Last Sunday Sally and I headed to Hyas Lake, a good distance east of Seattle out route 90, through and beyond Roslyn and then to Salmon La Sac. Our destination, Hyas Lake, is a beautifully blue and teal body of water surrounded by Alpine-like wilderness. OK, the ride took longer than the hike. But the ride was just as fun as the hike. OK, the 13 miles of gravel road wasn't exaclty fun but was better than a trip to the gynecologist. The hike itself was very fun. Practically flat, mostly wooded, and with pretty views of Cathedral Rock and the lake. Thimbleberries and huckleberries were available for snacking. You had to dodge some horse poop but where don't you?
Once at the lake we stopped and tended to a hot spot on Sally's foot. I learned that I am incapable of tearing first aid tape. My hopes of becoming a field medic are dashed. The bugs at the lake were a pain in the arm, at least for Sally, who was stung by a fluffy black and yellow bee. Good thing she didn't need any tape.
We were hardly alone on this hike. It's a very popular hike to hook up with longer hikes to Deception Pass and then beyond to other lakes and the tippy tops of big rocks. We both decided it would be worth the drive to return and continue up to Deception Pass, a welcomed challenge.
August 24, 2005
August 10, 2005
LAST WEEKEND, FINALLY
Saturday was da bomb in terms of staying active. After doing my shopping on foot, I headed out in the car to pick up some new plants. By 9:30 I was home, fed and watered and in the yard. I hit that garden with all my might. The photo below is what one area looked like when I started. To the untrained eye it might look completely a wreck. But it's just a little a wreck. It's that time in the life of a garden where some stuff is finished growing. So lots needs to be pulled out or cut back or severely pruned. Plenty of weeding always needs to be done. So at the point when this shot was taken I was busy pulling out all unwanted material. There were heaps of it! Neighbor G did a major pruning job on the ivy and blackberry tangle that runs along our front fence. He carted most of it into the alley and I picked up the rest. Took some slashes to the arms for my trouble.
Gardening is a work-out. At least how I do it. I haul, lift, bend, pull, drag, dig, crawl, lean, twist, heft, stretch, sqat, squeeze, push, press, and more. Everything got a good soaking. It's terribly dry here. The soil in some unplanted places is like powder. I soaked even the unused spots in order to prep it for replanting. Everything also got a good dose of fish fertilizer that i mix up one watering can full at a time and apply the old fashioned way - pouring it on each individual plant or section. Smells
nasty. Flies and bees come out within minutes. But within a couple hours you can't smell anything. Repotted some plants so there is color and new life all around when Iva comes. Picked more beans, a few beets, shallots, and a nice head of broccoli.
Gardening is a work-out. At least how I do it. I haul, lift, bend, pull, drag, dig, crawl, lean, twist, heft, stretch, sqat, squeeze, push, press, and more. Everything got a good soaking. It's terribly dry here. The soil in some unplanted places is like powder. I soaked even the unused spots in order to prep it for replanting. Everything also got a good dose of fish fertilizer that i mix up one watering can full at a time and apply the old fashioned way - pouring it on each individual plant or section. Smells
nasty. Flies and bees come out within minutes. But within a couple hours you can't smell anything. Repotted some plants so there is color and new life all around when Iva comes. Picked more beans, a few beets, shallots, and a nice head of broccoli.
what the?
This hot dog pilot did a loop-d-loop above Capitol Hill then headed straight for the Central District and sped over Ezell's. I watched the whole production unfold. All I bothered to shoot was the smoke left behind because that's when I was free from the riduculous noise and happy again.
While this was going on I had laundry going and had done some dishes. At 3:30 I walked inside to see to some laundry but then decided that I was done for the day. I was hot, covered in grime, and exhausted. I stripped it all off right in front of the washing machine and walked right into a shower. We had dinner plans so I needed to make a huge salad and just sit down for a while.
