Snippets

Digging Out

2012-01-31T14:27:00.000-08:00

John decided to dig out the trailer so he could go out to Alaska Marine Lines to pick up the new dishwasher.

He got out the adz and numerous shovels. It took no time at all (well, not quite) to dig free. I helped briefly with the adz and then cleaned off the boat. The rain is making the snow quite heavy.

The water down in the gully was rushing under the snow and ice.

John called from AML. He arrived to pick up the dishwasher with the trailer and the guy wondered how he was going to fit all of the freight on that little thing. We had five appliances awaiting pickup...too bad they weren't ours! The very bad part for us was that the dishwasher we had ordered wasn't part of the shipment. Wonder if it will arrive before we leave?

When It Snows, Make...

2012-01-24T17:20:00.000-08:00

...Snow Grandmas!

I had gone out to help John shovel the driveway, to find him just finishing up. Adam had come by with the plow and had taken care of the major snow. After cleaning the deck I decided to do a little playing.

The snow was fairly dry, except for the top layer, so it wasn't easy to get her rolled. Sure was nice to be wearing my nice warm mittens that Annie knit!

She needed hair so some primrose leaves were handy. I didn't want to waste the twigs so I added them to the crown of her head and it made a tiara!

Back Door Visitors

2012-01-24T16:32:00.000-08:00

We'd like to have lunch!

John was on the phone talking with Wally when he yelled at me to come to the door. He said someone wanted to talk to me and he didn't know who they were. Grrrrr!

What's he doing?

This one was wondering what John was up to on the computer. He was saying how cute they were and that he really would like to feed them!

Please!!!

This guy was getting up close and personal about it all...how could I resist those begging eyes? EASY!! Well, not really easy but I didn't want to start another bad habit.


Bare pantry at this back door.

They finally got the hint...no food was coming.

Are you sure you won't feed me?

And off they went...

Looking for food

2012-01-21T11:17:00.000-08:00

This morning visitor was looking for food in muskeg with snow up to it's tummy.

Beyond the Lines

2011-10-22T13:28:00.000-07:00

"Beyond the Lines," an art show featuring

Pia Reilly and John McCabe was held at the Clausen Museum in Petersburg, Alaska. The artist's reception, October 14, 2011, was well attended. (To enlarge the image, click on the photo.)

Pia and Jim

John

JOHN (watercolor)

JOHN top - (colored pencil, ink, graphite)

bottom - (graphite/colored pencil)

JOHN (colored pencil)

JOHN (above), PIA (below)

oil on canvas

JOHN (oil on canvas)

PIA (oil on canvas)

JOHN (left & upper right), PIA (lower right)

oil on canvas

[MORE PHOTOS = click "read more"]

PIA (oil on canvas)

JOHN (oil on canvas)

PIA (above & lower left), JOHN (lower right)
oil on canvas

PIA (left & upper right), JOHN (lower right)

oil on canvas

JOHN (upper), PIA (lower)

oil on canvas

UFFDA!

Praying Mantis

2011-10-21T16:35:00.000-07:00

This praying mantis has been happy in my rose garden eating insects... I happened upon it, in the heat of the afternoon, and ran in to grab my camera. Of course I was trying to get the macro set up and missed the shot of it clasping on to a hornet-type insect.

The rose is Pascali.

Topping that Tree

2011-10-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

Mr. Stevens finishes the job...meanwhile I have a conversation on the street with Joelle about the brown bear cub that has been making the rounds in Petersburg.

Logging

2011-10-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

Don Stevens has been a busy guy lately. He has been limbing trees in preparation for downing them. Using spikes on his boots and a harness around his waist, he climbs the tree, cutting as he goes. It has been fascinating to watch the progress. Little by little we've been seeing more of Petersburg Mountain appear. It will be nice for Wally and Colleen's yard; the winter sun will shine through.

One limb down!

My "snapping finger" wasn't quick enough to catch the falling limbs so I did a short video. Amazing how he moves around those huge limbs!

Petersburg

2011-10-14T16:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back for two weeks... rainy as ever!

The muskeg has begun to rust up. I watched three deer bed down in the backyard the other day. They are pretty tame as I was able to walk up within 6 feet of this one.

Miss Maisy Mae!

2011-08-14T18:26:00.000-07:00

Today was a fine day for bathing dogs...warm and sunny, hose water warmed by the sun, and a freshly cut lawn to work on. Maisy did quite well with Caitlin and I working on her. Here is a wet and dry shot...

Weed Rake

2011-08-11T13:31:00.000-07:00

Annie needed to make a trip into Leavenworth yesterday so we visited a fun park and ate our picnic lunch. After sitting on a log nibbling and drinking, Oliver was ready to do "boy things". I distracted him from taking off with this dry branch. Brooke thought he was hilarious with his dragging the stick around and called it a weed rake! That little girl says the cleverest things!

After lunch we found out how dusty the trail was as Annie's toes were buried in dirt. (photo to come)

Opening up the Cabin

2011-06-03T00:47:00.000-07:00

It was long past time to open up the cabin for the season so finally we took time out of busy schedules to make it happen.

We left town in Wally's boat and were puzzled when an alarm sounded off and on. John took the engine out of gear and checked it out...good on the oil, good on the temperature, spitting water fine, and getting plenty of gas. Hmmmm! Seeing nothing wrong, we started out again. As the boat sped up the alarm became constant...what a pest it was becoming. So we checked out the engine again, nothing wrong. Perplexed at the situation we finally put in a call to Hammer's Marine to ask what Tim thought the problem might be. While John explained the situation on the phone, Miss Snoopy Snoop did a little snooping and found the source of the problem. Turns out that it was the depth sounder! Whew! We had lost a bit of time so John kicked that baby into gear and hightailed it for the cabin.

We were able to take the little short cut since the tide was high enough and the cabin came into sight...looking good!

It was an out-going tide so we used the haul-out rope to anchor the boat. Duane, Wally, John and I tugged hard on that rope as it was riddled with barnacles. I must say John did the majority of pulling but we added to the effort!

Heading up to unlock the door, I had to check out the plants...daphne is growing large and had bloomed, some of the columbine was in bloom in front, the Elderberry was huge and flowering too. Beach grass and new trees are beginning to take over so we'll have to do some work on that this summer.

John cleaned out the gutter that leads to the water tank and put the inlet together while I manned the bilge pump inside the 1000 gallon tank. It was easy to wipe down the walls and floor and let the pump pull out the 4 inches of water and sludge. I think we only had to haul out 10 gallons or so by bucket. That pump saved lots of time and energy!

Had to take a few photos on the landing...

It would have been easy to stay for a few days but without water and food it was time to head back to town.

And so we pulled in the boat and climbed aboard...

just a little bit high and dry so John's boots became low and wet.

A grand time was had by all!

