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 George and I returned from Pilgrimage last month I discovered that Metro Parks had offered me another garden plot. I waited a year for this second plot, and was delighted to see that it was adjacent to the one I already have. That makes for one large growing area, perfect for sprawling squash, corn and green beans.
We got busy and dug trenches, piling the soil into rectangular berms about eight inches high. Then, we filled in the berms with grass clippings, leaves and aged horse manure. This compost will rot over the summer in the trenches and provide an excellent mulch during August when water is at a premium.I've laid out growing beds for potatoes, zucchini, corn, peas, beans, tomatoes (9 varieties), collards, kale, mustard greens, leeks, onions, shallots, beets and chard, lettuce and carrots, sweet fennel, mint and borage. Only one growing bed remains to be seeded - the basil and cilantro, and I'll do that this weekend. I had to wait for the soil to really warm up for those.
I average at least two hours a day at the garden, sometimes puttering over aesthetics and the layout of rows. Part of the pleasure is having a tidy garden, so I've also cleaned up the area along the fence, removing old compost and rocks (years' worth) and restoring the area with some dahlia beds. Some of the gardeners from last year are working their same plots.
But, new people arrive and give it a try (like Allie here), who hope they can work in a few peas, squash and tomatoes on a minimum amount of labor. It is always a little amusing to see new-combers learning the requirements of building good soil and tending plants. I tell many of them that building good soil is really a challenge. It means shredding organic material that is grown so that it can be used as compost rather than throwing all of it away.
In the autumn we have to relinquish our plots back to the city, but some gardeners do a winter cover crop. Kale and mustard winters-over very nicely, even if it is a little aged and weather-worn. Some plots are 'year-round', and the city doesn't till these in the spring. They belong to people who grow leeks and strawberries for an early spring crop. Otherwise, all plots are tilled over by the city and re-configured every spring.Last weekend George and I paddled Alder Lake, looking for bean poles along the edge of the reservoir. 
As we paddled along, I pulled in about 20 poles, and place them in the canoe. Alder Lake was formed when a dam was built, creating a reservoir that has fluctuating water levels throughout the summer.
By summer's end stumps dot the shoreline.
This road was closed when the dam was built. It is a little amusing to see it heading into the water. We paddled around the corner, and had a picnic lunch in the canoe.
Of all the photos that I've taken of our son Taraz, this one is my favorite. We found a grove of cottonwoods during one of our hikes on the weekend. The fluffy seeds covered the ground making it look like snow had fallen.
We camped for a few days at Quincy Lakes in eastern Washington, bringing Taraz and his friend Angela. 
Hiking along the Dusty Lake Trail.
We had lunch along these immense basalt cliffs and watched the cliff swallows. They were busy feeding their young. As the birds swooped in to the nests the baby birds would buzz with excitement and the parents would hover overhead, flapping their wings like hummingbirds.
Some of the little fledglings did not survive, and small bones littered the ground.
Even though it was close to 90 degrees on Sunday we still had a three hour hike mid-day. 
This was Spring Lake, one of three. It was here that the heat got the best of Angela, and Taraz went into the water in his clothes and boots! (Flickr video.)
Taraz put sunscreen on my back several times, to prevent sunburn.
A late afternoon canoe paddle on gentle water.
I served a mixture of chorizo sausage, cheese and eggs, polenta and vegetables for breakfast on Sunday. 
It was simmered until the eggs are cooked, and the chorizo gives everything a wonderful zest and flavor. It is one of our favorite camping meals, similar to the shukshuka breakfast we had in Israel. A year ago when we were camping at Lake Wenatche I made a breakfast similar to this one, and accidently added Palmolive Dishwashing Liquid to the frypan rather than olive oil. I had to throw the entire meal away!
George has some of his videos of the trip up on Flickr...
Our friend Walter brought over a dozen roses last Thursday as an early Mother's Day gift, and to also celebrate May birthdays ~ his is just a few days before mine.
I've been busy laying out the growing berms for my vegetable garden at Franklin Park. They've given me two plots this year, so that means double the work.