We headed to West Seattle to have dinner at Linda'shouse with Nathan and Jennifer. We sat out on the deck sipping wine and discussing city politics, bahn mi, train travel, kayaking, etc. When it came time to cook the big salmon, we realized the grill was lacking propane. Nathan was kind enough to walk over to U-Haul to round up more but they had already closed. Time
to improvise. Unfortunately, Nathan wasn't feeling well so he left. But not before he helped Julie split open the fish completely. Seems the fishmonger got distracted while he was tending to it. Julie simply baked the fish in the oven and it was delicious. Jennifer brought very tasty veggie and tofu kabobs and an amazingly delicious pear and ginger crisp (not to be confused with a crumble, or a betty). Corn was on the menu along with the big salad and baguette we brought. We ate like we had just come off a chain gang and there was still food for the taking when we went home. I apologize for the lack of photos. They really looked bad when viewed on the computer. For some reason they are extrememly dark though I used the flash.
We headed to West Seattle to have dinner at Linda'shouse with Nathan and Jennifer. We sat out on the deck sipping wine and discussing city politics, bahn mi, train travel, kayaking, etc. When it came time to cook the big salmon, we realized the grill was lacking propane. Nathan was kind enough to walk over to U-Haul to round up more but they had already closed. Time
to improvise. Unfortunately, Nathan wasn't feeling well so he left. But not before he helped Julie split open the fish completely. Seems the fishmonger got distracted while he was tending to it. Julie simply baked the fish in the oven and it was delicious. Jennifer brought very tasty veggie and tofu kabobs and an amazingly delicious pear and ginger crisp (not to be confused with a crumble, or a betty). Corn was on the menu along with the big salad and baguette we brought. We ate like we had just come off a chain gang and there was still food for the taking when we went home. I apologize for the lack of photos. They really looked bad when viewed on the computer. For some reason they are extrememly dark though I used the flash.
SUNDAY
Sunday I got finally had my hair cut. I had crazyhair. Then we headed back to West Seattle for coffee at Speranza Coffee House. This is where we left the car, grabbed the backpacks and headed to the West Seattle Farmer's Market. It's 1.3 miles each way which was a good enough walk for us because our day was going to be busy. We got some great stuff at the market. Several kinds of cherry tomatoes so sweet like candy. Willie's Greens always has the best sautee greens and salad mix. We stuffed the backpacks then headed back to the car. We then attacked the PCC Natural Food Market where we loaded up all on sorts of stuff for which we had coupons. Love it when the natural food marts have coupons for the stuff we like to buy. The coupons in the Sunday paper are practically useless to us.
Once back at home I attacked the yard again and J the inside of the house. Always so much to do. But we halted the work early in order to wind down. J picked up the latest Harry Potter book which she is devouring. I worked on the July edition of the BO-BUTT BEACON. Having trouble with that. Having issues with burning the PDF version to disc in order to take it to work and shrink it. For folks who have been to the BO-BUTT FUN 101 vacation site, you aren't missing anything by not receiving the July BO-BUTT. It's all about the vacation in order to share the experience with folks who don't have internet.
Once back at home I attacked the yard again and J the inside of the house. Always so much to do. But we halted the work early in order to wind down. J picked up the latest Harry Potter book which she is devouring. I worked on the July edition of the BO-BUTT BEACON. Having trouble with that. Having issues with burning the PDF version to disc in order to take it to work and shrink it. For folks who have been to the BO-BUTT FUN 101 vacation site, you aren't missing anything by not receiving the July BO-BUTT. It's all about the vacation in order to share the experience with folks who don't have internet.
August 09, 2005
WAIT FOR IT...
It's coming, it's coming. News from the past weekend is slow in coming, sorry. Having trouble with Picasa. Simply wouldn't accept my commands yesterday to import photos straight from the memory card. Will have to use flickr. But today I will be updating some info on just keep driving so look for that.
August 03, 2005
HILARIA IN BAVARIA
Another weekend of activity and new adventures. Friday night it was an adventure to just stay cool. Seattle has been hot and sunny. We do have a great fan system moving air around upsatirs so things are confortable at bed time but before that you pretty much have to sit on the deck to be comfortable. An extra shower helps.
We rose early on Saturday and headed to Leavenworth, Washington's Bavarian village. All Bavaria all the time. Even the Safeway has cornucopias painted on the outside. The area is also home to schloads of outdoor activities from hiking to rafting, from mountain climbing to fishing.
