Looking Backward and Forward...

We arrived in Poulsbo 1 year ago today. We made a good choice. It was, after all, a choice. We often likened it to the scene in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid where they are faced with jumping off a cliff to escape their otherwise certain fate and the Kid confesses he can't swim. Then Butch says "Well hell. The fall will probably kill you!" And they join hands and leap. We knew that if the fall didn't kill us, it would be a fantastic adventure. So we joined hands and leaped. The rewards have been numerous. Less stress, natural beauty everywhere you look, less noise, new things to see and do; everyday this is true. As my somewhat mundane chronicling over the past year has shared, we have made a home and a life here. A full and rich one at that.

Sometimes when John is in the Bay Area, he drives by the old house. It looks well cared for by the new owners. I'm glad the house has new people. I'm glad we are done there.That house got a second life after we remodeled it. But I don't regret for a single moment our decision to leave.

I expect this second year will bring its own discoveries. We'll settle in, put down roots (literally and figuratively), and grow our lives.

With that in mind, though John has often resisted the idea of a riding mower, we will be getting one. Soon. He can choose to use it or not, but I will most happily use it. After helping with the mowing last weekend (which I actually enjoy), it seemed clear to me that 4 times the horse power and 3 times the cutting width, while sitting down no less, would all be good things. Imagine completing the mowing in a single day! So, we may not get a riding mower for John, but we surely will get one for me! How else will he get the shed built and the vegetable gardens tended, and the berries picked, etc., etc.? Since we both work full-time, there is precious little time left for "stuff we want to do". A riding mower will help. "Nuff said.

Tonight we are going out to dance! We have finished the class and this is a sort of "graduation" event. Actually, when we remember the steps, we have improved in the past year. And if we can't recall the actual steps, we are comfortable making some up! It's all fun anyway.

On a final note, we said goodbye to one of our little "family". Atlanta (means "swift-footed huntress") was our 17 year old cat who, though small, was the clear alpha leader of the household. She embodied the notion that "it's not the size of the cat in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the cat". Katie picked her out from a litter at the local shelter. She was very wee. But she had personality and spirit to spare. She lived a good life and I'm glad she made the trip up here (we weren't sure she would survive it) because this last year she seemed to really enjoy this new place. But she had hit a rough patch these past two months and I think, when the time finally came, that she was relieved. She will be remembered fondly.

So, year two is upon us. We survived the leap of faith. Swimming onward...

There be Vikings here!

Viking Days are here! Last year we arrived a week too late to get in on the fun. But the burg holds this annual festival in honor of its Norwegian roots and this year we went to particpate in some small way. This first photo is while we waited for the parade to begin. I have no idea how many people show up for this, but we parked at the High School and took a shuttle bus in as there is no place to park. (And we walked the 30 minutes back to the car afterwards, uphill). But we bought an ice cream at the newly opened ice creamery and luckily found that one of their little tables outside had no occupants.

So, we enjoyed front row seating for the parade! And the parade lasted for 2 hours! One of our favorite entries was the "shopping cart drill team" in the next photo. They had some choreography that really went above and beyond! And of course there were the requisite Miss This or That riding on convertibles, some horseback riders (near the end, of course), some floats, miltary configurations (it's also Armed Forces weekend up here), and several marching bands. And lots of folks dressed up in Viking apparel (furskins and helmets with horns seemed to be the order of the day) or traditional Norwegian dress. There were the local high schools and middle schools represented as well as high schools from as far away as Tacoma and Everett. And they were all quite good. And we heard a lone bagpipe player who was very good (and that's not a compliment I hand out easily!). We also enjoyed lunch at our favorite fish and chips place while we were there. Left the house at noon and back by 5pm. 

Prior to leaving for the parade, we managed to put in some time in the garden. The grass in some parts has grown very long and has not been mow-able due to weather and wet ground. So this first pass is murder. I managed to trim around the house and help remove some of the rocks from the rockery (otherwise  known as our vegetable garden beds). We did not manage to plant the dogwood tree or the rhody last weekend. We'll have a go at it today. Or maybe we won't. There is still more grass to mow and trim which is higher on the priority list.

