Today was an amazingly beautiful day in my little piece of Washington heaven. The sun was bright, the skies were blue, and it was 60 degrees by 11:30 am. The perfect day to spend in the yard.
The past few weeks I've been clearing out weeds and pruning and spreading bark a few hours at a time, but today was the first full day we both spent outdoors, cleaning up after winter. Dave mowed our acre+ lawn (with only one hiccup: a broken belt on the riding mower that required a trip to the parts store). While he made repairs, I walked through the orchard & pasture areas that we've incorporated into our lawn, and pruned the low-hanging branches of four massive cedar and fir trees. Their branches had grown to nearly touch the ground, which makes it a challenge to mow.
My own gardening task for the day was to finish a new outdoor sitting area in a former garden near the house. A winter storm brought a huge branch down onto the fence that suppported a 35-year-old wisteria, destroying the fence & posts, and damaging the plant. A couple of weeks ago I removed the fence and cut back the wisteria, and gave it a quirky replacement: a two-rail horse jump, using standards I built myself, and rails from our lake property that I scaled and sanded. I love the look. It reminds me of my years as a horse owner and rider, and the reason we bought this property.
Today I needed to find some large rocks for a rockery, and while pruning the cedar trees, spotted a few granite rocks under one of the trees. As I pulled up the first two, I realized that there was a big pile of them, buried under years of needles and soil buildup. Cool! I loaded up the wheelbarrow and hauled them back to the garden, built the small rockery, then backfilled and leveled the ground. It's ready for mulch.
Tomorrow, if the weather holds, I'll tackle a lemon balm hedge that's run amok and crowded out some prize plants: poppies, garden phlox, and peony. These will get a new home in the new border by the sitting area.
Sedum 'Autumn Joy,' on a downtown street
4.23.2011
3.29.2011
Washington's heritage barns
A friend's mother just bought a place in Ellensburg.
Her house is fairly modern, but it’s on an old Ellensburg homestead with two big barns, both dating to pre-1910. We got a tour of the place in January, and I sent Bernie the link to the Washington heritage barn registry. He’s spent the past 5 months clearing out the first barn, and identifying the work that needs to be done. He’d like to make sure the barns are preserved, and hopefully he can convince his mom.
We’ve seen so many historic barns fall into ruin around here, and it’s sad. The huge barn on our road was ignored for years, and it finally started to fall in on itself about 4 years ago. But a lot of the original barns from the Suise Creek settlement (Finnish settlement from 1900-1920 that includes our little farm) still stand. I hope to find the time to research the properties, then photograph the houses and barns. Maybe at least that way, they'll be preserved through photography.
Her house is fairly modern, but it’s on an old Ellensburg homestead with two big barns, both dating to pre-1910. We got a tour of the place in January, and I sent Bernie the link to the Washington heritage barn registry. He’s spent the past 5 months clearing out the first barn, and identifying the work that needs to be done. He’d like to make sure the barns are preserved, and hopefully he can convince his mom.
We’ve seen so many historic barns fall into ruin around here, and it’s sad. The huge barn on our road was ignored for years, and it finally started to fall in on itself about 4 years ago. But a lot of the original barns from the Suise Creek settlement (Finnish settlement from 1900-1920 that includes our little farm) still stand. I hope to find the time to research the properties, then photograph the houses and barns. Maybe at least that way, they'll be preserved through photography.
2.23.2011
Severe weather alert
When the local news stations say this, I'm skeptical. But when the national weather service says it, I pay attention. The wind is howling, the clouds are blowing east, with bright patches of blue sky quickly covered with dark grey clouds tinged with pink from the sunrise. Beautiful here in the valley, but it's snowing at my house, according to weather.com.
All morning long on Wednesday, we watched the weather stream past the windows, changing all the time. At lunchtime, it was 40 degrees and windy. By 12:05, the wind died down and instantly the clouds settled in. Amy says it's snowing hard in Tacoma, with silver-dollar flakes. Maybe Kent is the eye of the storm, and everything is turning white around us… we'll see when we leave work today and try to get home!
On Thursday, I woke to snow. So I decided to work from home today. When I sent e-mail to my boss, he replied that he was currently sitting behind a spun-out truck, and that I should definitely work from home. It was really cold today; barely above 25 by noon, and only made it to freezing during the day. I didn't venture out all day, didn't even walk down to the mailbox.
