Clearing Ivy

The ivy on March 30th this spring.

Behind our house is an ivy patch that has slowly taken over the better part of the woods bordering our entire backyard.  Long before we arrived, someone decided that disposing of a hanging planter of ivy in the woods seemed reasonable.  "Why not?  It is just one small container of leaves," I can imagine them thinking.  (In fact, I would come to learn there were several dumped back there.)

But ivy has a plan of its own.  Kind of like the chores lurking in the back of our minds, left untended the ivy grew.  And grew, and then grew some more.  I can also imagine at this point the perpetrator rationalized, "Well, it does look pretty back there all covered in green shiny leaves.  What could possibly be wrong with that."  An so the ivy had no enemies, natural or otherwise, as the rabbits and squirrels did not seem to eat it.  The deer strolled through without even pausing.  Even insects ignored it, except for spiders that made good use of its leaves to build wonderful homes.

Only the cedar trees sighed, as the ivy greedily soaked up the summer rain.  With their deep roots, the trees adapted and survived until the ivy decided to climb their majestic trunks.  Now a battle was declared between the helpless trees and the voracious ivy.  Up the ivy climbed, higher and higher, wrapping its strangle hold about the trees.

But the trees had a friend in me.  Knowing their ultimate fate, I set about the task of freeing them from their enemy.  The neighbors might have thought me an insane old lady pulling out that ivy hour after hour down to the roots until I could see only the floor of the forest.  But the forest breathed in relief in the shade of the afternoon, and blessed me with a breeze.  Eventually my aching muscles thanked me for the opportunity to move, and my frozen shoulder gained more mobility.  Everyone was winning except the ivy.

But ivy is persistent.  It did not want to give up, and kept creeping back up from hidden roots revealing its position on the frontline of our mutual war.  Repeated attacks on my part have almost defeated it now (as long as I am vigilant.) I know one day I will ultimately pull the very last living root of it, because I did not give up, even when my body said, "No more!"

I like to think of the ivy as a metaphor for whatever struggle or goal in one's life that seems to be insurmountable.  I realize even the highest achievement or the most difficult struggle has an endpoint, if pursued diligently, by hour and by day, until the last remaining hurdle has been cleared away.

This is the forest months later on July 12th.

An Easter Celebration

This is our first holiday in our new home.  The opportunity to spend Easter with my family is something I hold close to my heart after years of traveling and living too far away to share special holiday times with them.

One of my greatest regrets in life are the choices I've made over the years to live miles and states away from them.  Though the reasons were justifiable I felt at the time, the years have passed and now I find myself on the other end of the spectrum of life with the endgame in sight.  To me, the value of sharing time has now become immeasurable.

The older I get, the more I wish to recreate the memories of my youth-especially my holiday memories.  Holidays were a big event for my mother and she made every one special when we were young.  On Easter, my brother and I always came downstairs to find two elaborate Easter baskets on the dining room table.  A proverbial massive chocolate bunny or coconut egg would be nestled into in the middle of a green "grass" nest in the basket, along with a collection of even more foil wrapped candy animals and jelly beans.

Coming from a childhood where her parents chose to divorce when she was only 12 years old, and left solely in the care of her 17 year old sister, my mother created in our lives the special events and security she had been denied as a child.  Now as I recreate those same baskets and feel my brother's arms about me, I love the chance to make yet a few more memories that will carry me back in time to our childhood.  And for this new home, I am grateful.

Rufous Hummingbird-Heaven Revealed?

Most likely a Rufous Hummingbird, this little fellow passed through our yard today.  We see them only briefly for a day or two and then they are gone.  Perhaps they are migrating further north?  The attempt to attract them with a red bird feeder filled with sugar-water has been less than successful so far.  But maybe that is what makes each sighting even more precious?  Some of our neighbors claim more success in this endeavor.

