Halloween Night

Every year for Halloween dinner we have squash soup in pumpkin bowls.

This year I added our Homemade Croutons. YUMMY!

Bellingham loves Halloween

I went down to the Farmers' Market this morning to pick up my weekly veggies, and since Monday is Halloween and I remembered last year everybody was in costume, I hoped to find some fun pictures to share. This adorable young lady was hoping I'd take a picture of her dress, she looks so cute in it, and her mother (?) is also in costume. But I'm afraid the flower child stole my heart.

This vendor has an entire costume for a party she's attending, but this morning wore only the headdress, which I must say is quite beautiful. Obviously she's going as a unicorn; she told me she made this and is quite happy to find her horn isn't going to fall off. This morning the festive atmosphere was heightened by sunny skies (at least partly sunny) and no rain! It rained all day long yesterday and is forecast to do the same tomorrow. Sort of like our hiking group noticed, lately we've had one nice day interspersed with a not-so-nice one.

Here's an organic farmer who shares a hippie background with me, I'd say. Love her glasses! She and her partner are both in costume today. Too bad I need glasses to see; I can never wear this kind of cool eyewear because they don't fit over the ones I need to keep from bumping into things.

After Thursday's wonderful hike, I've come down with a head cold that makes me wonder if it's because I did so much last week. I skipped the walk and swim today and will go to the movies instead and sit inside. My friend Judy and I are going to see 50/50 -- everybody needs a good cry now and then, right? (For those of you who don't know the premise, it's about a 27-year-old guy who learns he has cancer. They say it's not only a tear-jerker but also humorous.) I'll wait to read the reviews (in the link above) until after I've seen the movie.
:-)

Kleenex Box Cover

For one of my daughter's Young Women Personal Progress Project she is stitching Kleenex Box Covers out of plastic canvas for our church building. They are turning out so beautiful. Here is one done-only 1 more to go!


The pieces to be stitched together. Top: 34 squares x 62 squares, (2) long sides: 25 squares x 62 squares, (2) short sides:25 squares x 34 squares.


After putting it all together I sprayed Scotch Guard( at Walmart) to protect it.

Easy Homemade Croutons

For my late snack the other night I had some salad but I didn't have any croutons (which is a must on salad) so I had to use my day old french bread to make some Homemade Croutons! I guessed on the seasoning and oven time. When I took them out of the oven, my husband was already eating some-he said "these are really good".

Here's what I did:


I started with the day old french bread(1/2 loaf). . .


Cut them into cubes, added 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary(basil would taste great also), 1/8 tsp. garlic salt & 1-2 Tbl. of canola oil to moisten it. Cook at 450 for 10-12 mins.


You can add them to your salad or favorite soup! {I'm going to make some for our Halloween night soup bowls} YUM!

Last Goat of the season

This is the fourth time this season we have gone up Goat Mountain. By this time of the year, we are usually relegated to the Chuckanuts (not that they are awful or anything, but once the snow flies, we stay close to home) but not this year. Although our season started out slowly, we are still able to get to the High Country. Today ten Senior Trailblazers made our way through the magical trek in the forest, with some residual morning fog still hanging around and giving us this beautiful view.

Before we had gone very far, however, the beautiful restful (although pretty darn uphill) trees were beginning to be covered with this white stuff. From this point onwards, it only got whiter and more slippery. Although we had full sunshine today, remember we are somewhere around 4,000 feet elevation in this picture, and we are headed up to around 5,500 feet. So you KNOW we are going to hit more snow.

By the time we reached the viewpoint showing Sefrit Mountain here, we could see Shuksan and Baker (our old friends) too. The blueberry bushes had a few little offerings here and there, but mostly we basked in the sunshine that warmed us as we ate our lunch. Although it was relatively warm in the sun, one of our hikers gave out before we got to this viewpoint, so we didn't dawdle but quickly went back down to join the others.

