Hiking in the Skookumchuck

We spent Sunday hiking in the Skookumchuck.
A road like this was used for trucks pulling lumber out of the forest.
The top of the mountain.
The fresh fragrance of the earth, a wondrous experience.
Someone had arranged rocks into a circle, so I added sticks.
Didn't need it, but I carried counter assault to be on the safe side.
Little streams, elk trails through the woods, the embrace of solitude. My kind of place.

Hiking Lake Isabella State Park

Slight rain, but delightful hiking through open meadows, woods.

Shine Tidelands and Head Island

First canoe paddle of 2012! Calm water, brilliant sunshine! Flickr set here....

Quiet Mornings - A Blessing

We spend mornings here with our coffee, warmed by the fire. On this morning George reviewed his music selections for an upcoming project, and I read. Then George is off to work and projects, with evenings serving the needs of the Baha'i community. I make a list of 'things to do', which always include cooking projects, reading, an afternoon walk, and home maintenance/painting projects.

Hiking in Winter

So far this winter we've done a hike in the Banner Forest, one at Seabeck, and the latest one at Twanoh State Park, on the Hood Canal, where we camped several years ago. Then, I actually hiked this trail alone, singing loudly to warn the bears ("If you're happy and you know it clap your hands..."). About an hour in duration, the hike goes through patches of fern, salal and kinnikinnick, old cedar stumps, wet nestings of lichen and moss, and clusters of rhododendron. Flickr set here...

King Celebration Luncheon

As always, a wonderful afternoon visiting with friends! George's photo set on Flickr here...

Martin Luther King Celebration - Tacoma Dome

George filmed keynote speaker, Ester Nicholson, who spoke about forgiveness and moving forward with a positive spirit: Flickr videos here. More on the Tacoma MLK Celebration here.

Reconnecting With An Old Friend

A luncheon was held after the Martin Luther King Celebration, and it was there that I met a dear friend from 20 years ago. She and I had lots of catching up to do, and we laughed at the challenges of 'growing old'.

Walking the Nisqually Boardwalk in Winter

This delta preserve is a favorite - open spaces, wonderful hiking, old barn, and a nature center. Wonderfully invigorating, brisk, solitary. The sound of geese and wood ducks, the patter of rain. We enjoyed the afternoon and coffee at Starbucks, then headed over for a recap of the Intensive activities held that weekend.

Tea and Jazz at Mandolin Cafe

It was a snowy evening, hardly a soul around, but we decided to check out the music at Mandolin Cafe three blocks away.
Our friend Tom played electronic bass.

Exploring Switzerland by Google Earth

Just go to ground level, and start driving.

Enjoying The Warmth At Lisa's

Most of the time I just shop for treats or provide a main-dish for the Book 1 Study Class at Lisa's. But on this night I accompanied George, to see how the class is doing.
Always lots of kids, it was enjoyable to hunker down on a winter's night and just enjoy the warmth and camaraderie.

Tuesday Night Study Circle

Our study classes have resumed, for Book 4 on the lives of the Bab and Baha'u'llah. Children, both named Liam, played quietly while we enjoyed our class.

Friend Kay Asks A Question

Well, yes, I selected the most inexpensive window coverings I could find - vinyl blinds and a patterned valance from the sale rack at Fred Meyers. I had to shorten them just a few inches and then resew the little beaded trim on the curtains.

Kay is a fabric artist, so could appreciate the choices I made for sofa pillows, which were sewn from fabric I got on sale.

Walking Through My Neighborhood

One day while walking my route around the University of Puget Sound I went into the bookstore and browsed, coming upon this textbook for a class on currant agricultural trends - Fatal Harvest: The Tragedy of Industrial Agriculture. We all know the lessons of this book too well, and I'm curious to know how things will change for the better. All one has to do is check the growing medium we call 'soil' in eastern Washington, and know that without chemical additives it is almost non-productive soil.

I headed over to the Kittridge Art Gallery and enjoyed the paintings and photographs, greeting a student I know who is a Baha'i. The artwork featured natural images of holes in nature, and of the press of urban development on the natural landscape.

Walking along Alder, another friend drove by and honked his horn, waving a greeting. He is a professional photographer, and shares his photos with us on Flickr.

