The Woodpile

Pretty, isn't it?

Shirking My Responsibilities

I had many things planned Tuesday after the mail route. I had a long list of things I wanted to get done in Longview and around the house. Then Drew called.

I tried to say no but it was 100 degrees and what is the point of living in a place like this if I don't take advantage of it once in a while? Too bad Matt was stuck at work. I am a lousy wife!

My boatmates, Chris (the owner of the boat), his son, Dakota and Drew.

Drew and Dakota.

I do not regret abandoning my chores and spending the day on Mayfield lake. Not one bit.

Across the North Cascade Highway

After leaving the Methow Valley we headed west over the North Cascades Highway. It is closed during the winter between Nov & May. It was beautiful! Our destination on the other side of the mountains was Bellingham where we visted Andy. Bellingham is a really nice town (Andy is nice too :)) and we were reminded that we should get up there more often.

(This picture makes me laugh)

Mt. Saint Helens

On a crisp morning

Yes We Clam!

Freshly rinsed clams trying desperately to escape the bucket.

Clams in my net. I am personally responsible for their untimely deaths.

The mighty huntress. In my left hand I hold the clam gun. Action shot to follow.

Tom shows how it is done. First you must find a little hole in the sand indicating a clam lurks beneath the surface. Then you plunge the clam gun down over the hole as far as you can and pull up a column of sand using suction. Hopefully the clam is in the column of sand. If it is you put it in your net and go after another one. If the clam is not in the sand you go back in the hole and dig down further. If you still don't get it you move to a new location.

Saturday, after the mail route, I went to the beach house with Tom. It was a clam tide weekend and so we loaded up dig supplies (clam gun, nets, lanterns) and drove up the beach to the spot that he swears offers up the best digging. I don't think I am allowed to reveal the location. Ever since we moved up here its been "clam this, clam tide that". As a vegetarian I poo pooed all the clam talk. I wonder if I must surrender my veggie credentials after this weekend. Why did I agree to participate in such a barbaric activity? Peer pressure. Plain and simple. I mean, everyone is doing it. Matt has already been initiated. I was beginning to feel left out.

Before going digging I said if I caught one I would eat a clam. I am backpedaling now. See, I didn't realize that when we dug them up parts of the clams would be wiggling outside of the shell. I thought everything would be all hidden inside the clam, no fuss, no muss. But that is not how it works. This fleshy, squirming thing-a-ma-bob hangs out the end all, "help me! help me!, the Horror!, the Horror!". I am sooo not down with that (tiny screams are ringing in my ears).

We bagged our limit of 15 clams each and clams are on the menu tonight. I will probably take a bite. If I do, it won't be because I am holding to my word. It will be peer pressure all over again.

Update: I put a bite of clam in my mouth and was chewing the rubbery awfulness when Matt said, "ha ha. you are no longer a vegetarian". So I pulled the partially chewed gelatinous mass out of my mouth and put it on his plate. Verdict: I don't like clams. It is not a sacrifice to keep them out of my mouth.

On the Mail Route - Autumn Edition

More reasons why I love my job:

That is Mt. Rainier in the background.

Sigh

On a daily basis beauty that surrounds me causes me to catch my breath. Taken at 7am on Oct 14, 08.

First Visit from Family

Dar and Win were the first family from Utah to make the trip to Winlock. They arrived just after we got home from Los Angeles. It was fun to show them the progress on the house. We had dinner at Tom and Kathy's, lunch at the Pub with Drew, an exhaustive tour of Winlock and we also took a trip up to the Mountain. FYI, when someone says "the Mountain" around here you can bet that they are referring to Mt. St. Helen's.

Downtown Winlock

The Mountain in clouds. This was as clear as it got while we were up at the Johnston Ridge Observatory.

My Morning Walk - Beach Version

Tom, Kathy, Andy and Andy's friend Megan spent the 4th of July holiday at the beach. I had a strange work schedule on the route over July 4th so we went down on the evening of the 5th and came back home on the 6th. Here are some pics of our brief sojourn.

A citizen concerned about the welfare of sea birds covered an entire section of the boardwalk railing with pieces of bagels, various flavors. The birds didn't seem to care. Perhaps they were full up on people food, this being the end of a busy holiday weekend. Notice the whale skeleton in the distance.

Seriously, this burn patch has to be the best cautionary illustration ever. I honestly wonder if the local fire department didn't burn it on purpose right by the fire danger sign as a dire warning.

Kathy thinks I hate the flag because I am so glum about the current state of the union. I don't hate it. I am just crushingly disappointed in things right now. Doesn't mean I am without hope or that I am the walking embodiment of anti-patriotism. I just want better from my elected officials on the federal level. And also the flag got abused after 9/11, don't you think? Everyone had flags poking up from their car windows. I saw so many sun bleached and tattered flags for months after that that I wondered why, if people felt so strongly, did they let the symbol of our freedom fly so shabbily. I would truly prefer an angry patriot burning a flag in protest over a lax, lipservicey sheep with a shredded flag flying from his/her car window with a new Jack-in-the-Box head on the antenna. And the car flags came from China. And flag stickers on cars request God to Bless America and tell me that "These Colors Don't Run". It all seems so diluted and commercial now. A real flag, in good repair, taken in or lit at night, folded properly when not in use. Doesn't seem to be asking too much. Am I wrong?

Say Hello to my Leedle Friend

Meet our new (old) Massey Ferguson To35 tractor and Land Pride brush hog. They were delivered this afternoon. We have already managed to shear off the shear bolt on the brush hog. Apparently that means it is working like it should even though we freaked out thinking that this big piece of expensive machinery crapped out on it's maiden voyage. Turns out shear bolts are supposed to shear if there is too much torque on the blades. It saves the gear box. The people at the tractor dealership were very patient when Matt called wondering WTF? I think this means it is time for us to officially surrender our city mouse cards and admit that we have gone country.

My Morning Walk

This is the first spring I have noticed Rhododendrons. I am sure that they have bloomed in other places I have lived. Maybe it is because they are such a welcome sight here after a long rainy winter. I can tell that I have a budding obsession with them. I can't wait to plant some in our yard.

Hello to you too.

One of the elk in this herd is lame. I tried not to spook them when I took the picture but they trundled off anyway. The lame elk limped along behind. I am not sure what predators the elk have here beside man. Tom told me that there are bears around. One time when I was up here looking for property we saw a cow carcass sitting at the end of somebody's driveway. Tom said that people will put out their dead animals and the bears will come and dispose of the body for them. I don't know if he was pulling my leg or not.

A deer caught in the indelicate act of pooping. This is just off the driveway. I was more alert this time and had my camera ready so when my singing self walked up the drive I could photograph the fleeing deer.

I also saw no fewer than 12 blue/grey minivans. I wonder what that means in Christopher's world of absolutes and minimal second chances.