Scandinavian Almond Bars

2011-05-17T18:33:00.000-07:00

We were invited to feast on some oysters Chris Holm brought north. Chris and Wally breaded the oysters and Chris did all the frying. Terri brought a beautiful salad, Grandma Koke had fish cakes in cream sauce, muffins, bread, a pot of rice. We brought dessert...I thought sherbert with a crispy cookie would be a good finish to the rich meal. I looked in the cookbook and found this recipe. It goes together in a snap and tastes like Scandinavian Heaven!

Pat out four logs and top with toasted chopped almonds. Bake, slice and cool. Then top with glaze if desired.

The end pieces become the cook's snack!

Little Norway Festival Parade

2011-05-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

The sun shone for the 2011 Little Norway Celebration Parade this last week. I was amazed at the turn out...people were lining the length of Main Street and the parade stretched up the PFI hill.

First came the helicopter fly over with the flags, fire department, color guard, and various vehicles and they all threw candy! The lady in front of us kept her kids' stash between her feet.

Then winding down the street came the Norwegian dancers lead by Heidi Lee. We didn't know a single dancer this year.

This was the Northern Lights Brass Band.

The Son's of Norway is celebrating 100 years in Petersburg. They were represented by the Vikings and Valkyries with the Norwegian ship. This year's Norwegian American Award was given to Naomi and Doug Welde.

Jack Engell was in the boat throwing candy in the red sweater.

Alaska Airlines had an entry:

The school used some grant money to purchase some drums for a drum line. It's the closest thing Petersburg has to a marching band!

Then came the families of Hammer and Wikan celebrating 90 years in business. They had a shopping cart drill team led by Sue Jensen Paulsen.

Smokey and something green also trailed along!

The Harley contingent took up the end of the parade...I don't know how many there were but it was quite impressive.

We wandered around after it was all over and ran into family. Jenny had Parker in his Norwegian sweater.

Easy Does It

2011-05-06T12:23:00.000-07:00

This one's for you, Caitlin. I put Easy Does It into the ground this morning and now it is looking a bit weepy! When I pulled it out of my large pot I found that it didn't have much of a root system and the soil was very moist. One plus was finding lots of earth worms in the bottom! I think the potting soil I used was too heavy and it didn't drain well. Hope it survives the summer in the new spot.

Crown of Thorns is doing wonderful. I'll put the pot under the lemon tree where it will be watered by a sprinkler. It has been growing for about 4 years now.

Easter lilies are in bloom...always just before we depart. Next year I should probably divide the clump as I see fewer blooms on each plant each year.

Hybiscus

Saying Farewell

2011-05-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

Annie, Brooke and Oliver visited with us in Thousand Palms in April. We enjoyed a longer visit than planned since Brooke came down with the flu. Grandma and Grandpa didn't mind the extension at all!

Cropping Photos

2011-02-03T10:16:00.000-08:00

Shooting the blossom:

Now to find a neutral background.

I was playing with my camera's macro setting trying to get a good shot of the Christmas cactus bloom. Looking for a spot not in direct light, I carried it into the bathroom and shot it with flash. I thought the result was more interesting but knew it needed cropping:

It's fun playing with images...remember the old days when you had to chop up the photo paper!

Homesick?

2011-02-03T09:33:00.000-08:00

This is a snippet of weather for all you who are homesick for Petersburg!

Wish I could have captured all the rain on film...

Hanging

2011-02-03T09:30:00.000-08:00

Walking to town on a blustery day: when I carry a camera my eye seems to see! I thought this hanging stop sign was something...

Bear Creek Walk

2011-01-30T15:38:00.000-08:00

Today we headed out to Sandy Beach for a walk on the trail towards Bear Creek. It was 29 degrees so we bundled up!

Looking out from Sandy Beach:

From the parking lot we headed for the new Troll's Bridge that crosses the creek:

This lone chimney stands tall at the beginning:

We came upon Joe painting with his dog. I don't know how he kept his fingers warm:

The trail skirts Frederick Sound the entire mile:

The Sokui Islands: (where do you look for the correct spelling...)

Looking back towards Sandy Beach and Petersburg Mountain:

There must have been a large blow down since this enormous root ball was turned on end. Four trees had fallen over, crossing the path.

A look across at Horn Cliff:

Bear Creek aka City Creek:

The old steps up from the creek:

Looking out from Bear Creek:

Then the trail became icy as we headed for Frederick Point Road:

Out onto the road:

Trees covered with frost everywhere:

Water was still flowing through this culvert near Sandy Beach:

One last snap shot from the car of Devil's Thumb:

Louvers

2011-01-23T22:42:00.000-08:00

Ken brought the doors back today that he had sprayed. The yellow one is for the bathroom. Here they are attaching the hardware. We'll install them in a few days to allow the paint to harden.

The End is Near!

2011-01-19T17:06:00.000-08:00

Cutting in the paint.

Stashing furniture proved to be a task...we had Rob's tall ladder so decided to use the space above our closet. While in the bedroom we were able to reach the light bulb that had gone dead a year or two ago. Our tall ladders are not tall enough to reach that high. After vacuuming the top of the closet, John handed me plants, chairs, etc. to stow.

The final wall to be painted ~ it had many popped nails that were unsightly. Mr. Spackle was quite stressed with all the hassle of trying to keep ahead of Ken the painter and having the spackle cure on time.

Chaos

2011-01-18T21:19:00.000-08:00

I wanted to show some of the chaos we've been living with the last week.

John has been Mr. Spackle and tried to get all the holes filled along with resetting bum nails.

First up was to spray the ceiling. Took down the lights and painted the plastic ends of the tracks that had turned orange from the light.

Dust is the name of this game...it is everywhere and will be for quite a while longer!

Mr. Spackle loves Wally's tool...it holds his mud.

This is what our living room looks like at the moment...

Deer

2011-01-14T23:19:00.000-08:00

There have been a trio of deer hanging around the yard. I remember their faces from visits last summer. Yesterday John put some old coffee grounds out on the rhubarb patch on top of the snow. The young doe had to sample the frozen grounds...not especially interested. Then what do you know but we ran into the three again on our trip to town.

They walked passed the high school and then turned down the bank hill. (Ed Locken's bank hill)

They nibbled on the tree before heading for Main Street. Arnold Haube was headed for TU.

Main Street wasn't busy...they made a bee line for the screened area with the newly planted trees.

The first one nosed it's way in and then the second followed...they had a little tiff over who was going to nibble on the first shrub.

They popped out of the fenced area and decided to head towards Arnold...right down the middle of the road!

Deer problem? In Petersburg?!!

Icicle

2011-01-13T12:48:00.000-08:00

Walking home from town yesterday we came across Dennis Jones digging in the Icicle parking lot. I guess the propane pipe had disintegrated and needed replacing. He figured the pipe would have lasted if it had been covered with conduit.