Kathy and Karen are enjoying a quick lunch before we headed back, and you can see all the fresh snow on the ground and trees behind them. It was a beautiful day, a perfect one to end the High Country season (I've said that before, haven't I?). But one thing will end today for sure: our dear friend Jonelle who first joined us on Goat Mountain on September 1 will be heading back to the desert to lead hikes there. We won't see her again until she returns in May. She's one of those "rainbirds" who head south when the weather begins to turn, but she has wiggled her way into our hearts and we'll be looking forward to her return. Blue skies and fair sailing, Jonelle!

Here she smiles along with Al, our fearless leader, with Sefrit also smiling behind them. The weather blessed us once again, and we will, as you know, be heading down to the Low Country any day now, with lots of rain in our future. But today, well, this entire week has been outstanding. Today we covered almost eight miles and 2,600 feet, to add to Tuesday's numbers, giving us more than 5,000 feet up and down, and almost sixteen miles of wilderness, adding together both treks. I'm feeling quite... accomplished!
:-)

Chain Lakes

I know I said we were all done with our High Country hikes, and this was a few weeks ago. But yesterday I got an email from Al saying that, with the weather promising full sunshine on Tuesday, we should take advantage of the opportunity to get up there at least one more time before the Forest Service closes the road. We met early on this frosty morning, five of us, and headed up as far as we could go on the Mt. Baker highway to the Chain Lakes trailhead. For most of us, it was cold. Mikey hiked in shorts and t-shirt the entire way, but then again, it's Mikey.

The beginning of the hike took us past Bagley Lake, which as you can see here, is mostly frozen. We had snow and some ice underfoot, but we were prepared with Yak Trax in case we needed them (we didn't). The shadows were long, and we trekked past plenty of red-leafed blueberry bushes, some of which had ripe berries that we enjoyed. It wasn't warm, but as we toiled upwards toward Herman Saddle, we stayed very warm in the sunshine. We figured we could get to the saddle and probably would not make the entire loop, but would turn back and retrace our steps after lunch. It was pretty snowy at the Saddle, as you can see.

Here you see Al at the high point of the hike at 5,400 feet (1,650 meters). We had plenty of snow and slick spots to contend with, so we descended down a bit to a sunny spot to have lunch and thought we would turn around afterwards and head back the way we had come (just under three miles). And then while we were having lunch, a couple of women hikers who had started the hike in the opposite direction from the parking lot passed us by at right about noon. That was all it took for us to decide to attempt the loop, as we had their footprints to follow in the snow.

We headed down from the pass, with Iceberg Lake showing its beauty on the way as we headed up toward Artist Point. That road is closed, but we had the Wild Goose Trail to follow from there, which we used to get back to the cars. The Chain Lakes loop took us along a south-facing slope that displayed amazing color. If you look just above halfway in the picture below, you can see the faint trail that leads to Artist Point.

The five of us reached our car after five hours or so of splendid time in the wilderness, with almost eight miles covered, and 2,500 feet of elevation gain and loss. Tired and happy, we climbed in our car and wondered if by any chance we might have such a stellar day again on Thursday (our regular Senior Trailblazers hiking day). Between now and then, we have a good chance of rain in Bellingham and more snow in the High Country, so... we'll see. I had so many wonderful pictures that I will put a bunch more of them on the Senior Trailblazers Fall 2011 site. Enjoy! We sure did!
:-)

You're Gonna Be a Happy Camper...

Hey friends! Remember that Happy Camper Scavenger Hunt that I posted about, over a year ago? I continue to get lots of emails from readers, requesting a copy of it. I printed it to PDF and put it onto a shared file for you. Go HERE to get your FREE printable for the Happy Camper Scavenger Hunt!!



Please let me know if the link to this file does not work. Thanks!!

Halloween Kitchen Towel

I loved the bright orange color of this dish towel(17"x28") I found at the Dollar(dollar tree) store.


I cut a piece of fabric(10"x19") to match the bottom to cover up the stripes.


Sew the short ends to finish them off.