George has helped do some of the digging and also re-worked a huge compost pile along the fence so I can use that space for winter squash. So far I've got kale, mustard, leeks, red and white onions, walla walla onions; collards, beets, sweet fennel, parsley, celery, carrots, shallots, snow peas and borage. I still have to plant green beans, corn, zuchinni, winter squash, tomatoes and hot peppers. I'll do that when the weather is a little warmer. 
Most of the heavy work is done now, and it is mostly a matter of water and hauling leaves/grass/straw for the trenches when I have time to lay them out. They are a valuable mulch as they deteriorate throughout the summer, keeping the soil moist and the weeds down.
We are also in the process of going through all our Pilgrimage photos, or I should say George is, posting them in the Flickr account as time permits. I have culled through and collected a few specifically of me, for putting into a little photo album. It will serve as a reminder that I was actually there!
One of my favorites was taken in the gardens at Bahji, in an underdeveloped area. I just happened to be wearing a sweater that matched the ground cover!
George has started filming our canoe paddles ~ we've had two recently, Isabella Lake and Montesano Slough off the Chehalis River. 
He posted videos from our paddle yesterday. The weather has been wonderful throughout the weekend, with sunshine and warm temperatures.
We arrived in Haifa, Israel after a 23 hour flight, including a seven-hour layover in Newark, New Jersey. Needless to say, it was exhausting. But what made it worse was that I was so eager to depart on this journey I failed to sleep the entire night before departure. I could not fall asleep!
I had spent about a month reading about Israel, its people and culture, and I also studied the suffering and exile of Baha'u'llah. Banished from Iran, exiled in Iraq, Turkey, and Israel, His mission was to bring about greater appreciation of human diversity, to unite the world in one common Faith, and to promote global well-being. It was poignant to visit the Holy Shrines, the Memorial Gardens, and to linger in the presence of others like George and myself, intent on 'filling our cup to the brim'. (Of course there are others who wish to empty their cup!)That brings me to my first photo above, of waking up in our hotel, opening the shutters to our window overlooking a courtyard, and placing my bowl on the windowsill. Our room at the Haddad Guest House on Ben Gurion Avenue was efficient, with a little kitchen (a refrigerator, an electric tea kettle, and (Tim will like this!) a small waffle iron. We quickly learned that there are bakeries and 'hole in the wall' grocery stores on almost every block, so we loaded up on fresh-baked pita bread, hummus, fruits and vegetables. Everything is incredibly fresh and flavorful. There are solar panels and small water-storage containers on all the roofs. When we arrived I learned that our hotel didn't provide wash cloths, and when the water was cold I assumed they didn't pro
vide hot water either. I boiled water in the teapot and placed it in my soup bowl for washing (pictured above). After five days I finally inquired about hot water for the shower and learned that the switch on the wall released the hot water!
The Haddad Guest House is in the hub of the old part of Haifa, in the German Colony. The night life was exuberant, with music playing until 4:30 in the morning in many of the restaurants along Ben Gurion Avenue. It was a time of festivity for an upcoming Jewish Holy Day, the Shabbat.
As the days unfolded we savored the excitement and celebration, eating in many of the little restaurants and stopping for an afternoon latte on open verandas. Baha'i Pilgrims greeted us as they passed, giving the area a feeling of connection and congeniality.
George took almost a thousand photos and culled them down to about 500 'good ones'. It will take weeks for him to process those photos! 
Although I took my camera, I was determined not to be in 'camera mode', like a tourist. I took a little over one hundred photos, strictly as an after-thought. I wanted to be a Pilgrim, not a tourist, and the Pilgrimage experience is so wondrous and personal that I shall keep it private. When I get time, I'll be placing my photos in a separate Flickr file: Bonita's Pilgrimage Photos. I've got about 30 that I'll keep. George's photos are in the Baha'i Pilgrimage file.
This is one of my favorites, of the gardens at Bahji, simple and lovely.
