Enough about nothing in particular...

It was a work week. I'm still holding on to that aloha feeling, trying to feel the breeze on my face, but work wanted my full attention this week. John was back on a plane Monday morning and off to California for his own brand of vacation testing. I retrieved him Thursday night per our usual bi-monthly routine. The dog was none too happy to get her pack back together after our week away only to see 1/2 of it go out the door with that dreaded traveling bag on Monday. But the week went along as it does and the weekend has had its own rewards.

A good friend of ours has been kayak camping with his son in the San Juan Islands and they stayed at our place Friday night before returning home on Saturday. We enjoyed a good visit with them. I'm so pleased they included us in their journey. We had a good chat (several actually) about life. They left yesterday morning for a look around Seattle before going to the airport.

Last evening we went out to dinner with friends and intended to stay for dancing, but found that we were just plain tired and left earlier than we planned. Still, we enjoyed a couple of turns on the dance floor and the company was uplifting. We have missed out on a couple of our scheduled dance classes due to vacation and our unexpected, but welcome, overnight guests. I'm hoping that with repeated efforts, muscle memory will one day set in and we will remember the steps that will let us simply glide across that dance floor. Right now, there isn't so much gliding as some curious kind of contact sport happening :-) John's birthday is next Friday and we will try visiting the local casino for dinner. We've heard they have good food and we discovered that there is also dancing next weekend. We don't know what kind of dancing, but we'll have a look. And we'll be thinking of the rest of my family who will be in Florida for the wedding of one of my nieces. Wish we could be there too, but until cloning and/or hyper-molecular transport (ala Star Trek) is perfected, we have to hope our good wishes will travel in our place. All the best Krista and Chris :-)

We are enjoying a little weather that should have been here in July or August, but it got lost and is only now showing up. Yesterday was brilliant; clear skies, 70s, and sunshine all day. Today looks to be a little showery, but the forecast is to have several more of those summer-like days during the week. Some are calling it "Septaugust" for the late summer. That being said, I ordered a new raincoat today as I know now what the coming months have in store. Sunrise and sunset have already moved closer together and it won't be long before I'll be going to and from work in darkness (and rain).

The resident builder says the much-planned shed will likely wait until Spring now. So, I am making plans in my head to reconfigure the things in the garage to accommodate both a garden tractor and my car. And with the shed no longer at the top of the honey-do list, I'll be re-ordering the remaining items for maximal benefit! Meanwhile, the "Old Mill Days" event is happening this weekend in Port Gamble. If the rain lets up and the sun comes out, maybe we'll go watch some Lumberjack competitions. And with that said, I'll let Monty Python take it from here, bidding you farewell.....(ready and..."I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay....")

Walkin' Loose

Aloha! We've just spent the last week in Kauai. While we were waiting in the airport in Lihue yesterday, I think I finally put my finger on the effect Hawaii has on folks. They "walk loose". Yep. That's it. I noticed it in myself and in our fellow travelers. There's a difference in the way one walks after a visit to these islands. The stride is a little longer, definitely less hurried, the hips a little looser, and the shoulders definitely lower. It's got relaxation written all over it. Maybe it's the consistently warm temperatures or the sunshine or the startling colors of it all. It's just a big "aaahhhhh" from the time you get there and for a while after returning. At least that's what I'm going to hope for.
We stayed at the Westin Princeville resort on the north side and enjoyed watching the sunrise and hearing the wake-up call of the roosters that have free run on the island. One fellow stood on our lanai and crowed proudly. Chickens, chicks, and roosters run wild all over the island and have no predators. Since I happen to seriously like chickens, this was a treat. Kauai is a quiet island compared to Maui. But it is absolutely beautiful. We did a little snorkeling on He'e Beach and at the beach at the St. Regis Hotel nearby. We also saw a beautiful sunset from that beach and John took many photos. I'll post some as he gets them sorted. Probably my favorite town environment is Hanalei. It's got a surfer feel and an eclectic bunch of small shops and some eateries. We picked up our snorkel gear there.
We did the requisite visit to Spouting Horn and the Waimea Canyon as well as the Kilohana Plantation (rum tasting room was closed), and we visited a couple waterfalls. The luau that we booked was disappointing after our spectacular evening on Maui last year. We'll skip that next time. And we agree there will be "next time". This visit was a scouting expedition; get the lay of the land and plan for the future. There are many places to discover, whether by hiking, snorkeling, maybe even kayaking.
For now, I'll just settle for walkin' loose a  while longer. A hui hou! (See ya later!)...

