Dawning of a New Day

Congratulations Matt!!

2010-05-02T15:22:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure of attending the festivities of my brother graduation with a Master's degree from Seminary. It was a lot of fun and I'm glad I got to go. It included a dinner, and a wonderful BBQ at the house. Congratulations!

Daffodil Classic

2010-05-02T15:19:00.001-07:00

I rode my first 30+ mile bike ride a few weeks ago, and had a lot of fun. The area we rode through was beautiful. IT is unusual to be able to see all of Mt. Rainier...it ended up being one of the warmest days we've had this year yet!

Merhut Falls

2010-05-02T15:16:00.000-07:00

The Long Way Home

2010-03-10T17:29:00.000-08:00

Charlie West is on the run from the terrorists he escaped and the police who think he has killed his best friend. There is a whole year of his life that he cannot remember, which includes his romance with the girl he has always wanted to date. In an attempt to clear his name and figure out if he really did commit the crime he was accused of, he returns to his hometown to hole up in an old mansion. While there, he learns part of the truth and the loyalty of friendship.

I really liked this book. I read it and decided I would have liked to read the first one. It is a stand alone book, the author does a good job of describing what occurs in the first book. I would like to finish the series. It is interesting and action packed..very hard to put down. The characters are well developed but could have been developed a bit more. It is not of huge substance but nice as a book to check out of reality for a while.

Munich Olympics Site

2010-03-10T17:25:00.000-08:00

Our visit to the Munich Olympic site was nice. WE had a great walk and were totally cold from the snow and then we stepped into the beautiful swimming hall where it was nice and warm. We would love to swim there, but we hadn't brought our suits.

Museum of Science and Technology

2010-03-10T17:19:00.000-08:00

We went to this museum that was something like 6 floors and we could have spent even more time there than we did. They had full boats, the U-1, all sorts of aircraft, a manufacturing area...I can't even describe it. WE had fun and I learned all about diffusion nuclear stuff and other information I don't quite remember but that I enjoyed hearing about from Todd.

Dachau

2010-03-10T17:15:00.000-08:00

We spent our first day in Munich at Dachau, which was a sobering yet informative day.

Christmas

2009-12-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

Silent Night Chapel

2009-12-29T23:55:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve, we took a trip out to the Silent Night Chapel, where the song was written and first performed. There was an hour service, which ended with all the verses of Silent Night sung in German with only a guitar for accompaniment, which is how it was first played. It was beautiful. (It was also very cold! We didn't know the service was outside.) We really enjoyed our Christmas Eve.

Views of Salzburg

2009-12-29T23:49:00.000-08:00

We went for a walk up in the Monsburg (I think that is how you spell it) where there were beautiful views over Salzburg and of the surrounding mountains. We met a gentleman there who took us to what he considers the best view and it was a really pleasant walk with him. He even took some pictures for us. We thought we would eventually make it to the meadows that they sing the do-re-mi song in sound of music, but they built the blocky modern art museum in that meadow.

Dinner Concert

2009-12-29T23:46:00.000-08:00

Our first night in Salzburg, we went and ate a delicious dinner and attended an excellent concert in the Salzburg fortress. We really enjoyed our evening.

Vienna Woods

2009-12-29T10:49:00.001-08:00

One of our favorite activities was taking a bus out to the Vienna Woods and going for a little hike. There is a huge system of trails out there (they can be a bit confusing on which you are walking on) that would be really fun in summer. They were fun in winter too, but a bit slick. We had some great views of the city there too.

Who was in charge of facade decorating?

2009-12-29T10:48:00.000-08:00

2009-12-29T10:45:00.000-08:00

Our hotel (the Hotel de France - highly recommend and a great place) was right around the corner from the biggest Christmas market in Vienna, so we had a nice evening walking around it and looking at all the handicrafts. We were also right next to the subway system which was incredibly convenient.

Mozart's Residence and the Haus der Musik

2009-12-29T10:38:00.001-08:00

T is a big Mozart fan, so we covered all the Mozart places in both Vienna and Salzburg. I now know a lot about Mozart and find the life he led to be fascinating. The first picture is of the residence he stayed at the longest in Vienna - two years. I think he moved about every 6-8 months. Must have been hard on his family.

We also went to a hands on music learning museum which was interesting. It took you through how music is made, how and why we can hear it, you get to make some of your own music and then near the end, conduct an orchestra. If you go too fast the orchestra speeds up and vice versa. It was funny. Here's T giving conducting a try.

I also had my wallet stolen on this day. Ugh!! But we were able to cancel everything right away. I do feel kind of lost without it. Thanks for the new wallet for Christmas mom!! I'm glad I brought my old one, now I have one for when we get back!

