One of my favorite signs of spring in the PNW is the stormy and unpredictable weather. It can be raining and sunny all at the same time, making everything sparkling and new. The downside of spring squalls is the occasional power outage, and this week we found ourselves stuck without power Friday night, but thankfully not longer. This time, the power outage lasted just long enough to give us an excuse for dinner out, followed by an evening reading by candlelight, but not so long that it really impacted our weekend. We didn’t have much planned anyway - mostly errands mixed in with some relaxing. With all this wet spring weather, it’s been ages since we’ve gone for a hike together, and I’m itching to get back out. Hopefully soon life will give us a free weekend!
Read moreLife: Week 13
Finally, it feels like spring! After several days of sunshine, there are finally splashes of green popping up all over Redmond. Even though it rained most of the weekend, Andy and I managed to find a break in the wet weather to go for a long walk through Paradise Valley. I'd been there only a few weeks ago, and was happy to see the the place blanketed in fresh new green. We even found a few clusters of blooming trillium - a sure sign of spring in the PNW! On a more personal note, after months of knitting, I finally finished the double knit baby blanket I started back in October for one of my oldest friends. There were many times that it felt like I would never finish, but I’m so happy with the finished product! Now I just have to find the time to visit her and her new little one so they can start making use of it!
Read moreLife: Week 12
After waiting impatiently for signs of spring around Puget Sound, I wound up spending the first day of the new season in central California, travelling for work. I left behind a warm, sunny Seattle that finally felt like spring and arrived in a rainy, cool Sacramento. The rain passed quickly, and the brief showers made the unfamiliar scenery feel more like home. On the trip I had several long, exhausting days, but managed to find moments to enjoy, including a fantastic restaurant walking distance from my hotel and a picnic lunch in the sunshine under some flowering fruit trees. After arriving home late Friday night, I took it easy Saturday, catching up on some reading in between much needed laundry and cleaning. After a mostly sedentary March, I finally hit the trail again on Sunday for the month’s Alpine Trails Book Club hike. Our group was smaller than it’s been in months, and it made for a laid back morning. The roaring, milky green Stillaguamish and small signs of spring (including the first trillium sighting of the year!!!) sighted along the trail were just what I needed after such a long week. Spring is coming!
Read moreLife: Week 11
After a week of warm, sunny weather, Andy and I had hopes that one of our favorite nearby trails would be snow free and showing signs of spring. Saturday morning, we headed out for a hike, and were discouraged to see snow lingering in all the shady places as we neared the trailhead. Even worse, when we parked, the microspikes that I would have sworn had spent the entire winter in our car were nowhere to be found! Still, hoping the traction of our hiking boots would be sufficient we decided to attempt the trail. Sadly, about halfway up the trail, the well packed snow had turned to ice and with a narrow trail and steep slope, we decided to turn back, opting instead for a lunch and some beer back in Redmond where we had a better chance of pretending winter was over!
Short Sunday hike with my sister and nieces!
The cutest little hiker!
Life: Week 10
This week was a constant battle between the end of winter and the arrival of spring. Even though our local weather guru had said it was extremely unlikely, we once again saw lowland snow. While it thankfully didn’t stick around for long this time, it felt like another setback in progress toward spring. Happily, on a weekend walk through the Redmond Watershed, we found sunshine and a few green things peeking up around the still melting snow. Even if all the branches are still bare, there’s nothing like a walk among old, mossy trees for a dose of green. Here’s hoping for more sunshine to melt out all the lingering snow and kick start some new growth!
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