way. I think it'd be better for it. I'm thinking of writing them a letter and thanking them for their good work.
Sounds good, I look forward to the video, and I'm glad you think their forestry has improved in your area. I don't really mourn the logging here, because beautiful as the trees are in our forest, we can't ever forget that in WA, trees are a crop. And I'm impressed with their methods as well, they do clear cut, but in patches, or strips, and they quickly re-plant it. The variation in cover and vegetation throughout the area actually improves it's value as habitat, and makes it interesting to ride in.
Good to know the big caves are a 'winter only' place... If I ever get down there to see them, I'll plan it for winter :~D
The monsters are having a ~great~ time, and wanted back out first thing this morning... I want to leave the door open for them a little, so they know how to get back in if they get spooked, so we're freezin'.