This is the view from my sofa on the patio, where I read the morning paper and enjoy my first cup of coffee. Come Sunday morning, I'll be sharing my spot with our daughter Ruhiyyih! She has spent 3 years living in Washington DC, and is now returning home. Yes, this has something to do with recently becoming engaged to Matt. She wants proximity! Way to go, Ruhiyyih ~ welcome home!
When I work in my garden at Franklin Park there is a little 3 year old girl, Regan, who visits me. She is such a sweet child, and I brought this doll to help keep her entertained while her mother works her plots. It is an old doll that has been tucked into a chair on my front porch, and has been long neglected.
Krissy wanted a photo of the chair, so this is one taken this morning, in a glare of intense sunlight. After I washed and scraped off all the flaking paint and scum I went to the Goodwill and bought a seat- cover, to help cushion my boney butt. I'm not one to sit long, though, as it is easier to keep moving than to try to get up again!
The basket of geraniums is just an after-thought, a way to use up old plants that didn't have a good spot on the patio. In September all the dahlias behind this chair, along the fence, will be in bloom, and I'll try to take a better picture then of the chair, with the flowers in the background.
My efforts have attracted attention - everyone loves salvaging old furniture and putting it to good use. 
Some of the gardeners hauled in this old picnic table and benches today.
We packed a picnic lunch on Sunday and drove out to Alder Lake to explore the shoreline. But, it began to rain, so we finished our lunch and drove around, exploring the countryside. This is always enjoyable, and we found ourselves at Lake Ohop, right across from the large farm owned by our friends. (They were hosting a Russian Camping Retreat).
People were fishing and putting their boats in the water, so we put the canoe in and paddled along the west end.
This is the outflow from Ohop Lake, very gentle water. Red winged blackbirds called from the cattails along the shoreline, and the sounds of birds(video) were delightful.
We approached a little dam, so turned around. We sure didn't want to get caught(video) in any rapids or tumble over rocks.
As we paddled back, we noticed an old submerged Adirondack chair. I figured we could haul it up and see if it was worth saving(video) - it was! (No EASY task, getting that heavy chair into the canoe, but as I held on to cattails, George pulled it into the canoe!) We took it home, I cleaned the scum off, and now it sits along the grassy border at my garden at Franklin Park. I've wanted a chair for my garden, and this old wooden one fits just right!
When the Metropolitan Park District gave me an additional garden plot at the end of April, I scrambled to get the plots organized, trenches dug, and seeds planted. In some cases, I purchased small 'sets', vegetable starts from the local nursery. 
I had to start my corn this way, giving it a head start...right now it is shooting up phenomenally, due to the way I planted it, with rows of compost and manure between rows, and banked with grass clippings.Many Russian ladies garden all around me, with some plots devoted entirely to potatoes or tomatoes. They garden communally, with all of the ladies tending everyone's plot. Three sides of my plots are bordered by the Russians, and I appreciate this because they are very good gardeners, keeping their plots neat and clean. 
In this photo I'm squatting next to my wild borage. It went to seed in my garden last year. I saved the volunteers, so I can add the leaves to salads.
Thinning my beets; I pull the largest leaves off the plants and use them in salads. Last year little mice ate through most of my golden beets, so I didn't plant them this year. Cilantro and basil seedlings are just starting to sprout in one of the inner rows. Night-time temps have to routinely hover around 50 degrees to get these sprouted.
Kids and families are frequently walking along the nature trail bordering the garden. People stop to visit, and several people have asked if I'm planting the dahlias that I planted last year. Old people from the retirement home stop by to look at the garden on their daily walk. Many of them have windows overlooking the garden - they keep an eye on who comes and goes.
I weed and water different parts of my garden every day, spending at least two hours a day on the project. Kale and mustard seedlings in the front here. The mustard has club root, so I've not thinned them out. Once this fungus gets into a garden it is difficult to grown cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, etc. The soil must be dormant for five years to eradicate the pest. Our garden co-ordinator says that a soup made from boiled rhubarb leaves can be poured on the planting rows before setting seed, and that it helps to kill the fungus.
My kale seedlings....so pretty when a water spray covers them in the morning. I'll be doing a second crop of these in the fall, so I have winter-overing plants. Then I'll pick them all winter.
I've planted just a few flowers to attract bees for pollinating my zucchini. They are planted in compost that has been layered in grass clippings. This is a way to extend a growing berm, and the grass decomposes throughout the summer.
Collards are doing great. The fuzz in the background is sweet fennel.
Rows of curly mustard, broccolini, onions and lettuce. I have 26 tomato plants this year, for sauce and drying.
