Fall Haze

At the last full moon, at the end of September, I took Dale up to the top of a hill where he'd never been before. On a clear day, there is a great view of Post Falls, the surrounding farm land, and the Spokane River rimmed by mountains.

Smokey Evening, Full Moon

 But that week, the entire valley had been very smokey from the fires burning in central Washington. The view from the top was not so far-reaching ... but beautiful in its own way.


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Recipe

One plant

Window

Open blinds

Add light

 
Autumn Morning

Changing Light

I looked out the window to the back yard. 

The sun, setting in the west, 

 was reflecting on the leaves of Ashley the ash tree. 

 
The Sun Sets on Ashley

Jeanne, my 27 year old daughter, planted this tree
when she was in elementary school.

Ashley struggles to get enough sunlight 

amid the tall pines and the maple that surround her.

But this evening, she is the star.

Her changing colors caught the sunlight

and her beauty shone.

Jeannie, this one's for you!

Bread Experiment

Know what this is? 

An experiment in "baking" bread.

Or, in this case, rolls made from frozen dough.

I learned from the LifeHacker website

that it's possible to cook bread dough in a crock pot.

So I tried.

I had some rather old dinner roll dough in my freezer. 

So old that I wasn't sure it would rise.

[It barely did]

But it was enough to try in our small crock pot.

I had it in the crock pot on the high setting for a bit over an hour. Too long ... but I got distracted and forgot about it until I could smell it.

Yum.

I wanted the top browner, so instead of putting it under the broiler as suggested, I just flipped the rolls over and let them brown in the crock pot.

They tasted pretty good! Fun little experiment.

I'll probably try a full loaf in my big crock pot later.

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Anomaly

Can you see this?

I have a single very odd

wonky long eyelash.

Weird, huh?

( And no shame about pointing it out. :: giggle :: )

 

 

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Lingering Blooms

The geranium on our front porch is in bloom.

Vivid Geranium

We won't see many more of these flowers this season.

The nights are fairly crispy cold now.

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Approaching Storm

September 10, 8am

Flat pearl sky hovers over the deck
Low breezes rustle ivy, rattle mini blinds
High winds sway pine tips above East Hill
The pitch of a passing street sweeper & heavy gusts conjoin,
          a muted rumble chasing through woods
Chin raised, I detect the aroma of tomatoes
          ripening in their pots
While thick air swirls, raising goose bumps
I don my fleece sweater
          and taste the approaching storm

Garden, Fall

Changing Seasons

Fall is in the morning air.

Harvest is near in north Idaho.

 
Granny Smith Time of Year

Apple of My Eye

Jodie LOVES pie.

True. True.

I taught her to make this family favorite in January, 2009. It's a  Dutch Apple Pie baked in a parchment paper envelope.

 
Dutch Apple Pie

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm


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Pic from the Past

In scanning through some photos from a trip I took to Connecticut in 2008, I found this gem that I've never published. I don't know the name of this flower. Can anyone help me out?

 
Pop o' Color

I just love the orange and the pink together. If nature can do it, why can't I!

[click image for larger view]

Boise Isn't All Bad ...

Sunset Over Boise, Idaho

I took this photo in March 2011
I was on a solo trip to Denver, CO to visit my oldest daughter.

[click for larger image]

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At the Farmer's Market

When Dale and I visited Jodie in Corvallis, OR last May, we went to a Farmer's Market down by the Willamette River. It was a feast for the eyes. I especially loved this display of fresh carrots among the leafys and the greens.

Cascade of Carrots

Just Out of Bud

Again, from a neighbor's yard last Spring.

The magnolia tree was full of buds.

A few just started to open.

 
Steely Magnolia

It's all form and shape and texture and shadow.

[click to view larger image]

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Botanical Walk

My neighbors have the most beautifully kept yards and the greenest thumbs. I captured this photo last month on a stroll through the neighborhood.

Pink Hydrangea

I Love This Man

But don't tell him.

I'd hate for him to get a swelled head.