It seems as if, all at once, summer appears here. The daylight has extended itself from just before 5am until 9:30pm and will grow even longer the next few weeks. The weather has turned a corner with temperatures finally reaching the 70s. And people are taking full advantage of it. They're out and about in larger numbers, dressed in summer clothing (70 degrees means shorts and tank tops up here).Next week marks one year in this not-so-new-anymore place. Stay tuned...

May on the Sound...

We have turned the corner on spring now. It's a little chilly (mid-30 degree range) in the mornings yet, but edging into the 60s reliably during the day. Everything is fresh and green. We visited a lovely nursery last weekend and brought home a pink dogwood tree, a rhododendron with yellow flowers striped with a dark orange, and a few small plants for the garden. There was so much to see that we didn't get through half of it and will return for another visit. We are hoping to get the tree and the rhody in the ground today. We picked up the horse manure last weekend and some of it has been tilled into one of the vegetable garden beds. The rest is waiting to go into the other two once they have been cleared of rocks and are tillable. But we have some peas planted. That's a start. John has been challenged to mow the yard/meadow/jungle clearing because it is still very wet in many places.

We did, in fact, go dancing last weekend and had a fun time meeting some new folks and just creating chaos on the dance floor. If only we could remember the steps that we practice so diligently in class once we are on our own! Oh well. The band was very good. Our dance class is having a "graduation party" after the last class in this cycle in 2 weeks time. We've signed up to go again.

Yesterday we went by ferry into Seattle and walked over to Qwest Stadium to watch the Seattle Sounders play the LA Galaxy (that's soccer, or football to my international friends). There were 36,000 in attendance, some fireworks, flyovers, confetti, a band, a "crazies section"; all the necessary things I guess. The club is well-supported up here and it seems to be what baseball once was for families and accessible sporting events. Oh yeah, they lost 4-0 to LA (who are the leading team in the west). We are going to watch the local club (the Kitsap Pumas) next and see what we think.

Today we are going into the burg to visit the Marine Science Center. There are many local things of interest that are on my list of "places to see and do" now. Another one is the Grover's Creek Salmon Hatchery that is run by the Suquamish tribe. It's literally just down the road. After we visit the Center, we'll try out the newly opened ice cream shop in town so I can report back :-)

Lastly, we have 4 hummingbirds frequenting the feeder on the front porch these days. They are very interesting to watch as they maneuver around and with each other. And they are very tiny compared to the ones we had in California. At the other end of the bird spectrum, John saw another bald eagle this week and lovely red-tailed hawk doing a lazy flyover. Looking forward to what the new week will bring...

May Day Basket...

We're almost here a year! How quickly it has gone by. We still love this new place and think ourselves very fortunate to have been able to take the leap.

John is back from the Bay Area once again. While he was away, we had some rain and some sun (usually in the same day). It was good for the herbs I planted last weekend. And good for me since I didn't have to water them. Last weekend, John cleared all the rocks from one of the three garden patches. Today, we will  pick up a load of horse manure from a co-worker who has 2 "rescue horses". Once that is tilled under, we should be able to start planting a few vegetables.

We're going dancing tonight. Real dancing. Not lessons. I give John kudos for doing this. He clearly does it just for me as dancing is not on his list of "things I really want to do". He knows I enjoy music and dancing and is willing to put himself out there just for that reason enough. Thank you my dear :-) We even have fun!

Other items of minimal interest to anyone else: we have a steady (and we think round-the-clock) stream of birds at the feeders these days. Especially the little thistle seed eaters (chickadees, finches, etc.). They are plowing through the seed at a speedy pace. The nut eaters have backed off for now. I suspect they are finding other food available in the woods now.What is left of the seeds and nuts, the lone, skittish squirrel is finishing. He's quite an acrobat. The house martins have reappeared and seem to be shopping for the right place to build a new house (on our house).

We're off the breakfast at the Farm House this morning. It's a once-a-month opportunity that we enjoy and anticipate. A good start to the weekend. So, Happy May Day to you all. Enjoy...

Life on the Homestead...

Houston. I spent a few days there last week.. Don't think I'd enjoy living there and was glad to get back home. The conference was good as most are. I learned a few things and gained some new perspectives (since it wasn't a nursing conference). Still, it's better to be home.

John managed quite well with the nurse duties for Atlanta (means "swift-footed huntress"), our elderly cat. She's looking none the worse for the experience (and neither is he). He will return to the Bay Area this week again and the house will have that "less-full" feeling for a few days. Funny how presence can be felt even when it's quiet. He will be missed for a few days.

