New Year's Eve

 

Sailing over the Grand Canyon headed to Phoenix

The cousins and I have waited for what seemed like forever to meet up in Phoenix to celebrate our Aunt Arna's 88th birthday.  How can our Aunt be 88, when ♫Younger than Springtime is she♪♥..? The event called for a pPop-up Carter Family Reunion, held the weekend of New Year's eve. I flew in New Year's eve and my Cuzzies Rhonda and Ideaa picked me up at the airport .

My cousins love to shop & had a few things they needed anyway, so we hit a mall picking up some decorations, then we made it to the Jone's house, the family's gathering spot. there we were greeted by my other 'Cuzzies' who flew in from as far away as Michigan, New York, Colorado, North Carolina and Florida. Our family is spread around the country, no wonder we are always so eager for get-togethers. 

Pig's feet at the top of my plate

For sometime now, Aunt Arna told us she wanted to do something special for everyone to celebrate the new year and our pop-up reunion. She accomplished that, making a wonderful potful of pickled pig's feet. Pigs Feet is a  speciality my Grandmother Adele used to make:true Bajan soul food. I wouldn't eat it when I was a kid, but you better believe my cousins and I dug into the treat tonight: as delicious and all the better to us because it was made by our precious Aunt Arna.

Grandmother Adele

Cousin Dovin & his wife Rosa were marvelous hosts. Dovin serving refreshments, both 'virgin' (sans alcohol) and 'fully loaded'. Rosa fed us all with her tasty and authentic, homemade Mexican soup. I don't recall the name of it - and I was too busy wolfing it down to remember to photograph any of it - but I respectfully named it 'Mexican Pho Soup' because it was served with lots of sides, veggies,  onions, peppers and loads of lime juice and such, in the manner of Vietnamese pho soup. 

The chit chat and extensive viewing of family photos went on and on until we readied ourselves to cheer in the New Year.

At midnight and the start of the year 2022, the hugs, cheers and joy were even more evident than the yawns, from those who like me don't often stay up past midnight, i.e., me, lol!

Family friends for the new year!

After ringing in the new year, those of us staying at nearby local hotels headed out. I was rooming with my Cousin Jonni Anne and our Cousin Rhonda is across the hall from us. We need to rest up for the remainder of our Pop-up Carter Family Reunion. HAPPY NEW YEAR Y'ALL!

First Snow of the Season

 

A view of the neighborhood, Canada in the distance across the Salish Sea

This week there was snowfall on Christmas day. What a treat! Loads of photos were taken and a few of them are showcased here. The one up top was taken from the 2nd story of my neighbor Nita's home. It sits up on a slight rise and from there you can see the Dungeness Spit which appears as a white stripe on the water in the photo above. Also in the photo above you can see Canada, also sprinkled with the cold white stuff. 

The 'notorious lilac house' 

The lilac house(s) in the center above looks ensy but is a huge 2 story house and was the talk of the neighborhood. I think it angered pre-existing neighbors either because it blocked views or just because it is HUMONGOUS. I think it is pretty, like a gigantic lavender thumb. 

My view of the Olympic Mountains over the top of the neighbor's roof.

View from my upstairs window

Clouds trying to outshine the snow covered grounds

This bottom photo was taken as I drove, headed for town. Not a stellar photo, but wow... so amazed that I live, once again, someplace where it snows. Wonders will never cease? 

Grand Old Barns

The big barn (#1) originally stored hay for local dairies

2 greedy piggies by the 2nd barn

There is scant reason why after 2 years, I have barely peeked through the doorways of the two massive barns at Flown Piggies Farm. But friends can grant courage. I have new friends, and today Sue called, asking if she and her husband Nick could come by. The main goal of their visit being to pick up windfall apples. They have many tame deer at their Port Townsend home, and they feed apples to their greedy piggies deer. The semi-pet deer can gobble their way through a full bag of store-bought apples in one go, so free windfall apples is as much a windfall for the humans as for the deer. 

Most of the apples taken were sourced from the massive apple tree in the cottage back yard. It is lush with flowers, veggies and other raised bed and pot type planters all of which is the work of Barbara. 

Barb's incredible lush garden

Sunflowers, hollyhocks, nasturtiums and what-not grow abundant

When several bags of apples were collected and stowed away in their truck, Sue asked if she could explore the barns. 

Alleyway between Big Barn (left) and 2nd Barn (right)

The first thing everyone suggests on seeing the barns is selling the wood. Reclaimed old barn wood goes for good prices. That was my original plan, but the barns are kind of nice to look at, but more important, if the big barn was taken down, a lot of UGLY cement and what-not would be left to get rid of. I'm guessing the profit from selling the wood would go toward getting the barn's footprint into decent shape. I don't think it is worth the hassle. Anyway, I keep hoping some barn owls will move into the big barn rafters, making it the world's largest nesting box.

Looking up in the Big Barn

Big Barn has old electrical wire hanging everywhere (no power though, thank heavens), a couple of old stalls that last were used as chicken coops, and spots I think were once part of a dairy office. There is a lot of cement areas which would just be hazardous if the barn were to disappear. 

