5th gen 4Runners in scenic locations

We're NE of Asheville. Not a lot of lakes, but we have lots of mountains and trees! I was always about Colorado, but the water and fire issues they're having made that a no-go for us. I'd love an oceanfront/close to the ocean place, but I've experienced a hurricane since I've been living in FL taking care of my parents, and that's a big no thank you also. I'll drive to the beach for the weekend, but I don't want to live on it.

 

Similar thoughts! I have always been infatuated with the west as a skier, mtn biker, etc., but the west has major water and fire issues. I lose my mind sitting on the beach after a couple of days and want no part of the hurricanes, flooding, beach erosion, etc. Upstate SC has nice lakes! My brother retired early and is on Lake Keowee in Seneca, SC about 20 minutes NW of Clemson, SC. Southwest of Asheville gets a ton of rain I thought I was in Costa Rica when I visited that area.

 

Speaking of osprey!

 

^^^ That bird looks like he can put the hurt on!


Look and that beak and talons…

 

How do you judge size when there is nothing to reference for scale?

 

Osprey’s have really long wings and different shape than an eagles wing. They need the long wings to get out of the water once they hit it. Bald eagles try to glide just over the top of the water to snag a fish. They do occasionally end up in the water. Here is my golden eagle today while I was playing with my dogs. I do use the dogs when I am hunting with the eagle, so, I have to keep them used to each other, so, I throw the tennis ball into the eagles water and the dogs get right under the eagle to get the ball.

 

wow! Tell me about this, what do you hunt?

 

Osprey is a sleeker bird, bald eagle has more mass, bigger beak, bigger talons. The osprey is solely a fish eater!

 

DadOperator, the sport is called falconry even if your using hawks, owls, eagles or falcons. It’s legal in all US states except Hawaii. What we hunt depends on what bird we are flying. Eagles and hawks mostly hunt Jack rabbits and cotton tails, but. Occasionally will take birds. Falcons are used for duck, pheasant and quail because the falcons are fast enough to catch the flying game. Falconry is just another form of hunting and you have to have the proper license to do it and that is controlled by your states fish and game department. Most states, you only have to be 14 years old, but, some states you only have to be 12. Cool sport and the birds are at your house when not being flown.
What state are you in?

 

Long Canyon, Moab.

 

Getting into Hell's Gate.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/5ivACyxQxC8W4N1V8

 

Wow! I need to get out west again - this time with my 4Runner!

 

Maybe not much for scenery, but the house is an old Victorian style house built on an Indian mound in the Mississippi Delta. It's located outside the small town of Anguilla, MS (near Rolling Fork). The fields are being plowed up right now in time for planting season.

 

Isn't that near "Rolling Stone, MS"?

 

Yep. One in the same. I saw the gaffe from President Blunder. As such, I drove down to Rolling Fork and surveyed the damage down there from the tornado. It's really unbelievable at the amount of destruction for such a small town. It literally looks like it was "wiped off the map." But what really touched me was that it was literally neighbor helping neighbor. Mississippi might have a checkered past on race relations, and in some respects, those antiquated ideas still thrive in this state. Particularly in the Mississippi Delta (understand not all of the Delta -- or Mississippi -- is like that). But when EVERYONE loses EVERYTHING, those antiquated ideas disappear. And quickly. The same people you may not have had much to do with on a regular daily basis suddenly are your best allies.

 

A few from the road out to Mike's Sky Ranch, in Mexico, a few days ago. It actually started snowing on my way out of there.









And I took this yesterday at the Baja 250. Not a 4Runner, but I figured some would enjoy it anyway...

 

Doggo looks like, "You really just did this??"

 

We live in a "small town" (now grown to about 35K from 15K when we moved here). Wife is active in Kiwanis and I am a Freemason, so we are active in charitable works. We cannot go to the Safeway w/o seeing friends and stopping to talk. A little over a month ago, the wife and I came down with COVID. Caught it early and got that "new" anti-viral and that knocked it right out, but the wife immediately came down with a "stomach flu". Our neighbors flooded us with meals (we actually had to turn some away!). Being disabled, I need assistance sometimes with tasks (especially since COVID interrupted by gym regime just as I was starting to show improvement). One of my neighbors is a "handyman for the neighborhood" and I reward him with my blackberry pies (We grow our own). One friend raises chickens and gives us eggs, while her husband has a hobby farm and we trade veggies back and forth. I smoke cheeses, halibut, jerky, and salmon and a biologist friend would trade game (bear and deer) for halibut when we went to Alaska to fish. I make Bee Houses and give them away, either to non-profits & civic groups, or to Kiwanis who gives them away in exchange for a small donation. This is a level of cooperation and help we never saw in SoCal, where your area of friends MIGHT go around the corner and down a few houses on your street.

Edit: Also, a buddy was a guide-quality salmon fisherman and I'd trade preserves for smoked salmon each Christmas!

 

Did you get to where you needed to be ? Glad you got a winch, looks like the adventure has started! Stay safe, @ Lockdown.

 

Shoveled snow for about 2 hours

and another truck came by with a winch and pulled me out.

Won't be doing something like that alone again.

 

I've always maintained the adventures starts when the original plan falls to shit. Live and learn, glad your out of your bind.

 

It is. It's on private property. You have to make arrangements to visit inside of the house. But they keep it up it seems.

 

I'll bet dollars to donuts that place is haunted...

 

I drove to Seattle for the weekend to take my girlfriend to the airport and to pick up my new best friend, Arlo. He is a 2yr old Belgian Malinois mix that my daughter has raised from a pup. Unfortunately, he is about 90+lbs and not doing well in military base housing with aggressive dogs in neighboring yards and a too-small house.

I agreed to adopt him since I have a fenced in yard, no big dogs nearby, and love to spoil dogs. He is very intelligent, very sweet, and has a whole lot of personality...



On the trip from Seattle to Eastern Washington, I drove up a side road into the high desert to let him exercise. We were being chased by a nasty storm system and I got a couple of cool pics of the system closing in...

 

Where at? I'm heading the other way tomorrow: Towards Portland over Blewett and Satus Passes. Weather predicts some snow both passes, both ways. Taking the 4Runner.

 

The photo was taken about 3 miles from the Columbia river off of the 26.

I live in a tiny town named Palouse.

 

Palouse, ID=Been there! Palouse, WA= Don't know if I've been there. Did restoration work throughout the Palouse Prairie and maybe came through there once. I'm Wenatchee.