Viewed within the course of a migration that begins in Mexico and that may extend up to 3,900 miles one-way all the way to Alaska, you have to admire these little creatures.  At a body length of just over three inches long, that makes their migration travel equal to 78,470,000 times their body length!  Can you imagine doing that twice a year yourself?  Just to walk a mile, yes one mile, I have to traverse the equivalent of my height 946 times.  At best right now all I can do is two miles...  so I'm not going to qualify to accompany hummingbirds on their migrations any time soon!

Other interesting facts:  A hummingbird lives on average up to eight years, can move its wings 52 to 62 times per second, builds a nest typically 30 feet up in the trees, has an excellent memory, and can recall the placement of a nest or feeder from year to year.  There are many more interesting facts if you care to read more by clicking here for a link to the great site I found describing these birds.

The marvels of nature never cease to amaze me.  I am grateful for this opportunity to engage with the beauty that surrounds me.  I have to believe that surely this little bird is a tiny glimpse of Heaven on earth.    

Greeting a Winter Sunrise

The sun creeps over the hills to the east of my writing/hobby room just after 7 a.m. these days.  I delight in beating dawn to this room and eagerly push open the curtains to await its/her/his arrival (depending upon your preference.)  Most days I am successful in escaping from the lovely dreams swirling through my sleep to achieve this pleasure.

On a clear, cold, winter day occasionally the sky is almost cloudless.  It is then that you can see all of the way to purple foothills to the northeast, and to Mount Baker's hiding spot beyond them.

In just four minutes, the palette of colors spread across the sky changes.  It is only by rising early and watching diligently for the briefest of times that I can savor the changing glory of a new day rising to greet this spot of earth I call home.  Ever inspiring, this is what makes living here so completely awesome.

Organization - Ikea Kitchen Cabinet

Ikea makes a six drawer cabinet that fits easily under a counter.  This is a "must-have" for our kitchen with its current drawer challenged configuration.  But anyone who has ever shopped at Ikea knows that such products always come "ready for assembly" in very large boxes and in a multitude of pieces.

Thus we begin, and after several hours with significant supervision by Snoopy, the end product is within sight.

I love white kitchens.  These drawers with their shiny white finish are superb.  The drawers glide in and out effortlessly.  I'm in heaven.  Jim's happy.  And Snoopy...well he's just busy being Snoopy!

Baby steps in settling into this house are yielding mountains of satisfaction.

 

My Love Affair with Animals

Ok, so I am a sucker for animals.

All sizes, all shapes, all varieties attract me.

This is a lifelong love affair.

From chickadees to crows, cats to dogs, or squirrels to rabbits, whatever crosses my path (or my yard) instantly grabs my attention.

I have taken hundreds of photos of them.

Probably I will take hundreds more in this lifetime.

Anyone who follows my blog, knows this about me.

For me, and for you, here is the latest of one of my newest subjects:

Peter Rabbit of my new yard…

Shed Takes Shape

In the process of settling into our new home, we’ve focused on one of our priority tasks to accomplish—the repair of our outdoor storage shed with its workbench for tools.  With tons of potential remodeling to be done inside the house, the workbench will be well utilized as soon as completion of the walls makes it accessible.

New pink insulation and wallboard are in place, the messy job of "mudding the wallboard" and finally the painting have all been completed at this point in the shed.  My brother, Bill, and Jim have been at this project for days.

Now complete, and after we assemble some more shelves the organization of numerous plastic boxes we’ve packed and moved here containing those “must-haves” that never seem to go away but are rarely used can begin.  Add to those the once-per-year accessed items—mostly Christmas decorations that I swore I’d downsize before moving (but never managed to) and—well, you get the picture.  Maybe this year after the holidays that will happen…

While the guys have been wrapped up in the shed repairs, I have pressed on with painting the kitchen cabinets.  After lots of scrubbing and multiple coats of paint, what was a dark, brown kitchen is evolving into a clean, crisp, white motif with a faux brick backsplash that is shaping up really quite nicely.  The now white enamel painted shelves inside the cabinets look great and I’m ready to put away my collection of kitchen gadgets and dishes.  As any aspiring cook knows:  you can never have enough cooking toys, or the space to stash them!  That’s why I am not allowed to go into a kitchen store!

