It's Quiet . . .

. . . around here.  My son is gone for 8 days of hiking and climbing in the wilderness!  For two weeks we dried food and he pre-packaged all his dinners.  A list of food dried:

• canned beans
• hamburger
• tomate sauce and spaghetti sauce
• sweet onions
• green, yellow and red peppers
• canned pineapple for granola
• lot's of yogurt drops

He rounded out his meals with quinoa, thin spaghetti and cous cous and loves how is food tastes.  Homemade granola with fruit for snacks, instant oatmeal and chocolate.  The estimated weight of food is 10 - 12 pounds which is nothing compared to the climbing equipment, he carries about 80 pounds.  Elevation gained the first day is about 3,000 feet, Oh to young!

I took a 5 gallon bucket of finished compost (2 yr old, worm ridden, YES!) over to my daughters garden for the tomatoes.  They are looking so beautiful and a ample harvest is looking good with lot's of canned tomatoes! The rest of the garden is amazing too.  I have about 2 more bucketsof compost left to keep feeding the garden.

Family time

Island life is heavenly.  We had family time at my parents with both my kids and the grandkids camping out in their front yard.  Of course the promised sun did not make an appearance until today when my daughter and family left.  Life cannot stop because of the weather!  We had campfires and some-mores.  Set up tents and still had the benefits of showers and a kitchen.  It's a fun way to spend time with my parents.

Today, we went fishing at a private pond.  The owner dug it out himself and allows a club to host a kids fishing derby which gets stocked by the state.  My parents are alway welcome so we took the girls on their first fishing trip.  They had so much fun.  J (7yrs) caught and released 5 fish, V (3 1/2 yrs) caught 3.  My dad patiently helped J and helped her learn to cast, also.  This is the best place, I listened to the trees rustling and the muted shouts of little girls,watched a bald eagle and turtles jumping of rocks into the water.  Heaven!!

Also did the sneak on a mama deer and her single baby (her twins are still around from last year) with my daughter and 2 granddaughters.  They were amazing! quiet and not fidgety.  We stood a good 15 minutes when a noise from some else had them walking away.  Such beautiful creatures and amazing that the girls love to quietly watch them.

To the dump . . . . .

As a final part of my 100 things to get rid of project comes to a close for the items waiting for a dump load, I went TODAY!  I love going to the dump, a weight gets lifted (in my mind anyway).  After loading first my project stuff and some from a sorting months ago, I added my regular garbage (plastics).  Our city only has pick up for plastic recycling and that is the bulk of my garbage since everthing else can go to the recyling center.

The kitchen table is bad again, it's me every time who gets to clean off everybody elses junk!

Childhood memories . . . . .

JP Patches, the name makes me smile.  Getting ready for school was quick and efficient if you wanted to watch the JP Patches show before walking to school.  He portrayed a clown who was the mayor of the city dump and lived in a shack.  The show was "live, unrehearsed improv (for children)" and well loved in my generation.  Lived 1928 - 2012, his showed aired 1958 - 1981.  Thank you for the memories JP.

A few days . . . . .

. . . . .  with my parents.  I am helping my mother clean up a sewing room, a friend of theirs who is in advanced stages of  Alziemers.  She may have been sick earlier than was thought because "junk" was coming home and being tossed into the pile.  Think of the Hoarder shows, it's frightening to see it in person.  In bout 3 days of work (weeks apart) my mom and I have taken out a dozen bags of garbage, a dozen bags of good will donations and the same in recycles,  and we are half done (this is way too much for my mom to do and having company helps).  This was a beautiful, organized room at one time and mom's friend was very talented (I have some Christmas decor of hers).  It is so hard to see her and know that she is locked up inside with no hope.  We will help put on a garage sale to get the good stuff out:  fabric, notions, machines, everthing knitting, baskets, art supplies, bookshelf (full), silk  flowers, tools, crafting.  OMG!  Makes me want to finished a few projects!

I did enjoy time with my parent, it's never enough because visiting is restricted to summer.  Mom and I watched 4 deer playing which was fun.  A mom, her baby and her twins from last year.  The baby wanted to play and mom tried so hard to drive them away with kicking and blocking.  I forgot my camera a home, does no good there!  Loved it! and had a good visit.

MRE's made at home

My son and I did some dehydrating a couple weeks ago.  The list so far:

• onions, peppers
• spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce (into leather)
• a variety of beans
• flavored yogurt drops

He went camping and tried out some recipes, (for practise) adding quinoa, angel hair pasta (least liked),  buillion cubes and was very please with the results.  More drying is now required for his weeklong hike and climbing trip into the Enchantments (a wilderness area near Leavenworth, WA).  This will include hamburger, apple slices, to add to the above.  Encouraging his friends to dry food by sharing is on the list also, (they have been impressed).

Very strange weather, a few days ago we had thunder, lightning.  Today, we have had thunder, lightnin, sun, sudden but brief downpours, and snow (not kidding)!   Tonight, we are having the worst outbreak of mosquitos I have ever seen and they are making themselves felt.  In my hair, trying to crawl up my pant legs, it's miserable.

Summer? Here?

Right on schedule, summer starts after July 4th!  Although we did not have the usual rain on the holiday.  We had the first hot day of summer yesterday and enjoyed Sunday dinner outside with family, goats and pickings from the garden (and farmers market).  A cloudless sky, cooling breeze and the hot sun  ....  so perfect.  As the sun was setting (with lavender clouds down in the hills and gold edged, I have never seen the color and wished to capture it but the vibrance never comes thru), we took a short walk and all played with the girls until bedtime.  I say "perfection" !

This morning, I am drinking tea to the sound of the fish tank and gazing at my plants in the little window that get's morning sun, (they are glowing, spectled with shadows and so pretty.  I have taken pictures before and captured how they look).  More perfection! and so peaceful.