What's Cookin'?

2011-01-09T16:53:00.000-08:00

When back in Alaska we have to resort to homemade cooking...there's no running to Costco for fresh bread. Today I made Alderbrook Norwegian Rye Bread and Halibut Chowder. This is yummy food for cold, clear skies.

Smells divine!

Compromise

2011-01-08T21:23:00.000-08:00

Compromise...your name is marriage (or woman)! Since we are having the walls painted I thought it would be a good idea to have the telephone jack removed from the wall. (John gets very worried when I have ideas!) Our old telephone hung on it and it was smack dab in the middle of the wall. Now with wireless handsets one doesn't need a wall jack in every room. Think eyesore!

Well, my thoughts weren't the same as the husband's...

I had answers for all the reasons NOT to remove the jack but it wasn't worth a battle. Acquiescing, I asked if it would be possible to move the jack down and that was met with a favorable reply.

Pop out the molly bolts, cut open a track for the wire, lay that baby in sideways and tomorrow begin to patch the wall...we can both live with it!

Texture Repair...John climbs high!

2011-01-07T21:32:00.000-08:00

Today was the day for finishing up the texture on the ceiling. Looking back on the computer, I found that we patched the chimney hole three years ago in January. We used all the texture in town at that time but it wasn't quite enough. Who would believe that it would sit another three years! If it weren't for the painter coming on Tuesday to spray the ceiling, it probably would be three more years before the job was finished...and it seemed like just yesterday! John taped plastic on the window wall, then attached scrap plastic to the ceiling with push pins. Everything on the ground was draped with plastic tarps.

Here he is shaking the first can of texture. Thank goodness we were able to borrow Rob's ladder for this job.

He was worried that he had some heavy sections so out came the pocket knife to scrape off excess globs. Then we decided to wait until it dried before removing more.

After all the spraying John looked thrilled to be finished...look at that enthusiastic expression! Then down came the plastic, all the tarps were taken out on the deck to be folded, and the floor was given a good vacuuming. Tomorrow we will see how it looks...cross your fingers!

My Little Garden Helper

2010-12-09T12:11:00.000-08:00

When the kids were down to visit us in California, Brooke liked to go up to the little patio and dig with my garden scoop. After that got old she moved on down to another digging spot but the bucket was still up on top so she had to traverse the step with a full scoop. It wasn't easy to do...and Mor mor Carol didn't complain about the dirt falling at all!!! That's what being a grandparent is all about...

Caulking

2010-10-20T14:34:00.000-07:00

After 30 + years we are getting the beam caulked. I worked on the section in the bathroom and the lower end with a tall ladder. After I ran out of height, John brought in the extension ladder and took over. He forbid me to climb it!!!

After caulking, it takes a bit of fiddling with the edges...here the artist is fine tuning his work.

Finished one side, now around to the other...

Oops! Flying caulk hit the wall...

John felt hot air drifting into the gaps at the highest points. We are hoping that it will help somewhat with our second energy audit in December. Our upgrades have to show a savings of energy to get some reimbursement.

Trials and Tribulations of Leaks

2010-10-08T23:49:00.000-07:00

Today we were making rain on top of the roof! John has been trying to find the source of a leak that has been occasionally dripping through the ceiling in the garage. He has been at this for over a week! We have been blessed with rainy weather, making it easy to uncover sections of tarp and watch for drips.

Today it wasn't raining...so up on the roof we went. After getting over my fear of being close to the edge, even though I wasn't very close, I used the garden hose to water the composition roofing. Since that didn't produce any leaking, John moved the tarp back passed the corner.

Shuffling the rocks and various 2x4's around to move the tarp has been entertainment for the Wolfs. Sandy has been watching the changing arrangements.

This corner spot is where we think the trouble may lie...

The flashing next to John's tummy is suspicious. It was added by a carpenter a few years ago to solve the problem, but I think it caused another one...

John is removing the tacked-down strip holding the tarp.

Time for some rain showers!

Do you think we could get the leak to begin...NO! We'll have to wait for Mother Nature to help out; the forecast is for rain.

Mother Nature was busy painting trees!

Vine Maple leaves still clinging to the vine.

Paperbark Maple, (Acer griseum) looking up

is one of the later turning maple trees. It's color has been changing daily.

Cranberry Time

2010-10-06T00:31:00.000-07:00

We packed up the new Honda and headed out the road to harvest cranberries...

Heading into the muskeg to find the elusive berry.
Sometimes the patch is so sparse you lean over for a quick pick...

Sometimes you have to kneel in the soft, spongy muskeg to pick a large patch...

Sometimes you have to tromp around to find patches...

After picking for awhile, it was lunchtime and we had a tailgate picnic. Then the rain blew in from the south and we donned rain gear and picked some more. Finally, the skies were so dark it was difficult to see the tiny berries so we packed up and drove home. We picked 12 cups between the three of us...
Wally cleaned them and we're looking forward to sauce at Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Before leaving I snapped a photo of the devil's club in the back yard...

and the Curly Bark Maple in the front yard.

September Picnic

2010-09-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

John wanted to go out the road and have a picnic. Since the weather was rainy it was decided to find a fire pit under a shelter. We ended up at Blind Slough and enjoyed the new upgraded shelters.

Usually we use 5 gallon buckets, turned on end, for seats but they were forgotten. We turned a chunk of wood on end with a cross piece to sit on. We made do with some NA beer and chips.

Out it comes! Back in it goes...

2010-09-19T17:45:00.000-07:00

We decided to order new windows after the seals had broken down...over 30 years of use. The energy audit pointed to them as a source of heat loss and caused us to "bite the bullet" and get the job done. This video shows the last of the big six being taken out. Dale Drllevich and his helper, Brian Richards, had John's help with this huge undertaking.

When viewing this last video, if the quality is bad adjust it at the bottom of this window. You will see the number 360 that can be clicked on and switched to 480.

We're Goin' to the Fair, Fair, Fair

2010-09-12T06:10:00.000-07:00

We were early birds, thanks to Annie getting the gang going Saturday morning. She had been out at garage sales and stopped by with donuts to pry Caitlin and I out of bed. We all piled into the Pilot and headed for the Chelan County Fair. The fair grounds are about five minutes away from their house. We had a great parking spot on this man's lawn...$2 for the day! I had to take a photo of the easy chairs out under the plum tree.

They were having a parking war on this street...I was headed into the $3 yard until "Eagle Eye Annie" spotted this spot.

We headed in to my first fair!

The girls let me wear Oliver!

Brooke and Kent loved the farm equipment - she sat and "drove" just about every one on display.

Chickens of all sorts...

Goats that were treated just like pet dogs...

Heading down the goat aisle.

An auction was being called - here a 4 H-er was showing a goat during the bidding.

