Knackered

I learned some new things today. I learned that I am not as fit as I thought I was.

I walk between three and six miles daily. I hiked up to five miles a day while at Rancho La Puerta in February, and was able to keep up on those hikes with my friend Shelby (who is an extreme distance runner), so I thought I could hike 3 miles round-trip. I learned today that I am not aerobically fit - not very.

David has been working weekends, so weekdays are his weekends, and he was kind enough to invite me to accompany him to Mt. Ellinor, where he has been wanting to hike. There is a six-mile trip and a three-mile trip. Six sounded like more of a challenge, but the second half is considered extremely steep, so to play it safe (for me), we started at the upper trailhead. Thank goodness we did!

The elevation gain was about 2,400 feet in 1.5 miles; oh my goodness. David is quite fit; I was panting and sweating from the beginning, as the trail headed steeply uphill and never stopped. Long rocky steps, slushy snow, mud, switchbacks and scree alternated with each other. The trail was beautifully maintained, and we had a gloriously mild, "bluebird" spring day in which to enjoy the natural world of the Olympic Peninsula. But I was not nearly fit enough for this trip, and it showed immediately.

The summit views were spectacular. We saw two white mountain goats on a snowfield below the summit; we saw Mt. Baker, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams and a panorama of the Olympic Mountain range. I truly enjoyed the hike on the way down. But going up was a hard slog.

Summit view to the west - Olympic Mountains in the background

Summit view to the north, with Hood Canal partially obscured by high clouds

I learned that it's easy to get discouraged on a steep trail if you are: A) too hot; B) thirsty or hungry; C) at all subject to vertigo. I learned that stopping to rest is necessary if you want to make the summit. I learned that my hiking boots are comfortable, but have crappy traction in the snow.

And I learned some things about David, whose generous gifts of patience, coaching and willingness to understand my fatigue (and my dismay at that fatigue) were beyond what I could have asked him to extend to me. He was a true gentleman with his encouragement and kindness, when he could have done the hike in far less time, with far less trouble, without me. I am blessed that he invited me to spend the day with him, and he never once said a word of criticism.

On the summit

I feel humbled, happy to be home, and (as the British say) "knackered." If I am lucky enough to be invited to hike with David again, it will be something less than a "4 out of 5" for difficulty!

Enjoying Autumn

To every one who has served in the military forces for the United States of America, Thank you. I know that "freedom isn't free." We cannot "catch" it from others, and it is not "given" to all human beings to live in a free country. Though each of us has freedom within (as unique creations of our Creator), not everyone has the privilege to live freely. For that privilege in this time and place, paid for by your sacrifice, dear veterans, I thank you.

The last time I visited the Bloedel Reserve, I was rewarded with the pleasure of rich, intense colors of the remaining leaves on deciduous trees, and the patterns they created on the ground. I expect that the next visit will reveal many changes wrought by the high winds and heavy rains of autumn.

Just now, we are enjoying gorgeous, cold, clear days here in Western Washington. This was the view as the setting sun painted high clouds a tender pink, and a lone boat struggled against wind, whitecaps and current.

The wind caused widespread power outages that day.

On Saturday morning, I awoke early to this sunrise view...

It was a perfect day for a trip to Port Townsend. We never tire of walking through that town and the surrounding area.

This is the view looking over the old military buildings and parade ground. If it looks familiar, you might be remembering it from the movie, "An Officer and a Gentleman." Mt. Rainier looms on the horizon, faintly visible and wreathed in clouds.

If you had to make a caption for this photo, what would it be?

The deer were enjoying an apple-feast under that tree; not timid at all!

We walked around the marinas, and admired the craftsmanship of many wooden boats, especially the sailing ship Adventuress.

We saw tiles with messages from supporters of the maritime center.

Good advice.

I colorized the mermaid tile using Picasa.

I am thankful that Gregg and I still have so much fun doing something which is free of charge and open to anyone, which we enjoyed from the very first days we met. There is something comforting in the fact that, as much as our lives have changed during these 25+ years, this simple pleasure remains for us to enjoy again and again, in different places, seasons and moods.

Stroll for Well-Being

I'm participating in a pilot program at a local nature preserve (the Bloedel Reserve) called "Stroll for Well-Being." You may know that I'm an avid walker and love reflective reading and writing, and all of these elements came together when a friend posted on facebook about this opportunity to try the program here for the first time. It is already in place at the Morikami Garden in Florida.

Two dedicated women - one a professor of nursing and the other a professor in environmental studies, outlined the purpose and function of the program. It is inspired, and a pleasure to be part of the "beta test."

Yes, that's the family home; the Bloedels were once "timber barons."