Having a Long Weekend...

I've been having a long weekend (in the holiday sense of extra days off work). Actually the days have flown so "long" seems "short". Today is Labor Day and the last of the 4 days. I took a personal day on Friday to create the mini-break while son Jake was visiting for the first time. There are many things to show new folks and only a few days (usually) to do it. So we have our introductory tour down. We usually spend a day around the burg, showing the local "stuff" and then, weather permitting, we do a walk around Seattle. The travel days have their own demands.

So, we collected Jake from the airport Friday and ferried across the Sound to the quiet side. The ferry is such a nice introduction and a transition from the hectic day of traveling that it's a must-do for visitors (and we are pretty fond of it as well). Once settled in at the house, we went up to our "local" in Kingston for those burgers and fries we like and a chance to chat and look at that community.

Saturday we finally got our chance to take someone to the Farm Breakfast. Since it's only held on the first Saturday each month, the timing of our visitors hasn't coincided until now. It was well-received and, as usual, well worth it. And we even brought back some freshly baked Orange Rolls for Sunday's breakfast. The rest of the day was spent locally at the Farmers Market, Central Market, and a wander around "downtown". We also visited the Point-No-Point lighthouse in Hansville (better weather this time) and stopped in at Port Gamble too. Someone has bought the General Store there that was previously up for sale and it was doing a good business on this holiday weekend. They've even put in a little cafe that was full. Later,we ended up at  Casa Luna for dinner, but that was not the experience we were anticipating. The food was bland and less interesting than we have had in the past. We gave it a 2. It was, after all, food.

Sunday, we were treated to breakfast at the house. Jake made a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, and sliced grainy bread pan-toasted with some huckleberry creamed honey on top, and we had those yummy orange rolls. One thing about having visitors is that we definitely eat more! It was worth it though as we spent the day on foot trekking around Seattle. We walked along the waterfront after arriving on the ferry. How is it that we never took that walk before? It was interesting and very pleasant. We didn't stop in at any of the venues there as we were on a mission to get to the Space Needle (also a new experience). We arrived after a 45 minute walk. There was a music and arts festival in the surrounding park, but tickets were pricey so we found the Monorail, headed back downtown and walked to Pike's Market. As you know, I'm not a fan of the Market only because everyone and their brother is there and it's a noisy, crowded place. But Jake is more of an urbanite, and he would happily visit the Market weekly if he lived here (or, more accurately, lived in Seattle) with fellow urbanites. As it is, he gathers his foodstuffs at local shops where he lives in Oakland, CA. I like hearing him talk about "his" butcher, and the Farmers Market where he shops now. We had lunch before leaving the Market and then visited the Seattle Art Museum. I was grateful for the ferry ride back to the quiet side of the Sound. Once home, we enjoyed a little smoked salmon while preparing dinner and we spent a relaxing evening with a James Bond movie. All good fun.

Today, we will shuttle Jake to the airport  for his all-too-soon trip back home this afternoon. We may get one more wander into the burg before then for lunch. He has enjoyed some rest time and has commented on the freshness of the air and the beauty of the surroundings here and if he got nothing more out of his too-short visit, those would be sufficient for me. It's those things that matter to us. And it's those things I want to share most with our visitors. He'll be back before too long. It has been great to spend time with Jacob, as it is when any of our "children" visit. It's not such a long way away, but I do miss the easy access to their faces since moving. Here's to more long weekends spent with friends and family! Enjoy...

And the Beat Goes On...