It seemed that the hogs all came in pairs...I thought this was priceless and had Annie snap this photo! I learned that some farmers notch the ears for identification. Some of the poor pigs had ruffled ears!

Walking behind a food concessions I spotted this table of older gents shucking corn and shooting the breeze. This photo doesn't show much, but they were priceless!

After some time in the Ergo Front Pack Oliver lazed in the stroller...not a fussy peep out of him all day!

Pile on Grandma!

2010-09-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

One day when the kids were visiting I stretched out on the floor...probably to play with Oliver. Brooke decided she needed to have a snuggle and then we thought Oliver should join in on the fun.

Oliver is a tough little cookie and likes to be right in the middle of all the action. He loves his sister and wants to nibble on her!

A Brooke Sandwich!

What a Girl!

2010-08-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

This is the sight that hit my eyes as I entered the house just minutes ago!!! I had to do a double take and blink twice before understanding... ONIONS!

Second Birthday Present

2010-08-18T08:12:00.000-07:00

Cement continued

2010-08-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

The truck was backed into Caitlin's yard.

Her garage is dwarfed by the truck.

It was a tight fit with the wheels just missing the roof.

Pouring Cement

2010-08-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

They removed the cracked sidewalk and widened it at our request. Here the forms are going in.

Next we had the cracked cement cut back on the side of the house. This leads to the kitchen door that Maisy uses all the time.

By this time the pile of debris was growing. The neighbors next door wanted to salvage some of the sod.

We were able to salvage some of that good dirt. Caitlin and I went into Wenatchee and picked up four new planter barrels for the dirt. We also stashed some in an empty garbage can.

The cement driver came down the back alley with this huge mixer. It was a narrow squeeze but he managed it well.

One of the contractors climbed up on top and held the neighbor's wires as the mixer maneuvered to get the correct angle to off-load cement.

The driver and contractor get their hand signals and plan of attack understood.

The first wheelbarrows went into the front corner.

Excavation ~ Appearances are Deceiving

2010-08-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

Day one brought the two contractors to work. They leveled all the ground in the patio area and then began to dig the new pathway. I thought they would bring in a small cat to push the dirt around...but no, they had two shovels and a wheelbarrow! It was hard work.

Many interesting characters appeared the second day. Caitlin and I had wonderful belly laughs.

Most of the ground work was refined with a larger crew working hard in the heat.

I had to come out to get some of these characters on film...as I was headed for the sidewalk this man yelled at me to take his photo! Later we learned that he was the father of one of the contractors ~ quite the character with a lively sense of humor.

Here the cement finisher, over from Moses Lake, helps build the forms. When he arrived we thought he was on some kind of "upper" since he was so quick and jittery. He was a hard worker and skilled at his craft.

Then the punk rocker with the Mohawk arrived and began working. He's a gentle man who worked very steadily and quietly.

They ripped out the garden edging we had just put in to allow for a widened path. The plantings will look great with the cement as an edging.

Eyeballing the line...one of the contractors.

Then the rattling started with the "flip-flop" guy running the pounder! I think he is an uncle of one of the guys...

Cement Project

2010-08-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

This morning the cement guys were coming so I was up early to get a few odds and ends accomplished before they arrived. I was out at 7 a.m. digging up the irrigation zone for this area (photo below). They had put 6 pop-ups in this space! Caitlin had decided to include this area in the concrete patio work since it was never a nice lawn. The digging was fairly easy and the new irrigation tubes are flexible and easy to pull up. I was worried about leaving the zone intact with cement going over the top.

I was able to take off the pop-up stringers but this main pipe had crimped gaskets. I was able to snip the gaskets, but I wasn't strong enough to pull out the couplings. Kent will have to help me with the rest of this.

Removing the 12 inch pavers was next on my list to do. I moved these back to the rear of the house. I'm thinking we can use them against the side of the garage by the back door.

By 9 a.m. I was ready for a break and the guys still hadn't arrived. Caitlin had to work so she gave them a call from work. They finally arrived at noon and put in a full afternoon's work. More photos to come later!

Fairview Flame Red Maple

2010-07-26T22:20:00.000-07:00

The Fairview Flame Red Maple is ready to go into the ground. After deciding that we had the perfect place for the shade tree, we started digging a hole.

The sod was a mass of grass roots and fairly dry to boot. Caitlin and I were shoveling the heavy sod... we had to use the hose to loosen the dirt, which made the clumps even heavier.

You have to use all your weight jumping on the shovel for this kind of digging.

<><><>

Oops...a bit over zealous!

The neighbor across the street was quite impressed with us. She asked if we knew what we were doing...can you imagine not knowing how to plant a tree!! She wanted to take our picture so we posed...

Planting 101

2010-07-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

Caitlin had some hard packed dirt to soften up before planting. We took shovels and worked our way across the garden patch. It was weed free thanks to the fabric ground cover she'd had over it.

Last summer Kent brought over his rototiller and they added bags of steer manure and leveled out the land, but the planting hadn't been done. This year we made a visit to Sleepy Hollow Nursery and found some plants to continue the project.

Edging was purchased at Home Depot and tacked into the ground.

Caitlin planted her first lilac, Pocahontas Lilac which will have a very fragrant reddish-purple bloom next spring. Then in went the Crimson Pygmy' Barberry, Emerald Gaiety Euonymus, Pink Hydrangea, Purple Leaf Sand Cherry bush and some Spirea. We liked the color and texture of the perennials.

They all were watered thoroughly and . . . job done!! Next year she can fill in the spaces with more perennials or annuals. Since these photos were taken we have added brown mulch to keep down the weeds.

Caitlin's Flower Pots

2010-07-21T16:07:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to show off the planters and hanging basket at Caitlin's house. Click on the photo for a better view.

Maisy Mae's New Look

2010-07-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Maisy went to the groomers for her second summer cut. I dropped her off at 10:00 and Caitlin picked her up after 5:00... They were nice enough to fit her in between other customers; needless to say, Maisy was pretty excited to be home again.

This morning she is patiently waiting for me to get off the computer and play with her. She loves laying on the new tile floor in the back entryway...it is cool on a hot day. She is a "people dog" and follows me wherever I go. Of course when Caitlin is home she is her shadow!

Rhubarb Custard Heaven

2010-07-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

Caitlin was given some rhubarb and she decided to whip up two pies using Auntie Terri's Rhubarb Custard recipe. I said I would make the crust.

Caitlin arrived home from swimming just in time to take them out of the oven...the smell was heavenly!

We shared desert with Annie and Brooke. Kent was in Chelan practicing for Bach Fest. Caitlin sent the half-eaten pie home with them so Kent wouldn't miss out. Logan enjoyed our pie too!

Cousin Logan

2010-07-05T21:18:00.001-07:00

Logan and Oliver Lee were getting acquainted at Caitlin's house yesterday. Oliver seemed to like Logan's face!

