Work In Progress

My blogging has really been put on the back-burner while I've been getting our garden in, the sod put in place, and the patio organized.

We took the pygmy goat corral out, and also the little barn. That opened up the entire patio and expanded our yard. Now we have room for a couple of chairs and footstools, a little cofee table - and more grass to mow.

Since it is just George and I now, I decided against a picnic table, and just kept things simple. Dinner is served on trays, and put on the footstools. A roof extension from the house keeps the patio shaded all day - that is nice for summertime.

Our front porch catches the afternoon sun about 2:00. It can get too sunny there in the afternoon. However, the cats have enjoyed the front porch in the wintertime where a spot of warm sunshine is a welcome treat. A few times I've seen both our cats curled up together here, like they were still kittens in a nest. We have quite a few people walking by everyday, and they have enjoyed looking at our cats here.

This is the Nemesia (Berries and Cream) and white Bacopa that I put in a cedar planter - it has really taken off. It sits in a small spot of sunshine at a far corner of my patio, quite happy and fully expressive.

The Puyallup Spring Fair

The Puyallup Spring Fair was held this last weekend in conjunction with the Daffodil Parade. I'll have to admit that when I get over to the Fair, I head over to the animals first, and try to find a favorite - pygmy goats. Often, there are newborn goats, and I take my video camera and zoom in on them.

Cattle are next, with all the activity in the barns. These are the cleanest cattle you will ever see, with owners making sure that they look great for 'show'.

I take a long time in the Domestic Arts Building - I love the quilts, the jams and jellies, the homemade pies, and all of the embroidery. The Arts and Crafts are usually next, and they do not allow any photographs in that building. We have people all over the United States entering their photography here.

The Spring Fair is not as grand in scale as the Fall Festival, held in the middle of September, but it is a great place to people watch. I enjoy sitting with a warm, buttery scone with raspberry jam. And, I enjoy watching people walk away with those giant, stuffed animals that are fun to win — but not so fun to lug around the rest of the day.

This year’s Spring Fair featured a Charreada, a traditional Mexican-style rodeo, with skilled charros (cowboys) in colorful Mexican costumes, and mariachi music. Beginning centuries ago as a rural entertainment based on the working skills of cowhands, the charrada has become the official sport of Mexico. With its history, gallantry, pageantry, and contests the rodeo inspires artistic expressive forms such as painting, poetry, music, folk dance, novels and films.

The PC Gamers Exposition featured the latest in gaming gadgets, and Rocket’s K-9 Comet Frisbee Dog Stars had a show featuring five Frisbee-catching canines competing one on one in the “Acrobatic Idol,” “Survivor Speed Catch” and the “WWWoof Smackdown Double Dog Challenge.”

The Swifty Swine Racing Pigs were racing around a track for the coveted prize of a peanut butter cup at the finish line......just good fun for the Fair crowd. Also, the Spring Fair has a litter of piglets - and this is the most popular feature for the kids.

This photo is the fall harvest - squash, cukes, tomatoes, zuchinni, corn. We've got a lot of growing to do until then....right now, the only the seeds have sprouted and an entire growing season is ahead of us.

The Daffodil Festival Parade

There were thousands of people lining Pacific Avenue in downtown Tacoma on Saturday, to enjoy the 73rd annual Daffodil Parade. The parade traveled through Tacoma, Puyullap, Orting, and Sumner.

The Daffodil Festival began in 1926, when the Charles W. Orton family was hosting civic leaders from 125 towns in Western Washington. They celebrated with a garden party, featuring the many varieties of daffodils in bloom at this time of year. The Commander at Fort Lewis, Major General Robert Alexander, brought a military band and riding horses. The festivities became a yearly event. Eventually a yearly parade was held, featuring floats and marching bands.

This year there was a jazz festival with music on four stages, vendors, arts & crafts displays, flower show, hundreds of classic cars, and family and kids' activities. Many people came early, and put their lawn chair on the curb, with a cooler of pop nearby. People were viewing the parade from a parking garage, and from balconies along the street.

I just ''happened onto the parade" on my way over to Watson's Nursery, where I was going to get a few shrubs for the back yard. A police barrier prevented traffic from going through the intersection, and there I was, stalled in my car! What a pleasant delight, and I had a front row seat.

I regretted not keeping my camera in the car, as many of the floats and banners were quite colorful. So I found a website sponsored by our local newspaper, running images of the Parade. People were encouraged to share their images - so these are a few.

Gig Harbor - Washington

After our canoe glide on the weekend, we drove into the little commercial fishing village of Gig Harbor for a picnic lunch.

