Scuba Diving in Hawaii

Makes me want to catch the next flight over...

http://www.vimeo.com/8334557

When life give you rain.... make rainbows!

I went looking for the pot of gold, but didn't find it. Shucks... that would have been a nice holiday gift- esp. considering the value of gold these days. Maybe next rainbow...

He's probably really hungry and drowsy...

This morning our next door neighbor came out to this on his driveway. Looks like our resident bruin is still not asleep. Poor guy is probably super hungry- not to mention drowsy. Anyone want to come sing him a lullaby?

Hawaii Video

I finally got around to putting together a movie of our trip to the big island of Hawaii- as usual we took a zillion pictures and video clips. We did so much stuff on this trip, that we had to separate the scuba diving footage from the other stuff. This video is from the other clips of fun activities. V is working on doing the scuba video on some new software we just bought. That one will take a bit longer because of the learning curve on the software- but someday it will show up on here. Until then...enjoy Hawaii and be warmed by some 'virtual sunshine'!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAY6jd8e-Jg

Snoqualmie Falls Frozen in Winter

The mighty canvas to the painters hand

Lend shades of shadow with ice and sand

Frozen granite, the artists ladder

Winter brushstrokes of infinite splatter.

Exciting News!

I just got word tonight that this photo I took of a Northern Pygmy Owl was chosen as Editor's Favorite in a contest through Washington Trails Association. The photo was chosen out of 750 entries and will be featured in the January/February WTA Magazine. Additionally, I've won a prize package through Lowe equipment for photo gear. Another step in the right direction for me and my "happy snapper"!

Don't be afraid of Thai cooking... give it a Thai!

Thai food is one of my all time favorite meals, but I figured cooking Thai at home would be a challenge.  Surely the sweet, savory and delicious flavors would be some mysterious ingredients only available at speciality markets?  Recently I took a Thai cooking class and discovered how simple the dishes can be!  Now... you'll need to get a few things that probably won't be familiar to you.  I know what you are thinking... I don't need more condiments in my fridge that I'm only going to use once.  The good news is... many Thai dishes use the same spices and seasonings, so if you decide to "go in" you'll be sure to use the whole thing before long.  Tonight's dish "Red Curry Chicken".  

The cast of characters:

2 cans of coconut milk (found in the Asian department of your local grocer)

1 tablespoon of Red Curry Paste (also in the Asian dept.)

2 tablespoons of "Fish Sauce"(this one is one of those weird ones and I can see the face you are making at the sound of fish sauce.  Don't fret- it's actually quite good and tastes a little like soy sauce.  You can buy this... guess where??? In the Asian dept. of your local grocer.  If you like you can substitute fish sauce for soy sauce, but many Thai dishes will use Fish Sauce.  Seriously, I'm told they use it like we use ketchup.

3 tablespoons brown sugar (dark or light)

2 tablespoons of lime juice

2/3 c. basil (chopped)

3 tablespoons canola oil

2-3 chicken breasts

salt and pepper to taste

1 small can of bamboo shoots (Asian dept.)

1 med. red or green bell pepper (julienned)

1 med. shredded carrot

1 med. shredded zucchini

* Note:  the bell pepper, carrot, zucchini are optional.  I like them for crunch and health.

2 cups of short grain rice prepared in your rice cooker or stovetop.

Before you begin:  Get your rice cookin'!  By the time you are done with your curry, your rice will be ready to go.

Step 1:  Do you prep work and get ready to go.  This helps so much in making the dish come together quickly.  Remember to trim all the fat off the chicken.
Step 2:  Pour the 2 cans of coconut milk in a large saucepan and mix in your curry paste.  Let it simmer for about 5 minutes until the flavors mesh.  Taste for spice- if you like it hotter- add more paste.
Step 3:  In a wok or large skillet, add canola oil.  When heated, add chicken, quickly browning on each side (about 7 minutes).  Be sure to add salt and pepper for flavor.