Oliver Lee

2010-06-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

After the wonderful Thai dinner we went inside and watched the kids play. Oliver spent some time on the blanket...of course we took the video after he had been having his head up off the ground.

More Fun in the Wind

2010-06-21T22:34:00.000-07:00

Pinwheel Fun

2010-06-21T22:31:00.000-07:00

We had a picnic at Caitlin's house for dinner one evening last week. Caitlin made Thai food that was quite delicious. Brooke has been enjoying this pinwheel Caitlin picked up at the dollar store.

Grandchildren

2010-06-21T18:39:00.000-07:00

Annie found the sidewalk chalk today and Brooke played with it before and after napping. She has been quite interested in coloring books and has crayons at Auntie Caitlin's as well as at home. She used the chalk to color in some of the books too.

I spent the afternoon pulling weeds in their garden. While I was working outside, Annie was in the basement sorting childrens clothing into tubs by size. Brooke was napping inside so we tried Oliver Lee outside under the cherry tree in the little carrier we used when Annie was a baby. He loved to snooze in the basket! After waking and a clean diaper he was full of smiles and oohs for me.

Projects at Caitlin's House

2010-05-30T16:50:00.000-07:00

Well, we have the tubs of geraniums planted and the hanging basket watered. It's looking up in Caitlin's front yard.

Caitlin had transplanted one tub of geraniums before I arrived and then the second one sat for lack of time. The plants were from Costco in square containers with three plants in each~they could have stayed in their original containers but she had these nice barrels from last year. Of course the dirt was super hard and dry so it took lots of watering and chipping away before they were ready. The front hose wasn't operational since the watering company kept putting her off, so the kitchen sink (which has low pressure) was the fill up zone.

My next project was to weed the future site of the patio. These are before and after shots...three black bags and one garbage can later it was looking better!

I finished three quarters of the job one afternoon and then procrastinated...Today I finished the job with a major allergy attack!

Odds and Ends

2010-05-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

Heading home from Colleen and Wally's house, I spotted a nest that had fallen onto palm leaves...it was light and fluffy. I thought the contrast of elements in this setting was unusual.

We had the master bathroom tiled. John snapped this photo of the grout being applied. Luckily I was in Cashmere while all the disruption took place so I only had to help with the final steps.

We had carpet in the closet and shower area that was pulled out. Our painters didn't paint the entire baseboard so we had some touching up to do. John was delegated to the closet and I had the bathroom. It took 3 coats to match the yellow top coat.

Actually I was satisfied with 3 coats...John came along the next day and added a fourth!

I felt strongly about tiling the entryway and John went along with my wishes. It has improved the front of the house.

Spring Break and Garden Video

2010-04-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

Our niece Leah, and her girlfriend Hannah, are visiting the desert during part of spring break. The day they arrived the wind was blowing clouds in from the coast with gusts up to 45mph. They were good sports and didn't complain! Arriving on an early plane in Palm Springs means an early wake-up in Seattle ~ they had a very good sleep the first evening here.

Picking lemons for lemonade

Yesterday we enjoyed strolling up and down El Paseo, venturing into a few shops along the way. Leah found a great scarf in one boutique, I picked up lotion at Harry & David's, and Colleen picked up pear chips there. The weather was perfect...warm but not too hot. It is always fun to people watch and the one that made an impression on me was just outside Sak's! The gentleman was wearing leather shoes with turned up toes, long pony tail, and some gold on the hands. Of course it was fun to stroll through the store and browse. I thought it a bit steep when I looked at a leather belt for $350. From there we went into the shoe section (Leah was looking for prom shoes)...buttery leather again...with prices up in the $600 range. Then I had to check out the bags. I found one I would love to have if I led that kind of lifestyle. It was a deep red leather with a huge red leather flower on one side. That little bag went for $995. Ugh. Think of all the good you could do with that amount of cash.

Hanging out in the sun

Today I worked in the roses spraying for mildew. Our summertime gardener stopped by to make sure we hadn't forgotten him. I think he wants to keep his clients~the Canadians are all beginning to leave the desert and I'm sure he thought we were leaving as well. Our plan is to drive up to Cashmere around May 10-15th depending on Annie and the new baby boy. John will spend time visiting there before driving back to Thousand Palms for his dental appointment. We should have the house kinda packed away for the summer before driving up. John will have to do the "last minute things" before flying north for the summer.

Lillian Austin

All That Jazz

Golfing

2010-04-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

I went out with John on the golf course to watch him practice. He did quite well that evening, only one slice to the right and one goofy hit. I kept wondering about all the complaining I've been hearing after he golfs...

This photo shows the orchid tree in front of Jim & Donna Martinsen's house in full bloom. Also notice the jug on the green...John has two of these dandies that he fills with sand/seed. He fills the divots as he practices...probably fills 3 divots on each shot. He dug only one of his own!

As we were traveling around on the course he came to the filling station...I was sitting in the cart waiting for him to fill the jugs, the wind was blowing the dirt my way, there was a party on the patio next to me (must have been a green's party...the patio was filled to the brim) and I was feeling conspicuous. Grrr~ hurry up John! He was able to hit a nice shot close to the green. This is the hole Rob and Terri lived on (their home was the middle one in the photo).

Whew!

2010-04-04T16:11:00.000-07:00

A 7.2 magnitude earthquake centered 16 miles southwest of Guadalupe Victoria in Baja California just rocked the Coachella Valley.

I was bending down collecting sow bugs and thought I was passing out as the world was bucking around. My first thought was to get out of the garden. Trying to step carefully out of the garden was a problem~nothing was standing still. Heading for the house I thought I was really nuts...it looked like the blinds were swaying. When I reached the sink to wash up, the medicine cabinet door was swaying too...that was when I figured it wasn't me!!

Out I went...thinking about what I had learned about earthquakes. Whew!

What an Easter surprise...hope it's the last!

John's Rack

2010-04-01T09:28:00.000-07:00

We decided that a bike rack was needed for the Pilot...John found one that would fit into the trailer hitch. It is quite the bruiser!

Actually it looks quite easy to install...now to get the bikes to the bike shop for new tires and a checkup.

Yard Work

2010-03-26T22:35:00.000-07:00

Today I spent a good part of the day cleaning up fallen leaves from the blow we had last night. I hadn't been back by the orange tree for awhile and many leaves had fallen, dried and crinkly. I picked the last of the oranges off the tree...two had been eaten by a fruit rat. I suppose, now that I have removed it's source of food, it will move to the Meyer lemon and enjoy what's left there.

I have been toying with the idea of taking out the two scraggly bougainvillea plants behind the fountain. I want to replace them with a calliandra that will grow up against the wall adding a green background with red blossoms. I finally got out the pruners and started whacking.