Dale Davaz
The Best Man I Know

She's Back ...

After having my new DSLR camera for over a year and a half, I finally found the courage to take it out for a spin today. I only used automatic settings, and even then I had trouble figuring out how to take pictures. But I did manage to get a few. Here's my first.

Red Bug

I'm pretty proud of myself.


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Snapshot of My Day

Outside my window...
The soft end of a summer’s day

Bees suspended in the trap’s liquid

I am thankful for...
Black cohosh

Reduced hot flashes!

From the kitchen...

The aroma of meat balls

Simmering in spaghetti sauce

I am wondering...
If the neighbor boys will tire of their pogo stick

Before I go insane this summer with the constant bounce

I am wearing...

My soft fuzzy pink robe

My wedding band

I am creating...
A peaceful home

A pretty yard – weeding done today

 I am reading...
Always Room for One More

 a children’s picture book

The Wisdom ofMenopause

 a great reference guide

A Single Thread

a novel set in a New England quilt shop

   

I am hoping...
My daughters and I get along with each other

When they’re visiting next week

I am hearing...

Pogo stick bouncing, pogo stick bouncing
Pogo stick bouncing, pogo stick bouncing

Around the house...
An air of peace

Dale’s calm mojo permeates

One of my favorite things...
Geocaching! Love the treasure hunt

I can’t seem to get enough of it lately

A few plans for the rest of the week...
Set up the air mattresses for my daughters

Clean out a flower bed and get the soil ready for new plants

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Sunday Secrets: June 24, 2012

This particular secret hits very close to home.

 Sometimes my stitching is

 the only thing that helps me stay centered.

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. I find it to be an insightful sociological experiment.

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At the Farmer's Market

My sweet husband and I took a vacation in Corvallis, Oregon last month where we visited with our college student daughter, Jodie. (Go, Beavers!) On Saturday morning she took us down by the Willamette River to the local Farmer's Market.

Among other delights for the eyes and taste buds, we saw oodles of fresh flowers. I liked these.

 
Bucket o' Buds

I'm not much of a gardener or plant identifier. Are these peonies? I just love the color combination of the clustered buds, ready to burst into bloom.




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Bouquet

Tulips

[click photo for larger image]

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Going through some old photos ...

Boardwalk - Lake Coeur d'Alene

This photo, all shades of blues and browns, was taken on an April day in 2009 when Jodie and I decided to take a walk on the boardwalk at the Coeur d'Alene Resort on the shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene.

You can tell it's early spring because the boardwalk hasn't yet been cleaned up to welcome the summer tourists. Winter's murk lingers at the edges. There's still snow in those southern mountains, and the lake has the steely color of the chill melt.

It looks fairly calm here, but by the time Jodie and I rounded that far bend, the boardwalk was riding slow rolling waves as the wind nudged the lake awake.

[click photo for larger image]

Spring Runoff at Post Falls

The Spokane River is running high right now, as the snow melts in the mountains. The floodgates at the dam are open and Post Falls is roaring through the canyon. Julie and I made our annual pilgrimage to feel the roar.

The Mighty Roar

 Post Falls are L-shaped, and dammed by the local electric company for power. It's a bit tricky to get pictures of the entire falls when standing on land.

Top of the Falls

 If you were to go over Post Falls in a barrel, this is the view you'd have right before you fell off the cliff! That barrel idea? Not recommended!

Roiling Water

 As the river tumbles over the cliff and into the rocks, it churns and crashes and growls with incredible force.

Mist Rising

When the Falls meet the bottom of the canyon, the mist rises in the wind, washing the southern wall and watering the trees on the bluff.

[click photos for larger image]

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Night at the Needle

 We thoroughly enjoyed our evening at the Space Needle. Here's a photo Dale took of me and the downtown lights of Seattle.

Overlooking the Seattle Skyline

And another of the Space Needle, lit up from below. There's no retouching on this photo ... straight from the camera.

