Suburban Trekking

We got a slow, lazy start to the day, but finally about 10:30 we were off for our day of exploring. We started off with a walk on the Cedar River Trail. We drove over to Carkeek Park in Renton, where we parked the car. The Cedar River is a limited access stream because it is part of the Cedar River watershed, where the City of Seattle gets it's drinking water. While this portion is downstream from the watershed, it's still posted No Swimming, No Animals probably because it is also an important salmon spawning stream. This is a Sockeye Weir. It was installed to trap a portion of the fall sockeye run returning from the ocean to spawn. The trapped salmon will be used at the fish hatchery to augment the naturally spawning fish. Access to the Green River trail is over this bridge under the freeway. And the trail begins.

Near the trail access is a large off leash dog park.

Much of the trail is tree lined.

There are glimpses of the river.

Pocket parks offer recreational spots for the neighborhood and pit stops for trail users.

Sockeye salmon, after spawning in the river, travel downstream to Lake Washington. There they spent 12 to 15 months, growing. Then they work their way through the ship canal, past the locks and out into Puget Sound. As three year olds they return to the river from whence they came.

Later in the fall the river should be full of fish. We'll have to remember to come back when they are running.

Today this female Merganser had the place to herself.

Can you tell this is an old railroad right of way? The trestles make good foot bridges over the river as it changes course.

There are some big old maples along the trail that should be beautiful when they turn golden. Here young maples are growing out of an old stump.

Autumn begins officially next Monday, but the weather here is still summer-like. I did see this ornamental maple starting to turn. It was striking against the blue sky.

Tomorrow - the rest of the story.

Seasonal Chores

These late summer days make me lazy. Now that I don't have to gear up to go back to school, lethargy sets deep into my bones, and it takes a lot of effort to get moving.

But there are always jobs to be done, and this is the time of the year for some annual tasks.

With the season winding down, and the summer visitors gone, it's time to steam clean the carpets while the weather is still warm enough to have the house open to dry them out. So Tuesday I helped move some of the furniture and Tom was hard at it in the family room and other traffic areas throughout the house.

It occurred to me that with my bad back, and my hand still healing, I wasn't much help anymore. What do we do when we both can't manage? I guess we'd better be saving up for when we have to hire these jobs done for us.

This is kind of a slow time for gardening. The garden is tired, and so are we. There are still a few beans, cucumbers and zucchini to pick, as well as tomatoes. And there are still lots of flowers for picking for the house.

The best way to make a neglected garden look good is to edge the lawn. With the rain we had recently the lawn is growing again and the edges needed attention. Tom scissored and I came along behind on hands and knees picking up grass and weeding. That was this morning. Now I'm stiff and sore!

September 11th observations remind us that it is time to renew our emergency kit. And it was timely that as we were working on the lawn this morning, I had the radio on and we heard the emergency system test for earthquake and tsunamis. So after we finished that task, we took stock.

We keep our emergency kit in the shed.

It contains sleeping bags, water, some canned food, first aid supplies, things suggested on a list we got from the Internet.

After taking stock, we made a list of things needing replacing and went shopping. We added this nifty hand crank generated radio/light/cell phone charger. Now we just have to figure out how to work it! With those jobs crossed off the list, I think it's time for another trekking day. I'll have to think of where I want to go.

Gotta' Love This Headline!

It seems that the intelligent conservative GOP insiders (and yes, there are some) are beginning to fear that their fringe has crossed the line into "paranoid fantasy". So says an article in the Seattle Times, attributed to the Los Angeles Times, entitled "GOP frets it's too surly with the fringe on top". Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry! Establishment conservatives have begun to speak out against the influence of those spreading theories such as "the idea that President Obama is not eligible to be president, or that he is a Communist, or that his allies want to set up Nazi-like camps for political opponents". I would be worried too. In fact I am, because there are also those who argue that "the party has no hope of regaining power unless the base, no matter how extreme, remains energized"! As I said, "Deliberately misinformed".

March on Washington??

Apparently while we were enjoying a beautiful late summer Saturday here in the sane state of Washington, tens of thousands of people were marching on the capitol in that other Washington to "Take Our Country Back!" Now that confuses me a bit, because I felt like I just got my country back when Barack Obama became our president last January, and ever since there have been those who have been trying to snatch it from me by doing all they can to ensure that Obama fails. At least that's what I heard them say. So what is this March? Well, it's organized by TeaPartyPatriots and FreedomWorks, both of which are well funded by big corporations that stand to benefit if the President does fail. And they are assisted in their cause by the ravings of one Glen Beck, Fox News entertainer. What do they want? They want their tax money back. They want smaller government, like the kind that refused to regulate Wall Street and the investment industry. You know, those guys who led us to the brink of economic disaster and then got a bail out. I guess the bail out is OK, but the stimulus package, passed in the Obama administration is BAD. As I say, it's confusing and I do have trouble keeping score. To better understand this march and it's purpose, I subjected myself to a bit of FOX News and even a bit of Glen Beck this morning while I was working in the kitchen. I saw video of marchers, a sea of white faces, holding mostly home made signs saying things like FREE AMERICA, DON'T TREAD ON ME, DON'T RAM SOCIALISM DOWN OUR THROATS, TOO MUCH GOVERNMENT, FREEDOM/FAITH, and of course OBAMA LIES and YOU LIE! Meanwhile Glen Beck was busy promoting his 9-12 Project. Wording here goes like this: "Remember who we were on September 12th" and "Unite on values and principals that made this country great". As I recall, on Sept. 12th, 2001, we were united in shock and grief, and we had the good will of the world. Now the good will is long gone, and the divisiveness is stronger than ever. Many are responsible for that divisiveness, but those preaching the loudest today can take a lion's share of the credit. As I looked at that sea of faces, I couldn't help but think Willfully Ignorant, Deliberately Misinformed. And I intend to keep my country, thank you very much!

