I can see clearly now...

If anyone out there is still reading this, you might knock me over with a feather. Sadly, this blog has not been given much attention over the last year because I've been wicked busy.  That's good right?  My pro sites have required updating/focus and my personal stuff has just sort of been sitting here waiting, crying and insisting I find time to post a few stories and happenings about life since December.

So, here she goes.  We kicked off New Years by staying up until midnight.  This is ground shattering news because normally, we wake up annoyed at the fireworks and commotion that is disturbing our rapid eye movement. But there we were, awake on a very cold night, hanging out by a bonfire with friends sharing laughs and hugs yelling "Happy New Year" and bickering about whether is was actually 11:59 or 12:00.

• The winter continued cold and snow brought a couple of fun days cruising the hills on snowmobiles, skis and snowboards. 
• I went to visit the snowy owls for a second time this year and again found magic in their quiet, powerful auras. 
• My Uncle Randy and I hit the Skagit River one very cold, but sunny January afternoon to float down and watch seasonal eagles.  I'd never done that and was happy to cross it off my bucket list!  
• The trail cam picked up lots of coyotes, bobcats and deer and it was fun to see what was lurking around the yard each week.  
• Found a beautiful little Northern Pygmy Owl in a tree- the second one I've seen in my life.
• Vil turned the big 4-0 and made me promise not to have a party.  So...instead, I invited a couple local friends to join us for a surprise dinner then a special home movie I'd created.  It was a perfect, low-key way to bring him into ol' age.
• Vil and I celebrated our 9th anniversary by going to see Cirque Du Soleil and splurged on VIP tickets.  It was a wonderful evening highlighted by acrobatics, colors and stunning visuals.  Of course, a having a stunning man on my arm helped too.  
• Last month, we were invited to attend a cougar collaring with our friend Brian who is a wildlife biologist for Washington State.  I wrote about it on my pro blog and you've probably seen the pictures, but if not, here are some links.  STORY HERE      MORE PICTURES HERE
• During this whole time, I continued my routine of hiking and walking 20 miles a week, sometimes more, sometimes less.  I also spent disciplined days at my computer writing, both for Washington Trails Association and working on my manuscript with deadlines looming.

Then, some unfortunate news.  On March 22nd Vil got into an accident and broke his right arm.  We are very thankful he's alive and that the broken arm is the about the least of the injuries that could have resulted.  Still, it was a very bad break with the radius in pieces and the joint all messed up complete with ligament tears.  Nine days ago, he had surgery for all the kings horses and all the kings men...to put him back together again. He now has a permanent titanium plate and 10 screws holding that bone together and is off all pain meds, because... well...he's superman. He's doing very well post-op, but healing is a long process and it's been difficult watching him recover. We had planned a trip to Belize exactly 4-weeks from the accident, which had to be postponed.  This too shall pass.  Yesterday his PT told him that he'll be back out golfing before the end of summer and that made us both smile.

On a happy note. I'm in the process of getting signed for the guidebook of my dreams!  I can't share too much now until my contract has been approved, but the verbal agreement is in place and I'm looking forward to what it will entail come this summer! I promise I'll keep you posted when it becomes public news.

Spring is here and first hummingbird of the season came to our window on March 23rd. I'd been waiting!  The daffodils are blooming full and the warm weather has made the tree leaves pop.  I've spent two afternoons in my personal bliss sitting on the deck, trying to ID bird calls, watching the sun set on the mountain and enjoying a couple of warm 70 degree afternoons.

Overall, life is great.  Vil is healing. I'm busy writing.  Spring is giving us new seedlings and new hope.  We continue to feel blessed and loved.

That's the skinny from inside this tent, until next report!

Coyote on trail cam

Bobcat on trail cam

Mid-March snowstorm

Rattlesnake Ledge in winter

From the top of Mt Si

Just before surgery

Ouch!

Panoramic of the ledge

Northern Pygmy Owl

Bald Eagle Float Trip

Arctic Snowy Owl 

Coyote in our yard

Hike to the waterfall behind our house with my neighbor Lisa

They're back!

40!

Catching up in a picture post

Happy Holidays!  Lately other priorities have kept me from updating this regularly, but don't give up...when time permits, I promise I'll drop in a post. The easiest way to give you the latest is to do it with a smattering of pictures, so here-goes.

How spoiled are we in this country to have everything to create a fantastic, over-the-top Thanksgiving? Family was scattered this year, so we had 2 neighborhood couples over to celebrate with a tasty bird. I'm kicking myself for not taking more pictures.  We were missing a couple people here, but it was time to carve the bird, so I grabbed the camera.  It's the only shot I took that day, but I'm glad I got at least one.