Vienna Churches

2009-12-29T10:35:00.000-08:00

Walk through the Palace Gardens

2009-12-29T10:33:00.000-08:00

Schonnbrun Palace in Vienna

2009-12-29T10:29:00.000-08:00

We started our vacation in Vienna and went on a city tour combined with the palace. It was the summer residence of the Hapsburgs, and was interestingly enough, interior decorated in and Asian style. Even in winter the grounds were very pretty and we enjoyed our short walk through parts of them. I think this was the coldest day of our trip.

Mt. Rainier and Fall in the Neighborhood

2009-10-27T17:27:00.001-07:00

Mt. Townsend

2009-10-27T17:24:00.001-07:00

Marmot Pass

2009-10-27T17:22:00.001-07:00

Flapjack Lakes

2009-10-27T17:21:00.001-07:00

A long hike

2009-09-15T17:46:00.000-07:00

Pictures to come, but on Saturday, T and I went on a 15 mile hike up to flapjack lakes. It was beautiful and there were still some lingering blueberries. The last 3 miles back to the car were challenging because my legs were a little tired (the trail up was really steep in some places. Then, while T was at work the following day, I went on a 13 mile bike ride which was fun and relaxing, but my legs were still tired so some of the hills were more challenging than normal.

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-15T17:42:00.001-07:00

T's parent's came to visit over the weekend and it was really fun! T had to work most of the days but was able to get Monday off so we could go hiking along the beach. We came back as high tide was almost at it's peak which made for some interesting times, but so much fun. Other things we did included going to Poulsbo and a walk along the beach and looking at the boats, the blackberry festival (it poured rain while we were there leading to:), touring the uss turner joy and eating at a fun pizza place. It was a really enjoyable weekend, and I enjoyed getting to know them better.

Family Photo

2009-09-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

A wave just missed me. Jumped fast

2009-09-15T17:40:00.001-07:00

It is not paint

2009-09-15T17:39:00.001-07:00

Rialto Beach

2009-09-15T17:33:00.001-07:00

Fruit from our garden, pics by T

2009-09-15T17:30:00.001-07:00

Biking the Pass

2009-08-24T19:46:00.001-07:00

Mt. Rainier

2009-08-24T19:33:00.000-07:00

T and I went to Mt. Rainier a couple of weekends ago and had a great time. We had no idea it was so close, and T really wanted to bike up the pass. I got to be the driver. I don't think the camry has ever been started or stopped so many times (I took lots of pictures). the only bummer was that it was a nice day, but the fog had rolled in on the top of the mountain, so they are cool pics but can't see the top. Apparently there is a serious lack of available campsites if you don't reserve them ahead of time, but we decided just to drive home. It really is closer than we expected. WE also had an interesting dinner. T wanted pizza so we pulled over at a railroad car that said pizza, burgers. I looked at the menu, ordered and then looked around. I really wish I had looked around first. I'm not sure how they have passed health inspections. I asked Todd if he still wanted to eat there (he had just seen the lady (with her hair unrestrained and unknown cleanliness of hands start throwing our pizza with no gloves and I think long nails.) He was still ok with it. Yep, one of our riskier dinners but we came out unscathed, but have agreed that for $20 even if we don't get our money back, we won't eat in a place like that again and if either one of us was ever uncomfortable that we would leave. I've eaten in some sketchy places in other countries, but I just don't expect them here. Still, it was a great day and lots of fun! I really enjoyed myself.

A new neice!!

2009-08-12T16:51:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!! I know it has been a while since I have updated but I am going to try to make it better. I have to stop waiting until I have pictures. Two weeks ago, baby M joined my brother's family, and she has two very proud big sisters. I am looking forward to getting down to visit in the near future and will try to take pictures.

New Bike!!

2009-07-05T18:10:00.000-07:00

We purchased an exciting new addition this week. We bought me a great new road bike, my first ever. It has taken a while to decide that I wanted to try this kind of biking and it is fun. So very different from mountain biking. I am not super confident in road biking yet, but I am learning and have only been out on it twice so far. I rode home from work on Thursday, and on Saturday we rode 9 miles to the neighboring town where mom and dad picked me up while T continued on to a much longer ride. It is like learning a whole new way to ride. The bike is so light that at one point I was going down a hill with a cross breeze and I could actually feel the bike being buffeted by the wind. I will admit to a little nervousness about that one, but nothing happened. It definitely does not take as much energy to ride a road bike as to ride a mountain bike, although both are fun. Our only current problem is fitting the four bikes into the apartment. We have found a way that works currently. Anyway, here is to more fun on a new bike!!