Spending Time on Whidbey Island

When I left you last weekend, I vowed to try to make the time spent "distinct", doing, among other things, "physical things and activities". I think I did. Sunday the family dutifully gathered at the family compound on Sunlight Beach for the Phosie Gertie Picnic. But there was very little sunlight to be had. We experienced a terrific storm Saturday night and into Sunday morning in the area, so it was with trepidation that many ventured north to the island Sunday to join those who had overnighted there in the two cabins. Finally by mid afternoon the rain stopped. The official Phosie Gertie flag was raised, with some effort, into a stiff breeze. We took the official photo. But the sand castles, beach volleyball and water balloon toss had to be abandoned. The little kids didn't need to go over to the bay to "fish". They found what they needed on the street!

The food was still there, and we shared it together at our indoor picnic. It was a house full!

By evening the crowds had thinned, and the clean up began. That continued into Monday morning, and then by noon we found ourselves all alone, except for the birds.

This chicken had been wandering around all day Sunday, and was back on Monday. There are predators on the island that could bring about it's demise. We asked the lady who has chickens down the road at the end of the spit if it was hers, and she said no, but she'd take it to rescue it. I waited until evening when it had settled down to roost on the porch next door, clutched it under my arm and took it to her pen. Later we located it's rightful owner. Include "chicken rescue" in my list of "distinct activities".

From Monday on we were entertained by the action across the street. Fire last winter had destroyed one cabin and damaged another. A cement septic system was being poured on one lot, and the other cabin was being demolished.

On Monday it looked like this.

And on Thursday it looked like this!

We will enjoy the view of the bay while we have it. Two new two story cabins will soon rise from the ashes. We continued to have some wind off and on,

enough to cause white caps and sounds of surf on the bay.

The activities continued. After finishing the cleaning up, we made a trip to the recycling station. South Whidbey is a very ecologically aware community, and there was a bin for everything, and lots of people coming and going. Especially after the holiday weekend, it was a busy place.

We made a trip to Freeland for groceries and a stop at the Lighthouse Cafe for coffee and a goody. We can never resist stopping in at the nursery at the Ace Hardware Store. Sure enough we found two plants and some bulbs for our cabin garden. We weeded and trimmed and edited the garden, working in the new plants. The weather was improving as the week progressed. Wednesday we went out on the dike trail to pick wild blackberries.

They were small but sweet. I had some on my cereal the next morning, but the bulk of them were delivered to son Jake, who will be brewing his blackberry stout beer.

With the "chores" done, Thursday morning we drove over to South Whidbey State Park to walk the Wilbert Trail. We read about it in the Seattle Times, and there's nothing I like better than a

walk through an old growth forest.

There are several old Douglas Fir giants, survivors for over 500 years. Their trunks are blackened by fire but the thick bark protects them. And the Wilberts and their conservation friends saved them from the ax and chainsaw.

In the boggy areas wonderful old cedars grow.

Dubbed the "Ancient Tree", this over 500 year old giant gets special attention.

I also finished that book, Out Stealing Horses, and started another, Sweeping Up Glass, set in Depression era Kentucky. It's another good read.

Now that I'm back home with my electronic technology, I've been catching up, along with getting the chores done. Then I want to get back to my book.

What do you think - time well spent?

About Time

I have to share a quote from the book I am currently reading. The book is Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson. Yes, it's another Scandinavian novel, set in Norway, near the border with Sweden. But it's not another bloody murder mystery. To set the stage, a 67 year old man has recently moved from Oslo to a backwoods cabin, which he wants to take time to fix up himself. His story is revealed throughout the book, so I don't know yet what brought him to this point in his life, except that he and his wife were in an accident about three years ago. He was badly injured and his wife died. That would be enough to make a life change. He says he does not want to hire the work done on his fixer upper because "then it would have gone too fast. I want to use the time it takes. Time is important to me now, I tell myself. Not that it should pass quickly or slowly, but be only time, be something I live inside and fill with physical things and activities that I can divide it up by, so that it grows distinct to me and does not vanish when I am not looking." I can't think of a better way to describe what life in retirement is about. I will be leaving my computer for a few days. We are going to Whidbey Island Sunday for the annual Phosie-Gertie Picnic. Some of you may remember that this is a family picnic named after two sisters who were grandmothers and great grandmothers and great-great grandmothers to all of the cousins that will be attending. Rain is in the forecast, and the number attending will be down this year for various reasons, but the hugging and talking and catching up, and the eating, of course, will still take place. We will be staying on into the week at the cabin. I intend to do "physical things and activities" and make sure the time spent is "distinct", even when it is spent reading my book. And, of course, I will take pictures.

Fun Fotos From Capitol Hill

There's an old saying about not being able to see the forest for the trees. Sometimes we want to look at the big picture, the forest, and sometimes we focus on the details, the trees.

Here are some of the details of our trek on Capitol Hill. Across the street from Cal Anderson Park.

Reflecting in the park.

Rose hips. Rudbeckia - Black-eyed Susans

Water volcano

Asian Art Museum, guarded by camels, or are those dromedaries? Shocking color

The eye of the needle

Attempts at Monet

The conservatory closeups

This blue orchid was undoubtedly rare enough to deserve to be behind bars!

The tropical pitcher plant is a carnivore big enough to devour a mouse!

A newly emerging philodendron leaf just ready to unfurl

Philodendron flower

September Song.

Happy Labor Day. Have some fun!