It was a gorgeous sunny day, with many of the locals ambling down to the docks to check out the pleasure crafts.

Gig Harbor can sport some pretty fancy sailboats and cabin cruisers. Most of these boats looked so clean I wondered if any of them were really used.

A 30 minute parking limit for boats is the rule, so when we walked the boardwalk, most of the boat-owners were just sitting in their boats, drink in hand. It felt rather odd, like they were specimens, waiting to be viewed.

We were walking along Grandview Street, the main thoroughfare of Gig Harbor, and 'bumped into' our daughter-in-law, Annie. She joined us in our walk, and we took in the little shops, the boats, and the people. Annie and her husband Rue live in Gig Harbor with their daughter, Daisy, who is nine.

Gig Harbor is generally known as the "wealthy" hub of Pierce County, with a lot of gated communities and waterfront property. Commercial fishing and boat building dominated the economy in its early history, but now it is primarily a residential area adjacent to Tacoma via use of the Narrows Bridge.

There is a Maritime Festival in early June, at which time there is a 'blessing of the fleet'.

Arbor Day was celebrated last weekend with a poetry contest, and the Farmer's Market lasts from now until October, with many local truck farmers bringing in flowers and produce.

Gig Harbor is known for its quaint, artsy charm. Galleries and shops are filled with the work of talented local artists and craftspeople. The natural splendor of the place has always attracted creative types, especially those working in the visual arts. For nearly a quarter century, the Peninsula Art League has sponsored exhibitions, workshops and classes for artists to learn and exhibit together. Membership includes about 180 people - sculptors, photographers, potters, jewelers, glass artists, fiber artists and painters who work in every imaginable medium.

Gig Harbor hosts a yearly Summer Art Festival that includes 162 booths hosted by the Peninsula Art League.

A Wild Ride On Square Lake

The photos here look pretty tame on Square Lake on the Kitsap Peninsula, but when we put the canoe in the water, the wind blew us, sideways, about 100 feet....not a friendly greeting. But other than the wind, it was a gorgeous sunny day, with temps in the 70's.

We'd canoed this lake once before in the summertime, when the beach is loaded with children and people picnicing. It is a shallow lake with a very scummy bottom, not especially great for swimming, but good for tubing and paddling.

On this day, only the caretakers were there, having a cup of morning coffee in their RV. They said that the $5.00 fee is waved, that they want more people to enjoy this little lake. They spend 3 monthes camped here in their RV as hosts, then pack up for a month and travel the USA. At trips's end, they return once again as caretakers for 3 monthes. They say it is a great way to spend retirement, and it allows them a little income, and great outdoor living.

I recall this lake having so many lily pads, and all of them bobbing in the water at the same length from the bottom of the shallows. The lily pads here are actually a deep maroon, laced with veins of orange. (The intense sunlight makes for a faded image here.)

George was eager to have me look up at an immature eagle perched right overhead, but I was so busy sitting at a slant trying to balance the wind, that I waited until we were in a little quiet cove before I checked him out. Kingfishers, Canadian geese, and a blue heron were our company for the day. We paddled through thick reeds at the end of the lake, where there is also a beaver dam and muskrat dwelling. A deep gorge down in the bottom of the lake appears to go into a cave - but George says it is the entrance to the muskrat's dwelling.

The still photos here are pretty poor, but the video that I took has filters that screen out glare and deepen the color. Those images of sweet little maroon lily pads floating by on a vast blue expanse turned out pretty good. I favor the video, as it also captures the birdcalls, and the pull of the canoe through the reeds. And, wouldn't you know it, the last two glides that we've had we've gotten phone calls! Just as we are trying to get out of the wind, George told our friend on the phone that "we've got to get the canoe around a bend.....we'll call back if we make it."

No Rental Agreements Needed Here

If you look closely, you'll see a little fluffy wren sitting on this old birdhouse out my window. There is something so urgent about her. You see, she keeps coming back to this place, sitting and chirping, exploring the doorway, sitting on the roof ---- telling her mate that this is 'the place' she has chosen for her nest.

But, he comes over, hops on the roof, explores the doorway, looks around, and flys away! He will not nest here.

The little female has urged him to reconsider many times over the past weeks, but he just looks inside and flys away. Meanwhile, she fluffs out her feathers with a protest. She doesn't care that this little house is too close to my back door, or that our cats could walk over and stick a paw in the door. This must be a new experience for her, and she is not paying attention to the prudent instincts of her mate.