Fourth of July

2009-07-05T18:03:00.000-07:00

We had a fun 4th of July weekend. We both had most of Friday off and then I had the weekend and T had Saturday. My parent's came up to join us and we took them to Port Townsend to walk around on Friday. We had a picnic out at Fort Worden, which was really nice and some excellent ice cream at the Nifty fifty's diner. We came home and made dinner and just hung out. On the actual 4th, we got together with some friends for a dinner picnic and had fun just hanging out at a local park, grilling bratwurst and chicken and eating mom's wonderful side dishes. We came home and set off our first fireworks ever, this being the wettest place we have ever lived in. It was fun!! My favorite was this sparkling fountain one that was beautiful to watch. Hopefully our neighbors weren't too irritated with us, but we think next year we will do it in a parking lot somewhere. Mom and Dad and I played three rounds of a card game we like called Five Crowns, and we each won a full game. (It has 13 rounds to a game, but they go by really fast.) Dad fixed some problems we were having with our computer connection since upgrading to vista (thanks dad!!) and Mom sewed on a button to T's uniform better than either of us could have done it. (Thanks mom!!) all in all a great weekend, and i am wishing I did not have to go back to work tomorrow. I forgot to get pics from Dad, so they will be posted much later.

2009-07-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

The Beach

2009-07-05T17:44:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago, T and I got ot go out to toleak point again, but this time with his good friend C from CO and his girlfriend B. We had so much fun and really like both of them. We hiked basically the same distance as last time, but camped in a little different place. We attempted to fly a kite but couldn't keep it up, and we had smores over a driftwood campfire. The weather was beautiful and we were camped right near a bald eagle nest somewhere in the trees behind us. We were eating breakfast listening to them talk. It was nice. I am going to try to post a slide show, but I don't have T here to help so it may show up a bit later.

Face of Betrayal by Lis Weihl

2009-07-05T17:10:00.001-07:00

A 17 year old girl who is serving as a Senate page goes missing while she is home for Christmas vacation. Three friends, a reporter, a federal prosecutor and an FBI agent, race against time to find the young lady alive, and in the process face their own personal demons and external enemies.

This book was written from the perspective of several of the characters in the story, which is the first time I have come across this style of writing. I have since read other books written in this style and am impressed at the telling of a story smoothly using multiple perspectives. At first it was a little confusing because some of the dates are in the past, but other than that it reads smoothly. This book was easy to read and well written in terms of opening reader's eyes to how investigations affect each aspect of those involved. It was interesting to see how things work from 3 different job aspects in an investigation. Well written and keeps you wondering how it will end. Would recommend this book to others.

Olympic Coast

2009-06-02T15:06:00.000-07:00

Toleak Point

2009-06-02T14:57:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was beautiful, so T and I went and camped on the olympic coast. We hiked about 6 miles into camp across beaches, over bluffs (with really steep ladders), and rock climbing. We had so much fun and had a great time of relaxing together, reading and taking walks. The sunset was great and it was never really too cold. We even slept with the tent fly off, which was cool. There were quite a few bald eagle nests around so we had eagles flying overhead. We even saw what looked like a seagull playing tag with an eagle...I"m thinking the seagull may not have been that bright. We got to camp just after the peak of low tide so we went tidepooling. I think the tide may have been almost a bit too low, but it was still really fun. T is going to help me get one of those slide shows on here that you can just click on to see the pictures, but until then, I will put some up on the blog too. The bridge to take us there the fast way was closed, so we went the beautiful southern route over to the coast. Actually both routes are very pretty but in different ways. One of the perks of camping and backpacking is that T always cooks, and he does a great job!! He helps at home too, don't get me wrong, but he does most of it. Although I did learn on the Yosemite trip how to actually light the stove.

Happy Birthday T!

2009-05-19T17:53:00.001-07:00

Happy birthday my love. I hope you had a good day and I am thankful for another year with you. HOpe for many many more!

Vacation!!!!

2009-05-18T17:56:00.000-07:00

T and I got back from vacation about a week ago, and we enjoyed ourselves so much. It started off meeting his parents in Spokane for the weekend, where T and his mom ran the bloomsday race. We really enjoyed our time and had dinner Saturday night at this great Italian food place. So tasty and yummy! Then, we drove down to Yosemite for 3 days of backpacking above the Hetch Hetchy reservoir. It was perfect weather and really beautiful. T had to hike in with a bear canister which added alot to the weight of his pack, but we did see bear evidence while we were up there. More on the backpacking trip on down the page. It was hard to come back from vacation, but we really did have a great time seeing family and friends and enjoying sunshine.

If you want to see these pictures bigger, just double click on it.

Day 1 Rancheria Falls

2009-05-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

Our first day was an easy hike, not too much uphill and not too far. I think it was about 5 and half miles or so. WE really enjoyed being in the sunshine surrounded by all the beauty around us. There weren't too many bugs yet, and none of the mosquitos were biting. WE were able to go on a smaller hike after we set up camp. This trail was pretty much along the edge of the reservoir for a good long while, and you got to hike by (kind of around) where some big waterfalls fed the reservoir. We got kind of wet then, but it felt good. The trail starts by going across the dam and through a tunnel. We found a deer in the tunnel, and whatever it had found in there it liked. It took much prodding and foot shuffles to even get it to move down the tunnel, and we had to keep making noise for it to keep moving. She was our guide for a while on the trail too for a while, until I think she finally got tired of being followed. T claims that when he was in Yosemite last, he and his friends watched two deer look both ways before crossing the road. Hmm...

