and now for something completely different

hike: glacier mountain

Finn and I set off for Granite Mountain Sunday morning with four liters of water for the two of us, way more lunch than I could eat (I'm usually ravenous when I hike, but not this time), and not a speck of extra clothing (an oversight on my part, but I was way too hot to care). And, sans camera. But whatever, we all know what Mt Rainier looks like on a spectacular cloud-free summer day, right?

Eight miles round trip. Every single step out was uphill, and every single step back was down. Certainly an exercise in heel blistering and toe bashing. Ow. But great. Really great, actually. The top half of the trail is almost entirely exposed, sparse trees creating little oases along the way. On the way back down, Finn would plop his butt on the trail in these shade oases and refuse to move for several minutes. Once we were back into the forested lower portion of the trail, he trotted right along.

I am nearly as sore as I was after Mt St Helens last summer (ok, probably not even close, but it is reminiscent). Wait a minute... that too was eight miles... up... back.... view of mt rainier.... same old, same old....

hike: anderson butte

My first hike of the year was to Anderson Butte, Mt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. I was aiming for Watson Lakes, but for a multitude of little reasons, I turned back early, around what I think was the foot of Anderson Butte. Most of the hike was on a snow field, so the trail was sort of a decomposed remnant of a snowmobile trail, getting thinner and weaker as we went. The snow was rapidly melting -- I could hear the snowmelt rushing along the streambed that was under our feet at some points, which made me nervous -- both for myself and for Finn -- if one of us had crashed through the snow, serious trouble could be had, or at the very least, some real discomfort for the return trip. I also got an embarassingly late start, and I wasn't prepared for hiking in the dark. So I called it a day before all the little stresses turned into a big stress and ruined the hike.

It certainly was beautiful though!


aforementioned snowmelt underfoot





finn tries his hand (paw) at forest management






that's Mount Baker there, hiding behind the clouds in the distance

what I did over spring break

more to come....

catching up

I did a few really cool things since I last posted in September (coincidence? I think not). First, I climbed Mt St Helens. Amazing trip, and I'd do it again. I had essentially zero practice or training, and still did pretty well. Not setting any speed climbing records, but it was a great time. I was joined by my friend Brent and his friend Heather, who was on a flight layover between Nova Scotia and Australia. Most folks I know bring a book or knitting for layovers... this woman climbed a mountain.


just getting started



the fog is clearing



the climbing route: Monitor Ridge



on top of the world, but not yet on top of the mountain (Brent, Heather and me)



making progress



getting closer (the horizon line is the top)



looking north from the cornice -- the 1980 eruption blew the top and north side of the volcano off.




at the top! known to the mountain's climbers as half way


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Next up, my parents went on a long road trip that included a visit to Seattle and British Columbia. I loved having them here and I loved the time we spent exploring Vancouver and Victoria, BC. We ate well, laughed much and saw new things.



My mom and me at the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park....



Here are my parents on the ferry from Vancouver to Victoria....



My dad, Finn and me canoeing at Green Lake, Seattle.


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Then, just as they'd done some 23 years earlier, my parents dropped me off for my first day of school. My first quarter of full-time grad school went wonderfully, and was as much fun as I've had in a long time. Drawing and coloring, cutting and pasting, showing and telling -- I tell you, this is all the fun of kindergarten with all the perks of adulthood. My classmates are awesome, and my grades are good. I am having a blast.


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Lastly, a note from Mr Finn. He gained a little fame when the doggie day care we take him to selected his image to paint on the side of their doggie transport truck. How awesome is this?



thanks, Great Dog!

my charges

I've got my hands full for the next several days with some dog friends. I'm taking care of these three gents, who alternately sleep, play, argue, sleep and eat.

first hike of 2009

Finn and I hiked to Lake 22 (near Mount Pilchuck) today. We arrived early and were the first ones on the trail, which was lovely. The first two-thirds of the 2.7 mile hike in were snow free (some mud), and last third as well as the entirety of the lake, was still very much snowed in. I let Finn romp off-leash in the snow (both for his enjoyment and for our safety -- I needed all of the balance I could get on the slippery, actively melting snow).

from the trail

nearly to the lake (where's Finn?)

panoramic of Lake 22, with one of the cirques that makes up the backside of Mount Pilchuck.

catching up

Writing from somewhere over Nevada – on my way to Phoenix for a super quick field office visit.

I spent last weekend working, so I don’t feel bad for missing Sunday’s confessional. Working the weekend made Sunday feel like Tuesday, which makes today (Tuesday) feel like Thursday. I’ll get back to Seattle on a Wednesday that will feel like a Friday, take Thursday off (since that’ll be Saturday), then work on Friday (which will then feel like working on Sunday again). Then it’ll be the weekend again, at which point a little bit of my brain will melt and ooze out of my right ear, but I won’t complain because I’ll have the day off. Incidentally, I think this is how Finn gets so smart – he laps up my oozed brain bits while I’m asleep.