We spent several weekends hauling in horse manure from the riding stables in Spanaway. The stuff is free, u-haul. 
I've spread it along all my pathways to provide mulch. It makes for some soft walking! I'll dig it into the soil into the fall, letting it deteriorate through the winter. This pathway serves my leeks, onions, summer and winter squash, green beans, eggplants and corn.
Normally, taboli salad is mostly fine wheat grain, but I put seven different raw vegetables into my food processor and made a mixture that could be added to the wheat salad to lighten it up. It is flavored with za-attar, a spice I bought at Akka, and olive oil. It looks like taboli, but it really is shredded vegetables. I layered kale, lettuce, and green onions and put the salad on top. Our three sons went up to Mt. Ranier for a hike over the weekend. Both days were free to the public so the place was packed with visitors. They drove to a remote trail that and had an all day hike, coming home absolutely famished. I brought out some east-Indian lentil soup, naan buns with home-made cheese, and they chowed down. Rue has two monthes off during 'maternity leave', so he has some well-earned time off. Last week he came over and I taught him, Daisy, and Taraz how to make 'farmer's cheese' and yogurt. Taraz filmed a little of it, and Rue took notes. Within an hour and a half both had been prepared, and the yogurt incubating. I cautioned Rue about squeezing out too much of the whey to speed up the process - it will result in a grainy cheese much like Parmesan, great for sprinkling but not for spreading on toast or buns. For this type of cream cheese there has to be more moisture. A feta-type of cheese is made when the dripping is allowed to continue for several hours. All three outcomes are a real treat, and depending on what type of cheese is needed the cheesemaker will watch the dripping/squeezing process.The left-over whey, about 2 1/2 quarts, was used for the east-Indian lentil soup. And the yogurt is used in the naan. I gave Rue a spice blend that I prepare from scratch to use on the top of the buns. It is a wonderful blend of dark red paprika, oregano, cayenne, kosher salt, coarse pepper blends, and sesame seeds. I find that mixing my own blends from fresh ingredients is cheaper than buying them blended.
Rue and Annie will return home today, bringing along their new litt
le one, Daniel. He weighed 6 lbs. 8 oz. and is the sweetest little boy, looking very much like his Daddy, but having Annie's beautiful blue eyes.
Annie's mom, Katherine Hall took these photos. She stayed with Annie during the day, and Rue spent the nights with Annie.
George sang a little song to Daniel, the song he used to sing to his own children when they were young, "Oh God, Educate these children. These children are the flowers of Thy meadow, the roses of Thy garden. Let Thy rain fall upon them...."
Daniel's big sister Daisy, who is now 13 is really enjoying her new brother. I used to care for Daisy for several years, now she will be helping Annie care for little Daniel.
Grandma's hands... I've got ole' lady hands. Hands that spent 5 hours yesterday working in my garden.
Annie and Rue had baby Daniel this morning about 4:45! We are all so happy for this little family! I saw Annie and Rue just a few days ago. When they came over to the house I wasn't home, so they drove over to the Community Garden, where I was watering my vegetables. We visited for awhile, then I gave Annie a hug goodbye. I knew that was the last time I'd see Annie pregnant. They'd had an emergency visit to the hospital earlier that day, trying to turn the baby for a natural delivery. Daniel, being a Dannells, was not to be redirected. He had his own way about his arrival into this world! Rue came by this morning to tell us that Annie and Daniel are both doing fine.
Matt and Ruhiyyih got engaged! Matt flew out to visit her last weekend, and they celebrated the occasion at the Washington Monument. Matt made a cute card with the words "Marry Me", and when he got down on one knee to propose and she said "Yes!" all the people around them clapped. What a celebration!
Then he presented the gift of the ring, this embellishment that symbolizes so much love and grace. But, you have to read Ruhiyyih's story to understand the phenomenal gift bestowed on this couple by a friend.
Fry the sweet potato strips, transfer to paper towel, then lightly sprinkle with salt. Serve with steamed asparagus.
We had this the other night, and I couldn't believe how delicious the combination was. I do have to laugh, though, as I had this course following buttermilk pancakes with fresh strawberries, blueberries and home-made yogurt.
Suddenly, I saw this image on my computer screen. "Where did that come from", I thought. I deleted it, but it kept popping up every time I turned on the computer screen! George noticed too...why is this photo always showing up? I'd delete and delete. Finally, in exasperation I asked Taraz why the photo is always popping up. He said that when Rue was here he found it in our Pilgrimage file. He posted it as my screen saver!
..."a new bond with the world took place.. seeds were planted, and a fresh air blew over these lands."And, a video Taraz wanted me to watch, from the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien....these guys really know how to canoe!