Lake Vernon

2009-05-18T17:46:00.000-07:00

Day 2 Lake Vernon

2009-05-18T17:37:00.000-07:00

This was a strenuous walking day, but so fun and full of adventure. I think we decided it was about 11-12 miles from Rancheria falls up to the lake, but it was all uphill, except for just before reaching the lake. I am not kidding, doing the loop counterclockwise is not for the faint of heart. IT was so beautiful though and sunny. For the first time ever, I actually finished the entire 2 liters of water we pack in our packs every day. You hike through Till Till valley, which is more swamp I think than meadow this time of year. WE put on our gators and everything. So pretty though. I pointed out to T that we there were some bear tracks along the trail every so often, and I don't think that bear was too far ahead of us, because we came across a giant pile of bear scat. Lots of fiber in that diet.

WE ended up hiking into the snow drifts and had some trouble at times finding the trail. T is good at finding the trail though. We ran into some other hikers who had trouble staying on the trail, going the opposite way from us, so we were able to tell them just to follow our tracks to the other side. WE couldn't follow their tracks too well, so we ended up adventure hiking down the side of the mountain to the lake, which we could see, and the trail, which we could also see from above, but not how to use it to get down. Fun fun!!

Day 3

2009-05-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

Our last day backpacking we hiked out about 11 miles back to hetch hetchy and the car. IT was beautiful, we went from the snow and tundra type stuff down into the warmth of forests and meadows to rocky slopes. The way down was pretty steep in parts, but it made up for the mostly uphill from the day before. I ended up getting a blister under one of my toenails which pushed the nail up, making walking an interesting experience. I'm still trying to decide if I will lose the nail. WE really enjoyed our time, and that was the first time I have ever backpacked and broken camp every day.

Dinner at a Friend's house

2009-05-18T17:18:00.001-07:00

We had the opportunity to see a good friend and her parents and fiance, and we had so much fun. They lit a huge bonfire and we really enjoyed their company. T had never met her parents but he and N's dad really hit it off. We ate excellent food and caught up. The worse thing about the evening was that it was cut short. I felt so sad and kind of rude, because I felt really ill, and we had to leave I felt so bad. We haven't enjoyed ourselves that much in a long time. T is already talking about wanting to go back and spend some time up there. (By the way, I think I got food poisoning that morning from bad milk in my tea. I haven't been that sick in 9 years or so.)

MOther's day

2009-05-18T17:16:00.000-07:00

WE were able to meet up with my sister and my parents on our way home on the day before mother's day, so we all had lunch together. It was a lot of fun, and the food was pretty good. I didn't eat too much because I was still kind of sick, but we were glad to get to see mom for mother's day.

Haircut

2009-05-18T17:07:00.000-07:00

Not the best picture of the new do, but here you go. This is what happens when the hairstylist asks "shoulder length?" and I responded "a little shorter than that." It is just a little shorter than my chin. I was in shock for a day or so, but it helps that T loves it.

Snowshoeing!!

2009-04-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was really fun and relaxing. We went to dinner at friend's houses on Friday and SAturday, T went on a 50 mile bike ride, I went to a baby shower for a friend, but by far our most fun day was Sunday, when we went up to Hurricane Ridge to go snowshoeing. WE decided to go on the Mt. Angeles trail which was really pretty and full of great ups and downs. T got to get in some downhill skiing, and we got to go sledding. I am getting better at recognizing things like places ready for avalanches and things like that. It was a beautiful weekend, so sunny and warm. We laughed alot and were kind of tired today, but still worth it. We really did enjoy ourselves so much.

river kayaking? No, sledding, with no sled

2009-04-06T17:07:00.001-07:00

2009-04-06T17:04:00.000-07:00

Astoria

2009-04-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago, we went away for the weekend to a bed and breakfast on the oregon coast. It was so relaxing and fun. The original plan was to bike between the two historic forts on Saturday, but it was so rainy and cold, we decided to drive between them. We are looking forward to going back and biking the dikes and other parts of the roads. We had a nice day. We stayed at the Rosebriar inn and it was a real treat! The food was excellent and the rooms were pleasant and tasteful. As can be seen from the pictures below, the neighboring house is full of potential and would be the perfect setting for a scary haunted house movie. Apparently, some of the people who had stayed in our room before us ended up having bad dreams where the house next door figured in. I just saw all its potential and was kind of sad to see the owners let the house go into neglect like that. WE also drove by the house on goonies and the school where they filmed kindergarten cop. It was a nice weekend.