Next up, was a semi-spontaneous trip to the Big Island of Hawaii with a friend/neighbor.  She was flying solo for a week until her husband arrived, so invited me to join her.  They have a condo there, so lodging was covered and as luck would have it, frequent flier miles were available.  All the stars aligned and I was on a plane escaping Seattle rain before I knew it.  We got into all sorts of trouble together.

One day we visited a seahorse farm, which was amazing.  I completely fell in love with those creatures.  We learned that they mate for life and if you take a partner away, they get very sad, stop eating and die.  Also, the males carry the eggs- yes, they get pregnant and get big bellies. What a weird twist of nature, right?  The farm also creates seaweed and sells it to restaurants for various dishes (sushi, etc).  Lisa dove in for a snack.

At the end of the tour we were able to hold a seahorse. 

Dorks!  On our walk we snuck onto the golf course. 

My sand turtle sculpture.

One day we went exploring the coastline and found this amazing place which was abandoned due to permitting issues with the State.  This building was supposed to be the office of some luxury cabins, but the permits were pulled due to conflicts with the land managers and native Hawaiians.  With the strict building issues in Hawaii, it's remarkable anything gets done.

On my way home, I couldn't believe my eyes!  I guess it takes some time to get across the world and he had to get a head start.

The week went by quickly and I came back to a winter wonderland.  It was so beautiful!  There is still snow on the ground and there's talk now of a white Christmas.  "In the meadow we can build a snowman..."

The game trail camera had a few deer visitors. They've been coming around a lot more now with the snow on the ground;  presumably looking for food.

Summit is really showing his age these days.  He turned 9 years old on November 11th, and since he's 105 pounds and a large breed, he's in his twilight years.  He's recently started getting a little grey beard and old-man elbows.  He still loves his rides in the truck and is just in bliss when he can stick his head out and sniff the air.  Before the snow really hit the mountains, I took him hiking on some easy trails over by Yakima.  He was such a good boy and I loved having him along with me.

Lastly, on Friday night I had a few girls over for a cookie baking party. It had been way too long since we'd seen each other and there was no shortage of laughs. By the end everyone left with a giant platter of sugary goodness. 

And that's that!  My next post will likely come poppin' up on here next year. In the meantime I hope everyone has a fantastic Christmas and a really fun, safe New Year!

Finally

At last a post! Winter is almost here and I am way behind on blogging and updating my personal and professional pages. What have I been doing? Well, writing and writing, and hiking and hiking. There are still a handful of hikes that are on my list in the Eastern Washington area and now is the time to do them. It's the time of year when the rattlesnakes and ticks have disappeared and the tipping point for snow on the higher hills.

Writing for Washington Trails Magazine is a welcome time-suck and the date of January 7th is looming on the horizon. That is the date when I do my check-in with the Publisher of my new day hiking book and give them the progress report. This progress reports consists of me having a good portion of the book completed and submitted. Ack! So, write, I do. Daily. Whether my brain is cooperating or not.

 Additionally, I've been doing presentation on my current book and enjoying helping people figure out their plan for the Wonderland Trail next summer. Last night, I had a presentation at the Seattle REI for 120 registered attendees, but nearly 140-150 people came- standing room only. No pressure. But, I babbled with the best of 'em and things went well.

Now, lets back this train up to October. On October 18th I brought a group of neighbors to one of my hiking list picks in Eastern Washington. It was a spectacular hike with changing fall colors and the perfect time of year! Everyone had a great day. Check out the Umtanum Creek Canyon photos in the gallery on the link.

 The busy month of October had me hiking nearly up to the date we left on vacation for Florida. What's in Florida you might ask? We'll, we went to find out. And, in doing so, learned that it's a fun place, with lots of crazy people and wickedly delicious food. I had so many pictures that I felt a little like a mosquito at a nudist colony. Where to start? I've finally narrowed them down and added them to my Smugmug gallery on the link.

 Thanksgiving came and went and we had a fantastic time with neighbors. Family was scattered, so we'd planned for a quiet dinner with just the two of us. Then we learned a couple of our neighbors had no plans, so the invites went out and I secretly worried and calculated about quantities. Would the turkey be large enough? We had gone with a fresh, organic bird from a local shop, so the order for a 10-12 pounder had already been taken. Why was I worried? The leftovers completely overwhelmed us. Of course, I cooked enough food for a ranch of hungry cowboys.

That leads us up to now,  the weeks before Christmas. I'm really looking forward to being home this year and having a quiet one. And...with any luck, my snow dance will work for the mountains. Hopefully these posts won't be so long- far and between. Till then...Happy Holidays!