John arrived back home on Thursday evening. The week went by smoothly enough until then as I was pretty busy at work and some of it spilled over into the evenings. His week went by pretty smoothly as well as he had time to spend with daughter Karen and then plenty to keep him busy at the business for the remainder. But Friday night we had dinner at our "local" and eased back into a more normal routine for the weekend. Yesterday brought sunshine and temps in the high 60s. Not chilly enough yet to have that smell of Autumn.  We took advantage of the nice weather though to get some needed yard work done. Next weekend Jake will visit so what is going to get done needs to get done this weekend.

The garden is transitioning. Some things have finished and their remains are stoking the compost, while others are just getting a stronghold for fall menus. With a little warm weather, we might see a tomato yet this year, It's a goal. The landscapers have not come out yet to do the grading and the wall repair, but we did have some major digging going on Friday. John (alerted by Zoe's persistent barking) looked out to see a large backhoe working on the other side of the hedgerow next to the road near the mailbox. It seems that there was a covered drain/culvert up there and the county had decided to uncover it. (Seems like they could have let us know they'd be doing that.) Anyway, they dug quite a ways back to clear the area and it looks like it's a good time to plant some rhodies there while the soil is workable. From the house. it doesn't look any different, but from the road, you might think it was a driveway! I expect that we will get more water going down to the stream this winter.  That culvert drains into a ditch which goes under the driveway and down to the aptly named wetlands.We usually hear water there in the winter. Now I have visions of tiny kayaks traveling through :-)

I spent some time yesterday booking our travel to Italy next year. The Farmhouse is confirmed, the B&B in Venice booked, and flights to and fro, here and there, are done. We had a Skype with some of the other participants in this adventure yesterday to coordinate and confirm our plans.

Today we will do some usual "stuff-that-waits-till- the -weekend-to-get-done" but plan to visit the county Fair this afternoon. La de da di do.....

Balance...

Well, John is down in California until next Thursday and I am on my own on a weekend which hasn't happened in a very long time. John is being useful, spending time with daughter Karen, and then he will put in his usual week in Redwood City before finding his way back home. I have caught up with people-I-care-about by telephone, making plans to get them up here for a visit soon. Having time to just "do" is so often missed.

The landscape contractor came out and gave us the estimate for the grading work and the stone wall repair. We'll get that done this month. Looks like next year we will be having the wall completely torn down and rebuilt as it apparently leans the wrong way :-( That's not a particularly good thing when what's behind it is a big lot of dirt pushing on it. So, we'll get that in the budget for next year.

We had hot weather a week ago (80s equals hot up here) and have returned to cooler 60s this weekend. Today is sunny and mild. Maybe some rain tomorrow.

We have several upcoming events on our calendar. Very soon, son Jake will be visiting for the first time since our move. And following that we are off on vacation! Hawaii here we come! This time we will go to Kauai. Then we are very excited to have a visit from my sisters and at least one of the bro-in-laws. That will occur before Thanksgiving and it looks like the headcount is up from last year for that holiday here. All good fun. Into next year, we have confirmed/reserved the location for a trip to Italy with 3 other couples; we'll all be together in a farmhouse in Tuscany and if we never left the property, I know I'd still be happy.

But for today, I have quiet time and I'm off to do some watercolor. Deep breath, ahhh....

Doing the Living of Life

As anyone could tell you, living a life is not about the busyness, keeping a house, or going to work and home again. Sure, those are the mechanics, but the real living happens inside, or maybe outside, all that. So while I usually write about the mechanics of our life in this new place, it’s really much more than that. It’s about the tapestry of which we are a part regardless of the space we occupy.

We were reminded of that with the passing of someone close this week. The fibers in the tapestry, though pulled, are holding strong and the living that goes on there continues. And thank goodness for it.  Despite moving up the coast a bit, we are still doing the important living of life. In the last few weeks, I have watched and supported John as he supported his children while they did the noble work of caring for their mother through a truly heart-wrenching period of illness and, finally, loss. It was thrust upon them suddenly and went by too quickly. There was no time to adjust (if one could), no time to hold on to the mechanics. They could only respond and engage the moment and there was such goodness in each of them as they did just that. Doing the living is important and sometimes hard. Let's honor that.  Mechanics can wait for another day….