Fold the "top" & "bottom" of the fabric 1 1/2" down and iron.


Pin the fabric strip to your towel about an inch into the strip for the "sew line". Sew it onto the towel.


Cut slits in the top & bottom rim.


Cut the ends off and then "ruff" it up.


I added some buttons to the circles as an added embellishment.

My Aunt Quetita

My mother's older sister, Quetita, is going to be ninety next week. She sent me this picture of herself working in her garden a few years ago, when she was in her mid-eighties. I suspect she doesn't look much different today than she did then. She and her husband Jack are residing in an assisted living facility in Visalia, California. I don't get to California very often these days and haven't visited her, although my sister Norma Jean did a few years ago.

After Norma Jean found her address and phone number and sent them to me, I decided to call her. It was strange in the beginning, when a small voice said, "Hello?" I identified myself as Jan, you know, your sister's oldest daughter? "Who?" Once she finally realized who I was and I told her I wanted to send her a card to mark her birthday next week, she said disconsolately, "Oh. Yeah. I know. Ninety." She doesn't sound happy about it, but I suspect I wouldn't be either. I said that the store where I found a card also has booklets with the happenings of different years, starting with 1930. I asked her if she has some special year after 1930 that would mean something to her (thinking maybe their wedding anniversary).

"Oh, well... there's the year I had my back surgery. I was 31. You do the math." 

"Well, you were born in 1921 and adding 31 years would make it 1952, right?" 

"If you say so." She said this with a giggle. 

"Okay. I'll find 1952 and send it to you." 

"That would be nice. I don't have your address!" 

"I'll send it with the card, Aunt Quetita. It's been great talking with you. Bye now." 

"Bye." 

We said a bit more about health concerns, but mostly it's the whole turning ninety that amazes me. Since neither of my parents made it out of their sixties, I do hope I inherited Aunt Quetita's genetic makeup, but there's no way to know. I think if my mother hadn't gotten breast cancer and then been treated with massive doses of cobalt, scarring her heart muscle, she might be alive today. Sometimes you can survive the disease but die from the treatment. But I still have one first-order relative alive who is of my parent's generation: my wonderful Aunt Quetita. I'll celebrate this most excellent milestone with real happiness!
:-)

Wildlife and Aldo Leopold

Wolf_Kolmården.jpg: Daniel Mott from Stockholm, Sweden

How could I NOT have heard about Aldo Leopold before now? When I won the book from Far Side of Fifty last week (A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold), I entered a new and exciting part of the universe that I didn't know anything about. That first link will tell you everything about Leopold, but here's the short version. He was born in 1887 and lived to the age of 61; he died in 1948. The book for which he is famous was published posthumously by his son in 1949. Leopold died of a heart attack while helping a neighbor fight a wildfire.

In the early 1920s, he was assigned to hunt and kill bears, wolves, and mountain lions in New Mexico. He learned to respect these animals and came to realize their important place in the ecosystem. From that link:

In 1935 he helped found the Wilderness Society, dedicated to expanding and protecting the nation's wilderness areas. He regarded the society as "one of the focal points of a new attitude—an intelligent humility toward man's place in nature."

In the book, he talks about killing a wolf, and how it changed him. This is from pp. 138-139:

We were eating lunch on a high rimrock, at the foot of which a turbulent river elbowed the way. We saw what we thought was a doe fording the torrent, her breast awash in white water. When she climbed the bank toward us and shook out her tail, we realized our error: it was a wolf. A half-dozen others, evidently grown pups, sprang from the willows and all joined in a welcoming melee of wagging tails and playful maulings. What was literally a pile of wolves writhed and tumbled in the center of an open flat at the foot of our rimrock. 

In those days we had never heard of passing up a chance to kill a wolf. In a second we were pumping lead into the pack, but with more excitement than accuracy: how to aim a steep downhill shot is always confusing. When our rifles were empty, the old wolf was down, and a pup was dragging a leg into impassable slide rocks. 

