Welcoming and Unwelcoming Signs...

We saw this sign and walked a while on this gravel road after a long day of driving, then at the top of the hill was a yard sign that said:  "NO TRESPASSING - I have PMS and own a GUN" 

BUT, the burger was awesome :)

Sometimes a Rose Surprises :)

My roses did not fare well in the dry summer heat, but the end was NOT here as predicted! One little pink surprise bloomed today defying the odds. What a welcome, sweet gift.  I placed in a special teacup from my kid's elementary school principal. Hello Kaye! :)

Cross Country to a New Chapter

Well, Syd and friend, Cody, took off road-tripping for Iowa this morning! She begins Medical School in Des Moines on August 3. Can't believe it. It's a new chapter for our girl and she's making this dream happen. Cody flew out and spent a few days with all of us so he could help her drive back. Sweet kids... ;)

Father and Son...Simple and Pure

Great trip to Portland this weekend to meet all kinds of "new" family. This photo in particular represents a very pure, unconditional love between a dad and his six week old son. It's my wish that this relationship will grow stronger each day binding the little family together with simple, loving acts of kindness. After all, isn't that what life is all about? :)

She Deserved a Good Tip!

Here's another sweet kid in Portland, Oregon doing a part time job to pay the bills! In my humble opinion, some buskers and street performers deserve a bit more than others due to talent and effort. Wish I could have captured a photo of her with the hoop rolling around her head while another was around her knees and three more on each arm! The out of tune older couple playing violin and ukelele were a bit scary, but this girl deserved a good tip.

Graduation Kayak and All Smiles

Even though I put this on FB, I wanted to "preserve the memory" of Sydney's Graceland University homemade graduation gift from her dad :)  This was the first launch at our own little Fish Lake in Cheney, WA this week. One of these days this new little Penguino Pygmy kayak will make it to "God's Country" in the San Juan Islands.

True Blue Jack in the Beanstalk

I love my local nursery, Green's Greenhouse, and owner Brian put me onto this lovely and spectacular Castor Bean plant. Each new blossom sprouts a gorgeous, huge leaf. The plant can grow 8 - 10 feet tall! We'll see if it really is climbable later this summer :)

Sunflower Beauty Shines in my Garden!

"When the world wearies and society does not satisfy, there is always the garden" was a wonderful quote I saw on a road sign years ago  in Australia. My first brilliant sunflower bloomed this week and reminds me how very true that is!

That Girl CAN Cook!

Sydney surprised us with an awesome meal tonight. Lime-jalapeno-cilantro chicken and ratatouille with fresh fruit to boot. She said it took her two hours to prepare - so will not happen very often. We will take it ANYTIME!   It was wonderful :)

 

Good Music, Good Friends

We were lucky enough to get the Portland based Old Wave Duo (son Adam and his girlfriend, Amanda) passing through Cheney on their way to perform at a wedding in Bozeman. They did a wonderful concert at Cheney's Mason Jar and it was well attended by some of my dearest friends. This sweet young couple, Jeremy and Callie Schultz won the prize for making the MOST effort to get to the concert!  Their baby was due yesterday...sending many warm wishes to them.

Purslane, the Wonderful Wonderful Weed! :)

Here's a little more about my new favorite weed, Purslane.  I decided to let it grow around my wooden stepping stones in the garden this summer, because it grew out flat and covered a lot of territory. A landscape guy saw it and between his teeth, said, 'That’s a weed you know.'  WELL, I said, 'I happen to like it - so there!' Now, guess what I just found out at the local Farmer’s Market? Purslane is uncommonly good for you. It tops the list of plants high in vitamin E and an essential omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Purslane provides six times more vitamin E than spinach and seven times more beta carotene than carrots. It’s also rich in vitamin C, magnesium, riboflavin, potassium and phosphorus. It’s tasty too, crunchy and a bit lemony. Grow, little weed, grow! 

Grape House Complete!

What fun to dream about the potential of my little garden enclosure. Joey and his Legacy Landscape team were wonderful and, though it took quite a bit longer than predicted,  I could not be happier with the results. I plan to line the floor with slabs of wood and let the Purslane grow like crazy - especially now that I found out that said weed is extraordinarily healthy and even very delicious!  Maybe I can get Vern to build me a wooden swing in the Grape House... :)

Grape House Step Three

Still needs the sides, but getting close!  As soon as we lift them from the ground and tie them to the wood,  those grapes should love GROWING up and over something instead of heading up the nearest tree. Maybe I'll even get to harvest some before the birds get them this year! I am excited to create an outdoor room. Now, I need to get Vern to build me some log furniture :)

Grape House Step Two

Well, my little Grape House is coming along!  After the top and back boards are put in place, I will attempt to train my numerous and voracious ancient grape vines to twine up and around the structure. If all goes well, one day I will have a nice shady retreat in my garden.  The vines are covered with tons of hard green grapes so I hope at least some of them survive!

Glorious Cloudy Day in the Palouse

RAIN! Ahhhhhh...glorious clouds and moisture...rather like filling up the veins and arteries of our desperately dry forests, fields, yards and gardens. We loaded up the bikes and drove south 80 miles to hit the Moscow Farmer's Market, then biked with Dan and Terry (in the pouring rain) from Moscow to Pullman and back on the Rails to Trails route. Our recumbent tandem tends to spray rain from the front tire AND back tire in my face and clear up my back, while basically avoiding Vern. He thought that was rather funny...I didn't.  BUT I tried not to complain too much because we need the rain desperately! :)

Grape House Step One

We are not ones for remodeling a house. Neither of us have skills in that area, plus we are lazy. Why expand something that requires more cleaning and maintenance?!  Having said that, I secretly admire outdoor living places and spaces, so I am justifying my "Grape House" since it will give my 25 year old grape vines somewhere to climb - other than 30 feet up the nearest Ponderosa Pine tree! Step one: Staining LOTS of 8" X 8", 2" X 8", and 2" X 4" cedar boards!