Summer? What summer?

While the rest of the country is sweltering, we are enjoying a light rain and some mighty fine temperatures. Last week it managed to get to the low 80s a couple of days. We have harvested the peas. Lots of them. I have frozen some, cooked some, and given some away. Definitely a winner. The kale and lettuce are producing ready-to-eat bounties as well. We will wait for the rest: beets, fennel, leeks, rutabagas, beans, squash, potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli, and brussel sprouts. I don't know if the cucumbers, peppers, or carrots will actually make anything of themselves this year. Next year we'll get an earlier start and hopefully see more yield. It was a learning year this time.

Yesterday we took the list of shed materials to the local lumber yard and had them price it out. John needs to clear the spot where it will go, and then the shed-raising can begin. Just in time too as fall approaches quickly and I want to park my car in the garage again when the serious rain hits. On the home maintenance front, we had a plumber come out yesterday and tackle a leaking shower. The "innards" were confined to a tight space and, had we done it, there might have been lots of swearing and even some tile cutting (the latter to be avoided at all costs). He arrived and fixed the leak in no time without swearing and without collateral damage. Next up will be a landscape contractor who will offer up ideas for improving the drainage on one side of the house. He will also take a look at the stone retaining wall that suffered a minor collapse during some gardening exercise. At any rate, when they come apart, it's not real clear how they go back together. At least not for these owners. We'll get professional help.

The birds in the garden have gone. We had quite a flock of goldfinches for many weeks and according to some timetable only they know, they packed up and moved on. All of them. All at once. The robins have gone in search of easier pickings as well. With the warmer weather, the yard/meadow/jungle clearing has become drier and worms are not as easy to find.  That the theory at least. And our nest of house martins flew off as soon as they got the young ones to fly. They were nesting under the chimney eve right by one of our bedroom windows and it was so nice to hear them. So now we see only an occasional chickadee on the
feeder. To everything a season...

I had a nice visit last weekend with my own fledglings. They are flying quite nicely on their own now. Katie's birthday was Saturday. I flew in just before noon, she and soon-to-be son-in-law Morey picked me up and off we went to have a birthday lunch at Santana Row in San Jose. Ate outside at one of the many interesting eateries (I had ceviche), walked, shopped, talked wedding plans, and then returned to the condo for a couple of hours before going to the Earthquakes/Sounders soccer game. What a wolf in sheep's clothing I was, sitting amidst all the E'quake fans, secretly texting/cheering for the Sounders with John who was watching on TV back at home. On Sunday, we drove up to Oakland to visit with Jake. He just moved into a new apartment near Lake Merritt and my mother's contract says I need to certify my fledglings' nests. It got rave reviews from all of us. Old building with character, safe, closer to work in SF, and with a view of the lake. In fact, he can just cross the street and he's at the lake. Inspection satisfied, we walked to a local cafe for a very good breakfast. My visit concluded with a visit to the Fremont Art and Wine Festival. Then it was back to the airport and home just in time for dinner with a very sweet man.

Yesterday I got my hair cut as short as I've had it in years. And I got a pedicure with some striking blue polish applied. Apparently a change was needed. I have finished the second of the Stieg Larson books. And John has completed the first one. I have not seen him become so engrossed in a book as long as I have known him. I think he was surprised by that as well. I'll move on to the third one this week and he'll take the second down to Cali with him. They are well written with complex story lines and characters. Very good reads. And we completed yet another course of "beginner" dance lessons Friday night. It was not an easy class as we moved on to some more advanced-beginner moves. We'll continue when they start up again in September. If nothing else, we have a wedding to dance at next year...

Summer at last...

Some weeks are quiet. Just the normal ebb and flow of things, you know. John left for California Monday and I hit the ground running after being away the previous week. Seemed like that all week. I will admit that I found time to indulge in a guilty pleasure. I enjoyed reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo while I traveled and I started the 2nd book in the Twilight saga on my way home, finishing the 3rd one yesterday. Evenings while John was away, I would sit on the front porch and read. Not great works of literature, but an engaging read nonetheless. I'll be off to the bookstore today to replenish.

