Tolmie State Park

 Down to help our Daughter with pre-moving work, a dump run, and playing at the park (it's near the Nisqually Estruary)

Busy!

So busy this month . . . .
Trying to helpful  and supporting to our Daughter and 2 grandchildren since her husband went to Afghanistan for a year.  Her house is being packed up and they are moving closer (20 min awaywill be nice instead of 1  1/2 hours).  Last week we dug up most of her garden, the poor plants are starting to look better.  Also spending time with the girls, they are having a tough time.  Houses have been hard to find but one was found on a 60 acre cattle ranch, it is a second home with an acre to go with it. Looks like some fruit trees come with it too, Bonus! So, the coordinating begins!

Our son is hiking and climbing the Enchantments (WA), this year he is drying food to take.  He tried a can of baked beans, re-hydated with additions and said it was surprisingly good. So the dehydrator has been going for the last 4 days with beans, ground beef jerky, vegetables, fruit and yogurt. Trying to lend some help in this project too. What is hard to fathom is the amount of snow still up there compared to last year which heightens the danger factor (worry factor goes up too).

This weather is strangest ever!  I have never known such a summer, it's the worst. In all these years I have NEVER seen such an ugly summer.  So we had a great summer treat today, strawberry shortcake. Mmmmm . . . divine. Also today, we had a fire in the stove to take to damp out of the house. Crazy for the end of July. Our 'view' was totally obliterated with low clouds and fog. Crazy!

Give away

http://mountainhomequilts.blogspot.com/2011/07/homesteading-handbook-review-and.html

Here is a give away for a book on homesteading.

 "If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny."           Thomas Jefferson

Summer Joys

Spent a few days helping out our daughter, she is moving up North (1 1/2 drive).  We brought the mower down to do the lawn.  We dug up her garden, I hope it survives but what else do you do - leave it? I enjoyed the garden and eating the peas just coming on.  Hubby helped her finish packing up the sewing room and taking stuff of the walls.  Her guy is in Kabul, Afghanistan and I pray that the hand of God is over him.

We spent the most amazing afternoon out in the backyard with a picnic, books and the laughter of happy little girls, catching frogs and dragonflies.  It felt like a quiet meadow with no traffic of neighbor noises, just the sound of woodpeckers and a nice breeze to cool the heat in the shade.  There is nothing better!

SUN!

Wow, 2 days in a row!  It cleared a again yesterday into a cloudless, slight breeze, beautiful day.  Today looks to be beautiful again, I am in shock . . . . .  just had to share.

Crazy weather patterns!

I looked up the weather for the June averages:

• ONE sunny day
• ONE degree below average overnight
• TWO degrees below average daytime
• precipitation - same

Now may people around here might say "typical" BUT I have lived here all my life and 2 years in a row is NOT typical.  We had drizzles to downpours (this many downpours is NOT typical).  We usually have a better ratio of sunny days to cloudy AND we don't usually have rain every day in June.  Yes, it is considers a damp month BUT NOT EVERYDAY!  The benefits are a beautiful green start to summer but grass is growing at a faster rate and it's always green this time of year anyway.  The really bad part is when you put out tomatoes, they don't like the rain.  The almost good part is the extended spring, lettuces and peas are not winding down yet.  The wierd thing is I have had to start 4 fires in the stove to ward off the damp (the house feels cold when damp).  In the 6 years living here I have NEVER had a fire in June but after 3 - 4 days of damp and rain you can feel it and the house was actually cold.

As I write; the sun is dancing across my living room, bright, soft, the leaves enhancing  it's mood.  I look west and ugh! the clouds are building and black! more rain? Oh wait 5 minutes (or an hour) there is the sun again!

Dump run again (we don't have pick up) this time household and some clean up, also a couple of sacks for the good will.