All the outlying school districts are closed; many of them are on winter break so it’s not a big deal. I was hoping Flow would close down today, but no luck. It’s beautiful outside, the trees are covered and it looks like Christmas all over again! Forecast is for more snow today, icy cold overnight and clear tomorrow. Rain returns Saturday. Looks like the cabin got a lot of snow; still snowing there.
We’ve got 3-4 inches of snow, and it’s cold so the snow is staying around. It’s supposed to drop to 18 degrees overnight; that’s at the airport, so it will be colder here in the foothills. No new snow today, but there’s been a snow cloud hovering over North Mason county most of the morning. Hope our chimney doesn’t leak like it did last winter.
All morning long on Wednesday, we watched the weather stream past the windows, changing all the time. At lunchtime, it was 40 degrees and windy. By 12:05, the wind died down and instantly the clouds settled in. Amy says it's snowing hard in Tacoma, with silver-dollar flakes. Maybe Kent is the eye of the storm, and everything is turning white around us… we'll see when we leave work today and try to get home!
On Thursday, I woke to snow. So I decided to work from home today. When I sent e-mail to my boss, he replied that he was currently sitting behind a spun-out truck, and that I should definitely work from home. It was really cold today; barely above 25 by noon, and only made it to freezing during the day. I didn't venture out all day, didn't even walk down to the mailbox.
All the outlying school districts are closed; many of them are on winter break so it’s not a big deal. I was hoping Flow would close down today, but no luck. It’s beautiful outside, the trees are covered and it looks like Christmas all over again! Forecast is for more snow today, icy cold overnight and clear tomorrow. Rain returns Saturday. Looks like the cabin got a lot of snow; still snowing there.
We’ve got 3-4 inches of snow, and it’s cold so the snow is staying around. It’s supposed to drop to 18 degrees overnight; that’s at the airport, so it will be colder here in the foothills. No new snow today, but there’s been a snow cloud hovering over North Mason county most of the morning. Hope our chimney doesn’t leak like it did last winter.
2.18.2011
10 kisses
Dave left for Irvine, CA this morning. It's the first trip of many this year; he'll be part of the flight test team for an aircraft project. He actually sounded pretty happy about doing something different than his normal job; he's especially looking forward to getting his hands dirty, turning wrenches and handling the assemblies.
So while he's turning wrenches, I'll be looking for ways to keep my days full, so I won't miss him so much. I'll be posting an ongoing list of lessons learned, I'm sure. Last weekend, I learned how to charge a car battery; the MX-5 was dead as a doornail.
My litmus test of how excited he is about this trip? I got ten goodbye kisses!
So while he's turning wrenches, I'll be looking for ways to keep my days full, so I won't miss him so much. I'll be posting an ongoing list of lessons learned, I'm sure. Last weekend, I learned how to charge a car battery; the MX-5 was dead as a doornail.
My litmus test of how excited he is about this trip? I got ten goodbye kisses!
2.16.2011
Old car, renewed
Dave's uncle called tonight to chat about his latest project: a complete, from the tires up restoration of a classic 1955 Chevy BelAir. And not just any car--this is the car he bought when he got out of the army in the early 1960's, the car he gave to Dave when he was in high school. It was his first car, and he spent countless hours under the hood and under the chassis, making it run perfectly. When we got together, it was the car he drove in the winter; the rest of the year he drove a 1967 MGB roadster.
When we got married and moved to Tri-Cities, the car came with us. It lived in the garage, and we took it out occasionally. But it wasn't "us" by that time, so when we visited Uncle Tom one fall, we hauled the car to Colorado and gave it back to him.
The car sat in the yard for a few decades, then Tom decided to pour some bucks into it, and restore it back to its original beauty. For the past year, he's torn it down to bare metal, and everything--from sheet metal to upholstery to glass--has been renewed or replaced.
This summer, Dave will fly to Colorado, and he and his uncle will drive it back to the Northwest... the ultimate road trip. I'm going to search out a classic car show for him to take it to... what better way to celebrate all the effort than by showing it off to people who understand what it takes to bring a classic car back to life.
When we got married and moved to Tri-Cities, the car came with us. It lived in the garage, and we took it out occasionally. But it wasn't "us" by that time, so when we visited Uncle Tom one fall, we hauled the car to Colorado and gave it back to him.
