Biggest Trip of the Year!

I've been a little reluctant to post.
Sorry, Idaho. It's not you and your familiar Blackfootahoans, IdahoFallseons, or even your Rexburgites. You have lovely amber waves of grain stubble, sweeping winds, and humble ways with water. But I've grown accustomed to almost diabolically different living--more than climate but ROUTINES.
Yep, Indeed. Patterns of time soothe my soul, rock my world, and are the muse I sing to in the shower.
I digress.
But they for sure effect my babies at least, and we're all trying to trust again.
And we have safely recovered from the driving, including seeing the ladies restrooms of at least 20 highway-side-and-questionable establishments.
More joyfully and importantly, we got our quota of the Gem State, courtesy of those we love, including the grandpa that let his little guest of honor do whatEVER she wanted.
Please note that the pictures subject the adventures of said honorable guest (because, of course, when you're two, operating semi-heavy machinery is the highlight of your life).
Welcome to Idaho!

Checking in from the Gem State. As you can see we are hard at play. More to come......

Worlds Apart

This is Allie. This is Allie (quite unknowingly) holding a live shrimp that found its way into the crab pots on Saturday. She also held it up by the eye. (I don't think she got it was a living thing,) but Jake sure does enjoy putting Allie's naivity to work for amusement.
And to Jake's credit, he had just had a very long and treacherous day at sea with his father.
I told Jake to speak up in reason as needed and that's all the advice he got from me because I know nothing about swells, tides, lake boats in the open salt water, etc., etc. "For the Love of the Crab." The hunt, the taste. So anyway. All you really need to understand is that I'm the wife.
They lost a pot under the tide, the fog rolled in, the wind openly carried them in the general direction of Canada, the motor died. The back up electric was not even helping the vessel creep back to the dock, they had to get out near land and wade, pushed the boat, trespassed on the coast guard property, his feet went numb after five minutes, he was in the Pacific Freeze for fifteen, his calves went numb. Home wet, cold, and incredibly tired.
Nature is what it is. But I will venture to say this: unlike other places around the Sound, the weather here by ocean and mountain and the wildest.... at times reminds me of farming.
If you don't do it right, you will die. Your will means nothing.
There is more reverence involved for my distinct habitations than fear, I would say, and there was such a Renaissance for me showing Jake the agricultural high desert and he me, the Pacific Northwest.
As we plan our next trip to Idaho this week, I reflect. The observation in
My Worlds Apart
have some universal lessons I'll get to re-explore.

I've Hit the Wall

.
.
.
I have nothing to write about.
The garden's still growing, the girls are still inside-and-out-beautiful, the domestic chores are ever present and rotating successively. For the most part.
There's only one problem-- I confidently told my husband's aunt this past weekend that I post "Every Monday" while explaining to her what it is I do on this internet thingie.
I hear Crickets.
Nothing. And I top that as I recount the time spent with Aunt Robin showing her this little site of mine and even more confidently saving my page in her Mac Bookmarks so she never has to "look it up" or "activate an email link again. "
Hummm...
*sigh*
Sorry, Robin.
On this, a typical Tuesday morning, I present to you:
SOME OF MY FAVORITE THINGS OUTSIDE TODAY (please pretend it is Monday for the next 45 seconds for my sake)

• I am reminded of what the sun actually does--not just convenience my comfort or taunt me to get a tan--energize the production of football sized squashes. Food. Sun is for food to eat.
• I am reminded of what fills its lungs in the shade--interesting. I wonder if they are edible? (-anyone?)
• I am a huge nerd and love the names of cultivated varieties like Mortgage Lifter Tomatoes, Double Click Cosmos, and Purple Prince and Envy Zinnias.
• The humble little tomato plants I got from a local church's gardening club and from Clallam Bay Prison Greenhouse have taken over a 32 square foot garden box and toppled the cages and frames they were on. And yet? We have only three cherry tomatoes every time I go out. I think those little frogs are not so little any more...I can't get a perportinate photo.
  
• See the sunflower that is just blooming inches from the ground? It wasn't dwarfed in any way. It was broken weeks ago, as it was as tall as the rest, and I left it to see what happened. Well, it started growing vertically where it could after the break and is Just Like the Rest. See?
• Speaking of seeing what happens, this was an easily identifiable green in my Zinnia planter: Weed. But I moved it to the edge of the box and wanted to see what the little weed would look like (Told you I was a nerd). It's a Pink Petunia! I've never had petunias from seed. But it just goes to show.....
• We have things to learn outside and it is exciting to watch other little eyes do the same.

• Oh ya, and that I'm actually anticipating this green thing to make more brussel sprouts.

MY ONE LITTLE FAVORITE THING NOT OUTSIDE:
Allie's black eye. And subsequent photographic expression.


Now, Until Next Week!