I posted a comment about my neighborhood on my son's Facebook today. He wrote about a dog that would visit the neighbor's home every day for an afternoon nap, to get away from all the little children that would pester him in his own home. My comment to Rue was "....On my daily walk I sometimes find an old dog, Bailey, resting out on the boulevard strip next to his house. As soon as he sees me he struggles to get up, walks over to me wagging his tail. I ask Bailey how he is doing, and give him a good scratch and hug. He and I are both in agreement, that only a moment is sufficient for this, and he ambles back to his place on the boulevard strip, waiting for the next person who cares to stop and remember his name."

Did I Mention That We Had Snow?

Out in my apron, sweeping a path to the car...George missed two days of work, and we were happy nesters!

Project At Hand: Organizing My Workbooks

Six large binders full of projects, cooking experiments, photos of food grown in the garden, or cooked on camping trips, and served for guests. I'm photographing the layout of backgrounds with photos and recipes.

It is a way of remembering all the hard work, and the food grown in my garden.

I cannot fathom how we got so much done... and turnips, rutabagas, parsnips and kale still wait to be picked and put into soup.

Still Doing Home Renovation

I've been enjoying the process, painting and upgrading our home. The walls in the living room took quite a beating from the old recliners banging into the wall. So, after patching and repair I gave the walls several coats of a paint called 'Berber Carpet', and then carefully added texture - little bumps that look like bubbles. As they ascend upward there are fewer and fewer of them.

I added other textures to a small hallway, where I spread swirls of beach sand on the wall, then placed a few shells over a doorway. I'd collected these shells over the years on walks along Puget Sound.

Still, much work is left to be done because I can only do so much in one day. And, many meals have been cooked, quite a few of my favorites, which I haven't taken the time to photograph. I'm also cooking and baking for a devotional meeting and study class that George attends in the evenings. So, life has it's quiet pastimes and pleasures.

On my walk yesterday I noticed that the heaths and heathers here are in bloom, and the crocus are inching upward. Chickweed in the garden is intensely green and fluffy, up seven inches, and I thought 'Salad and Soup'!

Visiting Italy in My Downtime

I've been busy upgrading the house, room by room. Once all the kids and pets are gone there are so many places to repair and upgrade. I'm amazed at the volume of work - painting, caulking dents in the walls, and finding dirt where I'd never seen it before. Like behind doors, stuck in the hinges!

I've not had the time or the inclination to do any of this deep cleaning, and I simply didn't care as long as I felt anything I did would be undone in a matter of hours by people who have more interest in exiting a home than in repairing it!

I've been making a list for the week, so I can get George involved some evenings for a simple project - like putting handles and knobs on the kitchen cupboards. My arthritis acts up from time to time and these handles sure make it easy to open a cupboard. But, before they were installed, I had to sand the old varnish off the cupboards, and reapply it for a fresher, cleaner look. That was a lot of work.

I got rid of the metal blinds in my bathroom (installed by the contractor), and replaced them with wooden ones, changed the corroded light fixture, removed an old dust-covered bouquet, and added fresh baby roses. Yellow, fringed with red, they compliment the bouquet of orange, russet and red leaves from branches picked out in the yard. I'm determined to have these small $6.00 bouquets of fresh roses in my bathroom every week. When I finally sit down from all this work I have something exquisite to enjoy!

It is amazing how just a few little upgrades can restore freshness to a home. I've removed all the old, patched, shredded furniture in the livingroom, vowing to never have cats again! We gave it to Matt and Ruhiyyih - she has purchased new slipcovers for the chairs and sofa for their home up in Bremerton.

I still have more painting to do, and look forward to planning my vegetable garden. When I take my coffee break in the afternoon I sometimes visit Google Earth, use their street-view tool, and wander the village streets of Italy.

I like this tool because it goes at my pace and allows me to turn around and look at all the details. This is exactly how I would travel in Italy if I went there - traveling through villages in the countryside.

Recently I found a chapel, Madonna della Neve in Tussio. I 'drove along', stopped, and noticed two small bouquets of red roses on the step at the doorway. Heading back uphill, the Google camera photographed several old ladies walking along the edge of the road. I imagined that they had placed the flowers there.

I do enjoy visiting the side-streets of Naples, with images of laundry hanging out to dry, the dark shadows and markets. The only things missing are the sounds of traffic and people, the aromas that change from early morning into the afternoon, and the glint of sunshine that startles the senses as one walks onto a terrace. These I'd love to experience again.