The Bloedel Reserve is a local treasure. Sometimes, I take it for granted, as our family has property - and I now live - nearby. It is open for membership, and it is worth the fee, whether you join or just visit. The Bloedel family home - large for a house, small for a chateau - is graceful and beautiful, and gives a stately sense of "heart" to the property.

The 150 acres of grounds, filled with indigenous and imported plants, are best appreciated in silence, and the Strolls - mapped out in a beautiful journal which includes 12 themes, many inspiring photographs, quotes, and marked places to stop, reflect and write within each - are designed to take full advantage of the refreshment offered by nature.

Sharing this refreshment was a core value for Mr. Bloedel as he established and developed the property.

The reserve has structures which blend harmoniously with the plantings. The Japanese Tea House and Garden, the Orchid Woods and Puget Sound Overlook, the Bird Marsh, Trestle Bridge and Boardwalk, the Moss Garden and Reflection Pond are all integrated into the themes of the strolls.

There are a great variety of plants, trees, benches and water features, wide and narrow spaces, winding paths, stairs, textures, scents, colors, vistas and sounds to stimulate the senses.

In the past, I have loved to walk (fast) for fitness. Because of health issues which arose during the summer months, I have been forced to slow down and focus less on fitness. It became necessary to focus, with increasing patience and gentleness, on nurturing wellness within, as back pain, root canal and infection, ear surgery and recovery took turns demanding my attention during the later weeks of summer and early fall. I am truly grateful to say that I am finally able to walk a couple of miles at a time; my jaw and ear and graft are healing nicely. The Stroll for Well-Being could not have come at a better time!

The Great Outdoors

I am an avid walker, but do not consider myself a hiker. I don't own a good pair of hiking boots or trail shoes. Because of this, I didn't intend to hike at Rancho La Puerta, but I tried it, ended up loving it - and wanting to do more.

Hikes at the ranch start out between 6:10 and 7:00 A.M. I thought that I would want to sleep in on this trip, but after one hike, I found myself waking before my alarm each day, because I was so excited to do it again!

We always met in the cozy lounge (above) where coffee and tea are available around the clock. Before the hikes, staff would have thoughtfully prepared trays of freshly cut oranges, grapefruit and bananas so that you didn't have to go out on an empty stomach. The ranch also provided pedometers and re-usable water bottles. Wearing a pedometer can be very motivating, especially if you keep a log of your steps (avg. 2,000 steps = a mile).

As a beginner, I started with a super-easy two-mile hike called "Woodlands." We walked past the labyrinth and set out through the woodlands a good pace. It was fun, and I saw that I could easily do more.

 The next day, I went a little further with the "Quail 2" hike, and after that, tried "Alex's Oak Tree."

Alex's Oak can be seen in this photo, standing by itself at the top of the hill behind the vineyard.

It is named for the founders' son, Alex Szekely, who was president of the ranch before his death.

  Another view of Alex's oak tree, a mile's hike above the ranch. This hike was so pretty and enjoyable that I did it twice.

 The oak tree at the top.

 View of the ranch from the top.

 More of the ranch from the top.

Yours truly, under Alex's Oak Tree.

 

I was advised not to miss the four-mile round-trip breakfast hike to Rancho Tres Estrellas (Rancho La Puerta's six-acre organic farm), including a gourmet meal served at La Cocina Que Canta (the ranch's cooking school) and a short tour of the garden. This was indeed a special treat.

Because we set out at 6:10 AM, we were able to see the dawn light as it touched Mt. Kuchumaa.

Our guide, Maya (also a wonderful yoga instructor) told us how the local Kumiai indians used the large stones (like the one on which she is standing) as metates. They ground grain and nuts in the natural bowl shapes in the rocks, making the hollows larger over time.

When we arrived at La Cocina, we saw artwork and crafts in blazing colors - more examples of ways in which the ranch addresses all of the senses.

The head gardener who usually leads the tours was away at a conference - I think he was receiving an award - but I could have listened to the ecological specialist (handsome Enrique), for hours. He seemed lit from within as he explained his approach to – and his obvious joy in, and love for - organic farming. His talk had me enthralled, and made me want to learn more.

On the hike back to the ranch, we saw the same landscape, but in a different light. The ranch has a way of inviting one to see many things in a new light. 

In response to a question in yesterday's comments about the labyrinth, here are a couple of links to more information:  

Rancho La Puerta's page

Chartres Cathedral's Labyrinth

Springtime Miscellany

Ah, Spring - how I love thee! - almost as much as I love summertime. The colors, the breezy days, the puffy white clouds in the deep blue sky, the new growth & infinite shades of green...Springtime, your riches are a gift after the deep grays of winter in the Pacific Northwest.