Last Fall Andrea and Barb bid on and won a weekend at a cabin near Lake Wenatchee at an auction at Evan's school. Julie and I were invited. We'd been waiting for this cabin experience for months. The cabin had all the modern gadgets. But it was obviously a work in progress for this family. The kitchen was the newest addition and it was clearly not done.
After we arrived on Saturday morning we all chowed on bagels and fruit and then headed to Leavenworth. We kind of stumbled onto wine tasting, an activity we all readily enjoy. I wasn't aware there was so much wine being poured in Leavenworth. I figured it was mostly beer. But we found four places right on the main strip: Silver Lake Winery, Gold Diggers Cellars, Icicle Ridge Winery, and Kestrel Vintners. All were fun and all offered several tastings at no charge. We walked away with wine from each place. To fly in the face of Bavarianism, we lunched at an Italian place, Visconti's. As it turns out three out of the four of us had previously dined here but it was very good.
After the wine and food and the 99 degree temperature, we piled into the air-conditioned car and headed for a road tour of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee to visit Andrea's grandmother's and great-grandparents' gravesites.
Julie and I made dinner that night back at the cabin. Andrea was still creeped out by the noises of the woods. The night before she had slept clutching her cell phone. In order to call whom? There was no reception at the cabin. I think she was afraid a bear would get her - inside the cabin. The phone would certainly come in handy if a bear had managed to get inside. She could have ordered it a pizza.
We rose early on Saturday and headed to Leavenworth, Washington's Bavarian village. All Bavaria all the time. Even the Safeway has cornucopias painted on the outside. The area is also home to schloads of outdoor activities from hiking to rafting, from mountain climbing to fishing.
Last Fall Andrea and Barb bid on and won a weekend at a cabin near Lake Wenatchee at an auction at Evan's school. Julie and I were invited. We'd been waiting for this cabin experience for months. The cabin had all the modern gadgets. But it was obviously a work in progress for this family. The kitchen was the newest addition and it was clearly not done.
After we arrived on Saturday morning we all chowed on bagels and fruit and then headed to Leavenworth. We kind of stumbled onto wine tasting, an activity we all readily enjoy. I wasn't aware there was so much wine being poured in Leavenworth. I figured it was mostly beer. But we found four places right on the main strip: Silver Lake Winery, Gold Diggers Cellars, Icicle Ridge Winery, and Kestrel Vintners. All were fun and all offered several tastings at no charge. We walked away with wine from each place. To fly in the face of Bavarianism, we lunched at an Italian place, Visconti's. As it turns out three out of the four of us had previously dined here but it was very good.
After the wine and food and the 99 degree temperature, we piled into the air-conditioned car and headed for a road tour of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee to visit Andrea's grandmother's and great-grandparents' gravesites.
Julie and I made dinner that night back at the cabin. Andrea was still creeped out by the noises of the woods. The night before she had slept clutching her cell phone. In order to call whom? There was no reception at the cabin. I think she was afraid a bear would get her - inside the cabin. The phone would certainly come in handy if a bear had managed to get inside. She could have ordered it a pizza.
LIKE A DUCK TO WATER
Sunday morning we were up early in order to be back in Leavenworth to go river rafting with River Riders. Originally, we were slated to all be in a river raft. The river, however, is at its low point right now. Plus, the mild winter didn't provide much run-off water. So the option of taking inflatable river kayaks was given and we four took the bait. Granted, there were still folks who opted for the raft, but the kayaks afforded us some freedom and perhaps a bit more excitment. Definitely more work but terribly fun.
All of us were newbies. The guides refer to kayakers in their charge as "duckies." As newbies, I think we were all relieved that the water was very tame. Even the "rapids" we ran later were perfect for first-timers. Wet suits were available but optional. I just wore a T-shirt and shorts. Some folks sported bathing suits under clothes, not under clothes, others were dressed like me. River Riders provided water booties if you didn't have a water shoe that strapped around your ankle. My Keens were the perfect gear. River Riders also provided the required helmets (according to mine I was "Moon Doggie") and life vests. The weather in Leavenworth was bright and sunny and 100 degrees of bone dry heat. Pretty toasty once the life vest and helmet was attached to you. I applied sunscreen three times in three hours just to be safe. It paid off. I'm toasty but not burned.