I dropped Finn off at Great Dog for some overnight play care while I'm away. He was there on Monday for day care so this will be an unusual three days straight of day care for him, which will certainly wear him out for the next several days. He’s no spring puppy anymore – he used to come home from day care and still be bounding with energy. Now he comes home, has a lagging burst that consists mostly of barking at passers by, then zonks out on the couch or bed until it’s… bedtime. Yesterday he slept even longer and deeper than usual – I think he’s going to be one exhausted pup when I get home.

The garden is nearly ready to be planted. I’ve turned the soil and amended it with four bags of Farmyard Blend compost. This Thursday (aforementioned day off), I’m volunteering at the Seattle Tilth Edible Plant Sale (sale is actually on Saturday and Sunday, I’ll be on a plant set-up crew), which comes with the benefit of getting first dibs on the plants I want, so now I have to think about what and how much I want to plant. One of the only benefits of living alone is that this year, I get to plant whatever I want.

Tomatoes – a no-brainer. Last year we had nine plants, I think I’ll do about the same this year, but I might try some different varieties.
Peppers – I’m thinking about trying a mini plastic hoop setup to grow peppers. So far, our attempts at peppers have been lackluster, but at the same time, seemingly promising, if I could just get it right. Not sure if I’d want to try sweet or hot. Both?
Broccoli – these have worked very well in the past
Beans – sugar snap, green and yellow
Spinach and lettuce – but only if I get to these soon… if I wait too long they bolt
Eggplant –I think I’ll try that instead of zucchini
Onions – especially since I didn’t get any garlic going this year
Potatoes – they’re already reestablishing themselves from last year, but they’re good all through the winter
Winter squash – of some variety, which makes me want to consider trying
Parsnips and/or beets – since I’ve enjoyed those over the winter

I think I will skip trying artichokes this year – the few I’ve grown have been the best artichokes I’ve ever had, but I’m just not sure they’re worth it. Same for carrots – these are a favorite of Eric’s, but we get tons from our CSA box, and they’re pretty demanding for such a basic plant.

As for herbs, Last year I swore off trying to grow cilantro and basil, but now I am waffling. Maybe this would be the year I get it right! I also have in mind a little lavender garden, with three or four different varieties. And if anyone knows the secret for getting thyme to thrive, I’m all ears.

What am I missing?

finn's blanket

For Finn's Therapy Dog training, they suggest that we have a blanket for the dog to sit on while he's on a visit. If you're visiting kids, they suggest a kid-appropriate theme (Buzz Lightyear is on the trainer's dog's blanket). I considered getting some bright fleece at the fabric store, and was looking at some when I came up with this idea:

it's a fleece blanket that we used to cover Finn's wire crate with, but since he doesn't use that anymore, the blanket was free for other uses. Like having Finn's name appliqued to it. I'd say it turned out pretty well, considering that the feed dogs don't really do much with fleece -- it was really a different sort of applique for me.

Oh, have I not mentioned Therapy Dog training? Why, yes! For the past few weeks, Finn and I have been spending an hour each Saturday morning at his day care place, where they also do obedience training, including really specialized stuff like agility training and therapy dog work. Now therapy dog work shouldn't be confused with service dog work, where the dog is at a person's side, rendering assistance all day, every day. Therapy dogs go (with their person) to visit people who could use a little puppy love, such as hospitals, retirement communities and nursing homes, psychiatric care facilities, prisons and some schools. There are two different therapy dog organizations that we're training to be certified with, Delta Society and Connecting Canines. There are also therapy cats, therapy chickens, and once our instructor worked with a therapy miniature pony.

solo christmas

I spent christmas lounging and enjoying. After waking up to a new half-inch of snow and more falling, I made a lovely scramble and toast for breakfast, made biscuits for Finn, continued to bind the red & white quilt (binding has been tricksy for this one -- not sure what I did wrong), watched no fewer than seven cars get stuck in the slushy snowy mess that surrounds the roundabout I live next to (I threw on my boots and helped one motorist get unstuck), called relatives near and far to wish them happy holidays, and then trekked down to what I am calling a make-shift off-leash park, but is in actuallity a pair of fenced in tennis courts. Finn and I stopped there yesterday on our way home from Penny's house, and I threw snowball after snowball for him. I knew the quality of the snow was degrading fast as the snow drifts become puddles, but I thought it might still be good enough for a few more snowballs. If his snoozing away after we got home is any indication, I'd say I was right....

happy holidays!

From Finn and Andrea to you and yours!

Our very best wishes to you in the coming year and always.

nine inches (22.8 cm)

my official reading from the back yard.



The dogwood tree in the back yard.... see that little layer of ice between the twig and the snow? Now think of that all over the streets....


the Japanese maple....


