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Monica Van der Vieren

@classyearlgrey

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Once a scientist, then a communications professional, always a wildlife/nature nut. Hoping to create a balanced future for people and wildlife.

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It’s such fun to live in the same rural neighborhood as places like @swanstrailfarms and @raisingcaneranch. This week, my neighbor and I went on the Harvest Glow walk at Swans Trail Farms.

We watched a lovely sunset with Mt Baker in the distance, and the quarter moon rising. There is so much beautiful sky to see on this amazing farm.

I wasn’t sure what to expect on the Harvest Glow tour but there really was something there for everyone. We had fun figuring out themes and characters, and watching families and friends pose for pictures and laugh and tell stories. My favorite was the ghostly ships in a magical sea. The apple cider slushie is highly recommended- very refreshing and long lasting. I’m amazed at all the activities for adults and kids. Almost didn’t recognize our neighbor’s farm!

It was really touching to see Farmer Ben, the founder, honored with a pumpkin along the way. 🥹

Next week is the last week of Trucks ‘n’ Tunes at Raising Cane Ranch- I’ll be bummed when the season winds down here.

#rurallife #snohomishwa #snohomishrivervalley #pumpkinseason #agritourism #funonthefarm by @classyearlgrey

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a day ago

Well, after a summer of maintaining my food forest and getting stuff done on the house, I’m taking a break with the dogs. I’m by no means done, but things can sit for a couple weeks.

We’re currently chilling at American Prairie’s Antelope Creek Campground with the bird and elk hunters. There are nice trails and prairie roaming here, and nearby Slippery Ann Elk Viewing area. The elk are slow coming in, but we got to watch three big bulls come out of the trees at dusk and compete for a small herd of disinterested cows. The dogs are getting good walks and sightseeing.

Feels good to have a breather from projects and so far, weather is cooperating. If it doesn’t, though, we can hunker down and hang out in our @wayfarervans conversion.

#wayfarerchallenge #campervan #travelingwithdogs #montana #prairie #greatplains A large black dog gazes across the prairie, trying to identify a scent. by @classyearlgrey

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a month ago

The clouds were sure having a day over the valley. I looked up as I was pulling a cart of compost/mulch mix and saw rainbow colors in the clouds. According to NOAA, these are iridescent clouds, not the end of the world as we know it. Then, as I walked my dogs out at sunset, different shapes and textures covered the sky like a cloud traffic jam. The sun dropped low and finally softened all the flaming edges and screaming solos and landed on a transparent raspberry hue. A vague smoky haze lingers over the valley.

#snohomish #washington #sky #clouds #iridescentclouds by @classyearlgrey

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3 months ago

Well, @wayfarervans I’m figuring this van thing out. When I had to ditch the northeastern Montana segment due to punishing 100F temps, I went looking for interesting alternative stops on the route home. When we arrived at White Earth Campground on the shores of Canyon Ferry Lake, I opened up the windows and rolled down the bug walls. A breeze off the lake from incoming weather kept the van cool. Post Memorial Day, the campground was quiet and a great place for dog walks (it’s at the end of a good gravel road that runs through farmland).

Sunset and sunrise were lovely. We did get some wind and sprinkles of rain, but it calmed down in time to sleep with the back windows open listening to crickets. The white mounds at the bottom of the rainbow picture were once white cliffs seen by the Lewis and Clark expedition before the reservoir drowned them.

I was tempted to stay longer but heat and thunderstorms were coming our way. Next time.
#campervantravel #wayfarerchallenge #travelingwithdogs #montana A shadow selfie casts behind an open door on a deep red van parked by a picnic bench and lakeshore. by @classyearlgrey

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5 months ago

Well, that was heavy. But relevant. Minuteman Missile National Historic Site is 20 minutes north of my campground and a visit felt important. I grew up with kids like those in the display. And I never really understood why we endured that fear because it wasn’t covered much in school…
And I pondered what it means today- or doesn’t, in a post Cold War world when we perhaps can’t assume everyone inside and out is a ”rational actor” who understands the weight of MAD- Mutually Assured Destruction.

This powerful historic site features dialogic interpretation techniques to build community, ask questions, & foster discussion. Highly recommend.