John arrived home Thursday and we returned to dance lessons Friday evenings for the next 4 weeks. We're doing East Coast Swing (I think). It's fun at least and we get some measure of exercise. At least we both end up somewhat stiff afterward so there must be some exercise credit in there. The weekend is full of usual weekend "stuff". We took time to go into the Farmers Market yesterday. I was actually looking for the woman who sells these nearly indestructible catnip mice. We picked one up last year at the Market and it gets a good workout from the dog and the cats. It would be nice to have another one or two around. We didn't find her there this week, but it was nice to walk around and see all the wonderful produce. I didn't buy any of it as we are set for vegetables this week. Our garden is coming along quite nicely given the delayed summer conditions. The peas have grown into a small forest (picture at the end). We'll have some to eat soon. I tried  the kale last week and it was delicate and yummy. And the lettuce will be available for salad this week. Add to that the herbs that are right outside the kitchen and we'll have green stuff on the table. The rutabagas, beets, squash, cucumbers, fennel, carrots, potatoes, and brussel sprouts are growing, but harvest is a ways off. And we have some tomato plants in the sunniest part of the lawn/meadow/jungle clearing valiantly trying to grow. Difficult crop to grow up here.

SInce I was away over my birthday, we celebrated it again this week by going to dinner at the Four Swallows restaurant on Bainbridge Island. It certainly is my all time favorite up here, but pricey enough to be a "special event" venue. It's popular with Seattle-ites as well since they can ferry over and walk to the restaurant. But we had our reservation and enjoyed the evening very much.

We'll Skype with some friends this morning and then do some yardwork, I think. The sunshine is too good to waste.

Special Events...

Well, that was a big week! Not much of it spent at home, however. I attended a conference in San Diego from Tuesday till Sunday. The conference was great; the weather was unexpectedly cool and cloudy. And, as luck would have it, John enjoyed the warmest, sunniest week at home so far this year. And there was a 5.4 earthquake in San Diego while I was there. Welcome back to California. All that aside, I couldn't have asked for a better conference. The content was good and the experience was professionally invigorating. And then there were the women.

I got to spend time with women who are important to me. The whole team from my previous employer was there as well as a coworker at my current employer. If I had never worked with any of them, I would have wished for them as friends. It only happens that our mutual choice of employer brought us all together. It was too short but so much fun. Women can be so caring of one another, alike and different in all kinds of ways. What a privilege. I celebrated my birthday while I was there and the presence of the women made it unique and joyful.

While I was in San Diego, I also learned from my sweet daughter that she became engaged - in Paris - in front of the Eiffel Tower. I love them both; my daughter and my someday son-in-law. Her happiness is mine to share :-) I will travel down to visit them July 31 and learn all the details and plans.

So, a busy week away. And it was made easier by my own sweet man who rearranged his work travel to remain behind to care for our circus family; the hard-headed brown dog and the "boys" Roosevelt and Mister Purrkins. He tended a bursting garden, making sure everything was watered in the recent heat wave. This week is my turn since he could only postpone his trip down to California, not cancel it. He left this morning. We agreed to catch up with "us" this weekend. And I get another opportunity to celebrate my birthday!

Taking Time....

Our hummingbird population is pretty amazing. They are a pleasure to watch. I think nature is like that if we take the time to look. It's been a cool summer thus far, but that doesn't detract from the beauty of the place. We are surrounded by green and the sounds of birds from sun up to sun down. The garden is thriving too. John will put in potatoes and brussel sprouts this week so as to have them in time for Thanksgiving. And then he promises to move on to the shed construction. Summer won't last forever.

We opted in for the monthly Farm Breakfast yesterday and opted out of Poulsbo's 3rd of July fireworks. I like to see them but once every few years is adequate.  It's finally warm enough to have dinner outside comfortably and we will grill some ribs tonight. Tomorrow evening we will visit with friends to round out this holiday weekend.

