Castaway

Came back from a long weekend away to rain.  It's pretty soggy in Seattle. I squished my way through a pumpkin patch yesterday and came home to a garden that was mostly brown and gray, with a bit of green leftover.  It's now past time to pull the spent plants in the garden. I should have done it last week before the fall rains started, but I got distracted by the upcoming trip. And, some part of me thinks that maybe I can get in one last harvest before I pull everything... Looking at the garden after a week of rain... probably not.  It's time.  Don't let the blooming flowers on the zucchini fool you....

The best thing about the rainy season? It's a dang good excuse to hang out inside and knit!! And when you go outside? You can wrap yourself in all the handknits! Yes!


Finally got some pictures of the hat and mittens I knit for my mom's birthday back in June.  Luckily, there was a bit of sunshine during our weekend at the coast and I was able to get some shots.

Project: Leafy Mitts, by Ruth Stewart
Yarn: Filatura Lanarota Chunky Wool, teal
Needles: US 6, DPN

Project: Seedling, by Alana Dakos
Yarn: Filatura Lanarota Chunky Wool, teal
Needles: US 6, 16" circulars

Last week I needed some instant gratification, and wanted to make some space in the stash, so I made a scarf with some really old, really fluffy yarn, then started a hat.  I had high hopes of finishing the hat this weekend on the trip and taking some pictures, but there was a lot of other stuff going on.

It's a full time job keeping an eye on this little guy.

A Week Away

I spent the last week in Montana for a vacation and a family reunion. It was a relaxing week filled with canoes, deer, wine, spiders, air conditioning, and lots and lots of sweets. The highlights:

• We didn't break down this year.
• I discovered why you should always balance a picnic table by sitting across from each other.
• An eagle dropped a half eaten fish 10 feet from my head.
• I found a turtle in a parking lot in Whitefish.
• Canoeing on Flathead Lake.
• Visiting with good friends in Missoula.
• Meeting new family members at the reunion.
• Pinochle!
• Canoeing on Canyon Ferry Lake.
• Surviving a week in the sunshine and not getting a sunburn.... until the last day (see canoeing on Canyon Ferry Lake).
• Driving over Lolo Pass and seeing places that I've written about for work.
• Actually enjoying time spent in Pullman.*

I had a great time, but after visiting Dad's garden on the drive back, all I could do was think about my garden.  It was over 100F where we were driving through and even though I knew that my friend was diligently watering my tender plants, I was worried. It was hot, so was I going to miss out on the last of my peas? Would the slugs have demolished all my kale? Would the neighbor kids have picked all of the daisies that were starting to bloom when I left? Had the lettuce bolted? Would my first tomato ripen and be eaten by squirrels before I could take a picture to brag to Dad?

All of that worry was for naught.  The peas are still going strong and I will have a bucketful to pick.  My kale is still growing, and while the slugs are thriving, there are still some leaves for me.  I don't think a single daisy has been picked, only about a quarter of one plot of lettuce is bolting, and my tomatoes are just changing.

There was one hazard I hadn't considered, though, that did indeed hit the yard.  The Maintenance Man (dun dun DUN!). I immediately noticed the new sign posted in our yard advertising lawn service when we pulled in, but didn't think much of it.  After we unloaded the car and I went walkabout, I got mad. Then I went past mad to pissed.  We had an informal agreement with the old maintenance guy that we would take care of the planting strip where we did our gardening and he would leave it alone.  I still got a bee in my bonnet when he would mow over something on accident, but for the most part we got on peacefully.  But this sign was advertising a new company.  A "real" company, not just a guy who came to mow the lawn on Saturday mornings and did the occasional pruning.  This company took it upon themselves to spray some sort of killer on the "weeds" in some of the beds.

  (peppers are in the pot against the wall, strawberries in the two in front. The big pot in back is a blueberry)

 Now, let me take a break to tell you that I have an ongoing battle with weeds in two of my beds.  In most of them there is just a few dandelions and grass that try to come up, and I pull them on my daily walkabouts.  But there are two beds that the weeds want desperately.  I pull them when I can, but the "grass" grows tall and the weeds grow big and I can't keep up.  I have now just moved my pots over that area in an attempt to smother them and block out sunlight.  The hose resides over the other half, and along the fence I pull the weeds weekly to allow space for the black-eyed-susan vines I planted.

The new maintenance guy weed-wacked that whole area, then sprayed it with some sort of herbicide.  The entire area by the gate smells like vinegar.  My blackeyed susans are gone. The poppies I planted over the tulips are gone.  This is when I got mad. I had a helluva time getting those susans to sprout and was really looking forward to the blossoms this summer.  Now I'm not going to get anything out of all that work.