The car sat in the yard for a few decades, then Tom decided to pour some bucks into it, and restore it back to its original beauty. For the past year, he's torn it down to bare metal, and everything--from sheet metal to upholstery to glass--has been renewed or replaced.
This summer, Dave will fly to Colorado, and he and his uncle will drive it back to the Northwest... the ultimate road trip. I'm going to search out a classic car show for him to take it to... what better way to celebrate all the effort than by showing it off to people who understand what it takes to bring a classic car back to life.
2.08.2011
Another funky fabric
Brenda sent a link to the fabrics that will be used in this year's Quilt Shop Hop. Sigh… another funky fabric. The main fabric is a dark blue, small floral that's OK. But I'm not fond of the border fabric's cartoon-like design. I like the coordinating fabrics, though… might add a few of these to my stash.Do you think the fabric designers ever thinks about how people might use the quilt? Or (heaven forbid) ask the loyal Shop Hop followers what their preferences are? My take is that after putting in hundreds of hours to make the quilt, I want something I can use on a bed, or hang on my wall. Would you put this quilt on your bed, full of “I’m going to the shop hop!” cartoons? Not me…
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| 2005 Fabric |
1.25.2011
Cemetery walkers
Through a series of geocaches, I've learned a bit about cemetery walkers. These are folks who have an interest in the old historic cemeteries, and volunteer their time to record information from headstones and post it to an online website. It's something I'd like to look into doing when I retire.
Today I located the Meridian cemetery; it's out Kent-Kangley just east of Lake Meridian, behind the Edline funeral home. I never even knew it was there, but always knew there had to be a community that bore the name—both the Kent-Meridian road and the Kent-Meridian high school took their names from the two communities, but Meridian never became a town in its own right.
Today I located the Meridian cemetery; it's out Kent-Kangley just east of Lake Meridian, behind the Edline funeral home. I never even knew it was there, but always knew there had to be a community that bore the name—both the Kent-Meridian road and the Kent-Meridian high school took their names from the two communities, but Meridian never became a town in its own right.
1.20.2011
Tap, tap, tap
We love the Whistle Stop Tavern, which had been in downtown Renton since the early 1900s in a building next to the tracks and kitty-corner from the old train station. When they lost their lease a few years ago, they moved to the other side of the tracks in the same neighborhood, within spitting distance (for the very talented in that sport). They negotiated and were able to keep the massive carved oak bar, in use since the beginning of the tavern. The cherry wood bar traveled to the Alaska Gold Rush and back before finding a home in the original tavern.
As much as we loved the original bar, we like the new digs much better. Bigger and brighter, more seating, better parking, and enough room for a separate bar area, which allows them to have a separate restaurant section, too. The adult-only bar area is intimate, surrounded by a chest-high wall that's topped with tap handles. More than you’ve probably seen anywhere else, and from all our favorite microbreweries.
The food is good, and there's a long and varied selection of brews available (which changes frequently, keeping it fun to come back to). I wish it was closer to home; it would be the perfect neighorhood bar.
As much as we loved the original bar, we like the new digs much better. Bigger and brighter, more seating, better parking, and enough room for a separate bar area, which allows them to have a separate restaurant section, too. The adult-only bar area is intimate, surrounded by a chest-high wall that's topped with tap handles. More than you’ve probably seen anywhere else, and from all our favorite microbreweries.
The food is good, and there's a long and varied selection of brews available (which changes frequently, keeping it fun to come back to). I wish it was closer to home; it would be the perfect neighorhood bar.
1.15.2011
Winterhop
A cold, clear day. An historic city center. A line around the block. It’s Winterhop in Ellensburg, Washington. Now you might not think of sampling tasty cold beer in the middle of winter, especially in blustery, cold, January in this windy Washington town. But microbrewers from around the Northwest gather here the third weekend of January, and so do avid beer afficianados from said region, eager to sample brews and keep warm by walking briskly through town, from venue to venue.
My favorite stop is the local furniture store, where you can sit in comfy chairs in the big display windows and watch people walk by. I also loved the brick-walled shop around the corner from the newspaper office. That's where we found Boundary Bay, a favorite brewery from Bellingham. I bought a hoodie sweatshirt that will come in very handy for chilly evenings on the deck at the cabin.