Tomorrow I must go to the nurseries in search of the calliandra!

Let it Steam!

2010-03-25T16:55:00.000-07:00

This is my new toy, well...kinda!!
When the Solmonsons were visiting, Mary Ann commented on cleaning tile with a steam mop. It sounded like a great idea so I trotted off to Target and found one to try. I think I like it a lot. Yesterday I steamed the kitchen floor and learned the ropes of handling the thing. Today I did the rest of the floors and liked it even more.

Jasmine

2010-03-17T15:04:00.000-07:00

Today Kareese needed a hand moving her jasmine plant that had outgrown its spot. John put on his work clothes and we headed up the street. All the hard work, digging it out and prepping the new spot to receive it, had been done. With the temperature hovering around 87 it was a bit hot to be transplanting, but Jasmine is a tough plant.

Kareese and John maneuver the tarp under the root ball and we were able to lift it out of the hole.

Its new spot was looking nice. Kareese had worked hard at loosening the cement-like sand and amended it with mulch. That made it a quick and easy dig.

Into the hole it went...
After it was settled in we realized it wasn't quite centered...just a little bit of shifting and we all approved of the job.

Jasmine has a heavenly scent when it blooms with it's white flowers.

Tea Time

2010-03-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

Today I was working on a crossword puzzle on the patio and just happened to notice a roadrunner on the wall. Not bothering the little finches, I thought all was well~ hearing a funny noise I got up and looked up on the roof. There he was with his snack. I wanted to yell at it "Come back you rascal...I want that lizard back!!!" The little lizard has been surprising me, as I work in the garden, darting here and there. I'm going to miss it!

My Little Girl

2010-03-08T21:46:00.000-08:00

I ran across this old photo of Annie and had to scan it. She was wearing Jenny Jo's raincoat and new black boots. I think it was probably about 1983.

Birthday Dinner Alaskan Style

2010-02-08T18:42:00.000-08:00

John and I worked together on cracking the King Crab that Frank Neidiffer gave us. Then we threw it into a salad and ate like kings ~ a great birthday dinner!

Rainy Southern California

2010-02-06T23:36:00.000-08:00

This was the weather I woke up to this morning...

It continued throughout the day.

Petersburg

2010-02-06T23:08:00.000-08:00

I had to make a quick trip to the quilt store before leaving town. It was a nice day to walk...amazing what you don't see when you are in a car.

John was quite proud of the tarp he erected to keep the snow load off of the boat. It had stayed in place and hadn't blown free. I was shocked at the sight in the front yard...all the various bottles he found to weight the tarp down made quite an eyesore! Later I laughed about it and wondered why he had chosen such an assortment...he said he had to go through trash cans to find bottles to hang. Had I know this, I would have saved up milk jugs ~ whew!

What a typical sight in the Trading Union parking lot...black lab in the bed of a pickup!

A Quilt for Brooke Anne and Dolly

2010-01-20T12:04:00.000-08:00

Brooke and Annie are coming to visit in California. The last time Brooke was there we made a sleeping nest on the floor, which worked well for a nine month old. Now that she's 17 months that wouldn't work for napping or night-time. I'm buying a Pack N Play to keep for little people visits and need a quilt to go with it.

My favorite online quilting store, Over The Rainbow,

(www.overrainbow.com) had a new line of fabric I thought would be fun to use. Red Rooster and Arlene Neely Nana's Garden was the line that caught my eye. After Googling Arlene Neely, I found her website, Rabbit's Haven, where she has patterns for sale. I printed a picture of the quilt and ordered fabric.

Quilt top constructed ~ It was fun sewing on these pastel fabrics ~ love the little rosebuds. After chatting with the artists in the family about possible changes to the quilt (John wanted another flower added and less contrast in the leaves; Annie liked the contrast but toyed with adding another flower.) I decided to forge ahead and begin the quilting.

Using Minkee for the first time (as a backing) and a bamboo batting, I was quilting in softness...heavenly!

Now for the binding and this quilt is ready for Brooke's visit!

What should I do with the scraps....make a dolly quilt!

Deer Me

2010-01-13T10:35:00.000-08:00

Looking out the back door on a dark rainy morning using John's little camera ~ wish I had brought mine with me. The three have been visiting daily...waiting for spring and my flowers!

John's Christmas Vacation

2010-01-10T20:02:00.000-08:00

Poor John...his vacation in Cashmere was spent helping out at Caitlin's house. He had made shelves in her garage and wanted to add another set, so out came the tools and over to Home Depot he scurried. (He couldn't find much in the way of hardware in the local hardware store so he made numerous trips into Wenatchee~12 minutes one way!). He worked out in the cold for days~learning that you must wear warm clothes or you freeze. He spent the first evening shaking from the cold...he listened to me the next day and wore his down coat!

He added the upper shelf and the hanging 2X2 shelving from the rafters. Caitlin enjoyed shelving all of her treasures and organizing her tools.

Caitlin's new Honda fits in the garage with walking room around the entire car...this is a first.

The other side...

The new trash bin with wheels.

Pulling out... a view of the recycle material leaning on the side of the garage.

We had so much trash to get rid of that it was stacked inside her back fenced area for later disposal.

John also did some work on the bathroom door. It was an original that had at least 8 coats of enamel keeping it from closing. John scraped, planed, and sanded and finally the door shut and latched! Now guests won't have to worry about leaving the door ajar... Two more over-painted doors are awaiting John on another visit.

Caitlin and I spotted this entertainment center, carted it home in her CRV, and put it together...late into the evening. John ran to Home Depot again picking up some bolts to attach the flat screen to the hanger. We think this was a great purchase for her downstairs play room. Annie and Ben were setting up the Wii. Cait's new Mario Game is ready to be mastered...and who better than Ben, Annie, Leah, Kent, and Caitlin!

El Paseo Drive, Palm Desert

2009-12-20T18:09:00.000-08:00

We were on our way to Angel View with some rummage and we happened upon the lights. Luckily John had his birthday present (pocket sized Nikon) in his pocket!

Christmas Lights on El Paseo:

John wasn't too impressed with their light display. He figured that since it's the ritzy district they should have ritzy lights.

On the Greens

2009-12-20T17:40:00.000-08:00

While Caitlin was visiting we took a trip to Ivy Ranch to hit some balls at the driving range. Grandpa Wally, John, Carol and Caitlin worked on a couple buckets of balls. Caitlin took to it like a duck to water! She had lessons from both Wally and John ~ both do it differently!

Later that week John went out to play and took her along. I think Caitlin enjoyed it...

How's that for form?

As Caitlin and I were driving to the Ontario airport we passed Wally and John golfing.

Gulp

2009-12-14T22:16:00.000-08:00

We picked up a new bird feeder at Petco and the finches have been swarming. They love the easy access through the wire mesh to the niger seed. The feeder is busy all day long unless I am walking around the yard.

