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The Daily Bucket - The Gloomy Rocks, 10 Years of Photos! [1]
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Date: 2022-08-22
One of the pictures that started it all, taken October 23, 2012.
In the Daily Buckets, we often talk about phenology, in which natural phenomena are observed over a period of time. Usually that involves plants, animals, and climate. To my knowledge, no Daily Bucket has ever covered the observation of a pair of rocks over a span of time. So, here ‘tis, folks!
The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge. We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
Each note is a record that we can refer to in the future as we try to understand the phenological patterns that are quietly unwinding around us. To have the Daily Bucket in your Activity Stream, visit Backyard Science’s profile page and click on Follow.
Ten years ago, I was wrapping up a forestry job in western Washington. I was all set to pack up the truck and make the long trip to Georgia, until I got a phone call from the client I’d been working for. “Would you like to do a few weeks of work near McCall, Idaho before you go home?” I had never worked there, so I saw it as an opportunity to see explore new territory (and pad my bank account, too). My assigned work began near the town of Cascade and progressed northward. By the middle of October, I was staying in a motel in McCall and getting to know the area.
McCall and Payette Lake. Rotary Park is marked with the red waypoint.
Located 100 miles north of Boise, McCall has long been a tourist destination. The land around Payette Lake has been heavily developed, leaving only a few sites with public access. One such site is Rotary Park, occupying a sliver of land between Highway 55 and Payette Lake. On my first visit there, I noticed a pair of prominent boulders along the shore, and took this picture.
October 15, 2012.
When I posted this pic in a photo diary, someone called it the Gloomy Rocks, and the name stuck. A week later, an early snowfall arrived. I took the pic featured at the top of this diary, and it remains one of my favorites. Here is another angle from that snowy day, looking towards the northeast.
The next year, I was back (2013 was the infamous Year of the Hornet). I was there all of August and September, camping in the woods. Every few days, I’d go to town to stock up on groceries and ice. Often I would spend time at Rotary Park before returning to the hills, so I got plenty of pictures. Some were gloomy, some were very pleasant. Here is a sampling.
August 2, 2013.
Catching up on my data entry, and enjoying the view, August 5, 2013.
August 7, 2013.
August 9, 2013.
August 26, 2013
September 3, 2013.
September 9, 2013, with tourist boat.
September 24, 2013. Definitely a gloomy day.
But the ducks didn’t mind.
Four hours later, on the same day.
September 29, 2013, another gloomy day.
September 30, my final pic of 2013.
My next visit to McCall occurred in 2015, and I was only in the area for about a week. Of course I took the time to check on the Gloomy Rocks.
September 8, 2015, a fine sunny day.
September 12, 2015, looking towards the west shore. Brundage Mountain is in the distance.
September 14, 2015, looking northeast at sunrise.
In 2016, I returned in early July. When I arrived, the lake level was high, and the rocks were nearly submerged.
July 9, 2016.
July 15, 2006, framed by ponderosa pines.
October 4, 2016.
2016 was the first year that Noble Fur traveled with me. I tried to get her to pose on the rocks for me, but she did not like crowds or exposed places.
October 26, 2016. Okay, you have your picture. I’m ready to go!
2019 saw me returning to the area for several weeks in September and October.
September 5, 2019. Wildflowers had been planted in the park.
October 8, 2019. High and dry.
By now you are wondering if this diary will ever end. Relax, we have reached 2022!
Yes, people do use the park. In fact, it is often very crowded. I generally make an effort to take my pictures when people are not near the rocks. New for this year, a dock with swimming lanes.
July 20, 2022.
August 10, 2022.
For the grand finale, there should be fireworks, right?
July 4, 2022.
July 4, 2022.
Mark your calendars for August 2032, for the twentieth anniversary edition of Gloomy Rocks!
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