I am traveling to San Diego this week to attend a conference. I will meet up with the team from my previous employer and introduce them to one of my current team who is also attending the conference. This is the one conference I really look forward to and will be busy each day attending workshops and various sessions. I leave Tuesday and return Sunday. John has altered his twice monthly schedule to stay back and care for the animals and the house. And then he leaves for California on Monday after I return. We'll catch up mid-month.
Meanwhile, enjoy the hummers....

Soccer, vampires, bull-riding, and all the good stuff...

We attended a benefit rodeo last night, It was my first. I have to say that my favorite event was the barrel racing. Watching the horses speed around the barrels reminded me of BMX motocross racing as they lean way over. Beautiful animals. I still wonder how bull-riding came into being. At what point did someone ever say..."you know...I'm gonna ride a bull". What could have been the motivating factor? It sure doesn't look like much fun and it is unpredictable and dangerous. There are other ways to get an adrenaline rush.

The weather has eased into a more summery feeling now. Lovely 70 degree temperatures and clear, blue skies. Hooray! We got some chairs for the front porch yesterday which expends the "sit outside" opportunities. John put the rhody in the ground last weekend, right at the end of the porch. It will look very nice there. It's a small one, only getting to about 3 feet. Perfect. I got a couple of well-started tomato plants yesterday at a church rummage/plat/bake sale. We'll see if we can actually grow a few fresh tomatoes yet this season. All the cool-weather vegetables are growing well.

John was busy last week while he was down in California. And he arrived late on Thursday as his flight out of San Francisco was delayed. Makes for a long and tiring day. Still, I think the trade-off is that he has a short commute when he's at the house. My office was moved to a more permanent space last week. We're still in the hospital for now, but know that within 2 years we'll be off-site somewhere as they expand the recently opened Heart and Vascular Center into the space we currently inhabit. That's the word on the street anyway. Our department is all together again after 6 months of being spread over 4 locations when the former digs flooded. And I am accepted into the University of Washington's Certificate Program for E-Learning Design and Development. I will start in the Fall for the 9 month program. Go Huskies!

Our trip last weekend to Forks, WA was lovely. On the way I think we experienced all 4 seasons of Washington weather. It took about 3 hours one-way, passing through Sequim (least amount of rainfall north of Los Angeles), Port Angeles (where you can hop a ferry to Vancouver Island), Crescent Lake, and the beautiful Olympic National Park. There is lots to explore and many future trips in store. But the goal was Forks and that's where we stopped Sunday to look around. Some of you might be familiar with Forks as the setting for the storyline in the Twilight book and movie series. It's curious that this little town of 3,000 would be a small stop on the way to somewhere else but for the fame it's achieved in these stories. It's a very small, not quaint, town with perhaps one stoplight. Since the books, however, people come from all over to see the mundane setting for the stories. The hardware store where Bella worked, the high school, the house, etc., etc. There are at least 4 "Twilight" stores in town, far outnumbering any other kind of storefront. And every other place sells at least a minimum of some Twilight memorabilia. They even have van tours of the various movie icons. Would the books not have happened, I think Forks would be the kind of place you travel through on the way to some  place interesting. Maybe a lunch stop (which is what we did). Still, it was fun and we spent the day just talking and looking and enjoying something new. Happy Father's Day :-)

This morning brings the England v. Germany game in the World Cup and it's not going too well for our side if the sounds coming from downstairs are any indication. Yesterday, we watched the swan song for the USA team. So, after the game we will get on with the day for Team Grant. Some groceries, some gardening, etc. Right now, I should be giving some support to the "crazies section" in the living room....

Bits and Pieces..

The shiny red mower was repaired this week. An impact wrench accomplished it in under 10 minutes and the nice repairman didn't even charge for it. It has been useful since then as we have tried to capture every sunny moment to get the lawn/meadow/jungle clearing under control. Too many wet days have allowed it to get very long and the ground is still sodden in places. But it is slowly turning to drier days and more sun and the ground is drying out. There is also a nifty trailer that attaches to the tractor and it has been useful for hauling off much of the grass cuttings.

We applied for "open space" status on 8.5 acres of our property; the wooded part. The application was approved and we will see a 60% reduction in the property taxes on that part of the land. The caveat is that the land is open to the public but restricted to educational or scientific use and only with our permission. Sounds pretty reasonable.