If the weather would cooperate, we would get our garden planted and the lawn/meadow/jungle clearing mowed. It is going to need a hay baler if the ground doesn't dry out soon so we can "mow". Maybe we need a few rent-a-goats.

We went to dance class last night. Next weekend, we've been invited to go out and actually "dance". Scary thought. But we'll give it a whirl (figuratively, since I don't actually "whirl"). We are knackered by the end of each class. I'm certain it gets easier when one actually knows what to do without so much thought. I just hope that happens soon!

For the weekend, there are the usual necessary errands and tasks that can't be accomplished when both people work full-time during the week. A visit to the post office to retrieve yet another package, the Farmers Market, some grocery shopping, and a trip to Costco is needed for a few things in large quantities. Laundry, housecleaning, and the dog needs a "pedicure" (really just nail clipping, but she doesn't like to hear that). The weather is a bit iffy today, so tomorrow will be the outdoor day. Predicted to be sunny and 60 degrees. I've been collecting new fabrics to start another quilt project. This one will be a landscape  hanging that looks very much like our Pacific Northwest area here. Just one in the queue. Down the line there are chickens, the Grand Canyon, bears, etc., etc. I'll break into the soccer matches on TV to get a few things marked off the "honey-do" list as well :-) We're approaching the anniversary of our move in a few weeks. Seems like we've been here longer, but the time has surely flown!

Have a good one....I know I will :-)

Home and Away...

Eleven months in. Spring is doing its thing here. Lots of new greenery and the Scotch Broom is coming out everywhere. Not a native plant, but it does lend lovely yellow color to the roadsides. Our new fruit trees are thriving. And the remaining 2 lilac bushes arrived this week for planting today or tomorrow. My herb boxes for the deck also arrived and I will begin filling them just in time for al fresco dining! The Farmers Market in town has finally resumed and I will visit it today on my "rounds".

John was away last week and this week I will be in Houston through Wednesday. Attending a conference there. He will have to take over the nurse duties for our elderly feline patient while I'm gone. She's looking better. Finally.

Also, I have not had my hair cut in a year. They say the two hardest people to leave behind when you move are your doctor and your hairdresser. I will take the plunge and visit a new stylist today. Nothing drastic. Just some freshening up a bit. I'm liking it longer for now.

So, it's been a quiet week. Lots of errands and "stuff" to accomplish today before I leave tomorrow. So, I'll fininsh this coffee that I made too strong this morning and get on with it. See ya....

Natural High...

It doesn't get much better than this! Washing dishes after supper last evening and saw this beautiful eagle fly by (low) and then land on a tree across the road. They are large! We stood and watched him for several minutes before thinking we'd better get a photo.This is the second one we've seen in as many days. He sat for a long-ish time and his head turned this way and that surveying the area. Hope Mr. Peabody (our local rabbit) keeps out of sight!

Life Surprises...

Sometimes the week just takes you. What's that about 'Life is what happens while you make other plans"? We've had a week of unexpected vet visits (and bills!) for our elderly cat who, we now know, has hyperthyroidism, high blood pressure, a heart murmur, and kidney impairment. And severe arthritis for which she is currently getting some heavy painkillers. She's rallying some but there are limits to how much we can invest. Health care reform hasn't addressed the animal medical system yet! Still, she's a tough old bird and has plenty of spirit. We'll hang in there with her for a while.

John has been home this week so he has been charged with going here and there, following up on our various odds and ends. We signed on with a new insurance company so there was some to and fro to get that completed and implemented.

Meanwhile, my work environment has continued to feel the destabilizing forces that come with change and people are either riding the wave or grabbing hold of any available piece of driftwood to stay above the water. Not all have learned to swim and are waiting to be "rescued". It's Darwin's theory at work. Only the swimmers will survive. And if you can surf, even better. Meanwhile there is a lot of splashing and flailing about in the water.

On the home front, a couple of things have happened. John planted the fruit trees last weekend (two apples and an apricot). And he has almost completed clearing the plots for the first two raised beds for planting. He goes out after he finishes work each evening and works a little. It promises to be a lovely, sunny weekend and he should make good progress today and tomorrow. The boxes I ordered for my herbs should arrive any day as well. They will fit right over the railing on the deck so I will have the herbs handy for cooking. I'll put the rosemary in a separate pot on the deck as I know how large it will grow. And the last two lilac bushes should be here soon. They are in route now. We'll get those in the ground so we can begin to enjoy the heady fragrance before long.

