Another truly excellent week! I never regret getting outside - something I really need to remember for the weeks to come. The damp, chilly months of spring are always the hardest for me to get outside. My lack of motivation probably has something to do with my impatience for peak summer hiking. I always forget the often unbearable and bugs and dream of gorgeous trails still under feet of snow, then feel disappointed by the lowland trail options available early in the year. This year, I'm determined to appreciate the trails that are accessible year round for their own beauty, and to squeeze in as many snowshoe trips as I can before the snow becomes too unstable and avalanche danger too high!
Read moreLife: Week 4
It was mostly a gloomy, wet week in Redmond, filled with busy days at work and lazy evenings with miscellaneous leftovers for dinner. On Friday we headed off for another long weekend at Whidbey with friends. In the rain shadow of the Olympics, it felt more like spring than winter, and we had a wonderful time cooking, drinking, chatting and taking many, many photos. Saturday, we went for a leisurely hike at Ebey's Landing. More about that beautiful trail soon!
Read moreLife: Week 3
The days are gradually getting longer and the sun is fighting through the clouds. I so appreciate leaving work while there's still some light left. Soon enough, it will be summer and I'll have long sunny evenings, but for now I'm enjoying both the rain and the sun that struggles through. I had plans to leave work early one day so I could get a long walk in before dark, but was disappointed to too busy to leave early enough on the two sunny afternoons. Instead, I went for a short walk through a small park before lunch on a very rainy Saturday. I don't think I'd like this park as much in the sunshine. The mist and rain made everything outside the tall trees and old buildings disappear. In the sun, I think the city would feel much closer.
Read moreLife Week 2
I've been fighting my annual post-holiday doldrums. This past week, that involved meeting a friend for delicious ramen and good conversation on a rainy night, admiring the spectacular sunsets that come with occasional sunny days, and finally visiting a local yarn store I've meant to check out for months! While there, I picked up yarn to make this sweater for Andy. That should keep me busy for several months!
Sadly it did not involve taking many pictures or nearly enough time outdoors. Goals for the weeks to come!
Read moreThe Great Christmas Tree Hunt
Snow covered Smithbrook road. A slightly different view from the drive up to Minotaur Lake in the fall!
This year, for the first time, instead of buying a Christmas tree in a lot or at a U-Cut farm, Andy and I joined his dad, stepmom, sister, and niece in venturing out into the snowy woods to find cut a tree ourselves with a Forest Service permit. Andy's dad has done this for many years, and I've always enjoyed the spindly character of the trees he finds. They aren't quite Charlie Brown trees, but trees found in the forest have so much more personality than the uniform, bushy ones bought in a store.
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