House next door

2009-04-06T16:58:00.001-07:00

A serious moment

2009-04-06T16:57:00.001-07:00

Shipwreck on the coast and the Astoria bridge

2009-04-06T16:56:00.001-07:00

On the other side of the water

2009-04-06T16:53:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, it was actually kind of clear so we went and biked along the coast on a 15 mile ride. It was nice to get out and bike around. The recreation trail was great! Then, we drove home up the 101 along the west side of the olympics. It was really pretty, and we found that both Aberdeen and Forks were much bigger than we were expecting.It was a really nice weekend.

biking along the coast

2009-04-06T16:51:00.000-07:00

Kid's play place

2009-03-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

T and I decided to have a little fun while we were out running errands tonight, so I suggested we go to chuck e cheese to play skee ball and any other game we saw, hopefully pinball and air hockey. We kind of laughed. The games are definitely for little people, but we still had a lot of fun. i lost by one point in air hockey (we had to play on our knees to comfortably reach the board), and I think we ended up even in wins and losses at skee ball. It was fun to get out for awhile.

Hot? tub

2009-03-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

T and I were excited to go into our apartment complex's hot tub today. We walked down through rain and chilly gusts of wind and got in. Um...I looked at T and asked if it seemed a little cold. We didn't stay in really long in all honesty. It was actually kind of miserable. We were getting ready to go tell the office, when one of the handymen came in to check the temperature and we found out it was not even at body temperature, which is why it felt so uncomfortable. Tomorrow it should be nice and Hot!!

Snow!

2009-03-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad came and visited this weekend and we had a nice relaxing time, watched a movie, hung out, played games and ate really good food! We woke up on Sunday morning to see it snowing, the beautiful giant flakes that come down and are hard not to watch because of their picturesqueness. We got about 5 inches, but it disappeared by evening from the afternoon showers. This is one of the few places I can think of where it snows, gets sunny, rains and then gets sunny again all in one day. It is amazing to watch!

Dungeness Spit

2009-03-16T16:19:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday, T and I hiked out to the lighthouse at the end of the Dungeness Spit. We hiked out during higher tide, and it was slow going, big rocks and trees to climb over and walk on. The trick is to wait for the tide to get lower, which helped us on our way back. The very end of the spit is a refuge, and we saw about 9 bald eagles, one of whom was a juvenile. We even got to go up into the lighthouse in the cupola that houses it and look around. It was cool! The sun was shining that day and we had a nice relaxing day. Pictures to come when we unload T's camara! We also forgot to set our clocks ahead which made for an interesting day.

Olympic National Park

2009-03-02T19:40:00.000-08:00

Snowshoeing!

2009-03-02T19:32:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, i was able to go snowshoeing through the recreation department. Normally, t and I would go on our own, but he was on a business trip so I signed up. It was alot of fun! WE went up to Hurricane Ridge and snowshoed to Hurricane Hill. There was a part on the edge of the mountain that was a little bit interesting. Once we hit the top the wind was blowing so hard and the snow was hitting us like little ice pellets. There was a unusual looking cloud ahead of us, so our guide made the decision to turn around, and it was a good one. It started snowing right when we were almost back. We went about 6 miles, I was definitely starting to feel it at the end and almost tripped a couple of times. I did cross the back of my snowshoes once (they are longer than ones I have used before) and fell, and I kind of wonder about the waterproofness of my pants, but still a really fun day, clear and pretty warm. I did come home and go in the hot tub and watch a movie the rest of the night though.

2009-02-25T18:56:00.000-08:00

Good Weekend

2009-02-25T18:41:00.000-08:00

O.k. I know that I have been remiss in updating my blog, to which I say I am sorry. I've decided I will try to catch up over time now that I have pictures and just start from where I am now. Last weekend, I went to visit my sister in law and neices. It was a lot of fun! WE went to this great community pool that had a giant waterslide that went really fast, I finally had to stop because I was starting to feel sick. There was also a whirlpool river, with this crazy current. All you had to do was float and it would take you around. That was fun. Then, I went and sat in the hot tub, which ended up perfect timing, because about 10 minutes later, they had to clear the pool because a kid had gone to the bathroom in it. Yuck!! So glad I wasn't in there at that time.

Then, the girls and I did a craft for uncle t and played games before getting ready for a great dinner. I am going to steal the picture off k's blog I think. To be seen soon. WE met up with mom and dad at the fort vancouver restaurant. All my food was excellent! I gobbled down my bread pudding. The french fries are so tasty and my fish was good too. My stomach didn't like the fish so much but my taste buds loved it! After dinner, k and I hung out and watched a movie. It was a good weekend, very fun!

Christmas!

2008-12-29T19:24:00.000-08:00

Hopefully, I will get some pictures of our Christmas time. We were able to go down on the 24th to see my family and got there in time for an excellent meal at Historic Fort Vancouver. The food was great!! i loved it all except for my pumpkin creme brule. We definitely decided it would be nice to go back next Christmas if we are down there. I still think about that meal. T liked it so much, he ate his steak and half of mine. Whew!