We reached the old wolf in time to watch a fierce green fire dying in her eyes. I realized then, and have known ever since, that there was something new to me in those eyes — something known only to her and to the mountain. I was young then, and full of trigger-itch; I thought that because fewer wolves meant more deer, that no wolves would mean hunters' paradise. But after seeing the green fire die, I sensed that neither the wolf nor the mountain agreed with such a view.

It took awhile, but Leopold began to realize that the integrity of the ecosystem in which we live requires wildlife.  There is now an Aldo Leopold Foundation, and his children and grandchildren have become naturalists and educators. He was truly a great man. Another quote from the Wikipedia link is from Bruce Babbitt, former Secretary of the Interior:

In January of 1995 I helped carry the first grey wolf into Yellowstone, where they had been eradicated by federal predator control policy only six decades earlier. Looking through the crate into her eyes, I reflected on how Aldo Leopold once took part in that policy, then eloquently challenged it. By illuminating for us how wolves play a critical role in the whole of creation, he expressed the ethic and the laws which would reintroduce them nearly a half-century after his death.

I have never seen a Grey Wolf but I have certainly heard them in the wild, and I'll bet you have, too. Thank you, Connie, for introducing me to Leopold's book. I am enjoying it immensely. She also sent me two lovely cards and said that she couldn't resist sending along a little bit of Minnesota too: both are pictures that she took, mounted on cards with included envelopes I can use to send to special people.

Raspberries and Yellow Lady Slipper

And then there's the book, a treasure indeed, that I will slip into and enjoy every second. The book is, as it says on the cover, "the classic statement of the joy and beauty found in a style of life that protects the environment." For someone who has seen only two bears (magnificent as they were) and mountain goats twice, I can attest to the feeling of majesty they impart to the wilderness. Here's a picture of the entire package I received:

I didn't go for a hike today because of the possibility of getting in to see the doctor about my allergies, which have been driving me crazy. Instead, I'm sitting here in the middle of the afternoon writing this post, and enjoying "A Sand County Almanac." I didn't realize how lucky I was, and I'm so happy to be able to share it with my blogging friends.
:-)

Rainbow Ridge

Fred, Mike, Aspen, Mary, DJan, Diane, and Al

Just in case anybody thought we wouldn't take advantage of wonderful weather in the Pacific Northwest, the Senior Trailblazers did an extra-extra Monday hike today (I know it's Tuesday). Since the weather was so gorgeous, seven of us decided to make a final Monday hike, this time to Rainbow Ridge. Last week we did our "last" Monday hike on Sunday, but lest you get confused, I'll help you figure it out. All this past summer we decided to have an extra hike every other Monday, but because of weather and scheduling conflicts, we didn't follow the schedule very closely. Fred (the guy on the left) picked out some juicy hikes and we started them in July. Now it's October. Today was supposed to be a stupendous weather day and, as you can see by these pictures, we were not disappointed.

A new Trailblazer, Aspen, joined us today. Very interesting and definitely a character. That's her making a heart with her hands (I'm on the left) and Mary is kicking out her leg, inadvertently creating a mastodon. We had a lot of fun with this group today, and Aspen amazed me by hiking for the last half of the hike back down to the cars barefoot! This muddy and difficult descent was impossible for me to accomplish without shoes, I'm convinced, but my feet were rather envious when I saw her squishing the mud between her toes like a kid. She made it back to the cars without ever needing her shoes.

Aspen took this picture of me, Mary and Diane, with the beautiful backdrop of Mt. Baker behind us. The sunshine just didn't stop all day long, and it was downright warm, with me unable to test out my new jacket except when we stopped for lunch. I'm wearing it in the first picture, but I didn't really need it. While we were hiking, I had to take off clothes to stay comfortable.

The moon was setting behind these rocks, and I used my telephoto to make it larger. I was so pleased with this picture, since it's the first time I've tried to capture the moon. I'll do more of these now that I know how cool they can look. We had the moon, the sunshine, Mt. Baker, and the always beautiful Shuksan to gaze at all day. Here's Fred in front of Mt. Shuksan.

