I just downloaded 220 or more pictures off the camera. I think they’ve been on there pretty much since the last time I updated the blog. Here’s a few of the best ones…
This was way back in late March. Nicki took Anna and Milo on a picnic to Woodstock Park.
Coming home from the picnic. Anna wanted to try and share the stroller with Milo. Looks like they figured out a way to make it work.
Another sunny day in late March. Anna getting a chance to take her bike for a spin in the sunshine.
A few days later we were here: Jawbone Flats, OR. Population 5 or so (and a few dogs). This is an old mining town located in what is now the Opal Creek Ancient Forest Preserve in the Oregon Cascades. It’s one of the few (as I understand it) lower-elevation stands of real old-growth western hemlock forest left in the state. The forest was preserved in the late 1980′s/early 1990′s by the friends of Opal Creek who from what I understand underwent a pretty difficult legislative battle to get the stand of forest preserved. Some more of the story can be found here.
I used to come to Opal Creek with a Forest Ecology class back in the early part of the century (heh). Nicki and I also made a few trips up there on our own over the years. Now some friends of ours are involved with the Friends of Opal Creek, and they invited us to come visit them. They live up there year round, including all winter long doing stuff like keeping the hydroelectric system running, shoveling snow off roofs, fun stuff like that. I think they got snowed in for several weeks this year. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want their job, but I think I’ve romanticized it somewhat…it look like hard work.
The snow had started to melt when we got there, but by the next morning several inches had fallen. No sound but the roar of the creek(s).
Some remnants from Jawbone’s heyday I imagine.
We got a few nice walks in during the snow.
Here’s a short video of Anna on a walk we took down the entrance road. It was sunny when we left, then it snowed, then it rained. Earlier in the day it had snowed half a foot, by afternoon it was gone. Spring in the Cascade mountains.
This past week my parents were in town. Anna and Milo sure enjoyed having their grandparents around, and I think the feeling was mutual.
For one thing we had a few days of perfect spring weather. We took the opportunity to get out in the yard and set to getting our garden spaces in order. We needed to move the chickens to make way for our spring garden, and our future garden expansion plans. The chickens couldn’t have been happier, as they are now thoroughly enjoying their new patch of grass.
Anna helped out a little bit. In the end though, she ended up wanting to play inside, so she went inside and set up some hugely elaborate game in the living room while we all worked in the yard. You could tell she was happy to have the whole house to herself and to be left alone to do her own thing. We were taking turns going in to check on her, and pretty soon when she heard the sound of someone coming in the back door, she started just yelling out “I’m fine!”.
We got a lot done in 2 short days of work. Got the whole chicken coop and fence moved and a big garden of spring veggies planted. When it starts to get a little warmer, we’ll plant the summer stuff in the other remaining half of the garden, and then we’ll fill in late summer and fall/winter crops as the spring stuff starts to die off. As much work as it is to move the coop and fence, it’s definitely worth it because the chickens make such good garden bed preparers.
The weather turned a bit to the cooler, rainier side for the rest of grandma and grandpa’s visit, and as a result we weren’t out and about taking pictures as much. One of the days I was at work, everyone else went on this hike up in Forest Park.
We all dyed easter eggs Saturday night, and they turned out great this year. We used a bunch of yellow onion skins for the red dye, red cabbage for blue, and watercress and turmeric for yellow. We let them sit out overnight, the colors came through really well. Grandma and grandpa flew back early Sunday morning, so we had to do our morning egg hunt without them. Nicki had made Anna and Milo little easter baskets with a few special treats and handmade gifts, and they were both pretty excited.
Well, that wraps up the photo tour. Hope all’s well with you wherever you might be.