While I loved the RV life, having a full size kitchen again is delightful.  Becoming “officially retired” means the next step is buying a copy of Julia Child’s cookbook, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” with the goal of working my way through every page (like in the movie.)  Can you see the smile on my face in your imagination?

Tulip Tree

Speaking of tulips... we have a tulip tree in our yard.  The tulip tree is a member of the magnolia family of trees and its blooms resemble the shape of a tulip.  The blooms greet spring before the tree's leaves sprout.

Each day something new blooms in our yard and I am amazed at the variety of plants someone nurtured here. Though the yard has been neglected for months following the relocation of the previous owner to a nursing home, the potential of the yard speaks volumes.

I can hardly wait to move from remodeling and painting into gardening.  Memories return of the joy of what seasons can offer in variety and color gleaned from a palette of barren earth.









I relish the potential of what the yard surrounding our new home will yield with each coming season, and with each new year, as I coax this ground back to its glory.


This is what satisfaction is grown from-the toil of one's hands amid the miracle of nature.  I remember, and my soul rejoices.

Cherry Blossoms, Daffodils and Snow Geese

Cherry blossoms, daffodils and snow geese drew us out for a drive today and we were met with success in our quest for all three.

Our drive included a stop at Roozengaarde located halfway between Mount Vernon and La Conner, WA.  This daffodil and tulip grower specializes in producing flower bulbs for export to Holland.  The blooms are merely a glorious side product the rest of us get to enjoy.  Of course the bulbs are available to us as well should we choose to add a few to our gardens.  Definitely planning on making a selection this fall for our yard.

Enjoyment of the blooming fields has grown from what was at first merely a local following to a festival that attracts thousands of tourists from worldwide locations.  Today's journey is well ahead of the festival and we were rewarded with no traffic to battle.  For a mere $2.50 I acquired a half-dozen daffodil buds to enjoy at home in a vase-the first Snoopy will have ever seen!

The snow geese are here in full force with their young already grown to almost the size of the adults.  Their brown feathers are the only cue that gives them away.  These beautiful birds migrate to the valley to spend the winter in the tulip fields.  The farmers welcome them with grain; the geese leave a thank you with their very own form of fertilizer-everyone is happy!  

Perfectionism and Remodeling

My brother, Jim and I come by it genetically... the desire to do everything perfectly.  No matter the job, if it bears doing, it means doing it right.  One of the advantages of acquiring a vintage home is the opportunity to test these genetic skills over and over again.

We haven't moved in yet, but already Bill and Jim have begun the task of remodeling the storage building attached to our newly purchased home.  Initially it requires stripping down moldy wall board caused by a leaky roof and then pulling out the old insulation.  After drying out the studs and the now exposed exterior walls, the process of replacing what's been torn out will begin.  The roof is repaired. I'm banned from this room until the drying out process is complete to avoid a full blown asthma attack.

In the meantime, I am working on the kitchen cabinets.  While Bill spray paints the cabinet doors, I am painting the interior of the cabinets and the trim.  All are going from a dark brown faux wood color to bright white.  The result is miraculous.  My brother's work is impeccable.  Moving back here to within a short driving distance from him is priceless.  My heart sings with happiness.

Fog by Robert Frost

Fog by Robert Frost

The fog comes

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbor and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

We awoke today to a golden fog seeping between the charcoal gray limbs of naked trees harboring in earnest any potential for spring.  The challenge of the marine climate along the coast of Puget Sound in winter is invigorating and we are drawn out into this mystical world.  With crimson cheeks beneath woolen hats and fingers safely ensconced in mittens, we brave the chill in the air for a walk to the river.