The doves visit but they stay on the ground picking through the dropped seeds and hulls.

I was surprised to find this roadrunner snooping around the back patio. It cruised up to the sliding doors, going the length of the house and then ran into the garden. I took this photo from inside the bedroom through the dirty window, then took the camera outside to snap a few more.

The Roadrunner was quite still. To my surprise all of a sudden his back looked like the wind was spreading his feathers. It was sunbathing! I read where they will spread their back feathers to let the sun warm the downy feathers.

Here it is sitting on the wall...

Sitting on the wall sunbathing...

Tiptoeing under a rosebush...

I thought I had quite the collection of photos so I went in to recharge the battery. Glancing out I noticed the bird dancing around in circles. What was that dangling out of it's beak? Oh no, not one of the resident lizards!!! Poor little lizard was a quick lunchtime gulp.

Headed for Market

2009-12-12T22:28:00.000-08:00

On the drive to Ontario we passed two trucks loaded with fruit. I had Caitlin grab the camera to get these shots...coming from Alaska, it is fun to see these sights!

Beware of Dog

2009-12-11T20:10:00.000-08:00

Maisy found a friend and wanted to play~Barbie is our neighbor's Shih Tzu.

Caitlin couldn't get over this sign...

PF Chang's China Bistro

2009-12-09T21:56:00.000-08:00

We had an excellent dinner out while Caitlin was here visiting. We decided on PF Chang's at The River. It was just the four of us. (John had spent his day taking care of odds and ends in the car and was tired.) We started with lettuce wraps and ordered 3 entrees... plenty of food for the meal and enough leftovers for lunch the next day!

The Things You'll Do...

2009-12-07T17:53:00.000-08:00

Oh the things you'll do to entertain your grandchild on the webcam. Caitlin was babysitting Brooke Anne the other night and gave us a call. Brooke is happy to sit and converse but has just started to get a bit shy. What is at hand to entertain a 16 month old? I grabbed my camera and started clicking... I won't show you the pictures of us sticking out our tongues at each other!

Mr. Fix-It

2009-12-06T16:36:00.000-08:00

Mr. Fix-It spent a good amount of time replacing lights now that the house has been painted outside. The swearing was minimal and there was only one extra trip to Home Depot for longer screws. I'm glad he doesn't charge by the hour!!

One down...four more to go on this house...

But then he decided to see how Wally was doing with his lights...he took his tools up the street.

Mr. Fix-It is on the ladder at Wally & Koke's house...new paint means new lighting here too!

Mission style lanterns will surround their garage door. (This one still has the styrofoam inside.) What is the rule for placing periods inside and outside the brackets? hummm

Shop Til You Drop...

2009-12-06T14:25:00.000-08:00

Caitlin and shopping are synonymous so we had to make a trip to Cabazon Outlets while she was here. To be fair, I was really holding out until she arrived to make the trip~I love Crate and Barrel, Columbia Sportsware, Eddie Bauer, Gap etc. It is a 20-25 minute drive west on I-10 past the windmills. We like to park outside of Starbucks...fortification for the day!

We struck gold in Columbia...lots we liked and a special of the day - 25 % off one item and a senior citizen discount off the total. (Senior Tuesdays we now know about! You don't even have to be very old to be a Senior either...I'm one!!!)

Caitlin and Koke hadn't dropped yet! I must say that the wealth was distributed among all family members but Caitlin did the most damage...

Maisy had to stay home...she did great in the house all day playing with her ball. Caitlin found a fun way to wear her out since this area isn't very dog friendly~pavement and desert. She took John's old purple bomber bike with Maisy on the leash and rode throughout Tri-Palms. Maisy was able to do some galloping.

Caitlin and some of her loot...

Maisy Takes the Plunge

2009-12-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

Maisy Mae jumped in the pool at Wally and Colleen's after Caitlin. She is a water dog and loves to be in the pool. Wally wasn't so happy that she liked the pool. I don't think he has been in since she enjoyed their water!

Swimming laps...don't piddle in the water Maisy!

It was a feast!

2009-11-30T19:49:00.000-08:00

Enjoying Thanksgiving with Margie and Mike at the buffet. John is laughing at Colleen's antics trying to get the shot without bumping into the neighboring table. Margie has been recouping from a new knee operation but was able to sit in her wheel chair and enjoy the meal.

Miss Maisy Mae Visits the Desert

2009-11-24T09:35:00.000-08:00

After a nighttime drive from Ontario with Caitlin and Maisy, we waited until morning to say hello to Wally and Colleen. We stood at the door ringing away on the doorbell...the place was locked up tighter than a drum. I thought for sure they would be up and around. As it turned out they were up and around ~ one of the valves for the watering system was stuck on and they were fighting a flooding battle in the backyard.

The control box was not solving the problem. They had unplugged it trying to get the water off. I played with the control box to no avail ~ the water just kept spraying. The planter box had turned into a goldfish bowl and water was running down the street from all the runoff...

Their house is on the far right ~ new paint color is a buckskin shade.

Maisy was sooo fluffy and clean. (Why don't dogs squint in the bright sunlight?) We didn't get photos of the grandparents meeting their grand-dog with all the flooding activity!

Desert Dolphin

2009-11-21T13:05:00.000-08:00

One of Wally's favorite tasks is putting together their fountain ~ so John and I decided to lend a hand. This dolphin is one of John's favorites!

This is all tongue in cheek...Wally abhors the fountain and John would rather there be a cherub peeing than a dolphin spitting!

We actually put it together twice...the first time there was so much gunk and calcium left over from the summer that the pump didn't have any spunk. John used a wire brush to scrape that gunk out while helper #1 held the pieces. Then came the rinse...

Success!

Caught in the Act

2009-11-21T12:37:00.000-08:00

Here he is...one of the many munchers!

And this is the newest trick...jumping up on the mums and grabbing beak-bites. This doesn't bother me since there are so many mums.

All Wired Up!

2009-11-15T16:57:00.000-08:00

Well, take that little birdies! Tomorrow morning at "bird breakfast time" a few little vegetarians are going to be looking for some new eats. I just hope it isn't the pansies nearby!

This is an evening shot of the orange tree that I have been pruning. It got quite a haircut~still some to go on the far top but will need the taller ladder. I have a six foot long Pull and Prune tool that reaches quite high. It is good for moderate sized branches but won't budge the thick ones.

Our garbage bin will be full with these clippings!

By-Catch from pruning...some green oranges and lemons.

Birds, Glorious Birds

2009-11-14T10:44:00.000-08:00

I love the birds...(we have a finch feeder and buy Niger Seed for them to feast on). I hate the birds...when they do this to my petunias.

