Harts Pass No. 548

OK. This week the Virgina Ridge fire forced us to evacuate our home. We are fortunate. My mom was out of town and visiting my brother, so we set up camp in her house... for nearly two weeks! Ultimately our house was fine. I mowed back a ton of stuff, cut down shrubs, and watered like crazy. We live in a neighborhood on the fringe of the woods, but it is a neighborhood with dirt roads and most people have 30+ feet of cleared and watered lawn or landscaping. It felt reasonably safe to leave... and the fire crews checked on everything and touched up a firewise effort or two in the process. The blaze came within about 1/4 mile of home -- on the ridge above -- but it felt much closer than that. So many of these strips are autobiographical... and this one more than most. Thank you fire fighters!

Harts Pass No. 547

To me, this strip perfectly illustrates both Thor's insatiable curiosity... and the kinds of things that happen when you sometimes just blindly follow your gut. Keep it up, Thor! We love you for it!

Harts Pass No. 546

 

Amazing to think that we can now make a joke or two about masking. Don't get me wrong. It was invaluable and NECESSARY! With the return on wildfire smoke however...  

Harts Pass No. 545

Just a little pondering on the one potential upside of the summer heat... 

Harts Pass No. 544

The "heat" comics continue. I need some kind of outlet for my existential angst about the temperatures!

Harts Pass No. 543

Getting into the mountains is usually a good way to escape the heat. This summer? Not so much, but the wolverines are hopeful!

Harts Pass No. 542

Another #haikucomic to kick off the summer days. And hot, Hot, HOT ones at that! 100+ degrees on June 14th. What?? This is no an auspicious way to kick things off for the summer fire season :( #soitgoes #climatechange

Harts Pass No. 541

Today's comic takes us up to the final days of school and the first "unofficial" days of summer. Still a few more days until we hit that calendar solstice, but we'll take it! The adventure begins!!! 

 

Harts Pass no. 540

The wolverines are watching here, but my own daughter just graduated from high school! We feel INCREDIBLY fortunate that we were able to host an outdoor graduation and that on some relative scale as compared to last year and the most recent school year -- graduation was about as normal as can be. Congrats, kiddo, to you and all of your fellow graduates in the class of 2021. GRRR!!!

Hart Pass no. 539

One of those fun little attempts to find a connection between animals in the world and the wolverines right here in our little slice of the North Cascades. 

 

Harts Pass no. 538

 

We have reached to stage of this pandemic, where the masks can come off a bit. Vaccines are here and the spread (for now) feels calmed. That being said, I'd really like to NOT be wearing masks again for poor air quality and smoke. Be smart out there people!

PS Sorry, I missed last week with the comic-making. It happens :)

Harts Pass no. 536

Almost Mother's Day. Have a good one :) 

 

Harts Pass no. 535

Since 2006 I have walked the woods above our house. It is the edge of wilderness - coyotes, black bears, maybe a cougar or two watching me as I walk. Today there are flags. Change. Someone is marking things -- reclaiming their space. What is happening? All I know is with the intrusion of "civilization" I have never felt more uncomfortable in these woods. 

Harts Pass no. 534

 

Some of my favorite strips are the ones that make sense both philosophically... and in relation to current happenings and/or a liberal use of Harts Pass critters as anthropomorphic stand-ins :) And here we have a very nice match-up (if I do say so myself) of both some good advice, the current track season, AND of course the hawk (or eagle) and the hare -- just a little quick and obvious for his own good. More updates on the way!

Harts Pass no. 533

Kind of fun when a current news brief fits nicely with the comic. Sometimes I seek out news on wolverines or specific stories about the North Cascades. This week, a blurb about grizzly research just came across my "feed." Interesting to a degree, but based on following deer paths through the woods etc. I am usually surprised at how "logical" they seem. When looking up the hill myself and trying to plot the most efficient, least steep way to ascend, it commonly fits with some sort of animal trail. Nobody wants to work TOO hard if there isn't some more compelling reason to make the path more direct. 

 

Harts Pass no. 532

Ah, the spring break. And so it always goes. Something of a break. Something of a chore. I know that some people really embrace this annual ritual with an escape to some sort of warmer clime. That has not been my practice, nor, I think, would it be my preference. A little yard work. A little wandering the hills. Call me "vacationed." Let's get on with it. 

 

Harts Pass no. 531

THIS comic is a total inside joke based on some discussions amongst the XC team. And so I ask you, which is more pleasant, a worm or a snake? Somehow the "worm moon" coincides with this ongoing debate. Snakes are clearly the best!

 

Harts Pass no. 530

Birds chirping insanely in the morning. Blustery, windy days that look warm but are actually frigid... spring is delightfully cruel. 

 

Harts Pass no. 529

I DO really like this one. Just a simple visual with a kind of nice surprise at the end -- AND it makes perfect sense with the 3.17 publication date for the comic :)

 

Harts Pass no. 528

Phew! At this point in the ever-evolving pandemic, I feel like we might be removing masks and getting a little too comfortable with the idea that a vaccine with fix everything. I mean, for starters, we have to convince a bunch of people to actually go and GET the vaccine...