Skagit River

The Mount Vernon RV Park, where we are staying, is close to the Skagit River.  You can easily walk from our RV to a public park on its western bank where there is a wonderful sculpture of a salmon (pictured above.)  Or brave the traffic and cross over a short bridge that leads to an inviting, brick paved river walk along its east bank for a stroll (see below.)  The river walk is adjacent to what I have nicknamed “Old Town” in Mount Vernon; this section of town is quickly becoming my favorite destination which includes the Skagit Valley Food Coop I mentioned earlier.

The Skagit River winds through town in a serpentine fashion.  Mount Vernon was built at the site of a huge logjam, which took loggers three years to breakup in the 1860s—while salvaging the logs in the process.  Ultimately their efforts opened the river for navigation and further European exploration to the northeast.  Originating in Canada, the river drains the Northern Cascade watershed along a 150 mile course, which was heavily influenced by both the coming and going of glaciers during the Ice Age, and by volcanic activity in this region over centuries.  At one time 50,000 salmon per year, including all five of the native salmon species, made their way up this river named after the Skagit Tribe.  Due to global warming of the ocean, the salmon’s food supply has dwindled, and in recent years only 5,000 fish have returned to the river to spawn.

Sadly, this will affect the bald eagles from Alaska and Canada that come to winter in the valley from December to February as well, because of the resulting decrease in salmon—their food supply.  Even worse, with the drought and melting snow pack, the river’s volume of water is decreasing.  This will not only impact wildlife, but also the water source supplying the valley’s residents, its farming and Seattle’s hydroelectric supply.  Though it was a wetter winter with above average rain and snowfall, above average temperatures this spring have already stripped away any excess reserve we enjoyed.  It is amazing to see the broad impacts global warming is having here. 

On a brighter note, this area still remains lush and green with cooler temperatures than we have experienced in months.  For that we are grateful!  Snoopy agrees wholeheartedly.

Minestrone Soup and Other Misc Musings

On a cold day in February, what could be better than a warm bowl of soup?  I made some today for dinner and it delivered—warmth, comfort and sustenance as promised in a new cookbook I purchased to accompany my electric pressure cooker:  “Cooking Under Pressure” by Lorna Sass.  After poking around in La Conner, Washington on a rainy, winter day, we came home to the reward of this hearty soup I pulled together in just minutes.

La Conner is a one-horse town, more or less, with a variety of delightful shopping venues on either side of its main street.  The location fronts a canal between two bays on Puget Sound, and depending on the tide, its saltwater can run in either direction to or from the sea.  It is a good place for kayaking on warmer days past tethered boats, restaurant windows, and under Rainbow Bridge. 

Native American influence is strong in the Northwestern art displayed at the southern end of town where a totem pole guards a view of both the bridge and a shot straight down La Conner’s main street.  There is a kitchen shop, clothing and shoe stores and various sculptures displayed in another storefront that could keep the average person occupied for hours, but we elected to stop for coffee instead in a little café called Calico Cupboard.  Paired with a cookie from their bakery, the coffee warmed our bodies as we paused to enjoy people watching through its windows while others braved the weather to shop.

Winter in Washington

We have arrived in Mount Vernon, Washington.  This is the first winter we've experienced in the north in years.  Cold, periodically rainy and views of snow in the mountains around Mount Vernon greet us.  The air is exhilarating.  Dawns come in striking color.  Warm clothes are mandatory.  After a hot winter in Florida, the cold temperatures are welcomed and a relief.

We are in an RV park just across the Skagit River from the original main street of Mount Vernon.  Older, brick buildings and small businesses occupy either side of the street.  On a corner, the Skagit Valley Food Coop occupies an entire block with an assortment of organic produce and packaged foods that make selecting an organic diet an easy task.  The process of browsing the store's aisles is a shopping nirvana for me as I convert our eating habits in earnest to whole foods of as much organic sources as possible.  I am also becoming a believer in "shop for locally produced and sustainable" foods.  The quality is often visibly discernible.