Reaching for the Stars

 

[click photos for larger image]

Seattle Vacation

Last week Dale and I were on a vacation. We spent some time in Seattle, hanging out with Dale's brother and nephew, the Washington state governor, a senator, a congressman, Dave Matthews, and the leader of the free world!

So, OK. We didn't get to rub elbows or shake hands with the political elite. We were in the nosebleed seats. But we still had a great time at the political rally. Dale and his brother hooted until they became hoarse. We're now starting to gear up for the Fall elections.

It was also fun to spend some time playing tourist at Seattle's hot spots. This was the view from our hotel room.

Space Needle

We went up to the observation deck of the Space Needle late in the day. We watched the sun set over Elliot Bay to the west, and Seattle light up in every other direction. The weather was glorious during our stay and the view was spectacular!

[click photo for larger image]

Standing Alone

In a bouquet of a dozen and a half tulips

dressed in yellow and orange

stands one adorned in purple

Lone Beauty

stunning in the evening light.

[click photo for larger image]

Lake Critter

Walking along "The World's Longest Floating Boardwalk" 

on Lake Coeur d'Alene, I spied a ...

Bug on the Boardwalk

[click photo for larger image]

Aging

Now and again I go to the beach

where Lake Coeur d'Alene dumps

into the Spokane River

Knot at the Beach

to sit at a weathered picnic table

and ponder

the big picture and 

small details

[click photo for larger image]

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Tender Mushrooms

Sometimes it's good to get down in the grass

on my belly.

Striped Heads, Freckled Bodies

I never know what details I'll find.

[click photo for larger image]

Barkin' Mad

Great texture, this.

Tree Bark

Found on a walk around my neighborhood. 

[click photo for larger image]

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The Eagle

While in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada 

celebrating our 21st wedding anniversary,

Dale and I spent an afternoon at Lakeside Park.

Eagle Totem

It's a beautiful place on on the shore 

of the West Arm of Kootenay Lake.

Among other sites, a towering totem pole.

I took this picture of the eagle by

 holding my phone's camera tipped over my shoulder.

[click photo for larger image]

With a Single Stroke

It seems like the sun came out

and with a single stroke

painted the town in whites, pinks, yellows, oranges

Color Me Blue

and baby blues

[click photo for larger image]

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Deeper in the Wood

Further down the path at Kiwanis Park

the trees are budding

White Bud

Pops of pink and white

amid the pine

[click photo for larger image] 

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Stump

I took a walk on a back trail

through Kiwanis Park this afternoon.

Mossy Stump

There are wonders in the underbrush.

[click photo for larger image] 

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Must Be Raindrops

A big wind and rain storm blew through the valley

in the middle of the night.

Jewels from the Storm

Raindrops clung to the rim of the 

table on our backyard's deck

glimmering in morning light.

[click photo for larger image] 

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Idaho Green

I took this photo last summer ...

Pastorale Portrait

It's finally starting to look this green again. Hooray!

[click photo for larger image]

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Idaho Wildlife Area

This has been the most glorious weekend in north Idaho! Dale and I had a great balance of working and loving and organizing and playing in the dirt and eating yummy food and watching a period-piece BBC series and riding the backroads in the convertible. We also did a little geocaching while on the road.

We decided to find the cache hidden in the woods near the shore of the Pend Orielle river, just east of the small town of Priest River. G.Twigs went with us. That crazy giraffe decided to check out the gunshot holes on the sign.

It was a gorgeous sunshiny day in the upper 70s -- the warmest day of 2012 so far. The sky was so clear we could see the mountains on the Idaho/Montana border. Here we are on the north shore of the Pend Orielle River, looking west toward Priest River.

Here, we're looking east upriver. If you keep going this direction and you'll find Lake Pend Orielle.

We didn't see a lot of wildlife on the refuge today. It was mid-afternoon, so not prime feeding time. But we did see evidence of waterfowl. In a shallow depression on the rocky shore, we spotted this goose egg.

 This is as close to a goose-egg that we had this weekend. On a scale of 0 to 10, this weekend rates a 9.98!