Most of the three mile ride down the Wenatchee River was simply floating with easy paddling. Having never operated a kayak, I was admittedly nervous as we "put in" and began traveling. But I quickly got the hang of it, relaxed, and enjoyed. Plenty of beautiful mountains, trees, birds. And lots of turkey vultures, the primary avian scavenger of NorthAmerica. I love all raptors, including the unsightly turkey vulture. One line of defense for the turkey vulture is to puke on their would-be attackers. Pretty effective I'm sure.
As for "shooting the rapids," it wasn't scary. Again, the water was pretty tame. But working your way through a series of rocks and bubbling water is a hell of alot of work! Getting stuck on a rock or a large flat area of rock is a given in low water. At one point I was half out of the kayak pulling it along to get going again. Just part of the fun I suppose. Just floating along enjoying the water and the scenary was more fun. I suppose if we were to ever go on a raft, we would want rougher water for the thrill of it. But the easy flowing river was perfect for a newbie kayaker. The high heat lead me to splash myself plenty, hang my feet over the sides, and dribble water down through my helmet. Next time we take water bottles. Unfortunately, the heat also contributed to the forest fire we could easily see burning on Dirty Face Mountain once back at River Riders for the cook-out.
About 30 minutes from the end of the ride we all stopped for a snack. We dragged out the boats and the lady running the raft unloaded fresh fruit, cookies, and a water cooler. We hung out here for a while, some people swam. When we returned to River Riders there was a cook-out. Burgers, hot dogs, chicken, and Garden Burgers, all the sides and more fresh fruit. It was a really fun experience and I feel reasonably priced at $55. We will definitely do it again.
I brought along a waterproof disposable. The shots are OK for proof that I was there but certainly not high quality. But they'll do for the blog.
All of us were newbies. The guides refer to kayakers in their charge as "duckies." As newbies, I think we were all relieved that the water was very tame. Even the "rapids" we ran later were perfect for first-timers. Wet suits were available but optional. I just wore a T-shirt and shorts. Some folks sported bathing suits under clothes, not under clothes, others were dressed like me. River Riders provided water booties if you didn't have a water shoe that strapped around your ankle. My Keens were the perfect gear. River Riders also provided the required helmets (according to mine I was "Moon Doggie") and life vests. The weather in Leavenworth was bright and sunny and 100 degrees of bone dry heat. Pretty toasty once the life vest and helmet was attached to you. I applied sunscreen three times in three hours just to be safe. It paid off. I'm toasty but not burned.
Most of the three mile ride down the Wenatchee River was simply floating with easy paddling. Having never operated a kayak, I was admittedly nervous as we "put in" and began traveling. But I quickly got the hang of it, relaxed, and enjoyed. Plenty of beautiful mountains, trees, birds. And lots of turkey vultures, the primary avian scavenger of NorthAmerica. I love all raptors, including the unsightly turkey vulture. One line of defense for the turkey vulture is to puke on their would-be attackers. Pretty effective I'm sure.
As for "shooting the rapids," it wasn't scary. Again, the water was pretty tame. But working your way through a series of rocks and bubbling water is a hell of alot of work! Getting stuck on a rock or a large flat area of rock is a given in low water. At one point I was half out of the kayak pulling it along to get going again. Just part of the fun I suppose. Just floating along enjoying the water and the scenary was more fun. I suppose if we were to ever go on a raft, we would want rougher water for the thrill of it. But the easy flowing river was perfect for a newbie kayaker. The high heat lead me to splash myself plenty, hang my feet over the sides, and dribble water down through my helmet. Next time we take water bottles. Unfortunately, the heat also contributed to the forest fire we could easily see burning on Dirty Face Mountain once back at River Riders for the cook-out.
About 30 minutes from the end of the ride we all stopped for a snack. We dragged out the boats and the lady running the raft unloaded fresh fruit, cookies, and a water cooler. We hung out here for a while, some people swam. When we returned to River Riders there was a cook-out. Burgers, hot dogs, chicken, and Garden Burgers, all the sides and more fresh fruit. It was a really fun experience and I feel reasonably priced at $55. We will definitely do it again.
I brought along a waterproof disposable. The shots are OK for proof that I was there but certainly not high quality. But they'll do for the blog.
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