I walked Finn to day care.... this is Roosevelt Avenue


happy holidays!!

(note: officially, I hate english holly)

red & white quilt

Finn decided to "help" me with arranging the blocks of the red & white quilt yesterday. Good thing I had just given him a bath!

a dog and his ball

hike: monte cristo

South Fork Sauk River, from the Monte Cristo Town Site Trail, mile (approx) 0.75.

To celebrate the Fourth, we decided to go hiking. On Frank's advice, we went on a hike to the old historic silver mining camp of Monte Cristo. Off the Mountain Loop Highway, a two-lane scenic highway that winds around Granite Falls, Darrington and Arlington (the latter two being near where I hiked last weekend with Elise). We also used our hiking-with-dogs book, which was apparently published before 2006, when we understand some winter storms did a number on the trail.

Finn sporting his new threads.

Decked out with a day pack (with first aid kit and emergency blanket, our lunch and snacks, extra clothes, and water), and Finn with his brand new dog-pack (with his lunch and snacks), we hit the trail at 12:01pm. We got to the trailhead just fine (the Mountain Loop Highway has also had it's share of trouble over the last few years), but the trail (Monte Cristo Town Site Road/Trail) had issues. It had some mass wasting damage that we couldn't identify, it just looked like a five-foot-deep canyon cut into snow and forest slash (the WTA trail report calls it a clay slide), and then the bridge that the book refered to has been washed out completely by the South Fork of the Sauk River. We talked to a pair of outbound hikers who informed us that the only way to cross the river was via a log crossing.

Eric and Finn, post log-crossing (we took Finn's pack off to let him dry and regain his composure).

Now, incase you weren't aware, our dog Finn -- once he figured out how -- loves to swim. I think he might think twice about swimming in swift, cold current though. He got close, too close, and fell in for a short, heart-stopping moment. Fortunately, his dog-pack has a handle on the back so you can grab the dog as though he were a piece of luggage, which Eric promptly did. We had to hand Finn to each other to get on and off of the fallen log that was passing for a bridge that day, which was a little nerve-wracking for me, who naturally lacks the upper body strength that Eric has (I hike faster to make up for it... where did we put that medicine ball anyway?).... to say nothing of how Finn was feeling about the whole ordeal. But we managed to get to the other side and get our hike back on track. I must say, regarding the river, that it has some of the clearest water I have ever seen in a mountain river. The road continued on the other side, but was laden with issues there too....

Trail washout (or river expansion, depending on your perspective). The trail consists of an old railroad grade, though we marveled at how they apparently buried the old rails instead of pulling them up as is usually the case.

There were many trees down, which Finn lept over without a second thought, and a few that provided me with camera fodder....

Interesting lichen on a fallen tree. Looks like a sea coral to me....

The undersides of fir needles, taken from above.

We reached the town site of Monte Cristo, a cluster of five one-room cabins, some mining artifacts and a rail car turntable. The trail continues to Silver Lake via Poodle Dog Pass, but we decided that that would be a hike for another day. We had our lunch of PB&J, sunflower seeds, carrots, pluots and nectarines, and Finn had a half-sized meal of kibble (he usually doesn't get a mid-day meal). We took advantage of the solitude, scenery and the auto-timer on the camera and took some family portraits. Then we headed back.

Family portrait at Monte Cristo.

Dicentra leaves with water droplets.

Gratuitous scenery shots....

Eight miles total, 500-foot elevation gain, out-and-back hike. Not bad for our first of the summer. Next up: Taylor River or Mt Rainier (Sunrise area).

sprimmer

At last, the garden is planted! I believe we managed to stick seeds or starts into every available nook and cranny of the backyard. That translates to: asparagus, tomatoes (2 each of cherry and slicing varieties), yukon gold potatoes, artichokes (1 purple, 2 green globe), sugar snap peas, bush beans, mesclun salad lettuce mix, romaine lettuce, spinach, russian kale, carrots, shallots, scallions, walla walla onions, garlic (3 varieties), strawberries (4+ varieties), raspberries, an apple tree, blueberries (3 varieties), hops (3 varieties), zuchini, peppers (2 varieties), broccoli, cucumbers, and of course, the herb garden (mint, thyme, rosemary, sage, lavendar, oregano and basil). Also, sunflowers and nasturtiums.



And now hear this. I, Andrea, hereby relinquish all attempts at growing cilantro. Apparently it just isn't in the stars for me, and I fear adverse mental effects should I continue to attempt it. I'll stick to tomatoes, which seem to work OK for me.

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The Huge Log Cabin quilt and matching pillow shams are done, and safely in the hands of their new owners.



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It's been warm enough for Finn to take up lying in the coolest part of the house and do a little swimming...

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We went to the Padres vs. Mariners game (the Pads won that game, but lost the subsequent two)



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Isabella's quilt is quilted (but not yet bound)...