Since we have installed and maintained the bird feeders, the birds have responded with constant activity. We have three different kinds of woodpeckers as regulars, flickers, blue jays, robins, mourning doves, chickadees, an American goldfinch, and some small seed eating brown birds unidentified as yet. More appear weekly. Last week there was a gray whale in Liberty Bay in Poulsbo. We didn't have an opportunity to see it, but I guess it's not unusual. One of the mink was killed on the road nearby and we are sad about that. But Mr. Peabody (the rabbit) is back and we had a nervous squirrel on the bird feeder this week.

We started our Latin ballroom dance classes last evening. I think we managed to retain something from the lessons we had previously! It seemed a little easier somehow. Anyway, when we arrived, I saw another member in the class that looked very familiar. I couldn't place her as I ran through all the places I thought I might have seen her locally. Finally, as we went to leave, she stopped us and introduced herself. She was having the same "I know her from someplace" experience but she had actually thought to check the names on the attendance roster. We worked together in Fremont at Palo Alto Medical! I remember when she left but I hadn't known where she moved. It was Poulsbo! Of course, we both look slightly different (do I admit "older"?), but what a delight it is to see her, meet her husband, and plan for get togethers. They have been here a bit longer than us, so they have some "local" knowledge to share with the more recent transplants.

So, it's off to my weekend now. We'll talk later ;-)

Dancing with the stars...

There was wild-ness in the weather yesterday. Blowing winds and lots of rain, even some snow in some places locally. We escaped without any power outages. And what's that about April showers? The flowers cannot be far behind :-)

John's flight was delayed yesterday so he arrived late last night. We will go to the once-a-month Farm Breakfast this morning and then off to see about new house insurance and to mail out the taxes ;-( It's supposed to be a wet weekend so not much gardening work will be done.

Our guest-cat Roosevelt has spent much of the week cozied up under the box springs of the guest bed. Wednesday he started venturing out when I would come into the room. And today he happily popped out for a tummy rub and words of encouragement. Mister Purrkins is jealous; hissing and growling at their first meeting, better last night. Atlanta (our frail senior citizen) is taking the newbie in stride. We have not let Zoe in on the festivities yet as she will certainly set Roosevelt back by months when he does encounter her. He has no experience with hardheaded brown dogs. It's a bit of a circus here just now.

My celtic harp aspirations have ended. I enjoyed the lessons but clearly not enough to practice diligently or daily. So, I have turned in my harp and will continue to enjoy others who play while I listen. It's just better that way :-) I have, however, enrolled us in Latin ballroom dancing classes beginning next Friday night. We took them in California and enjoyed them (most of the time...aside from the few times when one of us punched her partner in the stomach...). But with our retention abilities, it will be like starting fresh again. Exciting!

So, let's see where this day takes us....

Good Stuff

Well, the wall hanging is finished and hanging. I got the pattern in Arizona (on Route 66!) when we traveled through there. It's called Shaman's Dream. I love the colors and the intensity.

We had a really nice visit with daughter Karen this weekend. It was her first time to see the place. Thankfully Saturday's weather was nice and we took our time getting back from the airport; stopping for lunch, riding the ferry across, and stopping off at Central Market to pick up dinner supplies. The rest of the weekend (and I include Monday in there since I had a day off) was rainy and unpredictable. We even had a large amount of hail on Monday and lost power briefly. But we still managed to show her a few "must-see" attractions in the 'burg. Today, both she and John headed to California.

Gareth arrived on Saturday evening to deliver his cat "Roosevelt" for safekeeping while he goes off on a training venture. Except for his mad dash up the stairs and a brief reclusive stint in the bathtub, we haven't really seen much of him. He's hiding in the box springs of one of the guest beds. Comes out at night to wolf down some food and water left by the safe house, uses the litter box (apparently) and returns to his "hammock" down under. He seems like a gentle, sweet cat and I'm sure we'll get to know each other over time. After all, it only took Mister Purrkins a year and a half to sit on my lap :-)

A bald eagle flew across my path today as I was driving home. What a beautiful sight that was. We see them here and there occasionally. There is so much to look at up here. I feel like I breathe deeper just taking it in...

