GRAPHIC BLOG--- gross pictures!

Here are only two of the hundreds of pictures that were taken when we skinned and dissected a salvaged river otter.

I would like to say that this was roadkill and that I got a permit from the Wash St. Dept of Fish and Wildlife to do this and that if others are interested in this type of stuff, please get the right permits or licenses... it isn't hard, especially if you are trying to do the right thing.

I hope to finish the skinning process soon, but it is back in the freezer in the meanwhile. We all worked hard and put in about 6 hours of cutting, studying, talking...

The smell was intense... in fact, the smell of musk lingered in my nostrils for two days afterwards and raspberry jam, whereas it is delicious, presents a slight resemblance to otter blood... it was a very humbling experience to do this work and I am very happy to have studied by experience...

And by now I have used up enough space on the blog, so that the pictures weren't the first thing you saw!


Pulling back the skin while it is being cut off of the carcass

Splaying open the skin, taut, in order to scrape the fat, muscle and membrane. This was taking forever so we ended soon thereafter.

Family Reunion: Grandparents' 60th Anniversary! Part 1 of 3

Welcome to the Party! Let's celebrate.

The royal couple. 60 years (to the day) and still at it!

Saba delviers a nice speech for the occasion. Grandma Pooh (yes, like the bear!) is getting ready for hers.

Here's the Cake.

Nearly ALL Strich family cousins. We are missing Dave and a couple of youngin's from Berkeley and Phoenix. From Saba's side we are 7/8 and then two from Great Uncle Bob's side. [From L to R: Matthew, Sharon, Jake, Rachel, Jason, Aaron, Steven, Me, Nathan]

Family Reunion: Grandparents' 60th Anniversary! Part 2 of 3

At Dinner...
Just the four of us- OC represent (and a new transplant to the Pacific Northwest) !

Dirtay South (ATL, DC, Virginia) and another new PacNorwegian!

Princeton, NJ where you at! (and now London)

San Diego cousins throw it down too!

Family Reunion: Grandparents' 60th Anniversary! Part 3 of 3

Photo shoot! Seven cousins... only missing David Katz! (L to R: hailing from SoCal, ATL, and NJ)

With our grandparents

My immediate family and grandparents

Hill (our photog) and I have been friends for... gulp... 15 years!

WA, not LA

Not necessarily a permanent change, but definitely the current one. Hey, I needed a new license anyways!

Pix stolen from Kate: C10 Winter Dip

Thank you Ms. Rinder for sharing these pictures!

To celebrate winter birthdays, we jumped into a freezing cold lake, in freezing cold weather!

We are strong enough to do this.

Notice that I am the first one out. Maybe a wuss or maybe a good move.

Posing after the plunge

December and January Nature pictures 2 of 2

There are ten total photos in two posts:

Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) that made its run up the Skagit, laid its redd and clung on until it eventually died and floated to the surface. More nutrients for the upriver forests.

This Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) yelled at me for getting too close and flew away twice!

Clear view of El Dorado peak

Rain-on-snow event caused a deluge of Sourdough Creek which filled the Texas Dip (6 feet of clearance under the road) and then the road to the ELC. We couldn't cross there and they couldn't leave for a day, until the debris was cleared.

The same event caused excess sediment flow from Stetattle Creek (behind my house) and there was a clear line made when it mixed with the Skagit under Diablo Dam. Pretty cool.

December and January Nature pictures: 1 of 2

Second set of pictures:
Studying layers of snow in a 1m deep snow pit

Yours truly holding a rather heavy 30cmX30cmX80cm column of dense Cascade concrete

Mt. Baker, taken from the southwest (ridge just south of Table Mountain)

Mt. Shuksan notices the Mares tale clouds cruising east over its head... low pressure system is moving in and storm is on the way.

My second run of the season. Epic run through some thick, but untracked snow.