On Christmas day, Mom made us some stuffed french toast before we opened stockings. It was tasty, and we had a nice time and relaxing morning. Then we went to my bro's house and hung out for awhile, and after a tamale lunch, we went sledding with the family. WE had so much fun! I love sledding and am looking forward to getting my own. The girls really liked sledding with Uncle T. We had a snowball fight, which I lost spectacularly. We ended the day with a meal of lamb, potatoes, green beans and delicious dessert. All of the food was so good while we were down there. HOpefully, I can get some pictures to put on here. It was really nice to see family as well. looking forward to going down again!

Snow Pictures

2008-12-29T19:22:00.001-08:00

My snowman

2008-12-29T19:21:00.001-08:00

Snow!

2008-12-29T19:18:00.000-08:00

We have had quite a bit of snow. I took a picture of the top of my car to show how much we got over night. It has been really fun, but I wish I could have found a sled. T had to go to work so I played in the snow by myself, as can be seen above. I made a little snowman right outside our window so we could look at him. WE were hoping to go snowshoeing but it didn't happen.

Burt

2008-12-29T19:16:00.001-08:00

This bald eagle, we've named him Burt, lives in a field near our apartment. He just hangs out in his tree, and today we saw his mate up there with him. You can see them from a ways out and whenever we are on the highway we check to see if he is there.

Travels with snow

2008-12-23T14:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, T and I helped a friend move...in the snow. It was fun and interesting. She lives on the top of quite the hill. Even in 4WD we couldn't get up the total hill or across another big one (kids had been using it as a sled run and it was really icy. T managed to shovel everything out enough to get all of her stuff out and the truck up to the top of the hill. J treated us to an olive garden linner and it was so tasty!

Adventure in snow

2008-12-23T14:19:00.001-08:00

Today, I had a snow adventure. Here in WA they don't do anything to any road but the main ones and the highway. So, I was able to get out of the parking spot...some nice guy and a friend gave me a good push (I was blocking the whole driveway when I got stuck.) I made it all around town...no chains or sleds or tires available for purchase. Sad... I really want to go sledding, but I'm kind of picky. They didn't even have saucers, which I may have been tempted to purchase if they had any, even though I am not fond of them at all. I would love to get a real sled someday. Anyway, the first time I tried to get home from the grocery store, I got stuck halfway up the hill to the apartment. So, I parked in this lot and walked the groceries up. then, I went and did the rest of my errands...and decided I would try getting up the hill one last time. I made it up...barely, but then it was interesting to get back into a parking space. i am closer to the car next to me than I would like. I''m going to wait until T gets home with our snow chains.

Found: a job

2008-12-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

WOOHOO! I found a job working for a cafeteria group that has about 5 different outlets. It has been pretty fun. I've been making espressos, cashiering, working the grill etc. I Like it!

Snow!

2008-12-18T10:53:00.001-08:00

I am currently watching snow fall and it is beautiful. I got out of work before they closed the whole base down. I have gotten a quick course in snow driving and don't think I will go out and drive again today unless I have to. They don't have the stuff to properly clear roads here which is interesting when they get snow every year. It really is beautiful.

Grey wolf trail

2008-12-18T10:50:00.001-08:00

Snow Hike

2008-12-18T10:44:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend, T and I went to Olympic NP to go hopefully snowshoeing, but there wasn't quite enough snow, so we went for a great hike down the Grey wolf trail to where you have to ford the river. We scoped out the river crossing for future reference. I think the water would be cold.

Thanksgiving meals

2008-12-09T16:50:00.000-08:00

We had a fun Thanksgiving. We celebrated with two other couples in a potluck of sorts. The food was good, and none of us had to be by ourselves. Later that week, we went and celebrated Thanksgiving with a guy T knew from work. That was an experience. We had some great fried turkey (very moist, not oily at all), and some potatoes and carrots and rolls. Frying the turkey was an experience...the fryer was borrowed and it had holes in the bottom, so we added extra oil and kept throwing sand on the stuff that dripped out so it wouldn't ruin the driveway. Lots of fun and meeting new people.

Seattle

2008-12-09T16:47:00.000-08:00

When we went and watched cyclocross, we also went briefly to Seattle and visited Pike's Market. Always fun!

Cyclocross

2008-12-09T16:39:00.000-08:00

I have never heard of cyclocross, but it seems to be pretty popular up here in the North. It is like a road/mountain bike, and the races take place off road- grass, gravel, and include obstacles you have to get off your bike and carry it across. We went about a month ago to one and it was pretty cool. It was a lovely sunny day as well. We went with our friends J and D.

2008-11-05T13:41:00.000-08:00

Fall Colors

2008-11-05T13:39:00.000-08:00

A visit

2008-11-05T13:35:00.000-08:00

Mom and Dad came to visit last week, and they brought us a beautiful bench that a friend made for our wedding and had just finished. We took them out to Olympic NP to show them the colors and had a good time. It was gorgeous out there, and mom was able to get some funny pictures of us.