We attended a local soccer match last night. The Kitsap Pumas are a Professional Development Team for the Seattle Sounders. It was fun to watch and to be close to the field. I don't know a lot about soccer (I leave that to my resident soccer guru), but the ball kept moving, the players appeared to be hustling, and once in a while they scored. They won 4-1. And there were about 4 more tries that hit the post and didn't go in. There were just over 600 people in attendance (which means the "crazies" section was about 6 people). Good fun and fresh (somewhat chilly) air.

Our local bird population is ever-changing. We began with one pair of American Goldfinches some weeks ago. They seemed to have put the word out and now we see as many as 5 pairs hanging around. Maybe more.There are 4 on the feeder in the photograph.  They have a lovely color against the green trees. The hummingbirds have decreased in number but a couple still frequent the hanging fuchsias on the porch.

Today we will take a day trip to Forks, WA on the Olympic Peninsula. We'll leave about 9am and enjoy an outing. Should be a fun day. Tomorrow is the solstice, the longest day. And summer promises to start. Enjoy the possibilities....

Maybe Today...

Drat! I broke the shiny new riding lawn mower/tractor! Just like that. No more than 10 minutes in to the long awaited experience of mowing while sitting, I hit a rock that completely bent the shiny new mower blade which caused it to bend, damage the housing, and stop the mower dead in its few tracks. We drove to Sears for a new blade and a longer wrench (because the bugger is darned difficult to remove), came home, took a break to watch (more) soccer, and then tried to get the old blade off and a new one on. John gave it his all while I "assisted" (asking questions like "Are you going counterclockwise?" and "Are you sure you've got it on the right thingee?"....all the helpful things). We finally agreed to pay someone to come out and do it. Perhaps someone with power tools. They will be here Wednesday. Meanwhile, it sits in the garage, all shiny and red.

To avenge my misdeed, I continued mowing with the regular mower. I got through about half of the lawn/meadow/jungle clearing and will be back at it today. John got in a little time preparing the fourth and final vegetable garden bed. The other three have benefited from the rain and are coming along nicely! I really need to look into ideas for dealing with (apparently a lot of) rutabagas, It's the first really nice weekend here, in the 70s and no hint of rain. Hopefully the low-lying areas of the "lawn" will begin to dry out. I look forward to sitting out on the deck in the evenings, chatting about nothing of consequence, and just breathing in fresh air.

We spent the evening with friends last night attending a fundraiser at a local sports bar for the local Domestic Violence group. It was a comedy night with a not-too-awful comedian all the way from Denver! It was fun nonetheless. I'm easy to please and enjoyed the company and the laughs.And the Guinness.

John was away in Cali last week per our routine. He missed out on the first thunderstorm accompanied by some really hard rain! But the week seemed to go by quickly. Still working on that little project for the purse. When the fabric was cut and prepped, there was a mismatch in size with the crocheted hemp squares. I decided to make larger fabric squares and go from there. But I need to get more fusible webbing and I haven't been able to get to the store to do that (working cuts into my time that way). And, of course, yesterday was spent fretting over the lawn mower incident. Maybe today.

I think that could be a new motto: Maybe today...

Just a Little Weekend...

Well, that week went by quickly! Today brings the serious promise of sunshine, decent temps, and the monthly Farm Breakfast! Afterwards we are going into the burg to participate in the celebration of National Trails Day by going on a walk with the Kitsap Volkssporters. We'll do the 5K walk as we have lots of other things to attend to in this too-short weekend. But I'm sure we'll discover some new places and new people.

We have become fans of chef Rick Bayliss recently. He does Mexican food unlike the usual fare at so many Mexican restaurants. I had a craving for it last evening only to arrive home and find that John had gone into the market and gathered everything to prepare a dish from our new cookbook. Yummy sauce was simmering and we finished up in a joint venture to get it on the table as fast as possible :-) Very yummy. Enchiladas that weren't rolled, but folded and with the chicken, etc. on top. Drizzled with a little creme fraiche and sprinkled with cilantro. Definitely a keeper and guest-worthy.