Our last stop was the echoing expanse of the former newspaper office and press room. just around the corner on the main drag through town. It’s a loud, echoing cavern of a room, and it still smells a bit like printer’s ink. Being a former newspaper reporter, I like that. The town still has a newspaper, but it’s printed in the larger town of Yakima, over the Umtanum Range to the south.
AfterHop has become as much a tradition as the beer festival itself. Bernie & Linda provided a big pan of lasagne plus a green salad. Andy & Dave both ordered pizza from Papa Murphy's, which we picked up on the way back to the house. Tonight was a blur of food and beer and music and a lot of talking, and we had a great time. Late in the evening I came upstairs for ice water, and heard someone playing the piano. I stood in the dark dining room and listened to James play. I think this is the first time I've ever heard anyone play Linda's piano. He plays beautifully; would love to hear him tackle George Winston… what he played was in that style, but I didn't recognize it.
Eventually I had to call it quits, and headed downstairs to the guest room. It was very quiet in the basement… except for the door opening and hastily closing in the wee hours, with a whispered "sorry." Someone got lost on the way to the bathroom!
My favorite stop is the local furniture store, where you can sit in comfy chairs in the big display windows and watch people walk by. I also loved the brick-walled shop around the corner from the newspaper office. That's where we found Boundary Bay, a favorite brewery from Bellingham. I bought a hoodie sweatshirt that will come in very handy for chilly evenings on the deck at the cabin.
Our last stop was the echoing expanse of the former newspaper office and press room. just around the corner on the main drag through town. It’s a loud, echoing cavern of a room, and it still smells a bit like printer’s ink. Being a former newspaper reporter, I like that. The town still has a newspaper, but it’s printed in the larger town of Yakima, over the Umtanum Range to the south.
AfterHop has become as much a tradition as the beer festival itself. Bernie & Linda provided a big pan of lasagne plus a green salad. Andy & Dave both ordered pizza from Papa Murphy's, which we picked up on the way back to the house. Tonight was a blur of food and beer and music and a lot of talking, and we had a great time. Late in the evening I came upstairs for ice water, and heard someone playing the piano. I stood in the dark dining room and listened to James play. I think this is the first time I've ever heard anyone play Linda's piano. He plays beautifully; would love to hear him tackle George Winston… what he played was in that style, but I didn't recognize it.
Eventually I had to call it quits, and headed downstairs to the guest room. It was very quiet in the basement… except for the door opening and hastily closing in the wee hours, with a whispered "sorry." Someone got lost on the way to the bathroom!
1.10.2011
It's not over yet
Snow is on the way… again. I plan to work through lunch, as the snow is expected to start by late afternoon. Dave sent me the Weather.com precipitation map; I've got it up on my laptop and am watching the areas of snow, rain, and ice move around.
It's getting colder; the area of rain is almost gone. It's all mixed snow & rain south of Puyallup, and snow east toward Mt. Rainier. Looks like it’s circling the farm, getting ready to pounce… I keep watching the sun moving across the sky, and it’s grey and cold, but no snow yet. But by At 8:30, our HR department had already sent out a note about the snow forecast, and what to do if they close down due to inclement weather. Didn't even know we had an actual policy.
I've set aside a couple of projects to take home. I can edit the hard copy of the spares catalog, and keep working on the M-127 draft (printed it today). Both need a lot of editing and formatting, perfect tasks to do at home.
By 7:00 the snow was starting to fall at the farm, and it snowed hard until about midnight. At 12:30 the snow stopped, and it was beautiful outside.
It's getting colder; the area of rain is almost gone. It's all mixed snow & rain south of Puyallup, and snow east toward Mt. Rainier. Looks like it’s circling the farm, getting ready to pounce… I keep watching the sun moving across the sky, and it’s grey and cold, but no snow yet. But by At 8:30, our HR department had already sent out a note about the snow forecast, and what to do if they close down due to inclement weather. Didn't even know we had an actual policy.
I've set aside a couple of projects to take home. I can edit the hard copy of the spares catalog, and keep working on the M-127 draft (printed it today). Both need a lot of editing and formatting, perfect tasks to do at home.
By 7:00 the snow was starting to fall at the farm, and it snowed hard until about midnight. At 12:30 the snow stopped, and it was beautiful outside.
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