Before

After

Previously I have used chicken wire to protect some of the starts early in the season; but the stash went into a neighbor's gate to keep out the rabbits. There was some in a contraption John made to keep the birds out of the tomatoes that I haven't been using. (I love home grown tomatoes but Costco does them nicely too and they come without fruit rat bites!)

Pliers, screwdrivers and a little time later I was back in business with a supply of chicken wire to cover the plants. Saying goodbye to the cage meant new planting spaces...

"John, would you please put in some bubblers for me so I can use all the area?"

We dug the trench and John did the magic yesterday. Today I'll finish filling the trough and I'm back in business!

The new bubblers are ready to water after I top off the compost with all the soil today!

The Battle Begins

2009-11-09T17:36:00.000-08:00

Arriving in the desert for the winter means gardening. Before putting the new annuals in the ground there's plenty of work to be done. (We have a gardener, while we are in Alaska, to keep the weeds down and make sure the watering system is working but pruning is not on his list.) So after 6 months of being away there is always a lot of pruning to do. Cuts (battle scars) from the roses, lemon and orange trees run up and down my arms and legs.

I tied back the Mexican sage that was engulfing the fountain before turning it on. The mums have taken over...but it is so hard to cut them back while still in bud.

It seems as though we missed the first great bloom on the rose bushes...we'll have to wait about another month for the next one. In the mean time I have been cutting out the dead stalks and dead heading the spent blooms. This rose is from a new plant I put in last year. The second photo shows the blossom after a few days in our sun.

The Ligustrum provides great shade in the hot summer and is a buffer between yards. I have started to trim it back to catch more rays now that its fall. We planted it so that the neighbor and I weren't eye-to-eye while working in the kitchen! (Living with close neighbors is common here!)

Our soil is very sandy (duh!) here in the desert so we have to amend it. Before planting we mix a few inches of Amend into the soil. Last spring I dumped all the potting soil out and so we had to buy new. We loaded up the Pilot with 6 large bags and carted them home. What fun!

I had a horrible mishap the other day. While trimming roses I spotted a green body among the leaves... I have battled grasshoppers before and assumed it was one. I grabbed the green head and body, separating the two quickly. Only after looking at it carefully did I discover I had beheaded a friend ~ a praying mantis. Yep, I'm still ticked at myself over that one!

Signing

2009-11-06T21:34:00.000-08:00

Brooke has learned signs to tell her parents what she wants. One sign she knows is for milk...squeezing the hand like one is milking a cow. She also says the word, but unless you know her you wouldn't recognize it!

Grandpa Time

2009-11-06T21:20:00.000-08:00

Grandchildren

2009-11-05T17:55:00.000-08:00

So, what one does when visiting grandchildren is to dote on them, play with them, take photos of them, read with them, and take videos... Of course each grandchild is special but this one is EXTRA SPECIAL!

First Snow

2009-11-04T23:35:00.000-08:00

While in Washington the girls and I took a drive out Icicle Creek Road to go on a walk. The night before had left snow. Of course the dogs were in heaven, running and cavorting in the white stuff. Brooke was getting her first molar (we didn't know at the time) and wasn't in the best spirits but she was a good sport.

We'll Follow the Sun

2009-11-02T08:47:00.000-08:00

It's October...time to migrate. On the way to California we like to stop and visit our family in Washington. This year we were later in the month and many of the leaves had turned brown and fallen. This shot was taken leaving Leavenworth heading for Cashmere.

We took a drive up Icicle Creek to go for a walk and run the dogs. We ran into snow! Annie & Kent had camped there the previous weekend.

Their camping spot~

Maisy and Cassy had a great time running and rolling

in the snow.

Brooke experienced the snow ~ a first. She didn't like it when Maisy shook off in her face. Annie was explaining about snow.

Caitlin, Maisy, and her new CRV!

Brooke and Carol playing Wii ~ a first for Carol!

Grandpa John loves reading to Brooke

Brooke is good at giving hugs these days...

Granddog Maisy and Brooke enjoy a story

Annie made the best pumpkin pancakes and Brooke would inhale them. She wanted pumpkin pancakes every morning we were there.

Putting the Cabin Away

2009-10-25T17:18:00.000-07:00

Pumpkat for Halloween

2009-10-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

Leaves were blowing off the Mountain Ash yesterday - yellow sleet flying. As I was driving out to the dental office my thoughts drifted back to this time of year while teaching school. I would be doing Halloween projects with the kids ~ cutting out pumpkins, accordion pleating dangling legs, cutting and pasting witches heads as well as doing math activities with pumpkins. Those were fun times. Caitlin asked me last night if I missed teaching... I'm on the fence! It was a wonderful time but it was wearing me out. I loved working with kids and doing projects.

As I was browsing in my favorite on-line quilt shop I saw a pattern for vegetable cats...weird. I printed off the pumpkat photo and thought about copying the idea. I drew a version on freezer paper, cut out the pieces, found scraps of fabric to machine applique and went to work. Machine applique with invisible thread made the project a quick one. I had fun using some silver metallic thread to give the whiskers a little sparkle. I thought it could be used as a banner outside, a table topper, or a wall hanging during pumpkin time!

video

2009-10-21T12:24:00.005-07:00

Well, this has been an experience that I probably won't try again...
Using my camera, I took video of the trip and downloaded it to the computer. It was saved in a format that the editing program didn't like so I had to troubleshoot... computer language is not my forte!

I probably spent about 10 hours researching/troubleshooting/downloading programs before I ended up with this YouTube cut. I am disappointed with the quality, frames, etc...

Thanks to Annie (computer whiz daughter!) I can now do this the right way!

King Crab Harvest

2009-10-19T08:21:00.002-07:00

We were invited to go along on a trip to pull up two crab pots. The day was clear and crisp~perfect to get some nice photos on the water.

Brother John's Delta is looking sharp ~ this is the second year on the paint job.

Wally and Colleen climb aboard.

Captain and First Mate head for the secret spot.

Wally in his favorite spot.

John was able to snag the buoy. Whew... the captain wouldn't have liked it if he'd missed.

The first pot looks empty...

Oh my, that's why it's empty ~ get out the cotton twine to mend it for the next trip.

Reaching for the bait sack was an ordeal ~ John was using a crowbar on the frozen humpies, trying to break them into smaller pieces.

The second pot was in better shape and even had a few crab for the cook pot.

Miriam lights the crab cooker.

Baited and ready to set back overboard.

Photo op...

Colleen went for the gusto!

Crab Cook Wally used Rob's method of steam cooking~less salt water in the pot. This was a bone of contention with other members of the group.

Rinsing the cooked crab with fresh water.

First mate Miriam enjoying the view.

Back at town, heading for the stall in the South Harbor.

Rigging

I have been trying to put the video clips I took on this trip together to make a movie to post. For some unknown reason Picasa won't allow me to do it. Grrr I have some nice footage to post too.

That was an afternoon to remember!