All three garden beds have been planted! We have a myriad of little crops coming up: peas, carrots, fennel, beets, kale, rutabaga (swede to my UK friends), and now lettuce, garlic winter squash ,and beans. There are still potatoes and sprouts to go in. And we'll plant some cherry tomatoes separately.The berries that are everywhere (considered an invasive weed up here) are in bloom and starting to form berries. Lots of them. I see lots of jam-making in my future (and lots of jam to give away). John has retrieved the plans for the shed and adapted the dimensions to 10'x20'. Next Friday will herald the arrival of the much-anticipated garden tractor.

I am working on making a purse from squares of crocheted hemp fiber and variously colored fabric. I'll get the hemp squares blocked out today and the fabric cut and fused for assembling. Just a little project. Just a little weekend...

Balancing the Scales

"Long weekend"....big sigh. It has been great to have extra, uncommitted time. And I took Friday off as well to indulge even more. Actually, the "life in balance" scales were becoming precariously weighted on the "work" side and some adjustment was necessary. The extra days have helped.

Besides some regular errands on Saturday, I had time for some retail therapy on Friday and to follow through on some other things that I have been wanting to, well, you know....follow through on. John and I celebrated our 11th anniversary on Saturday (the Steel Anniversary). Last year it was spent unloading furniture that had just arrived. This year we went into the burg for dinner at Sogno di Vino and had a lovely time. And since it was the so-called "Steel" anniversary, we bought our riding lawn tractor/mower! There's sure to be some steel in that. Sunday we Skyped with some friends far away and talked about plans for traveling together in 2011. Today I will lunch with my friend from California who moved to Poulsbo also. All good stuff :-)

The weather has not moved into summer as we had anticipated. We can only compare it to last year when it was sunny and in the high 70s at this time. We are still under cloudy skies and off and on rain. So eating on the deck and BBQs haven't begun in earnest yet. The good side to this is that the ground is still workable which is helping John as he continues to prep the final garden bed.

So, I'm off to thoroughly enjoy this day. I wish the same for you....

The Body Count...

Mice. I really don't like them. Actually they are kind of cute, but I have a long and deep-seated fear of them. Makes no sense (but neither does my discomfort with bridges). But it's there nonetheless. There were two in my car this winter. Three more in the garage. All of them went by way of a trap and some tasty peanut butter. Then this morning, as I was going through the morning "chores" at 5am (starting coffee, feeding animals, opening eyes...) I noticed a small "lump" behind the loveseat, which, on closer inspection (from a distance of about 6 feet), turned out to be a mouse! Number 6. Immediate and involuntary screaming ensued. Mine. Normally, I would jump on a tall object (not as tall as in my earlier years perhaps, but still a safe place off the ground), do more screaming, and let the "man of the house" deal with this. It's a system that has worked for me over many decades. Unfortunately, said "man" is out of town this week. System aborted. I was stuck.

So, lots more screaming happened as I tried to determine if there was any chance the little bugger was just shining me on and pretending to be dead, only to mount a surprise attack if I got close enough to sweep it out of the house (my strategy). And, as if to validate my fear, it moved as I edged closer. Lots more screaming. Perhaps it would leave of its own accord just to be rid of the deafening noise? It didn't move much. Just wiggled a leg or something. Still, I've seen Terminator. And that scene where you think it's over and then it's not....almost made me scream right there in the theater. I tried to get Mr. Purrkins interested in carrying it out, but he wasn't interested. I tried to get Zoe to do my dirty work for me, but apparently she is highly distractible (how could I not see this before?) and wasn't focusing until I finally took action and began to sweep the intruder toward the front door. Then she snatched it!! More screaming. Mine. There was some blur of activity then with me yelling "outside!", her dropping the mouse, and me hastily sweeping it toward and out the door. What happened out there, I haven't a clue. However, when our guest cat, Roosevelt, came in from the garage (maybe he was late in coming in because of all the screaming), he immediately wandered over to the "spot" and inspected it. He had dealt with the mouse earlier! A mouser! He can stay as long as he wants...

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...