We went to the Shrine of Baha'u'llah and the Mansion at Bahji about four times, and on one occasion it was coupled with the First Day of Ridvan celebration. About 800 Baha'is serve at the World Center, and there were over 300 Pilgrims. So watching almost a thousand Baha'is circumambulate the Holy Shrine of Baha'u'llah was phenomenal, reverent, and joyous. Never to be forgotten, as if my entire life had been made for that day.
Another significant moment for me on this Pilgrimage was to place a lock of my mother's hair under a plant on Mt. Carmel that I'd carefully chosen. She is buried on a remote Indian reservation in Montana, in accordance with her own need to serve the Faith. But, I felt a part of her belonged here, deserved to be here. She made a Baha'i Pilgrimage in 1953, and when the Guardian directed the Baha'is to travel to foreign lands to teach the Faith he also said it was meritorious just to be buried in a remote place not yet opened to the Faith. She left her bones, and I saved a lock of her hair. I poked it into the soil under the tough succulent leaves of 'Hens and Chicks'.
We took a sherut (a taxi van with multiple destinations) to Akka on one of our free days, and spent three hours exploring this old city with its central market, its old alleyways, the caravanseri and citadel.
I could have spent three days here! It was the most ancient city I've ever seen, with the old stones almost petrified from wind and sea brine off the Mediterranean.
We explored the old market place, with its alleyways and little shops: Food grilling, hawkers shouting out their wares, spices in big burlap bags. 
I bought all my spices here: Yemenite Hawaig, Turkish Shawarma, Sumac, Nutmeg, Cilantro, middle- eastern Oregano, and Zahatar.The aroma of the market was wondrous! Sensory overload!
However, my eyes put on a bit of protest. They simply gave out by 3:00 in the afternoon, and I had to hold on to George to make my way throughout the alleyways. That was fortuitous, though, as I had to walk with my eyes downcast. I found all kinds of 'alley trash' along the ancient sea wall - old nails, buttons, ceramic tile, a huge bolt and ornate washers, old crushed bottle caps. I bagged up small rocks and a sliver of granite siding from one of the columns within the caravanseri that had fallen to the ground. I sure hoped all of this would make it through customs (especially the sharps), as I had not made any 'tourist purchases' during the entire trip. On our last day we visited a small shop not far from our hotel that sold prayer beads, illuminated holy text, ceramic Greatest Names and other memorabilia. We purchased a few things for the friends back home.
We'd heard all kinds of stories about some of the hazards of being a tourist in Haifa (overcharging), but we didn't experience any of it. The local people were wonderful, the waiters soft-spoken and overly solicitous, very courteous. Arab men have a reputation of staring at women, and I was no exception with my big visor and bug-eyed sunglasses. I'm sure all of them thought I had no reason to compromise my appearance this way (nobody wears visors), but it was essential for me, and so much a part of my daily attire that I forgot I had it on when I did my first prostration at the Shrine of Baha'u'llah. I layed my prayer book in front of me, bowed my head at the Holy Threshold, and dang, I banged my visor onto my prayerbook with a thud.
I also stubbed my toes on thresholds, and stumbled more times than I can count. I simply had no clear vision or ability to determine depth of field with my double vision, so I was always careening and tumbling a bit. The flight with its exhaustion and jet-lag and the rigors of the Pilgrimage (walking and climbing) triggered a major 'episode', which my doctors suspect is myasthenia gravis. Well, the pain was so intense for several days I finally took four doses of Advil over a 24 hour duration. Not only was the pain gone, but my vision was completely restored! I had perfect vision for the entire First Day of Ridvan, that most glorious day. This was a revelation in itself! My issues are not glycation (nerve damage associated with aging) but muscle weakness due to an auto-immune disorder. My vision issues are now more understandable.
I'm glad to be home, so grateful for the experiences of the past few weeks. George and I managed so well, had such a good time! The courtesy and care of the Baha'i World Center staff is foremost in my mind. They go out of their way to insure that the Pilgrimage experience is meaningful and comfortable.