The beautiful canyons and bluffs of the Katy Lake area are a favorite of ours ~ exceptionally good hiking and exploring. We've managed to camp here every summer, and without exception there has always been an event that is memorable. This time, it was the drama of an upcoming storm, with intense wind that almost flattened our tent, and a pummeling rain with thunder and lightning.
In fact, the storm was so frightening (to me) that I grabbed my bedding and ran to the car! I didn't want to be in a tent on the prairie when lightning was flashing all around us. Fortunately, we'd set up camp, had dinner, and were just enjoying the marvelous drama of vista and sky before this storm started brewing.
When we first arrived, George grilled some steaks and I pulled out some prepared salads, a chorizo-bean-veggie soup and some home-made naan. Our camp was in order, with all our kitchen items stored in a little tent behind our sleeping tent. We decided to store our stuff this way as we had to haul it down a hill to the camp. No sooner than 'all was done' when the sky turned purple and the wind started to blow. The tent almost flattened, and rain was pummeling the prairie. When lightning and thunder erupted all around us I ran to the car with my bedroll, with George dragging behind. He was not pleased I chickened out, planning to spend the night in the van if this storm prevailed!
My mistake was not to have enjoyed it, as within a half hour the clouds and wind abated, and the sun came out. A beautiful double rainbow glistened in the sky and the sagebrush smelled so fresh and pungent, so heavenly. It was as if Mother Nature had forgotten we were coming, and at the last moment decided to sweep her doorway and tidy up a bit. When that storm was done it was simply beautiful out. We got out of the car, I hauled my bedroll back down to the tent, and we laughed at the drama of it. Fortunately, our bedding and clothes remained safe and dry in the tent.
We decided to go for a hike completely around one of the bluffs. Although it was late day (we had our dinner at 4:00, so this hike was about 5:30) we knew the hike wouldn't take that long, and it was a perfect end to the day. Along the way we watched a great owl swoop from his perch up on the bluff and glide down the valley. He'd been watching us, and in the middle of the night I heard his wings flapping in 5 or 6 rushes of wind over our camp. He'd set a spell nearby, and the pulsing wind sound was when he flew away.
Before bedtime I sliced up some strawberries and bananas, piled some home-made yogurt on top, and we had a bedtime snack. The next day we went for a long hike throughout the lower valley through the canyons. We saw a coyote watching us from the top of a bluff, but as we got closer to him he ran off. That was a truly magnificent silhouette for eastern Washington.
We hiked all around Katy Lake and I collected cow dung for my garden. I've done this before, as cattle frequent this area. 
I take it home, pummel it with my digging fork, and work it into my vegetables. We brought home 4 black garbage bags full, quite a lot. Some of it I will soak in my wheel barrow, so it soaks up more moisture and won't soak up the water in my garden. I've since worked some of it into my corn and green beans.
We canoed one of the nearby lakes in the afternoon, a place with cliff swallows nesting in the huge basalt columns that line one end of the lake. Yellow-breasted blackbirds watched us from their perch in the cattails and we saw a group of vultures circling in the sky.
As you can see from our Flickr account, I haven't done much with my camera ~ George has been taking all the photographs on many of our recent outings. So, my readers can now see more images of me!
When I work in my garden at Franklin Park there is a little 3 year old girl, Regan, who visits me. She is such a sweet child, and I brought this doll to help keep her entertained while her mother works her plots. It is an old doll that has been tucked into a chair on my front porch, and has been long neglected. 
Krissy wanted a photo of the chair, so this is one taken this morning, in a glare of intense sunlight. After I washed and scraped off all the flaking paint and scum I went to the Goodwill and bought a seat- cover, to help cushion my boney butt. I'm not one to sit long, though, as it is easier to keep moving than to try to get up again! 
The basket of geraniums is just an after-thought, a way to use up old plants that didn't have a good spot on the patio. In September all the dahlias behind this chair, along the fence, will be in bloom, and I'll try to take a better picture then of the chair, with the flowers in the background. 
Some of the gardeners hauled in this old picnic table and benches today.
This is the outflow from Ohop Lake, very gentle water. Red winged blackbirds called from the cattails along the shoreline, and the sounds of birds(video) were delightful. 
We approached a little dam, so turned around. We sure didn't want to get caught(video) in any rapids or tumble over rocks. 
As we paddled back, we noticed an old submerged Adirondack chair. I figured we could haul it up and see if it was worth saving(video) - it was! (No EASY task, getting that heavy chair into the canoe, but as I held on to cattails, George pulled it into the canoe!) We took it home, I cleaned the scum off, and now it sits along the grassy border at my garden at Franklin Park. I've wanted a chair for my garden, and this old wooden one fits just right!