Catch up on pictures HERE.

elk

I've been bobbin' and weavin' out on the trails to the sounds of the big bulls in rut.  Most of the them run when they see you, but sometimes they stop to check you out first, providing a great photo op.  At that point, all you need is a big tree and a good lens!

Bobcat on trail cam!

This little wild beauty was caught walking towards the house this past Thursday.  Having the trail cam is so fun- you never know what it might reveal!

Projects!

A busy schedule has taken complete priority over my beloved blog and there is much to catch up!  First, I'll start with my, once again, overwhelming awe, at my husband's carpentering skills.  The man is a master with tools and his big brain is a marvel with design and engineering of such feats.

Earlier this summer, he created a fantastic craft room in our basement.  With a place to spread out all my crafting supplies, and the space to create- I have no excuses.  Except time. There is that.  And a deadline.  That too.  One of these days I want to spend the whole day down there dinkin' around with my stamps, embossers, etc.  Come to me, Time.

Then the squeaky wheel started again, complaining about the ghetto area, otherwise known as the 'hot tub'.  The plan all along is/was to build a deck to the tub, landscape the edges, put in a sidewalk, patio, blah-blitty-blah-blah-blah.  But the biggest rub was the hot tub and the triple axle, salchow toe loop that happened each time we mounted the antiquated step ladder to attempt to soak our muscles.  Although fun to watch, it was somewhat hazardous, especially in winter.  This led the wheel to squeak much louder, especially with a limited summer season!  So, the Mastermind started engineering the deck and before long supplies arrived and in no time at all...a beautiful hot tub deck.  This is the first big step in the backyard landscaping plan.  There will be backfilling around the cement blocks, shrubberies to be planted, and eventually a sidewalk/patio on the tier above the retaining wall, but for now...I'm in awe of this creation. His care and craftsmanship rivals those who do this for a profession.  Soak anyone?

whatnots and thingymajiggers

This week was short because, well, I got an unexpected visitor from 'Clara Cold'.  Technically, she's been hanging around for about a month, but has been so mild that I've been able to continue hiking without too much of the normal stuff that comes along with a virus.  In fact, I was sure that she was long gone, when low and behold, she showed up again this week on Monday in the form of a very sore throat and an exhausted feeling.  I finally went to see the doctor who told me that all of this hiking and deadline stress is beating my immunity down and gave me firm instruction to take several days off the trail to recover. I'm on day 3 of recovery now and it feels good to let the blisters and my body just rest. I'll be back on the trail soon, feeling stronger and more rested.  I hate to say it, but this was "just what the doctor ordered."

Now..for something less cliche.  Vstarted working on the hot tub deck (sorry for the e-commotion...that was me doing back handsprings). It's a project that has haunted the backyard and the guy in charge for a couple years and as summer rolls to a close there is one final window of opportunity in sight.  As usual, I'm in awww of V's brain, perfectionism, and construction skills.  There will be a few steps all the way around the tub and decking creating a pathway, outlined by landscape. We designed the deck together, then he drew up blueprints and we picked out materials.  He's doing the whole thing himself in between work appointments, which is a crazy labor-intensive project.  There is no doubt it will be a masterpiece when it's completed and we'll enjoy not having to wobble up a step ladder on uneven rocks to get into the tub.

Lastly, our neighbors have asked us to care for their garden while they are in Hawaii.  This is such a spectacular garden that it deserves to be in a magazine and could double as a neighborhood pea patch.  From the minute you see it your jaw drops, because it's so pretty and large, it almost doesn't look real.  The fencing around the edges is a work of finely crafted art as is the picturesque little gate wrapped with vines that opens to allow you inside.  Immediately, your feet hit deep dark soil and you are surrounded with healthy plants cranking out all sorts of gorgeous produce.  In one corner is the pumpkin patch, proudly producing little gourds under giant green leaves.  In another corner are perfectly staked up sweet tomatoes, bursting with small green and red buttons.  As you wander you are surrounded by rows of rhubarb, cucumbers, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, beans, onions and beautiful cornstalks.  This bounty is peaking while they are away and they've asked us to come water and pick for a few days.  On yesterday's tour I was given the harvest pictured below. Last week we were invited to come pick blueberries from their mini blueberry farm and we picked over 1 gallon of berries (and there were even more). Just below the garden is so much lavender it would make Provence jealous; all beautifully blooming and scenting the air, lined up in rows full of pollinating bees.  The honey comb is not far away in buzzing boxes. They have surrounded their property with an electric fence to avoid deer, elk, bear and raccoon issues and so far it's worked. Yes, these are the same urban farmer neighbors who give us eggs on a regular basis.  Sure...we'll babysit your garden...twist our arms.