Last week, I was felled by a one-day flu bug. I spent the entire day in bed, and slept for most of the 24 hours it held. The following day, I was up, but moving more slowly than usual. Then it was time do some work for the guild (deliver quilts to Tracie for the hospital; Lucile & Noble delivered quilts and picked up donated fabric; I gave an informal presentation to 3 ladies in the neighborhood) and attempt to work out some kinks in the publishing business. I signed books at Liberty Bay Books, picked up knitted blankets from their group for the hospital, and took care of some business at the post office.

On Friday, I went for a walk with Reba and Robin, two women who I would not know if our children hadn't died - but who I am glad to know in any case. We had a cup of coffee afterward and got caught up on more news. One item that came up was the fact that Robin does some volunteer work for Field's End, a local writer's community. I've looked at their offerings before, but felt much too shy to attend. Well, Robin mentioned their next workshop, and suggested that Reba and I might want to sign up. The result is that we are all going to be there, and I am alternating between nervousness and excitement. What a blessing, to have such a community right nearby!

After that, I drove north to Hansville, to the home of Heidi's mom & dad, Lila & Gary. We have relatives in the town of Hansville, and it is a place of great natural beauty. Lila & Gary's house sits atop a very high bluff, overlooking a stupendous panorama of Puget Sound, the Cascade Mountains and Whidbey Island. It is a great place to meet friends for lunch and a lesson in how to make real Norwegian lefse. (Don't know what lefse is? Follow the link and you will find out.)

As regular readers here will know, Poulsbo is known as "Little Norway" because this area was settled by Norwegian immigrants - and many of their descendants are still here. Gregg is descended from some of these hardy, stoic, loving people, and so is Heidi, so when our friend Suzanne purchased "A Lesson in Lefse with Lila" at a charity auction, it promised to be not only authentic but great fun. FUN is part of the deal when you do something with Heidi and her family!

Emily, Heidi, Heather, Della, Suzanne & Lila

We ate a delicious lunch, chatting and taking in the view, and then we gathered around Lila to watch and learn...and eat. We ate Lefse Friday afternoon until we had no room for anything else - not even for dinner. Thanks, Suzanne, for allowing us to tag along on your auction purchase!

Saturday was "date day." Gregg and I decided to take a long walk somewhere, but where? His choice was to take the ferry to Seattle and walk around the city. That's exactly what we did - for about 6.5 miles! It was like being tourists in our own back yard - the kind of thing we love to do on trips out of town, but applied to our own nearby city.

We walked up from the waterfront to Capitol Hill, where my parents both grew up. We stopped for a chai latte and sat in the WELCOME sunshine together. This was the first day that the temperature has broken 60 degrees since last autumn. Aaaaahhhh!

Then we hit the road again. We walked up to a busy street called Broadway, which is now a very colorful neighborhood hub, and we saw lots of local color there. We then took a side street through a residential area, known for its beautiful, traditional architecture. We ogled the houses and the view to the west, enjoying crocuses and other signs of spring in the neighborhood. We turned at historic St. Mark's Cathedral, crossed to the other side of the neighborhood, and found ourselves walking past Lowell Elementary, which my parents both attended, and the old Anhalt-designed apartment buildings, known in Seattle for their architectural flair (my dad and his family lived in one of these when he was a boy). Gregg surprised me by noting the many Dutch Colonial-style that houses we saw, identifying them by their roofs. I wouldn't have guessed that he knew about this - he is full of surprises!

We walked down Denny & Olive Way to the R.E.I. flagship store, where we browsed for a while. Then we walked to Tutta Bella (authentic Neapolitan pizzeria) right on time for happy hour, and enjoyed a small pizza & beer (for Gregg) and wine (for me). After happy hour, we walked to the new Nordstrom Rack (recently re-located) and shopped a bit (their new shopping bags say "score" on them, for good reason). After that, we took a saunter through the Pike Place Market as it was closing down for the day, down Western Avenue and back to the ferry terminal. We rode over to Bainbridge Island as the sun was setting behind the Olympic Mountains, and walked from the dock to our car.

To round out the day, we stopped at our favorite pub, the Harbour House, for a little snack. While Gregg was parking the car, I ran into our nephew, Joey, and his girlfriend, Shannon. They just happened to be down from the Mt. Baker area, staying on a friend's new sailboat for the night after a shake-down cruise. We invited them to join us for a nightcap and we had a blast getting caught up with them.

I love being a tourist in my own back yard! Do you ever do this in your home town?

Art & a Weekend Vacation

I love this quote. Calligraphy and painting by our friend, Gerry Fulton

Well, it felt like a vacation, but it was really just a good weekend.

It started with a relaxing dinner out with my parents on Friday night. After dinner, we stopped by the Bargain Boutique to see the display of Katie's Comforters Guild's three quilts, which will be up for auction soon.