Doodley Doin'

Spring! Saturday! All good!

I finished that wall-hanging quilt and will shortly have a photo to share. I just need to get a couple dowel rods to put in the hanging sleeve and the bottom sleeve in order to hang it. Should be done by tomorrow.

Daughter Karen is arriving in a few hours for her first look at Poulsbo. Should be quite a culture shock from Los Angeles. Hopefully one she finds pleasant. We're off to the airport this morning. And Gareth will be coming up tonight from Portland to join the visit and to hand off his cat Roosevelt for our safekeeping while he moves to Las Vegas to pursue a job there.

No more mice have invaded my car (knock wood). Mouse #2 was caught earlier this week. Hopefully the word has gone out through the mouse community that, like Hotel California, you can check in, but you can't check out from that abode. Truly, it's rather unnerving to drive and worry about small furry things joyriding with me.

We received a note from our homeowners insurance hat they will not renew our policy this year because we are not within 1000 feet of a fire hydrant. Duh!! We live in the country!! I contacted the fire department (who are within 2 miles down the road in a shiny big station with several trucks) to find out where the nearest hydrant actually is. It's further than a mile. But they are confident that with a local agent we will not have difficulty getting a policy and a decent rate. On my agenda of "must do soon" items.

Lots of organizational changes at my work. It's undergoing quite a transformational shift. I'm far enough down the food chain that it isn't affecting me much or the work I do. At least not yet. Health care is always in a challenging state and a one-off community hospital is becoming a rarity these days. But there are some committed people there with the right ideas and I'm excited to be part of it. After months of being split apart and temporarily placed here and there (after our former digs flooded and are uninhabitable now), our department will finally be moving to a permanent location in the next month. That will be good.

So, the weekend is underway. Gotta go....

Clash of the Titans (not the movie)

Spring and Winter are hard at it. It seems like the transitions from Spring to Summer to Fall to Winter go along fairly smoothly. One fades into the other and there it is. But Spring and Winter both want to claim March and the battle is pretty fierce. Green is budding everywhere, daffodils are smiling, and then there's frost each morning, wind and rain. It's a much more dynamic shift than the other seasons. And of course the mere humans that live it are chomping at the bit to realize Spring and participate in all those plans in the making pent up over the winter months. We're cheering for Spring.

We had a beautiful few days this week which culminated yesterday with temperatures well into the 60s and, in some areas south of us, the 70s. Windows were opened, grass was cut. I got some African violets for the recently added plant stand in the dining room. Things seem a little "fresher".

We went to a newly opend "pub" in the burg called the Hound and Hare for dinner. Wanted to see if they actually captured the pub atmosphere since I haven't seen it happen yet over here (in the U.S.). They didn't. It is now in the category of "had to try it, but won't go back". A pub is a hard thing for Americans to truly appreciate or replicate. I can say this because I am one of those Americans and I love to visit pubs in the U.K. for just that experience that so eludes us over here. It's much more than the menu or the beer that is served. Although that is certainly part of it. I love pub food and wholly disagree with those who persist in proclaiming British food to be bland and boring. One wonders where these poor folks are eating. I haven't had that experience. Ever. Not in pubs, not in restaurants, certainly not in my friends' homes. Okay...maybe in the motorway cafes. I'll give you that one. Thankfully that's a rare experience. So, to return to Poulsbo...the Hound and Hare made a poor showing. Not as bad as a motorway cafe. Not nearly as good as other favorite local venues. And not one British dessert on the menu! That capped it.

I hung up the wind chime  intended to deter the wily woodpecker that has claimed out house as his "local". I haven't seen him at his spot though John believes he may have been there briefly on Friday. But while composing this blog entry, I have heard him and his little jackhammer working away somewhere. Possibly on a new spot on the house. This means war! I wouldn't mind him calling on us, but he leaves holes! I have no idea what will deter him. I expect there will be a lot of yelling and waving. It's the best I've got in my artillery.

It looks like it will be a quiet day today; some rain is starting to fall. Winter is not ready to capitulate just yet...

Thar She Blows...

