catbirdseat

I second that. It's a nice change of scenery for us.

Have patience. You'll get yours.

Trip: Ellensburg - Umtanum Canyon Loop Date: 2/13/2007 Trip Report: Roboboy and I were going to do a scramble in the North Bend area, but it was raining and foggy, so we opted to do a hike on the drier east side of the mountains. I'd done this hike once before in November about three years ago with dryad during hunting season. This time there was 6 inches of snow on the ground, so it made for slower going. Went up the side canyon on the left to the SW just on other side of bridge, ran along Umtanum ridge and descended the Old Durr Road. Followed Umtanum creek back to starting point. We saw about 6-8 bighorn sheep up on the walls of the upper canyon. That was really cool. It was the first time I'd seen them in the wild. Unfortunately they were too distant to photograph. These animals are very reclusive. They do not like being seen, and will quickly move out of sight if they can. Left car at 11 am and returned at 6 pm with the very last of the evening light. About 12 miles. Gear Notes: Boots and poles

A foil-wrapped potato in a microwave oven? Quite a light show, aye?

The Shanty is a breakfast and lunch spot.

Steward says it isn't a whipper if you fall on a bolt, even if you did fall the entire pitch.

Speed limits are pretty much the only laws that are consistently enforced in the state of Washington. That's about all I know. Well that and you have to be convicted about 7 times of car theft before you'll do any serious prison time.

Great story. Makes my evening.

Well, Jens is an iconoclast, and he has a hard head- lots of bone and precious little room for gray matter.

Yes, the best way to carry a three foot picket is to cut it in half. I don't buy those. If a two foot picket won't work you should use a fluke.

Clip them to the shoulder straps of your pack.

I'd like to see them try that in the Hudson River! One ride in exchange for 20 years in prison.

Woo Hoo. Let us know how it goes or at least that you are still alive...

I'm with Ross. Make it Thursday for a change.

Check out the last line for release method. Dog eats owner's $5,000 wedding ring RAISINVILLE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) -- Tina Burlett thought someone had broken into her house and stolen her custom-made, $5,000 wedding ring, so she called the police, who filed a report. But Burlett's grandmother already had a suspect in mind: the family pooch. X-rays proved the grandmother right. The valuable bauble was inside the belly of Burlett's pit bull, Missy, who has a taste for diamonds. "I couldn't believe it," Burlett told The Monroe Evening News for a story Thursday. "I didn't think so at the time, but it's funny now." It made sense since Missy has been caught gnawing on VCRs, electric blankets and even Burlett's diamond earring. Dr. Linda Fung of the Country Creek Animal Hospital said she wasn't surprised to learn that Missy swallowed jewelry. "I did have a dog eat a watch once," Fung said. "Animals swallow a lot of stuff. It's not an unusual thing. We just made her throw it up." Fung gave Missy some peroxide and out came the ring intact. Reminds me of the Cheech and Chong bit. Pedro: Man, what is in this shit, man? Man Stoner: Mostly Maui Waui man, but it's got some Labrador in it. Pedro: What's Labrador? Man Stoner: It's dog shit. Pedro: What? Man Stoner: Yeah, my dog ate my stash, man. Pedro: Yeah? Man Stoner: I had it on the table and the little motherfucker ate it, man. Then I had to follow him around with a little baggie for three days, man, before I got it back. Really blew the dog's mind, ya know? Pedro: You mean we're smokin' dog shit, man? Man Stoner: Gets ya high, don't it? [song, "Rockin' Robin" plays... ] Man Stoner: I think it's even better than before, you know? Pedro: Uhhh, I wonder what Great Dane tastes like, man.

Damn, this is not news I wanted to hear. The locks that are bumpproof are really pricey. I know of one type of lock that is cheap and cannot be picked. It is just an old-fashioned slider bolt. Obviously, it can only be thrown from the inside, but it will keep you safe inside your house, as personal safety is more important than mere property. Say you don't want to spring for the $150 Schlage Primus for all your entry doors, you could put the slider on the back and side doors and the Primus on the front entry.

Did he strike his head? It looked awfully close. That Gritstone is scary.

I want to see that! Midget wrestling! Cute!

Many animals have a natural instinct to hide the fact that they are ill. So as a consequence, by the time we know they are sick, they are often too sick for us to help them. Good luck to you and your kitty.

Your thread title is not very accurate. Hobos are people who are homeless, but choose to wander from place to place, some by choice. The people described in the article are not only homeless, but gravely ill and unable to care for themselves. It's sick and it's wrong what is being done to these people, and hospitals are going to be punished for it.

Short and it leads one back to his starting point.

Kurt, it is said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Onward and upward. I'll climb with you at Stone Gardens anytime, especially as I no longer have gainful employment. Need a ride? I can swing by your place. I was in there in the late afternoon yesterday looking for Hansel. Have you seen him?

Are you the same Mark Shipman who came to the aid of two people on Mt. Dickerman in 1999, and who hiked out solo to summon help?

We grow our own eggs here. Of course we don't have any room for roosters. The roosters end up in the cooking pot.

In space, no one can hear you clip, either. Stealth sport climbing.