Geography | Raising Jane

Okay, it’s confession time. I’m directionally challenged, but I’m getting out my maps of the world. Will you be my witness and travel companion? From Georgia to Gallup, Greece to Gibraltar, I’m determined to go to my grave without taking another wrong turn.

I found one!

Posted on January 15, 2012 by maryjane

With headlines like “Rare Sightings!” and “Snowy Owls Seen As Far South As Oklahoma,” I decided I wanted to find one. Popularized by Hedwig in the Harry Potter movies, snowy owls aren’t complete strangers to my region, but this year’s migration has been highly publicized. Taking a tip from a friend, I loaded my camera into my jeep and headed out. Only 15 minutes from my farm …

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Cherry says:

January 15, 2012 at 8:47 am

Such a beautiful way of life, slow and simple….Oh, how I long for just a weekend of such loveliness.

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Debra Davis says:

January 15, 2012 at 4:56 pm

What a great outing! Thanks for sharing.

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Pam deMarrais says:

January 17, 2012 at 4:01 pm

What a great story! I loved hearing the contributing factors to the migration, and I truly enjoyed the beautiful photos! Thanks for sharing!

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Sherry says:

January 17, 2012 at 5:09 pm

I am so jealous! I’ve been trying to catch a glimpse of an owl (any kind) for at least the past five years near our home in the catskill mountains of upstate NY. I can hear them hoot on the outskirts of our field, but have never seen a bird. Last fall my husband said one night when I wasn’t home (of course) he heard so many behind our house he assumed they must be migrating. My neighbor unfortunately ran into one with her car while he was diving for a mouse on the road. So, evidently their are indeed many in our area, yet I have yet to spot one. 🙁 Thanks for your beautiful photos – & wish me luck owl prowling… 🙂

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Grace E. Brooks says:

January 18, 2012 at 6:19 am

What a serene setting! I wish I were there. I admire your magazine and books…my lifelines since I became disabled in 2010. I get soooo excited when my magazine arrives; and I save them for reference.
Yes the are dog eared and well read. I share them with my sister and as a result we are both living greener-she is a convert. I am lookin for a treadle sewing machine that works-I have one that cannot be fixed- it is from the 1800’s and someone was throwing it out 3 years ago and I rescued it. One of the pieces of the main machine mechanism-connected to the thread uptake is broken off!
Keep up the good work! God bless….Sisterhood #2938

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Eileen Widman says:

January 20, 2012 at 11:12 am

I love these photos!
We have had a mated pair of Snowy Owls around our little farmstead in Quilcene Washington several winters in a row. I have not been able to get a photo of them though. My neighbor up the hill hears them at night too and we can hear them calling back and fourth to each other through the night. Such a great place to live, where the wildlife is still wild.

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Penny says:

May 15, 2015 at 11:39 am

I really like your pictures and would like permission to paint a few of them. At this point I am a not painting for sale, just thought I would let you know. Thank you and look forward to your reply.

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- MaryJane says:
  
  May 15, 2015 at 3:34 pm
  
  We’d rather you didn’t paint from this bunch because we turn them into cards and sometimes we paint them ourselves. Thanks for your understanding.
  
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virtual vacation

Posted on January 14, 2012 by maryjane

“It was on a summer’s evening
The air was still and calm
I drove out to the highway
Where a traveler’s soul belongs …”

So begins singer Patty Larkin’s ode to “The Road,” and it makes me wonder: are you overcome with …

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Guatemala Bound

Posted on January 12, 2012 by megan

Have you been to Guatemala? My husband, Lucas, and I will be traveling there soon for work, so I looked up a few facts that probably won’t aide me in my travels, but you never know.

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Taylor Valliant says:

January 12, 2012 at 4:35 pm

Hi Megan,

Just clicked on a facebook link and ended up here! So great to hear you are traveling to Guatemala. Are you bringing the kids? I have been there twice … it is one of my favorite places in the world. Morgan and I have family friends in Guatemala City if you need a contact. They both went to the University of Indiana (the wife is American) and met Morgan’s Aunt there. They have a couple kids and are extremely welcoming. Guate is very dangerous at night so make sure you make concrete plans for when you get there… Places you should go if you can… Tikal, Finca Isabel, Coban, Panajachel. El Mirador is the new ruin that has recently been excavated… Morgan and I hiked there before it was all unearthed. Just was featured in the Smithsonian and looks amazing. Hope you all are well. Wish I could pack myself in your suitcase!
-Taylor

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- Meg says:
  
  January 13, 2012 at 12:34 pm
  
  So great to hear from you Taylor. We are so excited. We will only have a couple of days for exploring but can’t wait. It’s just the two of us. Glad to hear you’ve been and loved it. I wish I could pack you in my suitcase too! Huge hugs to you and Morgan and kids!!
  
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festive eating around the world

Posted on December 19, 2011 by maryjane

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Feliz Navidad! The winter tradition of getting the family together, giving gifts, and celebrating religious ties is deeply rooted in almost every culture in the world. As we all come together this winter and celebrate, we have traditional foods unique to our family and heritage. Here are some of the celebratory foods I’d like to know more about. In the years to come, I’m going to …

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Kathy says:

February 21, 2018 at 7:22 pm

Love your magazine and website!

I am a “real” farm girl, having been raised on a 2,000 acre wheat and barley ranch in Eastern WA. We also had a large scale operation raising market cattle and hogs, owned several horses, maintained a large flock of chickens, milking cows, and always had an endless supply of barn cats, along with the typical farm dog.