I have been watching House Hunters International on HGTV. It features properties that are for sale. One is chosen and often repaired and remodeled. The remodeling is so interesting, with cute propane stoves and candelabras, plastering and painting. I recall one gentleman who bought a little house in Italy and remodeled it. I found his Facebook site, and enjoyed all the upgrading photos . His wife repainted the scrolls around a ceiling fixture. She spent 12 hours facing upwards, restoring it, paintbrush in hand. I just loved that dedication, and imagined the happiness they would share while staying in the little house. This last beautiful photo shows her on their recent trip to Venice.

Cooking At Thanksgiving

Although we were invited out to dinner at Rue and Annie's for Thanksgiving, I wanted to cook a few things too. I roasted a turkey with cornbread dressing, and made pumpkin and apple torts.

Ruhiyyih and Matt were visiting a few days, so we enjoyed Thanksgiving multiple times, always grateful for the opportunity to enjoy good food with our children.

I made polenta, stirring it into a thick texture, seasoned with fresh parmesan, garlic and herbs. The polenta is spread onto a stone, spread out flat, then allowed to set overnight. It hardens, then is ready to cut and fry in olive oil. I served it for breakfast in an eggs-bacon-and tomato casserole.

During the week we enjoyed many leftovers, including asparagus in a salmon stirfry.

These salmon-feta-spinach sandwiches were served with a vegetable rasam flavored with our wild huckleberries. They give the soup a deep color and add just the right sweet-sour counterbalance to the spices.

I'll Walk A Mile For a Good Cup of Coffee

This may seem like a cold and lonely beach, dressed only with silver mist and sandpipers. But the Thanksgiving weekend we spent at Long Beach with some of our children and their spouses was warm and convivial.

We booked rooms at the Adrift Hotel and settled into luxurious accommodations. This hotel, constructed from pre-used construction materials offered down blankets, propane fireplaces, extravagant shower-heads and soaking tubs, great organic coffee, and exceptional customer service.

We spent the weekend indulging ourselves!






The hotel staff recommended the Pelicano Restaurant at the Port of Illwaco for dinner. It specializes in Mediterranean cuisine, our favorite. They served the most flavorful scallops!

George and I shared a Chocolate Mousse for dessert, which was so heavenly we had to share spoonfuls with everyone. That resulted in an intense discussion of how to get every last spoonful out of the bowl. Laurel suggested that the waitress bring a small spatula from the kitchen, but George ultimately, with a deliberate sweep of his finger, consumed the last sweet sensation.

We had great hiking weather over that weekend - sunny but cold. All the tourists had long since vanished, and the one cafe closest to the beach offering clam chowder doesn't make it off-season - it is not cost effective.

We'd hiked along the beach for several hours, so settled on anything this poor restaurant could offer ... even if the cook had to be hunted down to come inside to fire up the grill! He came inside wearing Bermuda shorts, hiking boots and a blue wool cap. The waitress was a lot older than me, shuffling along on a bad hip. She asked if she could serve water in plastic cups rather than use glasses, which were on a high shelf out of reach. We gave the high sign, and she pulled some out of a plastic bag.

While the waitress poured water from a gallon jug, we checked out the menu - typical fish 'n' chips, burgers and fries, simple tossed salad.

By now we were so hungry we'd settle for buttermilk pancakes, from batter in the fridge. The waitress brought a half-filled bottle of syrup, in the shape of a maple leaf. Now, that looked like the promise of a blisspoint! But the sweetness just never arrived. I wasn't sure what was in that bottle, but that was the most disappointing syrup I've ever had! You could pour the whole bottle and never get to 'sweet'.

I would have enjoyed coffee with my pancakes, but the brown liquid in the pot on the burner looked like it had been there since September. I wasn't going to risk it, have a belly ache for the rest of the afternoon. We walked back toward the hotel, about a mile and a half, looking for a good cup of coffee. I found a great latte at McDonald's, and we resumed our walk.

Along the way I told George, that if we'd just walked another mile, we could have eaten at the Shelburne! Advertised, it says ' Breakfast to the Shelburne is like art to the Louvre'. They'd have premium syrup!

But, we would have lost the ambiance of the little bedraggled cafe - the weary waitress, the cook who'd rather be chopping wood out back. He had little to do while we were there, so sat down and talked to a local who came in for his usual, the last drags out of the coffee pot. It being a cafe of about 30 feet and two tables, I learned a lot about the social life of the community, some of which has to do with court dates, collecting bail, and making ends meet.