Summer update: June & July (part of August?)

Oh well, I uploaded them and they are all out of order chronologically... that's OK :)

 Memorial Day picnic- we finally enjoy the yard we have laboured to upkeep for three years!

Strawberry harvest!

 Surprise!

 Strawberry- Rhubarb Crisp from the garden (the fruit at least is from the garden!)

 Waiting in line at the Anacortes Ferry Terminal to go to Orcas Island

 On the ferry

 Leo bathing in the kitchen sink - why not?!

Garden door project is officially done- painted to match the exterior trim of the house and finally that door is out of the garage :) Cut a small window in it for funsies (turns out to be perfectly placed for latch access). Also, I think that the winter winds will come whipping through and the window will give better airflow so as not to stress the latch too much.

Shelf installed in the laundry room. Now we will not collect junk on top of the machines! It is a small feature that makes the room feel more cozy instead of bleak.

Michelle prepared Shabbat dinner on a night when I was really pining for it. I came home to this and the love and sweetness brought me to tears.

Load up for a ride, Leo!

 Butterflies have been frequenting the secret garden

 M braids out garlic harvest. Turns out we had 53 heads!

 Up on the wall as both decor and so we can access garlic in the kitchen easily!

Cute little boy :)

 Frequent visitor to our yard. He is the ringleader of two other young bucks. That was a hot day and he bedded down for a siesta just outside the office window

 Greg shares valuable secrets with Leo

 And then we meet Aeofa ("ee-fuh") Greg's 10-week old lab puppy :)

 Serge reminds Leo that hiking is just something we do

Upside down picture: Sockeye salmon caught by our neighbor Archie. She turned out to be about 4.5 pounds.

 Leo considers the fate of seahorses in general and the resident orcas (who feed exclusively on sockeye salmon)

 Josie (Greg and Becky's daughter) has a good hold on young Leo!

 Grandpa G introducing Leo to the new dogwood tree, planted to honour his father and Leo's great grandfather.

 Grandma C and Grandpa G with a tree-happy baby

 "This is my new toy?"

 Gato love. Otto is probably cozy.... Fiona, not so much.

Cousin Surabhi and Aunt Barbara with Leo at his first food ceremony

 We tried to feed him carrots... he almost took to them :)

 Gorgeous boy

 Aunt Katie and Uncle Kevin explain the intricacies of BBQ on the 4th of July

Grandpa T and Nonna take us out to brunch for M's birthday.

Pictures of Fall 2017: October-December

 Last of the strawberries in early October. Can you spot the frog?? He blends into the strawberry plant very well... look in the middle of the picture

 Colonial Peak (left) and Pyramid Peak (right) with the Thunder Creek flowing into Diablo Lake, about 1500 feet elevation (west side of Cascades)

 Same day (October 14) but further east and 4500 feet... at Washington Pass (east side of Cascades)

 Liberty Bell.... we went to see the larches and their changing leaves. So awesome!

M & D at Rainy Lake... more larches on the glacial shelf along the mountainside behind us :)

No trip to the east side is complete without ordering a Cinnamon Twisp

 Jake came to visit in early October

 Breaking through the corn maze

 Fiona cat found the baby seat!

 First snow of the season -- November 3rd. But it melted a day or two later

 Annual desert trip, towards the end of October... here is me leading a group down the Bright Angel trail at Grand Canyon. My dad took the picture from a vantage point along the rim

Funny coincidence that Dad and I were both in the Grand Canyon at the same day at the same time!

 A couple of days later... Bryce Canyon. It is never a bad day in Bryce.

 Peeking down Wall Street trail

In Zion... from the top of the first set of switchbacks on Angel's Landing trail

 Hooray--- it's Chanukah time :)  Latkes are sooo good.

 Celebrating the first night

 Two sweet cats :)

 Early December sun. Wood shed is only a quarter full. We'll see how this winter goes with our wood stove and how much we burn through. I've got some more to chop but maybe I'll save it the work until spring. And will focus on getting more wood earlier next year so it can have time to dry.

 Small seasonal creek/drainage ditch is starting to fill up

A look at many of the tree plantings in the clearing

 Dec 19... torrential rain... like 24-hours straight of cold, huge rain. It flooded everything. This event allowed me to study the water ways in the backyard and to follow the natural drainages. Though I got very cold and very wet, I learned more in 10 minutes about how water in the backyard SHOULD flow... and so I have taken the first steps in digging out an old path. Water has memory and I watched her remember the way. The first test will be this weekend, as we are expecting rain for the next three days

 I'd never seen water here before. Look back two pictures to see this area dry!

 Even the neighbour's yard hosted a small rivulet

 The tiny ditch at the mailbox has NEVER filled up before... it was full after a couple of hours.

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Hooray. It is the beginning of 2018. We are past the darkest day of the year and looking forward to the light. Our baby is on the way and expected to join us in early February. Tomorrow, Mom flies into Bellingham and this weekend we'll be having a baby shower. 

今年もよろしくお願いします。