On the way home, we stopped for dinner at Annie's outside of the town of Concrete. It was a wonderful meal with good friends, and I neglected to take a picture as we chowed down our meals, but we will be back to this wonderful place again next year. We decided to rate this hike today among the top seven of the season, for obvious reasons.

Oh, and today when I got home I found a package from Far Side in my mailbox, with my prize from last week's contest, the Sand County Almanac. I'm too tired to even open it tonight, but soon I'll share it with everyone. Thanks, Connie!
:-)

Halloween {Countdown} #2

Our son is 5 and can't wait for Trick or Treat night!
So he doesn't have to ask me everyday "how many more days until. . . ". We made his very own simple Countdown.


He wrote the numbers by himself and each day he'll put one of the foam stickers we used in Halloween Countdown #1.

Rain protection quest

In the endless saga of trying to stay dry in the Pacific Northwest rain, I've just made another purchase, because these two (Fred and Diane) had an advantage over me in the second half of last week's hike: jackets made from eVent fabric. In this picture we are all dry and not wearing any rain gear, because the first half of the day was pretty darn perfect hiking weather. However, the second half was another story. I had a raincoat and poncho with me in that backpack, and before we had returned to the cars, I was drenched from one end to the other. Fred and Diane stayed relatively dry. She's wearing rain pants in this picture, which she wore from start to finish, but when the rain began she put on her eVent jacket and stayed dry. Not only from the outside rain, but she also didn't sweat so much that she got wet inside from trapped perspiration. I know, I know; this is what Gore-Tex is supposed to keep from happening, but I've never had a raincoat that really worked as advertised. The eVent fabric is designed differently, and they explain here about how we sweat. I read the specs and went to REI to purchase a very pricy raincoat.

Maybe I can try it out here in the shower to see if it works. No, I suspect I'll have plenty of chances coming up soon. This is REI's Kulshan Jacket. I had to order it from the warehouse so that I didn't have to choose the neon lime green one, the only Medium in the store. It's got a nice hood and there's enough room underneath for me to add a fleece lining. I read the reviews and most people liked it, but some weren't happy with the zipper. I mentioned that to the salesperson as I checked out, and he told me he thinks that was last year's design. The good thing about REI is if I don't like it, or if it doesn't work as advertised, I can take it back and get a full refund. Other reviews of the fabric were very positive.

I'll let you know how it works in future posts. I didn't think I would ever be anxious for more rain, but...
:-)

Halloween {Countdown} #1

I love the excitement Countdowns bring for special events.
Candle Holders can get a little spendy, so I decided to make my own.


I found the vases at the second hand store & the dowel and faucet flanges at the Home Improvement store.


Flanges up close.


1- Cut the dowel (mine is 3/4"x14") to fit inside of your vase. Drill a hole at the top(or you could drill a hole for an eye screw-which I should have done, my dowels broke a little with drilling). I put rocks in the base of the vase to weight it down. Also squeeze some glue down there.


2- Take some pliers to fold in the middle part of the flange. It will make it tight around the dowel.


3- Glue, using E6000, the ring onto the top of the vase.


4- Spray paint the whole thing along with the 2x4 piece of wood(12" long) a glossy black.


5- Cut strips of fabric (1 1/2"x54") to braid together. I used purple-#1 strand/orange & black-#2 strand and green with the orange crazy yarn- #3 strand.


6- Thread the fabric braid through the hole in the top of the dowel & tie a knot.


7- Unfold the big size paper clips (found at the Dollar Tree Dollar store) to hang the tags off of the "rope".


8-The Countdown Tags.

I cut some white cardstock then "aged" the edges with my black stamp pad. Finish the tags with some foam shapes & colored glitter glue(Walmart).


9- Adhere the vinyl lettering to the 2x4 wood block. Sand the edges.


Its now ready to countdown the days til Trick or Treat Night!