We had gorgeous weather over the weekend, sunshine and blue skies, temps in the low 60's. Perfect spring weather... sunshine and bird song.
George read in the News Tribune that the Daffodil Parade would be Saturday, early afternoon, downtown. We decided to check out the colorful floats and the crowds, and get in some walking.
He parked the car on a steep hill (so we'd have to hike back up on the way home), and we proceeded to try to find the Parade. But, we never did find it! No crowds, no noise. Had he miss-read the time, the date? We decided to just keep walking, ambling through downtown Tacoma and over the 11th Street Bridge. It was the strangest feeling, as if we were out of time.
I told him to hold my arm so I could look around while walking. This is something I cannot generally do anymore because of double-vision issues. I start to stagger and get dizzy and almost topple over.
Well, it was sure not the Daffodil Parade. As we kept walking all I could do was look down. As we crossed the old drawbridge on 11th Avenue I noticed that about four pigeons had lost their lives by flying into the tall mesh beams. Pigeon wings were mashed into the pavement and the crows had come to pick at the meat. People had thrown bottles and candy wrappers into the gutter, and, well, it was not my kind of stroll, if you know what I mean. It reminded me of when George and I first lived in the Chicago area, and I asked to go for a Sunday drive and we'd end up driving through industrial areas. He'd laugh as I got more disgusted, and we'd have to try to figure out how to get out of there.
We no sooner got over the drawbridge when I wondered 'what if that darn thing starts to go up on the way back, and the two of us would be gripping the edges by our fingernails, trying to hang on! I imagined the panic of people on the Titanic, sliding and careening into the ocean. Heaven forbid if we got stranded on the tideflats for the weekend! I started thinking of everything horrible that could happen to us while we were trying to hike out of there. Getting kidnapped or beaten up while waiting for the darn bridge to lower.
There was nothing pretty here. In fact it doesn't look like a female-friendly place. If I screamed for help here, would anyone hear me?
What was all the junk for, anyway?
Gizmos, gadgets, dials, wires and fuses, rust and old paint.
Junk metal, old conveyor belts, just dumped.
George started walking around and I told him to wait, 
I wanted to check out the color of this rusty pool of water. Suddenly a little brown rabbit hopped out from under a hiding place. There was not a shred of grass or greenery for him to nibble on. Some hobos had made a camp by one of the old trucks, and bedding and old clothes were strewn, abandoned. 
Old warehouses needed paint - and workers.
Nearby is the Thea Foss Waterway which is under renovation. A planned waterfront community is currently under development. 
We noticed this houseboat moored along the waterfront, near the industrial ghetto. A woman was preparing flower-boxes. Finally, a comforting image, a home on the water; the faint sound of music, daffodils on the deck. Whew, finally spring. Finally something floral and feminine.
We headed back up 11th Avenue, got books, music and movies at the Library and came home for lunch. I made Salmon Frittatas on home-made naan, served with French bouillabaisse, a fish and vegetable stew I made the day before. This soup is my favorite, so incredibly light and flavorful, with a broth that is just indescribable...I add pureed mandarin orange to the broth, as well as a little Dominic's San Francisco Style Cioppino Sauce. This gives the broth a beautiful flavor and color.
Salmon Frittatas on a naan bun make the perfect breakfast for George (no more egg McMuffin). I make several at a time, wrap them and store them. If my sons come to visit, there are always a few in short order, warmed in the microwave.
To make them, beat four eggs and slowly create a thick crepe on the stove-top, adding seared onion, garlic, and other vegetables. I layer finely-shredded red pepper, cauliflower, kale, broccoli and carrots on top of the crepe. Broil these in the pan. Add ham and cheese, chunks of canned red salmon, bread crumbs, and broil some more. I make my own breadcrumbs and cheese, and also a tartar sauce for the bun. After everything has a nice browned crispness wrap it up in wax paper, then again in a plastic bag to maximize freshness. The frittata takes only about 25 seconds in the microwave to reheat perfectly.
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!