The Corn Maze

2008-11-05T13:32:00.000-08:00

Last week, we went to a corn maze that had a mystery you had to figure out. Which was a great idea, but could have been so much more. You had to find all the letters hidden in the maze and then unscramble them to come up with the mystery word. T figured it out first. I had one of the words, but could not figure out the second.

Olympic National Park, part 1

2008-11-05T13:27:00.000-08:00

On our first weekend here, T got off early enough on Sunday for us to drive out to the park and take a hike. It was beautiful out there. We hiked up to a lake, which took us through some great countryside. We had a lot of fun, and maybe we both got a blister from the steepness of the trail. Good exercise and time together!

Costume Party

2008-11-05T13:24:00.000-08:00

T and I went to a costume party the week before Halloween. It was fun. The food was really good, we lost spectacularly in ping pong to T's boss and his wife, and I got to meet the people T works with. Now when he mentions someone's name, if I don't remember who that is, I just ask what costume they were wearing. Whatever works, right?

Salmon jumping at Dyes Inlet

2008-11-05T13:21:00.000-08:00

Vancouver, Wa

2008-10-27T15:16:00.000-07:00

We spent about 5 days with my family in Vancouver before we moved up to the north. We took one day and came up and found an apartment, and we were able to move in at the end of the week. We are mostly unpacked. Anyway, we had a great weekend with the extended family, eating good food and spending time together. Then, mom and dad had the kids for the week, so T and I played with them and helped cart them to all their activities. It was fun, and a little tiring too. It is always good to see family. The drive up here from there is beautiful, and the day I came the fields had low fog.

Weather Changes

2008-10-27T15:13:00.000-07:00

We left the desert and made really good time into Idaho. Unfortunately, I was in shorts from the desert and we drove into snow. It was kind of fun. The trip from Idaho to Washington was really pretty. We drove along the Columbia River, and the highway is right along it, which is beautiful. There isn't much fast food, so be prepared to stop and eat at one of the local establishments. Very nice, but plan it in to the time.

Druid Arch and part of the Joint Trail in Canyonlands

2008-10-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

Landscape Arch

2008-10-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

Destination Dragon at Delicate Arch

2008-10-27T15:05:00.001-07:00

Our friend E has Peak Penguin, who can be seen in other posts on the blog. T and I decided to have Destination Dragon, so he could go to more places than just peaks. Here he is at Delicate Arch. It was a fun hike, but there were a lot of people. It is kind of crazy how dedicated people are to getting nice pictures there. It includes booing anyone who stands in front of the arch too long.

Arches National Park

2008-10-27T14:59:00.001-07:00

This is Double O arch and a picture of a spot in Fiery Furnace. We got a little bit lost in Fiery Furnace, but that was part of the fun! Actually the bottom one is Sand Arch.

Colorado to Washington

2008-10-27T14:55:00.000-07:00

On our way to Washington, we went a bit south to Southern Utah....Canyonlands and Arches National parks. We had a lot of fun, and even though it was the high desert, it was pleasantly warm. We didn't have to sleep with the fly on our tent, except one night when it rained a bit. This is a beautiful area of the country. Arches was pretty crowded, and you could do all the good hikes in about a day. Then we went down to the backcountry in Canyonlands which had less people. It is definitely difficult to carry in all the water you will need, if you are unsure about the chances of finding water back there. The sunsets are beautiful!

We have Arrived

2008-10-24T16:53:00.000-07:00

I know it has been awhile, but we have finally arrived in WA and moved into our new place. So, start looking for updates on how we spent our last few weeks. It is beautiful here, the leaves are changing colors, the salmon were jumping in the inlet down the street, and the joy of stepping on crunchy leaves abounds. Will catch you up on more later!

Colorado

2008-10-02T17:06:00.001-07:00

We have been enjoying our time with T's parents here in CO. WE went hiking up to Flat Top Mountain yesterday and go to see aspen changing colors and new snow on the peaks. I'll get some pictures up here at some point. We had a great 9 mile hike, but I ended up getting a headache once we got to the car, so there were a few not so nice hours, but it cleared up in time for an excellent dinner of grilled salmon and twice baked potatoes. We have been loving home made food!! I think it will be quite a while before we take that for granted.

Today, T and I were just able to relax for the morning and run errands for our upcoming backpacking trip on the way to WA. This afternoon, we went on a 20 mile bike ride around Loveland with his mom, and we are having homemade pizza tonight!

The Cross Country Drive

2008-10-02T16:59:00.000-07:00

Our drive to Colorado was beautiful. We missed an exit or two in the couple of days, but it all worked out. Pennsylvania was beautiful...there were swaths of trees turning color for the fall, and it stopped raining once we got to Ohio I think.