When I built the birdhouse out of scraps 10 years ago, it was just for fun. No bird has ever lived in it, and I want to remove it....but now I've got potential tenants. I need to wait until she has either convinced hubby to settle down, or he has convinced there are better accommodations elsewhere. I sure wish one of them would make up their minds.

The Cherry Blossoms Are In Bloom

This is the view out of my studio/guest-room window upstairs. It looks down into part of our backyard, with the little cabin I built for my grand-daughter, and the old garage on the right.

Not shown, is my vegetable garden that runs the length of the backyard, with nine growing beds for flowers and vegetables.

It was in this little room, sitting in a big chair by the window, that I imagined where I would plant everything - from a bird's-eye view.

For 10 years the entire backyard was devoted to growing flowers and vegetables. Now that age has taken it's toll, with the attendent aches and pains, I've planted a lawn where garden paths used to meander. We've removed the little goat corral, the rabbit hutch, the chicken coop and 'run'. My days of 'intensive farming' are over.

Right now, the cherry tree is in bloom, and the squirrls are ruffling the leaves under the pin oak, to recover all the acorns they planted. There is a lot of chatter in the forsythia from the wrens and chicadees, and it looks like we will be having a peek-a-boo day, some rain, with sunbreaks. In time, these windows will be open, and fresh air will fill the house.

Pioneer Cemetary - Thurston County

On the weekend we took a long afternoon drive through the countryside. This time of year the pastures have greened up beautifully, cattle are grazing in the meadows, and many of the shrubs and trees are in bloom.

We like to take country roads that are off the main roads, and see where they lead. Our trip meandered through a beautiful little valley, along a creek boardered with willows, and ended up at this cemetary on a hillside.

It was a pioneer cemetary, with many old gravestones still in very good condition. I walked around, and noticed someone who had fought in the Spanish American War; another man had served in the first World War. One gravestone said "Infant Daughter", another just said "Father". Some family plots were outlined with little concrete borders. One of these was under some large pine trees. Underneath, covering the entire plot, was a bed of Sedum, from corner to corner, spilling over the cement. I've never seen sedum used this way - it was lovely, and perfectly spread. Someone came up with a very good idea, as no other type of plant would have done well under those big pine trees.

Moss and lichen has covered up much of the engraving on the oldest gravestones, and even the sun, wind and rain had worn some of the surfaces so thin that names could only be imagined. But, this cemetary was cared for, and flowers had been put by the sides of many of the gravestones, in commemoration of Easter. Beautiful flowering shrubs were scattered throughout, very over-grown, and the wild Ajuga (bugleweed) lined the pathways.

Scrapbook Art - Someone's Treasures

These drawings were in a large scrapbook at the Tenino Railroad Museum - they were cut-outs from magazines of the day.

There certainly was an innocence and sweetness associated with children, painted with such endearment here. Cards and
illustrations like these are in the Antique stores here in Tacoma. I've collected quite a few, and have made my own scrapbooks out of them.

I especially enjoy the depiction of children and pets...it is almost a bygone era to see this simple relationship. I enjoy seeing the pets dressed up, like a family member, in amusing clothing and hats.

Nowdays, the sophistocation of computers and video-games has caused children to enter an entirely different world. Only very young children take an interest in images such as these....and notice the hand-made horse, another delight.

Off The Beaten Track

The 82 year old proprietor of the Tenino Depot Museum was quite surprised when he saw George and I walk into his little museum out in rural Thurston County on the weekend. It is 'out in the middle of nowhere', and when we walked inside he said it was the first day of the season for the museum.

We smiled, signed our names in the guest register, and told him we were just exploring, driving through the valley, and the museum looked interesting. So, we checked it out.

The sandstone building housing the museum was built in 1914 as a Northern Pacific depot and was active until after WW II. On the main line betwen Seattle and Portland, eight or nine trains daily stopped here at the height of train travel. In 1965, NP sold it to the town and with the help of a Federal grant, it was moved ten blocks to a city park and converted to a museum. The building was kept the same as much as possible and now houses the original press used to make the original wood money, along with old logging tools, old quarry tools, railroad memorabilia and many local artifacts, including a 1920s doctor's office.

While I explored rock samples, petrified dinosaur droppings, barbed wire, and old typewriters, George got acquainted with our host, the last living lumbermill operator of Bucoda, Washington.

He was eager to share the history of Tenino, starting with the stage coaches that carried passengers over to Olympia. They were always getting stuck in the mud, and when the railroad crews came to build the tracks, the area became a trading center for the southern part of the county.

By 1887, the town had a population of 75, two general merchadise stores, a hotel, two blacksmiths, and a telegraph and freight office. In 1888 sandstone quarrying became a valuable part of Tenino's economy.