Gregg and I have been talking about exploring our state's capitol city, Olympia, for nearly a year now. We stopped there with that intention last year, when we were on our way to Portland, but it was raining buckets that day, so we decided to try again in better weather. The day we chose was Saturday, and it turned out to be a great choice.

We started by driving the "back way," down Highway 101 on the west side of Hood Canal. Hood Canal is really not a canal (it was misnamed back in the day, just as Poulsbo was supposed to be named Paulsbo). Our first house was on northeastern shore of Hood Canal, and we love the area.

We saw lots of farms, and fall colors starting to appear in the deciduous trees; we passed oyster farms and stopped at the Hoodsport Winery. It's a little place which you might miss, if you were in a hurry, but we didn't, because we weren't in a hurry - the point of this trip was to enjoy the ride and all of the sights. We tasted three of their wines, and purchased a bottle of dessert wine (which we plan to serve tonight to our parents, with apple-peach cobbler).

Back on the road, we connected with I-5 and found our way to the downtown area of Olympia. Parking is free on Saturday - yippee! - and they were having an ArtWalk. It was the perfect day to visit - not too hot, sunny, and the locals were out in force. There were street vendors selling all kinds of art, clothing, and food, craftspeople making metal sculpture and paintings, a farmer's market, live music (LOUD) and many fascinating-looking people, artfully dressed.

We walked all through the grid of downtown streets, made our way to the waterfront and savored the boardwalk's views and investigated antique shops; after a couple of hours of walking, we sat down to enjoy a glass of wine, a beer and hummus plate during Happy Hour at a pub/restaurant. We had a great table from which we could view the street scene and all of the passersby, which was fun, but we had one of the most inhospitable servers I've ever encountered. She clearly didn't know that it was Happy Hour, and acted as if she was irritated to have to serve us. She neglected our request for water, over-charged us for our food and stood by her decision, so she got a very tiny tip, reflecting Gregg's feelings about her "service" (if I hadn't been there, she would have received no tip at all). After that, we were ready to leave town, so we headed back home. It's a drive of a couple of hours, so we stopped for a bite to eat before arriving home - and the service was just right in our local pub. A great date - a movable feast!

Yesterday, we started the day with a refreshing walk, and then worked in our yard. Gregg and I are not avid gardeners. We love our place, but we aren't the types who can't wait to get out and dig in the dirt. So when I asked him what he wanted for his birthday this year, he said "A day of yardwork from Jorge and his crew." We laughed about this - is it a sign of our "maturity" (middle age) that this is his idea of a great birthday gift? In any case, the crew arrived on Saturday and did a great job of pruning, raking, weeding, etc.

Sea grasses and salal cut back.

After our walk and a bit of lunch, Gregg and I decided to do some yard work ourselves. It was actually fun - we didn't do too much, and we had the reward of seeing results from our efforts.

Boxwood pruned by Jorge & co. I removed the mint at the bottom of the rock wall. I did leave two sprigs, because I hate to see it go. I love mint!

I took on the task of cutting back the mint and lavender (both of which I love having in our garden), while Gregg mowed the lawn and cut down a dead vine maple tree. We felt good about our accomplishments, and the yard now looks ready for winter...except for the fact that the hydrangeas are FINALLY blooming - a few months late, but it's SO nice to see the lovely blue blossoms!

Looking down from the deck on the lavender bed. It didn't look good this year, so I pruned the heck out of each plant, in hopes that they will grow back nicely.

We made a big decision (for us) this week, to purchase a painting which we've been admiring for several years. Heather Andersen is the sister of our friends, Heidi & Paul. She is a talented painter, in addition to the fact that she has a full-time job. Heather and her husband Eric have written a wonderful book called "Remember,  I Can't Remember) about caring for a loved one with dementia, based upon their experiences of caring for their grandmother. I highly recommend the book.

We are taking the plunge and buying this painting from Heather:

Painting by Heather Andersen

Since I'm writing about paintings, I thought I'd show you the two which we inherited from my grandparents. They are my favorites of the ones Nana had in her home.

Paris street scene - the sky and wet road remind me of our winters here.
The warmth of color in that flower stall is a welcome sight!

I love this image of the Tour Eiffel and the River Seine. The sky reminds me of the changing nature of spring weather. I had the walls of our dining room painted to simulate this sky.

Lastly, in preparing Gregg's parents' home for its new owners, we had to move some furniture out. I loaned them my great-great-grandparents' sideboard many years ago, and it is now back at home with us, serving as our hall table.

Yes, this belonged to my great-grandmother's parents - I even have a photo of them playing cards, with this piece in the background.

Art is a gift that enriches our lives, whether you find it in nature, in a painting, furniture, a street fair, museum, in a book or online. Through books and the internet, art is freely available to everyone - we don't have to own art to appreciate and enjoy it. I hope you find pleasure in these works of art that have special meaning to us.