Then I continued walkabout outside the fence.  And I got pissed.  The company left my nasturtiums.  They left the zucchini plants.  But then in one "open" area, which had seeds waiting to sprout, they sprayed that damn weed killer.  You know what else they got? Half of my pole beans. HALF. I don't know how you could mistake them for weeds, they are obviously planted in a straight line.  And they look exactly like the other beans that DIDN'T get sprayed.  So what's the story? I feel like a cartoon character with steam coming out of my ears.

So I wrote a letter.  Reading it now, I did a good job of bottling up my anger, because my letter was to the property management company asking about the maintenance company.  They don't deserve my anger (this time).  Now I just have to wait to see what they say about the toxicity of what they sprayed.  Hopefully it was an organic whatever and that area can someday be planted again with something edible.  This year is probably a loss.

I'm tired of having to deal with all this house crap caused by other people.  Time to start searching the housing market.

*I know that last one is hard to believe, but it's true.  I stayed one night with a friend and didn't punch any Cougars.

Thoroughly Enchanted

Not much of note has happened around here lately.  A lot of "busy" time spent frantically running around, but not much to show for it. I haven't particularly been cooking or baking, and work has been fairly busy with both scheduled and random field work. I have been knitting sporadically in an attempt to finish a couple projects before the weather turns cold. Sleeves are just so boooooring though.... Maybe it'll be done by November.

I there was one thing I did that was worthy of blogging about. But I really shouldn't post any pictures.  You'll just be jealous.

Oh, well. Prepare to turn green!

The Enchantments.  Four days.  Three nights.  Nineteen miles.  Countless mountain goats.

Granite Mountain OF DOOM

I need to get in shape for my trip to the Enchantments at the end of the month.  I know I'm out of shape, but the hike I did on Sunday solidified it.  It's Tuesday and I'm still hobbling around the office.

My quads are killing me.  The hike was almost 4000 feet elevation gain in 4 miles to the summit.

It started out mellow for the first half mile.  Then it was all up from there.

Steep switchback after steep switchback. 

It was hard.

And the decent was just as bad.  It made my knees ache.

But it was totally worth it.

Montaner Or Somehwere

My parents are from Northwestern Montana and I've made the trek approximately 55 zillion times.  I spent took a week to road trip through the state with strategic stops for ice cream, a wedding, family, site seeing, and car problems. But that's not what set this trip apart.  No, what was different this time was the color.

It was GREEN.

Growing up, we would head "home" for Christmas/New Years and for a week or so in the summer, typically July or August. In the great state of MT, that means either the stark white of snow covered everything, or the golds and browns of fields of wheat ready for harvest. It's still beautiful, but in a very different kind of way.

Granted all the rains have caused lots of flooding, but....... it's still pretty.

We almost didn't make it to the family farm. Less than 24 hours after we drove out, six inches of water was running over the road.

Look at the level now. Can you imagine it several feet higher? Yikes!

But we were very happy for a dry day so we could visit family and the A-dawg could see where Dad grew up.  There is always something new to learn and something beautiful to see.

Too bad the mosquitoes prevented further exploration. They were so thick I got at least 6 bites just walking outside to pet the farm cats.  Needless to say, we changed quickly from shorts and tshirts to long sleeves and pants!

The stay at the farm was short, and followed up by a trip to the Fort Peck Dam. The facility was using the spillway for only the 6th time since it was built. It was an incredible sight to see.

Considering the amount of rain the NE side of the state has received, I'd say we were very lucky while we were there. It was mostly just sunshine.

Until we got to Glacier.  The Going-to-the-Sun road wasn't completely open, but we decided we had to do at least one hike while we were there.  The road was closed at the Avalanche Lake trailhead, so on went the hiking boots.

And the rain jackets.  Here we met some flooding first hand.  There were several places on the trail that were flooded and required taking alternative routes or fording the river.  On teh way back down we took a moment to do some trail maintenance and strategically place some rocks and logs to block water, and a few other to help with bridges.

The valley trail is sprinkled with gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains and glaciers.  At one point we could see an area with all the trees blown up hill.  Not something you see often, a passing hiker said. The trees were hit with a force of air caused by an avalanche falling down the other side of the mountain.

But getting muddy was well worth it.  The lake at the top was glassy calm and clear.  The local wildlife was very friendly.  A chipmunk tried to climb into my bag, and a deer on the trail seemed a little put out that hikers were disrupting her snack.

After our exercise we got back in the car and settled in for another couple hours of driving to Missoula.  We took two side trips along the way.  One was to visit a piece of property that Alan went to as a child at Flathead Lake. They have a lovely view and their own island. I'm currently drafting up plans for a castle and draw bridge to build out there.  Anyone know of a helicopter we can use to get supplies out there?

The next stop wasn't quite so planned. Due to road construction and the Honda Fit's very low clearance, we had a little incident with some loose asphalt about 40 miles north of Missoula.

But it ended well, with us sleeping at our intended destination. And you really couldn't have asked for a better place to break down and wait 20 minutes for a tow truck.