I had to start my corn this way, giving it a head start...right now it is shooting up phenomenally, due to the way I planted it, with rows of compost and manure between rows, and banked with grass clippings.
In this photo I'm squatting next to my wild borage. It went to seed in my garden last year. I saved the volunteers, so I can add the leaves to salads. 
Thinning my beets; I pull the largest leaves off the plants and use them in salads. Last year little mice ate through most of my golden beets, so I didn't plant them this year. Cilantro and basil seedlings are just starting to sprout in one of the inner rows. Night-time temps have to routinely hover around 50 degrees to get these sprouted.
Kids and families are frequently walking along the nature trail bordering the garden. People stop to visit, and several people have asked if I'm planting the dahlias that I planted last year. Old people from the retirement home stop by to look at the garden on their daily walk. Many of them have windows overlooking the garden - they keep an eye on who comes and goes.
I weed and water different parts of my garden every day, spending at least two hours a day on the project. Kale and mustard seedlings in the front here. The mustard has club root, so I've not thinned them out. Once this fungus gets into a garden it is difficult to grown cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, etc. The soil must be dormant for five years to eradicate the pest. Our garden co-ordinator says that a soup made from boiled rhubarb leaves can be poured on the planting rows before setting seed, and that it helps to kill the fungus. 
My kale seedlings....so pretty when a water spray covers them in the morning. I'll be doing a second crop of these in the fall, so I have winter-overing plants. Then I'll pick them all winter.
I've planted just a few flowers to attract bees for pollinating my zucchini. They are planted in compost that has been layered in grass clippings. This is a way to extend a growing berm, and the grass decomposes throughout the summer. 
Collards are doing great. The fuzz in the background is sweet fennel.
Rows of curly mustard, broccolini, onions and lettuce. I have 26 tomato plants this year, for sauce and drying. 
I've spread it along all my pathways to provide mulch. It makes for some soft walking! I'll dig it into the soil into the fall, letting it deteriorate through the winter. This pathway serves my leeks, onions, summer and winter squash, green beans, eggplants and corn.
le one, Daniel. He weighed 6 lbs. 8 oz. and is the sweetest little boy, looking very much like his Daddy, but having Annie's beautiful blue eyes. 
Annie's mom, Katherine Hall took these photos. She stayed with Annie during the day, and Rue spent the nights with Annie. 
George sang a little song to Daniel, the song he used to sing to his own children when they were young, "Oh God, Educate these children. These children are the flowers of Thy meadow, the roses of Thy garden. Let Thy rain fall upon them...."
Daniel's big sister Daisy, who is now 13 is really enjoying her new brother. I used to care for Daisy for several years, now she will be helping Annie care for little Daniel.
Grandma's hands... I've got ole' lady hands. Hands that spent 5 hours yesterday working in my garden.
Annie and Rue had baby Daniel this morning about 4:45! We are all so happy for this little family! I saw Annie and Rue just a few days ago. When they came over to the house I wasn't home, so they drove over to the Community Garden, where I was watering my vegetables. We visited for awhile, then I gave Annie a hug goodbye. I knew that was the last time I'd see Annie pregnant. They'd had an emergency visit to the hospital earlier that day, trying to turn the baby for a natural delivery. Daniel, being a Dannells, was not to be redirected. He had his own way about his arrival into this world! Rue came by this morning to tell us that Annie and Daniel are both doing fine.
Matt and Ruhiyyih got engaged! Matt flew out to visit her last weekend, and they celebrated the occasion at the Washington Monument. Matt made a cute card with the words "Marry Me", and when he got down on one knee to propose and she said "Yes!" all the people around them clapped. What a celebration!
A gathering of friends at Eatonville. 
Too tired for Devotionals.
Best moment during camping: Morning Coffee.
The beautiful canyons and bluffs of the Katy Lake area are a favorite of ours ~ exceptionally good hiking and exploring. We've managed to camp here every summer, and without exception there has always been an event that is memorable. This time, it was the drama of an upcoming storm, with intense wind that almost flattened our tent, and a pummeling rain with thunder and lightning.
We hiked all around Katy Lake and I collected cow dung for my garden. I've done this before, as cattle frequent this area. 
I take it home, pummel it with my digging fork, and work it into my vegetables. We brought home 4 black garbage bags full, quite a lot. Some of it I will soak in my wheel barrow, so it soaks up more moisture and won't soak up the water in my garden. I've since worked some of it into my corn and green beans.
As you can see from our Flickr account, I haven't done much with my camera ~ George has been taking all the photographs on many of our recent outings. So, my readers can now see more images of me!
