strawberry fields forever

The Pacific Northwest is a veritable wonderland of berries (would that be a berritable wonderland?) and since the first day of autumn is upon us, many people including myself are dashing into the fields, farmlands, forests and highway medians to get our hands on the last of the season's finest. This day found us at Red Dog Farm, one of several truly fabulous and local organic farms run by young and dynamic people (Karyn Williams - note the spelling of her name!) and we picked strawberries til our hands (and faces. and clothes) were stained red. Jonah also test drove most of the tractors on the property. I made a strawberry sauce from our harvest and am trying hard not to drink it straight. Next on the list... Blackberries.

a letter to summer

dear summer,
lets see. you were a bit sparse this year, shall we say summerish? but on the days and hours you actually appeared, you were glorious. we enjoyed you in many ways. we took many outdoor showers and will continue to do so as the leaves change color and the temperature drops. we spent time in the garden harvesting garlic and the small collection of other vegetable delights that the slugs allowed to grow. we adventured to the waters of quilcene beach and got wet up to our knees! jason took jonah on a "dadadventure" where they enjoyed throwing rocks into lake crescent, big waterfalls at marymere falls and a picnic lunch too. we cobbed on where the cob workshop left off, experimenting with a couple new techniques of mixing and making cob. we stood on the edge of the world marveling at the view of the sea and the sky and the islands and beyond. we grew tomatoes and basil and peppers in the greenhouse, though not as many as I had hoped for. we inherited 5 roosters; and then there were 4; and now there are none. roast chicken anyone? all in all, you were short, you were intermittent but you were lovely. can we schedule a longer hotter session next year? thanks, karyn

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la florida

almost 3 weeks in the florida sunshine nearly transformed me back to blonde again. but not quite. we enjoyed the gulf waters of siesta key and daily dips in the stillwell pool. it was marvelous. we also had heaps of fun with Nanna and Gaga, I got to connect with some old friends, and even enjoyed some yoga and massage. It was a great trip back.













i noticed a friendship developing between adam and jonah. they colored together. they swam together. they watched the weather together and then laughed about it. they took turns bossing each other around, though jonah usually had the last word. they hid in the closet together, they wrestled and they had hilarious conversations. all the while, a chorus of "yes jonah. no jonah, eat your lunch jonah" could be heard. they went fishing and explored my parent's bedroom with a flashlight. one of the highlights of the trip was seeing jonah rock climbing at the gym jason built years before he was even a glimmer in his dada's eye. adam, being a seasoned climber of nearly 8 years, showed jonah the ropes, so to speak. ah the joys of being adam and jonah.

cob mob

the cob workshop was a great success! the instructors and staff were amazing and the students were wonderful. it was an incredible 10 days. we learned much and good times were had by all. especially for a certain someone. enjoy a small sampling of his adventures in the mud.