Step 4:  While the chicken is cooking, hop back to your coconut milk/paste mixture.  Add fish sauce, brown sugar, basil and lime juice.  Let it simmer.
Step 5:  When your chicken is nearly done, add your shredded carrot, zucchini, pepper and bamboo shoots.  Finish cooking chicken and veggies until veggies are still crisp, but softened.

Step 6:  Finish by combining the chicken/veggie mixture with the curry sauce.  Stir gently to combine.

Last but not least, dish up some rice and spoon the Red Curry Chicken over the rice and enjoy!  It truly is that easy!  ENJOY!

Gorgeous end to the day

Red sky at night... sailor's delight?  A gorgeous sunset got us on our feet for a chilly evening walk last night.  It was 27 degrees and turning dusk... but beautiful, so we grabbed our headlamps and headed out.  When we rounded the corner to the neighbors property, we counted 28 elk- all cows and some with calves.  Summit could hardly contain himself and was super excited.  We were too. It was so beautiful to see this herd all hanging out together in the shelter of the neighbors yard.  At least the dark video captures the noise the calves were making as their mother's walked away.  As we finished the walk it started to snow- a perfect cherry on the cake of our day!

Happy Holidays

What a busy, month November was!  Life is getting back to our "normal" crazy, after a whirlwind several, wonderful weeks.  On Nov. 8th we left for the big island of Hawaii.  It was our first time there and we weren't sure what to expect.  We fell in love with a new (to us) island and had one of the best vacations we've ever had.  The scuba diving was amazing- dolphins, turtles, eagle rays, and 2 wonderful night dives with giant manta rays.  The snorkeling and beach time was great, sunsets amazing and seeing "land being born" with lava flowing into the ocean was an experience we'll never forget.  As always, I have way too many pictures, so stay tuned for the video at some point.

Maya graciously came to stay (bless her sweet heart), to watch Summit and care for our home while we were on vacation.  We came home to sparkling, spotless everything!  A couple days after our return from Hawaii, V's oldest sister Andra came for Thanksgiving from Connecticut.  It was really great seeing her again and showing her the sights of the Northwest.  Nature cooperated and we were able to get in a hike and some snowshoeing to enjoy a little taste of both fall and winter.

*sigh*... everyone has gone home and we are left with the bustle of "normal" and the "this and that" of this fun time of year.  I'm always so thankful for friends and family- esp. as we approach a brand new year and reflect on the past one.  Hope all of you had a nice Thanksgiving and have a great holiday season.

Tonight's visitor and pictures from around here

What a joy for Maya to finally see one of these, here!  She's visited so many times and heard our stories, but never got to see a big boy in person.  Tonight I had just returned home from work and it was just getting dark.   We were talking and I looked out the window to see this big guy headed toward the house.  I'm pretty sure he would have come all the way up here too, if a certain German Shepherd wouldn't have barked and scared it back into the trees.  It was a treat for both of us, but esp. Maya who had never seen one in the wild.  Hang out with "the Whisperer" long enough.. and I'll deliver :).Here are some beautiful fall pictures taken this past week.  
A red-tailed hawk hunts rodents in our meadow...
The stellar jays are gorgeous, but so noisy.  This one makes a beautiful photo with the cloud layers for a backdrop.

Can't get enough of the leaves...

The Pumpkin Porch

Tonight's carving results...

A cute, but seemingly angry owl...
A crow at night...
And no pumpkin carving would be complete without channelling our inner hillbilly...
The trio together...

More fabulous fall...

Here is the tree by our gate 2 weeks ago...Here it is last week...
Beautiful path near the lake
I enjoy watching the osprey fish at Rattlesnake Lake. They are remarkable at their craft and dive from heights to splash down into the water and grab large fish.  The lift off with the fish on wet wings always looks like a struggle.  Then holding the squirming fish, they fly in circles waiting for it to stop moving before they find a tree suitable for dining.  The lighting was not bright enough to get a crisp picture (stuck with slow shutter) this day, but I was pleased that a photo came out showing the size of the trout vs. bird.
I love this picture because the hill behind looks like it's on fire with trees....
Crisp temps, beautiful trees... fall is amazing!