We took some time to visit T's grandma, who has Alzheimers and is living outside of Chicago in a care home. It was an adventure. We had a good visit, but as we left, we asked one of the workers to get us into the elevator. It is a locked ward, so to get there one must have keys or codes. A guy was in a shuffle wheelchair and when he heard us, he started shuffling as fast as he could toward the elevator. Then, I was startled when something brushed my hand and I jumped. It was a little old lady who also wanted to escape, and she grabbed onto my arm as best she could with the little coherence she had. I told the orderly it looked like he had a couple of escapees, and he took care of it. It was a little sad though.

We have also decided that Nebraska is way more interesting to drive through than Kansas, and it might have helped that we only had to go through the short bottom portion to get into Colorado.

The Last Night

2008-10-02T16:54:00.000-07:00

On our last night in CT, I was awoken to the sound of something over the base PA system. I wasn't sure what it was, and then, it started playing that emergency broadcast sound. As I lay there, I thought through the possible problems that could be warned about. Hurricane, Tornado....and then it came to me...The area we were in gets its power from a nuclear power plant, as do the boats on base. Hmm....so, I woke Todd up, thinking nuclear disaster would be a good reason to be awakened.

As we turned the TV on to find out what natural disaster was occurring, the system started playing morning colors...the Star Spangled Banner...Huh? that didn't seem right, especially when it proceeded into Taps. So, Todd called the front desk. No disaster, no danger, just a faulty system. so, for an hour we heard rounds of the air raid signal, the emergency signal, morning and evening colors, and one other sound we couldn't identify. It made that last night memorable.

Almost Done

2008-09-22T06:31:00.000-07:00

We have started our last week here in CT. We are packing up and doing the last things we wanted to do, and spending time with friends that we may not see for a while, but we are looking forward to living in our own place again and going on a little mini vacation on the trip across the country.

T's First Bike Race

2008-09-22T06:11:00.000-07:00

One of our friends here, D, has really gotten into road biking and he convinced T (brown shirt) to sign up with him for a 20 mile bike race just north of here. So, J (Ds wife) and I went to go watch and take pictures. Just after we got there, there was a giant crash about 2 feet from us. It is one thing to see them on t.v. and another to be there with the sounds of screeching, scraping and debris right there in front of you. I helped pull one of the wheels of one of the bikes off the road, and picked up a badly scratched cell phone and some power bars off the road. Then, I looked to see if maybe there was a rock or something that had caused the accident and cleared the road of them as best as I could. (I didn't want T or D to hit one.) I think J and I were a little shaken from watching it all. One guy fell in the middle of the peloton, and the guy behind him ran over him and flipped. Then, about 5 minutes after, we found out about a 15-20 person crash in the oldest master's group. By then, the guys had joined us and were able to help some of the 60-70 year olds who had fallen out of the truck that came to pick them up.

Both guys did really well. T ended up finishing in the middle of his age group with a 55 minute 8 second finish, and D accomplished his goal of not coming in last. T was able to stay with the peloton (that is the big group that stays together and basically is this giant aerodynamic group) for a lap and a quarter. At one point, D was behind the peloton of the 40-50 year olds and saw one guy break off of the group and end up wrapped around a telephone pole in a ditch, and another guy out of the peloton saw it and ended up in the ditch with his bike on top of him. So, D got off, told the one guy to stay down, and waved down one of the help vehicles so the guys in the ditch would not get run over. It seems to be a little bit of a dangerous sport, but I think only one guy went to the hospital and most of the rest who fell just had a lot of road rash and holes in clothes. It was an interesting experience.

Mt. Washington

2008-09-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago, T, E and I went up to New Hampshire and trekked up Mt. WAshington. It is known to have the worst weather of anywhere in the world, but we chose a day that actually had sunshine. We took a little longer route to the top because we wanted to avoid the crowds. We went up the Boott Spur trail to the summit and then came down Tuckerman's Ravine. I think in the first two miles up the trail, we must have climbed 3,000-3,500 feet, It was steep, and really, there wasn't much of what one would call a trail. It was more like a path of rocks and you went from rock to rock all the way up to the top; same thing on the way down. It was fun, but I was wearing new boots and got blisters and my feet really started to hurt. I have never hiked in boots with a shank running down the middle, so really I coudlnt quite bend my ankles and I was doing the whole thing kind of flat footed. Part way down, I changed to my tennis shoes and had a much better time on the hike. Hopefully, the boots will break in and be easier to use...my balance was completely messed up and as you can see from the pictures I looked kind of goofy using my arms to help balance. I also walked kind of flat footed the day after, and I had to convince my legs to bend a bit more. New Hampshire is beautiful country, and we had a lot of fun.
We also lost E's peak penguin, who has summited quite a few mountains with E, and it was funny to see T & E reaching their hands into the rocks to find it. They were successful and found a lot of other items in the same hole as Peak Penguin.