Nick and Sue

Now it was time for 2nd Barn to get some attention.

2nd barn, in better shape than Big Barn. Note Great Blue Heron on ground to the left

Second Barn is where we have stored cardboard that we intend to use to line planting beds in future. I told Sue the area (below) the western side of the barn (left) is a large stall. Sadly, the metal roofing over the stall is no more. However it is nice to know if labor ever comes available again in my lifetime (don't ask) if a new metal roof goes up there, the stall would be a good home for livestock (Mini-donkeys? Alpacas? A riding horsie for moi?). 

Touring ruins is Sue's jam, so she enjoyed rummaging around the buildings

Lots of deer hoof prints in the 2nd barn floor

There are many deer hoof prints inside the 2nd barn. Suspect lots of deer bed down in it, just as they bed down in the tall grass around the barns. 

Second barn with a little work, i.e., replacement roofing, could return it to working order - for whomever buys this place after me anyway!

Sue enjoyed touring the old buildings and said it reminded her of old homesteads she had explored when living in California. Before she & Nick left, I encouraged them to pick apples and pears for their own consumption. This year, the fruit ripened more than a month earlier than last year - quite the shock, but maybe with the warmer than normal summer ought to have tipped us off on quicker ripening of the fruit. One of the pear trees already has fruit getting beyond ripe, but the other two aren't quite ripe as yet (whew!). Ripeness of Flown Piggies Farm's many apple trees is all over the place, from over-ripe to hard-as-rocks. I think it is time to buy a dehydrator and get some fruit leather going, don't you think?

Ready or Not, Here Comes Seventy

 

My birthday breakfast bash

Back in the 1950s I was once a very sick, hospitalized baby. 

In 2016 while vacationing in Central Europe I was blissfully unaware I was not in stellar condition. I returned home, to discover my gall bladder was merrily rotting away in my abdomen. Surgery followed.

In 2018, in order I had the flu, that morphed into pneumonia that took me to the land of sepsis. Everyone but me was concerned for my existence. My doctors said they were amazed that I pulled through. 

And in 2019, in the wee hours one night a plummet down my stairwell may well have 'done me in'. I got off with only a broken arm, an eggplant colored face and a few weeks of PT.  

My pulmonary doctor read my med records, telling me, 'You have more lives than a cat.' So... I guess I have 5 lives left to squander.

To celebrate those remaining lives, my friend Barb decided to celebrate my 70th birthday with my favorite meal, which is breakfast. So she baked fresh cranberry scones and buds Judy, Diane, Ingrid and Nita came by to help celebrate. 

Seventy. Hell, my inner Claire isn't a day over 35. She lives in her 'Happy Place'. 

Lavender Season in Sequim

There comes a time in every S'quimer's heart when the urge to forage overwhelms, and one must go out to pick sweetly scented lavender. This was my first time picking lavender at a couple of the numerous lavender farms around Clallam County. It wasn't possible last year because Covid happened so all farms were closed. 

So with friend Barb, we headed just up the road a bit to Jarden du Soleil, a lavender farm I've had my eye on for ages. I mean, they have chickens and goats to pet. And ice cream... lavender ice cream. 

Loved the suggestions on how to spend one's time.

It was mid morning so the air was crisp and cool, perfect for lavender picking. First I picked up a green twistie and a pair of scissors in the cute little farm shop seen above. Barbara checked out all the lavender essential oils which are made on the farm. She chose one that had the sweetest scent to her
nose. I went for a small lavender infused chocolate bar (oh, you'd have gone for one too!), a cute embroidered sheer lavender sachet bag and a cunning little light switch plate featuring lavender swigs. Shortly thereafter I headed out to the lavender fields to pick to my heart's contentment. 

Acres and acres of purple beauty

 The farm has honey bees, but there was a great contingent of bumblebees also digging around for lavender nectar. I wish the farm sold lavender honey, freshly made by their honey bees. 

Barb, dressed in lavender for her shopping spree

I was quite happy with the lavender I picked. There were several different varieties, some in different shades of purple, and there were several bushes with white lavender buds as well. 

B&B Family Farm

Next we drove over to a second lavender farm, the B&B Family Farm. Didn't do any lavender picking there, but did stop into their farm store. Both Barb & myself found some goodies to indulge in. I went overboard in purchasing some lavender woods scented mini-candles. There will be additional Lavender Farm exploring before the season ends, 

You can find vast fields of lavender all over Sequim. Take that France!

Not a bad haul for five bucks

Up Top - Deer Creek Road

Up a'top Deer Creek Road, Olympic National Park

For no good reason drove on up to the top of Deer Park Road. It is a lesser known fragment of Olympic National Park. The road is steep, curvy and guaranteed to scare the crap out of anyone with a fear of heights - specially if they hate being able to stare out the car window and see a mile long drop through the pines. Thankfully, I was born, height-fear-free.

Mountaintop signage

Tiger Lilies

Delightful to find the wildflowers are still to be found at these elevations. My favorite was Tiger Lilies. Haven't seen any since visiting Del Norte County in California, a zillion years ago. 