#goingbackintime #coldwar #minutemanmissile #historyrepeats #hideunderyourdesk #travelingamerica by @classyearlgrey

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5 months ago

My gosh this is still such a beautiful country. I am on my first visit to Badlands National Park. So I can say I’ve visited short grass, mixed grass, and tallgrass prairie. This is the old Western Interior Seaway, haunted by ammonites and mososaurs before going dry and supporting bizarre early mammals. Badlands erodes rapidly and will someday be gone. Likely unseen by people.

The campground is more cosmopolitan than I’m used to, but we have a lot of privacy with the @wayfarervans cottage on wheels. It’s worked well today, with afternoon thunderstorms and evening rain. We got in an outside loop so the dogs don’t see people all around

Badlands has side roads where it’s legal to take dogs so they are getting out. It was cool enough outside for me to visit the fossil trail, the visitor center exhibits, and some of the overlooks. #travelingwithdogs #campervan #wayfarervans #wayfarerchallenge by @classyearlgrey

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5 months ago

We took a walk through Medora when we were at Theodore Roosevelt National Park and found the landscape ornament of choice is petrified wood. Public buildings and even private homes have some impressive specimens lying around. I don’t want to see petrified wood sold in box stores, and I wouldn’t survive a North Dakota winter after all these years away. But I would love some ancient tree fossil for my yard. #petrifiedwood #badlands #westerninteriorseaway #geology #medorand A black dog looks at a huge chunk of petrified wood lying among reddish pebbles. by @classyearlgrey

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5 months ago

Buddy says of course he didn’t try to grab Theodore Roosevelt’s sword and then find out he wasn’t real.

This would be my first dog to respond suspiciously to statues. And Medora has a lot of them. I started feeding Buddy treats when he would sit and check them out instead of barking at them. And then he decided to steal Teddy’s toy. #dgsalum #travelingwithdogs #theodorerooseveltnationalpark by @classyearlgrey

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5 months ago

I finally got back to @savingcranes after many, many years. I’ve donated since I first visited because cranes amaze me and they do stunning community based work where cranes live around the globe. Their headquarters and Cranes of the World center/exhibits are located in Baraboo, WI, which is a bit out of the way when I’m coming out to my sister’s. I decided to detour and am so grateful I did. The almost eerie blue cranes were my favorite though I first found them through Sandhills and whoopers.

We camped at historic Devils Lake State Park in Baraboo. #wayfarer challenge #wetlands #wisconsin #baraboo by @classyearlgrey

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5 months ago

Lovely time visiting my sister at their camper in Wisconsin. We took the dogs to a lake and found out that Buddy can swim (Dug can’t despite webbed feet and an affinity for water). We took them to an outdoor restaurant where I could treat her to lunch on a sunny day with great service. We always catch up on the movies neither of us has a chance to see in the theater. And it’s a chance to walk, talk, and catch up. Every morning I would wake up to the sound of loons calling on the lake. Owls, songbirds, deer wandering by… so peaceful. #wisconsinlakes #serene #wayfarerchallenge by @classyearlgrey

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5 months ago

Obligatory bison and horses from the road. We had a wild moment with the horses.

The scenic drive is reopened this year after 6 years of repair. A slope weakened above the Coal Vein Trail. Dug and I parked below the closed area in 2022 and walked up to find spooky pavement cracking and seismometers monitoring the slope.

We stopped at an overlook past a small herd of horses. Two older guys were really close to them taking photos when one ran down the road. I got out with my camera intending to take pictures from a distance.

Suddenly, the horse that had run down the road circled back over land. A big grey tore after him and they came straight at me. I stepped aside and went back toward the truck but then suddenly they were coming back my way, the grey biting at the sorrel. I instinctively waved and yelled a longe command (🤷🏻‍♀️) and they finally saw me and veered away at the last moment. #feralhorses #theodorerooseveltnationalpark #touristing #bison by @classyearlgrey

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5 months ago

Dug is 8 this year, which is senior for a large dog like him. He is showing his age a bit. After we did a bunch of hikes around West Shore Unit of Flathead State Park, he was slow on uphills. I’ve put him on joint supplements the last couple weeks. We’ll see if that slows down the inevitable. He still enjoys wildlife watching out the window, exploring when it’s cool out, lounging in the grass. I just need to work with his old man energy to keep him as active as possible. #travelingwithdogs #seniordogs #bullador #vantravelwithdogs #wayfarerchallenge A large black dog sits in a bed in a van and gazes out the window. by @classyearlgrey

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5 months ago