A big windstorm blew in yesterday afternoon. The hospital went on generator power about 1:30, but wind was hardly noticed as the cause. But when I arrived home the power was still out here and there was a fair amount of debris on the roads during the trip. So, gate to the driveway closed (I figured this out after pressing the transmitter about 10 times!), I parked the car off the road and trekked in (all 50 - 100 yards?). After I fed the animals and opened the mail, there wasn't much else that could be accomplished, so I practiced the harp for the recommended 30 minutes. Then, because we can't get a cell phone signal at the house (down in the hollar) and I knew John would be phoning in per the routine, I left and went in to town so I could chat with him and have some dinner. I ended up at a Japanese restaurant and enjoyed it very much. It's been well over a year since I have been to one. And it was packed with many other Tuesday night/power out at home diners. Once back at the house, I practiced he harp some more (I'm getting quite reasonable at those scales) and then lit (lots) of candles by which I read until time for bed. I alos rustled up a regular phone that works without electricity. Added the heaviest blanket we own to the bed, some socks on my feet, and considered how much light and noise the house usually generates when it's powered. It was very still and very dark and I slept wonderfully. At least until 4am when the Z-dog stirred and we were up for the day. I am thankful that I have a shower and some coffee on-site available to me this morning. The power came back about 1am if the clocks are any indication. That's my drama for the week. Take care...

Spring Ahead...

It's interesting to me the way people say "It's a gloomy day" or the "weather is gloomy" in response to rain or overcast days. I heard someone (on their cell phone...in the seat next to me....don't get me started) describe Minneapolis where we stopped over en route from Tampa Wednesday as " it's gloomy here" because it was overcast and raining. That sort of stuck with me as people "warned" us that the Pacific Northwest would be "raining a lot". Has it been gloomy? I never think of it that way. I think of those days as the quiet ones; it's like the sky is a big, cozy quilt and the day is just "quieter". Not that it's rained that much anyway. We are a couple weeks away from the time we visited last year to go through the house inspection and the weather was bursting with Spring then. So, maybe the day isn't "gloomy" but the person describing it is? Something to think about.

John planted some wild roses and some "Ocean Spray" trees yesterday while I was at the Symposium (which was very good, by the way). The trees and roses are native and will grow quite large, filling in the hedgerow along the side of the lawn/meadow/jungle clearing by the road. There are more to plant but the Dogwood trees and the other roses prefer moist soil, so they will go nearer to the wetland on the other side. The daffodils and crocus are putting on a display now too and we can actually see the creek as we look into the woods. It has seemed to grow with winter. We're not threatened in any way by it; it's pretty far away and we're on higher ground even if it did breach the edge of the woods. But it won't.

I will do a little grocery shopping this morning and then I will get the quilt project out again and work on the binding. It's pinned to the quilt so all that's left is the stitching. It should be finished quite soon and I will post a picture. Then I can move on to the next one! Finally, I feel as though we have settled in enough that there is time and space to do these things reliably. And I have a stash to work through during the "quiet" days.

I just remembered that the clocks went back last night. It's later than I think!

I could use a little sci-fi sometimes...

Don't you wish we could teleport? Or travel in a time machine a la Dr.Who? That would certainly make travel more efficient and perhaps less weary. We had good flights yesterday, pretty much on time, and pretty smooth considering we went by some stormy stuff on the way out of Tampa. But our day started quite early (we were at the Tampa airport before 6am - which would be 3am Seattle time) and we arrived at the house at 3:30 Seattle time. And I think of my sister and husband who traveled by car for 12 hours to return to their home in Tennessee the day before. Long days to get together. But really, we are glad to be able to do it! Still, "Beam me up, Scottie" holds a certain attraction.
So today it is back to my alternate universe where I go to work. And Saturday I am involved in a day-long nursing symposium. Not much rest post-vacation :-)....

A Little Break in the Routine...