Double Decker Sleeping Quarters!

Well, this blog is meant to push me to NOTICE more things and I just can't help but post another chicken photo!  I panicked when I looked in the coop about sunset tonight and could not find my little Red Hen and her three chicks in the nest where they always sleep. She ALWAYS roosts before the other hens. So of course I thought of coyotes, hawks, and our own cats...yikes. Then I peeked again and saw her on the TOP RUNG of the coop with her three babies and one on top of her!  Heh, heh...

Polliwog Knees and the Tall Woman Sculpture

I cannot believe an artist can make this incredibly expressive face in STONE on this 9 foot tall goddess. Just look carefully at her face. The sculpture gardens at Roche Harbor, San Juan Island, Washington state are fabulous. This year, many of the pieces of art were accompanied by a short poem by D.M.Jenkins. I loved the one about Polliwogs waiting for their knees! Oh to spend so much time thinking about something, observing carefully, experimenting with materials, then actually doing it. Wow.

Baby Feet

These are the precious feet of my friend Megan's grand-daughter. She joined us for coffee at the age of three weeks - and slept through it all! It's just crazy to imagine the life she will live, the changes she will see, the people she will affect, the difference she will make. She very well may live to the ripe old age of 100 in the year 2115. Holy Moly...

My Little Red Hen

Those who know me have seen baby chicks hatch in my electric skillet after 21 days at 99 degrees. Yes, it's true, I'm rather a fanatic. And "pecking order" is also true with chickens when new fowl are introduced to each other. It is NOT a pretty sight. Well, my sweet little Red Hen who imprinted on me as she gazed up from her cracked egg in the electric skillet (and should have no idea how to raise her own) has turned into the perfect little Mother Hen. She hatched three fertilized eggs which were slipped in with her own UNfertilized eggs...and voila! It is absolutely amazing to watch the instincts kick in. She keeps them safe and warm and fed. Teaches them to scratch and dig, chase bugs, and preen themselves - and, most importantly, has convinced the three other "Aunties" in the coop to all get along. No pecking order problems. She's da boss mom! :)

Sandbox Life Skills

I hope I will never be too old to appreciate a good sandbox :)  We built this one 26 years ago. It was the FIRST thing put in our backyard and it continues to provide lots of good old fashioned play today! Creativity blooms, adventure awaits, risk happens, sculptures are created and then destroyed just as quickly. Teams, wars, laughter, squeals - there is truly nothing quite like good play in a sandbox. This year's Primary Camp was no exception...it was a happy place.

Day 19: Goodbye Belize, Airport Music, and Mt. Hood :)

Well, the overheated German Shepherd caused a LOT of problems for passengers on our flight! Missed the connection in Houston at 10 pm, and we stayed in the airport hotel with two whopping $7 flight coupons for food! The kids still created some fun music wherever we went. Adam and I board for Portland at 4 am, Vern chases us to Denver at 6:15, Syd heads to Seattle at 7:50 and Amanda heads to Portland via San Francisco at 9 am. Phew!  BUT, we all do end up on the west coast just one day late, and flying over Mt. Hood was spectacular. All in all, Vern and I had the best travel companions with Adam, Sydney, and Amanda, and it was a memorable, wonderful trip :)

Day 18: Goodbye Placencia...Bikes, Mangos, and Belize TREES :)

Thanks to Sydney for her cool quote below :) On this last morning in Placencia, I rode through town on my bike, picked one more mango from our tree, ordered one last cucumber lime drink from Treehouse Coffee, got hot meat pies at the local bakery, snapped photos of our sweet haunts over the last 12 days, and remembered the remarkable Belize Trees. We were off by 10 am with a VERY fast driver in a HUGE rainstorm to the Belize City Airport - normally a 4 hour drive which we made in 3.5. Yikes. And the flight is delayed...because of an overheated dog????  Unfortunately, there will be ONE more day to report on...having to do with lots of airports...

Day 17: Belizian Rainstorm and THE authentic MIM's Restaurant :)

Vern and I biked to Pearl Beach (1.5 miles up the beach) to sit on our old dock for awhile. Came back to watch a true Belizian rainstorm come in three "waves" of rain. Amazing. June is the start of the rainy season and I'm so glad we got to see at least one day of it! Everyone doing their own thing today and I HAD to make a trip to the most authentic restaurant ever. A good source told us to not be afraid to go in as the food was amazing. Well, I met Mim and the ladies, ate their delicious food all by myself (the rest of the fam wasn't about to set foot in there!) :) Wonderful meal at Omar's Creole tonight. Only one more day...

Day 16: Monkey River, Blue Crabs, and Crocs!?!

Up early to sounds of a boat picking us up at our front door. Our guide, Elmer, zipped across the bay to the tiny town of Monkey River. Up the river for the day to more Howler Monkeys, Banana Spiders, Crocodiles, Parrots, Iguanas, Tarantulas, Bottle Nosed Dolphin, a sweet gentle Manatee, and a HUGE Blue Crab which he fished out of a deep hole on the trail! What a day! Ended with a bike ride for MORE of Lorenzo's Gelato tonight :)