Skilled quarrymen, stone cutters, and stone masons helped to create an increase in population. By 1910, rock for government breakwater projects at Grays Harbor brought the number to 1,000.

Contracts to supply granite from a quarry in the Skookumchuck River gorge necessitated building a railroad line from Tenino to the gorge. The project ended when the government cut off funds for harbor improvements in World War I. When the Great Depression hit this area, the sandstone quarrywork halted, and the little town of Tenino began to fade away.

I'm not sure what this large machine on the railroad tracks is used for - it was nearby. Perhaps it does some sort of track repair. An active railroad runs through the area, and the Museum helps to keep the history of railroading in Tenino alive. I'll post some photos below.....

Farming, Railroading, and Banking

The light in the museum was poor for photographs, but I managed to get a few items here - part of a barbed wire collection, railroad lanterns, and currency bags.

The railroad line, operating from 1878 until 1916, had only one passenger car and a freight car. For $1.00 a ton, freight was loaded anywhere on the line, and passenger tickets were also $1.00.

Stops were made whenever necessary. Farmers flagged down the train anywhere along the line and freight was dropped off the same way. Cows often held up the entire schedule while the conductor chased them out of the way.

Tenino made news all over the world during the Depression when it made "wooden money". The scheme grew out of a Tenino Chamber of Commerce plan to issue emergency scrip to relieve the money shortage caused by the failure of the local bank. The original scrip was on paper and given to bank depositors in exchange for assignment to the Chamber of up to 25% of the depositor's bank account balance.

Shortley afterward, the scrip was printed on "slicewood" of spruce and cedar. It immediately became famous as the original wooden money. Eight issues were printed between 1932 and 1933, with a total of $10,308 of the wooden currency put into circulation. It became a collector's item, and only $40 was ever redeemed by the Chamber of Commerce.

Nisqually Wildlife Refuge

The weekend weather forcast predicted torrents of rain and wind, not the greatest day for a canoe glide. But, we loaded up anyway, and took our raingear and hiking boots.

We scouted a few lakes down in Thurston County, but the waves were formidible, and the sky very ominous. We found some cliffs along the Skookumchuck River, and climbed them. But George's shoes weren't that great for climbing, so we turned our attention to the Nisqually Delta.

The Nisqually Delta is a wildlife sanctuary north of Olympia, pictured here. Two old barns serve as research facilities for the Center. We walked along a road that lead to a dyke, across open wetlands caused by the tides of Puget Sound.

The Delta is a rich and diverse area supporting a variety of habitats. The freshwater of the Nisqually River combines with the saltwater of Puget Sound to form an estuary rich in nutrients and detritus. These support a web of sea life in the marshes and on the mudflats. Salmon and steelhead use the estuary for passage to upriver areas. In the photos here you can see that the tide is up, flooding the marshlands.

Spring brings many songbirds - goldfinches, warblers, tree swallows. Woodpeckers, hawks, and small mammals are found in the woodlands and croplands nearby. Grassland is a perfect habitat for the nesting places of the Canadian geese, who are here now. Several acres are now 'out of bounds' for walking, due to protecting nesting sites.

Even though it was pouring rain, we slogged ahead for about a mile and a half, getting our hiking boots wet, and our coats soaked. I wore gloves and a scarf. It was in the mid 40's, and the wind had quite a sting. When the rain let up and a rainbow came out, I took these photos.

Collecting Eggs

Five years ago I had a Rhode Island Red hen that laid brown eggs, and an Arucana hen that laid blue-green ones. Every morning I'd hear a couple of cackles and squaks, and I'd go outside to check out their new eggs.

Maude and Henrietta had a little chicken run along my fence, complete with a nesting hutch made from the innards of an old chest of drawers, and a roosting hutch that I built. At night-time, Maude and Henrietta had a ritual, chattering together as they settled in for the night. One would face outward and the other inward.

Pictured above are their eggs, now bleached out by the sun. Also included in the photo are a few bantam eggs, the small ones, that a friend gave me about 10 years ago, and everything is nestled in old squash tendrils that I saved from my garden one summer.

Yes, I save little treasures, even something as simple as hen's eggs.

Wired For Success

I've learned the hard way to protect my vegetables when they are sprouting. Otherwise, just as they are popping up, the crows will yank them out of the ground, or the cats will scratch the soil and disturb my seeds.

By putting old grass clippings around the onions, and a soft plastic wire over the soil, I have managed to deter pesky critters.