Indian Paintbrush

Another gorgeous wildflower was scarlet and yellow Columbines.

Harebells

At the mountain top I spent some time birding, but the little buggers were so fast, and so far off it was all I could do to identify a few chickadees and a crow or three. At times like that, you can appreciate photo targets that are not only close by, but that hold the hell still, like the blue Harebells on the left. 

This was my second drive up Deer Park Road. This time at the top, I took a road I haven't noticed on my first visit. Drove up to the very tippy top from which I could view the Dungeness Wildlife Refuge at the Salish Sea's edge, and even the area where my property is could be viewed. 

Several other cars were also up on the mountaintop, all sitting and gazing at the scenery. 

The Salish Sea, edged by Dungeness National
 Wildlife Refuge, way out there in the distance

Eventually I headed back down off the mountain. You know I took even more photos of wildflowers on the long drive downhill. 

Lupines

Penstemons

It is wonderful having a National Park as an elaborate extension of my own backyard. 

They Grow Up So Fast

A while back, a couple of bird nesting boxes were set up here at Flown Piggies Farm. One of the boxes was quickly taken over as 'Home Sweet Home' by a pair of Tree Swallows. I only peered into the box once, to make sure the little family was doing OK. The box (shown above) was obviously occupied by Tree Swallows as the nest was quite feather-full. The feathers used to line the nest were duck feathers, Mallard duck feathers to be precise. I marvel how far the birds would have gone to acquire such soft nest lining. At that time there were as yet, no eggs in the little house.  

As the weeks flew by, I could view the Tree Swallows busily flying in and out of their box. In a matter of weeks loud squawks and demands could be heard if anywhere near the box. The new chicks were demanded their chow. So proud to hear the fussing baby swallows, and so happy it wasn't my job to feed the noisy things. 

Young Violet-green on 2nd floor railing

Meanwhile, I noticed the Violet-green Swallows, that nested in a ventilation hole above my bedroom balcony weren't slouches in the chick rearing department. Their youngsters were already out of the nest. The fledged chicks liked to rest on the patio railing above the garage. I often had the door to the playroom open and could hear and watch the young swallows. 

This is a view of the patio with setting swallows (I think those are a youngster and an weary-of-feeding-its-brats adult bird). 

Only the past couple of days I woke to the sound of chirping on my bedroom balcony. I peeked out and WHOA, there sat Tree Swallow chicks. There were two, busily calling back and forth to each other. Any time an adult flew by the chicks peeped plaintively, but I never saw the adults approach them with food. The chicks were back on the balcony this morning so I assume they're either getting fed or are attempting to feed themselves. Yesterday, later in the morning there were 4 baby Tree Swallows up on the telephone lines so I guess the adult birds got the job done.

Huzzah, VISTORS!

 

Nancy & Rick on Hurricane Ridge

Since before I even left Sacramento, family, friends and I had already begun to look forward to visiting me in Washington state. The first of my friends to visit me happened this week when Rick & Nancy, friends of mine for decades, popped by. They were on the return end of a sojourn north to Coeur d'Alene Idaho to visit family, and were headed back to California. The excitement of seeing my Sacto friends & the thrill of getting my recently furbished guest room occupied at last.  

Side note here, I having just arrived home from my trip to Utqiaġvik, was shocked to find whil

Rick walking Lady Chori

e I was away, Barbara (my next door neighbor and friend) was in the hospital! She came down with severe gastrointestinal problems, called an ambulance and ended up hospitalized in Seattle. She survived the ordeal and I picked her up, bringing her home. While she was gone, her poor pets were bereft of their 'Mom'. Rick volunteered to take Chori out walking. Good dog! Good dog-step-daddy!

Rick and Nancy spent one day out hiking and sight seeing on their own. One day I drove them up to one of my fav spots, up the long road to Hurricane Ridge. The ridge is a wonderful place to enjoy the majesty that is the Olympic Mountain Range. Photos were taken in abundance and we bought and enjoyed lunch on the vista view at the Visitor Center. 

The Olympics, which do not include gymnastics, fencing or equestrian events

Myself, I go up there frequently in my ever futile search for the Brown-crowned Rosy-Finch. Alas! No Rosy-Finches, but many Mule Deer up and down the mountainside plus one surprise. 

View from Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center, down hill to where an adorable polka dot grazed in the grass. 

The polka dot is a Black Bear. 

Following lunch, we drove to a popular mountainside hiking area. There, Rick & Nancy enjoyed a walk, but it ended early due to some typical, two-faced mountain weather - changeable on a dime - it began to rain. 

Me, I skipped the hike (no surprises there), preferring instead to exploring the local flora. Shown here are Avalanche Lilies, that had popped up along the roadway. 

Avalanche Lilies

It was wonderful having my buds visit. As in days of yore, we enjoyed group prep of food and surprising each other with various dishes, most notably breakfasts and dinners. Rick made a tasty chicken enchilada dish which I suspect will be duplicated on Flown Piggies Farm in future. Was totally bummed to see them drive off into the sunset, so to speak, but I'll see them again, and there will be others, Covid willing.