We kids stayed very busy with 4-H, Campfire Girls, the Grange, and raised a huge garden with fruit trees and berries. I attended a 3-room country school and feel I was fortunate growing up like I did.

My comment is this: having both 100% maternal Norwegian Grandparents and 100% paternal Finnish Grandparents in my bloodline, I wish to correct your description of Lutefisk and Lefse. Both are Norwegian delicacies not Finnish. For the record, keep the Lutefisk but I absolutely love the lefse!

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photo-of-the-day

Posted on December 17, 2011 by maryjane

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photo-of-the-day

Posted on December 12, 2011 by maryjane

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snowiest place on earth

Posted on December 10, 2011 by maryjane

Can you guess the snowiest place on earth?

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Lauren says:

December 10, 2011 at 6:25 am

Oh that is too funny! I never would have guessed a mountain named Paradise would be the snowiest place on earth!
My husband’s aunt lives in Washington, and though we’re here on the East coast I’d love to make it out there sometime next year and visit with her. I’m hoping we might be able to make the drive from there and stay a couple nights at your B&B as well! Does it fill up fast for the year?
<3 Lauren

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- MaryJane says:
  
  December 10, 2011 at 7:06 am
  
  I love learning surprise geography facts. Our B&B does in fact fill up fast. Call my daughter, Meggie, as soon as you are able, 208-882-6819. We would LOVE to have you.
  
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WellActually says:

January 28, 2012 at 12:18 am

Well the thing to remember of course that the places that really get heavy snowfall don’t
have any practical way of measuring the snowfall since either A) the area is too rugged
and dangerous to get to because of either the heavy glaciation, high elevation and bad
weather B) if they could get to it there still wouldn’t be a reliable way to measure the
snowfall given that avalanches would make trying to measure snow very hazardous
as well as the fact that avalanches, high wind and other factors would distort what
the real actual snowfall is.

Suffice to say there are many places in the world that have a better preciptiation/cold temp
combination with heavier glaciation than Rainer or Mount Baker so places like Paradise(which isn’t
even at the highest elevation on Rainer) and Mount Baker Ski Resort both in Washington(still lower
in elevation than Mount Baker) while without a doubt to get a lot of snowfall the reality is that
there are numerous places that most likely would show higher snowfall totals if there was a way
to reliably measure the snowfall in a safe way.

Some of the areas that I’m sure that do receive more snowfall than in Paradise or Mount Baker
would be in the St Elias Range(Mount Fairweather and Mount St Elias) in Southeast Alaska
(that borders British Columbia and Yukon Territory respectively). The Chugach range in southern
alaska is another potential area. The British columbia coast range(in particular around Mount
Waddinton and Mount Ratz)

The southern Alps in New Zealand would be another possibility(in particular mount cook)

Patagonia and specifically in some areas of the southern patagonia icefield(to be really specific
around TYNDALL glacier and Aguilera volcano).

an 18000 foot volcano in Colombia called Nevado de Huila which seems to be snowiest mountain
if the weather predictions for http://www.mountain-forecast.com/ are reliable.

In the Himalayas Kangchenjunga(the 3rd highest mountain in the word and the most southern
and easterly of the 8000 Meter peaks which means it probably gets hit by the monsoon more
than the other 8000 meter peaks. Also the largest glacier, called the Zemu glacier, originates
from the east face of Kangchenjunga), Annapurna,Manaslu and what is called the Assam
Himalaya in the extreme eastern part of the Himalayas.

Here is a pretty good thread on this that gives much more detail

http://www.americanwx.com/bb/index.php/topic/879-snowiest-place-on-earth/

Ya so in reality, as much snow as Paradise gets, I highly doubt that it would be the snowiest place
on earth

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LISA VONSAUNDER- seed woman says:

January 11, 2016 at 8:24 am

When I was a teacher in Kashmir India , I could see Annapurna, and sometimes Mt. Everest, daily . It’s a huge high range so they only look like blips on the top. But the entire Himalayan Range is very impressive indeed, especially viewed on a daily basis . I could see the glaciers which were probably larger and deeper back then before the climate crisis. We did not have snow much in the deep valley where I lived ( 7,000 ft+) but it was all around if you went any distance from the Dal lake in Srinagar.
Very impressive info WellActually, I am sure we all learned a lot.

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Boston (Busting a Gut in Boston)

Posted on November 30, 2011 by maryjane

Aly traveled recently to the lovely city of Boston. Boston is home to an abundance of national treasures, major events in U.S. history and architecture that will leave you drooling. From the beautiful brick buildings, stunning steeples, the historic Faneuil Hall, scenic Boston Harbor, legendary Harvard Square, and shop-filled Newberry Street, is there anything better than Boston in the fall?

Take it from here, Aly!!!!!

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Steph Worrell says:

November 30, 2011 at 8:33 pm

Very nice – is that you making the recipe?

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Susan says:

November 30, 2011 at 9:59 pm

How do you say “float” in Italian? Looks delightful either way. Thanks Alyson!!!
Susan

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Jayne Phillips says:

December 1, 2011 at 5:48 am

Boston….one of my favorites, for obvious reasons (Tara is my daughter). I’m envious that you got to try Sportello before me! It’s on my list for the next trip, in 2012. Thanks Alyson.

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Debbie says:

December 1, 2011 at 11:22 am

Well, had I known a fellow sister was going to be so near, I would have joined you Alyson! Looks like you found your way around just fine without me though! 🙂 I would have been an awful guide… I was given a G.P.S. for my birthday a couple of weeks ago! Boston is a wonderful city and the North End has some of the best Italian food going! Deb ( mjf BEACH FARMGIRL BLOGGER )

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