So far, I've sprouted my peas and carrots, the onion sets have come up, and the parsley and spinach have been put into rows. Today, I'll seed my dill and cilantro, and purchase my tomato plants. I'm spending most afternoons working out in my yard now....it is too gorgeous to stay indoors.

When I've finished, I've been driving down to Ruston Way, to sit a spell at the beach. People are walking their dogs, skateboarders glide by zig-zaging. We've got a lot of people fishing on the pier, and I've enjoyed watching them.

I've taken my video camera along, and yes, I've filmed a couple of frisky pigeons with 'spring fever'. They've been nuzzling, cooing and kissing, running circles around each other. He fluffs up his feathers and struts back and forth. She reminds him with little head nods that it is nesting time......unabashed lovers, a sweet little pair.

Lighting Up the Night

A perfect pansey for evening. I enhanced the colors by holding a flashlight behind the petals......

Old Treasures In The Attic

This last Saturday while it rained, I spent part of the day organizing some old files. In years past, I've collected quite a few antique postcards, letters, and family photos from Europe as inspiration for my artwork.

Fortunately, someone thought to bring these keepsakes to an antique shop here in Tacoma. When I explore the shops, I'm looking for script in foreign languages, old postal cancellation dates, sheet music, and money that has become worthless because the countries were reformed. I use all of these as backgrounds for collages.

It amazes me that people throw away such priceless momentos - such as family photos from 'the old country'. I would be hanging onto these, to show future generations. As I went through some of my stuff, I came across old letters and hand-written prayers by my mother, and I reread all of them. It was such a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

I'm going to include a few specimens from my stash of antique shop finds....languages that I don't understand, families, and old buildings. They all remain safe, bound in albums with my artwork.

Some Of My Treasures

The man above is an old fisherman from the Adriatic Sea. The ancient city is in Italy, and I'm not sure of the script - maybe Danish.

Pack It In, Take It Out

This fishing tackle and Capri Sun Mountain Cooler were some of the artifacts greeting us at our 'put-in-point' on Swofford Lake. Just nestled in the decaying leaves, letting us know that someone had been there.

After six years of canoeing Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana lakes, I've noticed a pattern: Fishermen come to fish, and they don't pack up their trash and put it in their trucks to haul home.

We see bait containers, beer bottles, reel line with bobbins still attached, bottle caps, pretzel and chip bags, even old socks or a broken sandal. It seems like the lakes with the best fishing have the problem of the worst litter.

When George was putting the canoe in the water, I saw these items over in the grass, and when I was finished photographing them, I put them near the boat launch for the next boater to see - because the fishing lure and line were still in good condition. I figured someone could use it. When we returned from the paddle, the lure was gone....just as I figured, but the mashed flat package of Capri Sun just layed there. It did serve a good purpose - it's bold color attracted someone's attention.

Paddle On South Swofford Pond

Our paddle on Swofford Pond this last weekend started out with clouds and a light rain, followed by sunshine. The colors were muted and soft. It was a very quiet place except when we would startle a pair of mallards or a bunch of Canadian geese.

Tacoma Power and the state put a great amount of effort into assisting a healthy wildlife habitat here. Some of the sensitive animal species protected in this area are bald eagle, great blue heron, pileated woodpecker and osprey. Sensitive plant species such as fringed pinesap and small-flowered trillium are protected here as well.

Bald eagles and osprey nest in trees along the shoreline, and wood ducks nest in wooden boxes attached to shoreline trees. Barn owls, loons, and red tail hawk are also common near the lake. We watched hawks dive into the water, and I was able to film a muskrat swimming away from us. My photos here just couldn't capture how exquisite this lake is - it was through my video that we were really able to capture the sounds and magic of this lake.

It was a perfect glide - about an hour and a half. I could have enjoyed a second trip around the lake, but we decided instead to take a circuitous trip home. We drove on backroads through farming country, rather than use the freeway. A few tulip fields were in bloom - streaks of red, and we stopped to investigate a skunk cabbage swamp. The variety of plant species there all had pungent odors. I took a few photos, below...

Skunk Cabbage And Salamander Eggs

Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) is one of the first signs of spring. I had to slog in my garden boots to get over to these lovely, but stinky specimens. Little bugs were exploring the inner chamber, attracted to the odor released by the plant. These plants were frequenting the shoreline along Swofford Pond.

I found this gelatineous glob of Salamander eggs along the shore where we put our canoe in the water. It was just floating there, bobbing in the water. I decided to take some of it home, to study. It is sitting on my windowsill. Each egg is transparent.

I'm waiting for them to move....then, I'll take them to Snake Lake Nature Center.