We've been hanging out on the east coast. Well actually the gulf coast. We traveled to Tampa on Saturday and will return home tomorrow. Meanwhile, John has been attending a conference in the daytime and I have been spending some dear time with my sisters, their spouses, and nieces and nephews. I get to see them all much too infrequently and the time is golden. Lisa and Frank have this amazing blended  family of five kids and two dogs and they are each interesting in their own right and each an essential part of this household. (Yes, even the dogs). My sister Karen and her husband Gary traveled down from Tennessee to be here too and we had some major fun and some girls-only time as well. We even Skyped with our grandmother on the weekend. She will be 97 next weekend. The visit has been a much-appreciated break from routine. I love you guys! Thank you for making this weekend possible.
As for the home front, the unknown raptor in my previous post is identified (tentatively) as a red-tailed hawk (sans the red tail). It might be a young one. At least that's the opinion of the Kitsap Audubon Society. I am advised to get a picture of it as it flies overhead to see the markings on it's underside. I guess we'll keep cameras close to hand and hope for the best since he doesn't announce his intentions to do a fly-over in advance. The woodpecker has continued his house-pecking. The wind chime will go up this next weekend. And the "thingamajiggy" for the door repair arrived and was installed last week. So, we are caught up. That is except for the unwelcome furry critters. It seems that there may be another mouse in the garage. The evidence was in the bird food. Another food block nibbled. So far it has resisted the lure of the peanut butter in the trap.
John picked up twenty trees and twenty wild rose bushes to plant last Friday. Add to that the 3 fruit trees, 3 hazelnut bushes, and 2 more lilac bushes due to arrive any day and he will be a busy fellow in his spare time. Fortunately, they start out quite small. Then he will build at least 2 raised beds to begin the garden.
So, it's starting to really feel like Spring and we are anxious to begin putting down more roots :-)

Much Ado about Nothing...

There is nothing like going to a quilt show to realize how much you have to learn. There were almost 300 quilts on display. Fabulous works of art in their own right. I saw so many new color ideas and motifs. And I came home and ripped out a lot of my stitching in my wall hanging! It could be so much better now that I've seen how the masters do it. I'll strive for that. It wasn't that much of a setback and I'm well on my way again. With a bit of luck, I may complete it this week.

We finally trekked into the woods a bit. As far as we could get before encountering the stream which is too wide and too full to attempt a crossing. It was quite a muddy trek. The kind of mud that makes a sucking sound when you try to lift your foot. And there are brambles everywhere and fallen branches and tree trunks all about. So it was a a challenge to figure out which way to go at times, climbing over obstacles and pushing brambles out of the way. We took the dog (on lead) and she enjoyed it terrifically. Having finally gone in, this week we received a request from the Fish Conservancy to allow a surveyor into the woods to document and map the stream!

I've posted some photos this time. One is our wily woodpecker who has returned and quite brazenly pecks away at the house. Always the same place at the front porch. John was no more than 5 feet from him when he took the photo. I will see if a small wind chime will deter him. He's welcome enough to eat whatever he finds in all the trees. Just not the house! And the other bird is yet unknown. We think he might be a Coopers Hawk, but can't find his particular markings anywhere in our limited birding references. Beautiful fellow though and he must make a home nearby as we have seen him several times. I will gladly have him around to control the mouse population. One of the furry terrorists made his home in my car recently. I had an experience in my formative driving years with another mouse in my car. One took up residence in my first car and would unexpectedly appear while I was driving. Imagine how that went. Many people tried to shoo him out, but he remained until he apparently got caught in the fan of the car heater and died. We had to sell that car. So, I was not too thrilled to find a pile of insulation in the trunk of the car last weekend, indicating that something was making a winter home there. I had seen this a few months ago and assured by my resident naturalist that it could not possibly be a mouse. Perhaps the "stuffing" had fallen out of some package. So, I removed the habitat materials and hoped I wouldn't see it again, wanting to believe this version of reality. Then it appeared last weekend. And no packages had been carried in the trunk. So, I directed the naturalist to get a trap that very day and we put it in the trunk overnight. (the gory part is coming so you can close your eyes here). Sure enough. When I gingerly opened the trunk the next morning, there was a three inch tail protruding from the covered trap. The naturalist took it away. I'm not one to kill critters indiscriminately, but it was either him or me and possibly others who would be on the road when he decided to take a run through the car for kicks one day. Two cats, a shrew chasing dog, and a hawk live here. You would think....oh well.

So, this weekend will be taken up with the usual routine errands plus some preparatory activities as we look ahead to a trip to Tampa next weekend. Speaking of which, I'd better get going....

Random Thoughts from a Life being Lived...

Well, the weather has been spectacular this past week (as I'm sure you have seen if you are watching the Olympics). The sky is a brilliant blue and the mountains are clear and snow-capped (the Olympics, the Cascades, and Mt. Rainier). I haven't been able to see all of them in the same day  for a while. Temps are in the mid-50s during the day and low 30s at night. It's very fresh and energizing.