I take it back.  What set this trip apart wasn't the green, it was the people.  I didn't get to see everyone I wanted to, or for nearly as long as I wanted to, but the whirlwind was worth it. It's always worth it to take the time to see friends and family.

But next time there had better be Cold Smoke Ice Cream.

Butterflies, Wars, and a dry Valley

 I may not have been blogging, but I've been busy, trust me. I've been knitting, playing, crafting, working, and traveling. I have a couple of finished knitting projects, but they're just going to have to wait until later due to a lack of images. As it happens, I have too many pictures and not enough time to post about all of them, so collages it is.

I got dragged to the Pacific Science Center earlier in the month to go see the Star Wars exhibit. Little did he know that it was just an excuse to get him into the warmth of the Tropical Butterfly House! Temperatures are kept at almost 80 degrees with a high humidity. It felt fantastic after the wet and dreary "spring" Seattle has been having. At least the moss is liking it.

The Star Wars exhibit was well executed, with lots of original costumes, models, and interactive computer games and stations to build your own flying car, R2 unit, and something else... The place was packed with people, and I felt bad body-slamming a 9-year-old to get supplies to build things.  I was a little sad we didn't get to do it, the kids looked like they were having a lot of fun, and learning at the same time.  Too bad the big kids didn't get to play.

I just spent a week in California working on hatchery reform. I get the nerve-racking task of taking notes while my computer screen is projected onto a wall for everyone to see. Unfortunately, that means that everyone knows I can't spell worth crap. I mean, who can spell Ceratomyxa correctly on the first try? Not to mention all the other parasites, diseases and viruses fish can get. Sheesh.

We were conducting our interviews right in the middle of Johnny Cash-land. Our first interview was very close to Folsom Prison, then we sang "I'm going to Jackson" all the way to our lunch spot.  The next day we were "stuck in old Lodi," just like Creedence.  Who knew the outskirts of Sacramento was so musical?

Lodi happens to be right in the center of wine country.  Vineyards seemed smaller than in Southeastern Washington like I'm used to, but they sure were packed in anywhere they could.  We drove by some grapes that I'm not sure I'd ever seen before.  They looked like old craggy witch's hands coming up out of the earth.  Later, we found out they are zinfandel vines. 

Note: this picture was shamelessly stolen from Google Images. I didn't get the chance to take my own picture, but this is basically what they all looked like.



Luckily, we finished up our interviews early when we were in Merced. Merced happens to be less than two hours away from the Yosemite National Park valley floor.  We had heard that flows are really high currently and the waterfalls at the park were amazing.  A guy from Renton, randomly met at the In-N-Out Burger, said that seeing Half Dome for the first time was like the first time you saw Mt. Rainier up close.

All that excitement really set me up for disappointment. Holy crap. I was thoroughly not impressed by Yosemite. Sure, there's a vast elevation difference between the valley floor (4,000 ft msl) and the valley rim (7,000-8,000 ft msl), but shoot, it's just a bunch of granite. Cool when you first see it, but then... well, it's just a hunk of rock. It doesn't do anything.  And Half Dome? Not that thrilling. Really.

And the waterfalls! It's like these people have never seen water before! Oh... wait... they're from the Central Valley. Water is hard to come by. Sure, Bridalveil Falls is tall, and it puts out a lot of spray, but if that's a lot of water, I'd hate to see what it looks like in the summer of a drought year. Bridalveil ain't got nutthin' on Multnomah. Or Bridal Veil Falls, Oregon.  Now that's some water!

There. Now you've seen Yosemite.  No reason to go now, unless you want to climb one of those big pieces of rock.

Okay, okay, I need to qualify my opinion a little bit. I'm spoiled by the beauty of Western Washington. It's green year round, there is always water, and you can hike for days and not run into anyone. Definitely spoiled. First of all, when people told me it was a high flow year, I was expecting WATER. A whole lot of water. That alone skewed my expectations. Second, we stayed on the valley floor. There is a sixteen mile loop, and we drove that, stopping to take pictures. We didn't do any hiking. I'm sure if we had been up on the valley rim it would have been fairly awesome to look down on the floor and look out at the Sierras. Third, there were already people there, on a late Thursday afternoon in April.  If it's that busy now, I can't even imagine what it will be like in the summer.  Add people, noise, and garbage to the heat of summer and you can assume I will not be there.Lastly, I'm no rock climber. I look at El Capitan, Half Dome, the Cathedral Spires, and the Royal Arches and just see rock (obviously, from my previous statements). I'm sure if you are into hanging off of cliff faces for days at a time while climbing, this would be mecca. Maybe the kid from Renton was into free climbing, and that's why he liked Half Dome so much.

So, in summary, I'm glad I went now, in April, while the park was somewhat still green.  It was a good way to spend an afternoon and evening, and it checked a park off my to-do list. More importantly, now I don't have to go back when the hordes are there.

I got some knitting done in the car and the plane, but that will have to wait for a knitting post.