John has been down south this week and returned last night. I was able to pick him up on my way home from work as he caught an earlier flight than usual. We went home to shed our work week baggage and then had dinner at our "local" in Kingston (about 4 miles). It's a place called "Drifters" near the ferry. If you want a good burger and real fries freshly cut and nicely brown, it's the place to find them. And that's what we wanted. Add to that a pint of Guinness on tap and Friday evening made a nice transition into the weekend.

We made our first visits to a new dentist this week. Also part of establishing a life in a new place. I chose this group because they are watercolorists. As good as any reason to select one. You would think that after a while, there wouldn't be anything else they could find to replace/repair/improve but they always seem to discover something. We should get frequent flossing miles or something.

Last weekend we installed Windows 7 on our home desktop. We had spent the days leading up to it saving files  since we had to clear off Windows XP and do a "clean install". No upgrade from XP. It has not gone too badly. We're re-installing programs now and finding only a few strange behavioral quirks with some pages. And we can finally print reliably from the desktop (which is what started us on the road to installing a new operating system in the first place - after many long discussions with the technical help at Dell)

The weekend brings the final gardening class for John and a quilt show for me. I'm making good progress on the wall hanging. All the applique has been done and I'm almost done "stitching in the ditches". Next will be to do the free-form quilting in the spaces (like dancing on fabric) and then to bind it. Then I can begin another one!

That about does it for now. Take care....

Where Does the Time Go?

Long weekend! It's a holiday Monday and no "getting up and going to work". A mini-vacation. Today will bring the usual weekend tasks and errands. And I have promised to get taxes in order so the computer can be freed to change operating systems. Since we can't upgrade to Windows 7 from XP, we shall have to clear it out and install fresh. It's a big deal. Probably lots of cursing will be involved. And all this because nobody (at several levels of tech support) can figure out why we can't get the desktop to talk to the printer.

On a more organic, less techie note, I am making good progress on the quilt wall hanging. That will be a major focus of my weekend once errands and taxes are done. I hope to get the quilting finished and at least get the binding cut, if not applied. There will be a picture once it's completed. "Shaman's Dream" is the name of the piece.

There's an opportunity to take Celtic harp lessons and I'm going to do it! Friday evenings for several weeks. It's one of my favorite kinds of music.

Perhaps we will get the laundry door repaired this weekend if the thingamajiggy arrives today. That's on the honey-do list. There's also a plant stand for the corner of the dining room that is awaiting assembly (as soon as Ireland and France finish playing rugby) (and whoever is playing in the FA cup - that's soccer for the uninformed). It's going to rain a bit off and on, so it's inside stuff today. John would like to get started clearing off for the raised garden beds but I think he will have to wait until the weather cooperates a little more. Meanwhile, the honey-do list has plenty to keep him occupied inside :-)

We have dinner plans at Sogno di Vino on Sunday. And John is off to the Bay Area on Tuesday again. So, there's much to do and a few days to enjoy the doing.

Taking stock...

February! The weather has been temperate with some lovely sunny days. Just a bit of rain. Very nice indeed. This weekend brings another gardening class for John, some quilting for me, and time to catch up with ourselves.

The "thingamajiggy" to repair the closet door (mentioned in an earlier post) has not materialized. Several emails and a phone call have all gone unanswered so I have broadened my quest and found another that looks like it will do what needs doing. I really haven't had time or opportunity to create any more damage in the past month, so that's really all on the home maintenance front right now.

We went to another wine tasting at our favorite place in town. Didn't think much of the wines this time but the point is to try new ones, so it met the requirements. And it was a nice evening out. The chef is quite good and created some nice pairings. We're booked in for Valentine's Day :-)

We are looking forward to being able to grow things as Spring moves closer. John has learned that table grapes grow well here and is on the lookout for a source. Kiwi fruit also does well and maybe we'll give that a try. I have found the kind of planter boxes I want for the kitchen herbs. They will fit right over the railing on the deck so they will be easily accessible when I want them. And they will add to the deck with their fragrance and greenery. We also learned about a program to donate fresh produce from your garden to the food bank, and if we are successful as we hope with our gardening, that will be a nice opportunity to give back.

So, life feels pretty darn good as we put down roots here...