Set the Clock Back? No! Forward

It's that time of year again, time to lose an hour of sleep as we set the clocks for Daylight Savings Time. Time to fool the body clock into thinking it's time to wake up an hour earlier. My brain will not be fooled by this clock adjustment. 


Mother Nature is doing a number on us at the same time. It seems to happen every year. The cherry blossoms are out,

the daffodils are in full, glorious bloom,

the clematis is sending out shoots and climbing up its trellis,

even the Asian pear trees are setting buds,

while the TV weather folks keep talking about the possibility of more snow. Nature's idea of a joke, perhaps? Tantalizing us with promises of Spring and then dropping another dusting of Winter snow? I revel in this wild transitional weather, as long as there are a few days of sunshine thrown into the mix.

Neighborhood Thief

This little critter may look cute and harmless, but don't be taken in by his innocent appearance. He's a thief at heart, a bad guy twice over who shows no signs of remorse for his past misdeeds. Oh no, instead he's back casing the grounds daily looking for new opportunities.

I used to scare him with a toy squirt gun, chase him out of the nearby vine maple in the courtyard, away from that tempting suet feeder. It was a hopeless effort of course, but he did learn to scamper away when he saw me move toward the door. Then one day he boldly stole the whole suet block, metal cage and all. No, I didn't catch him in the act, but he was the most likely culprit. The flickers and downy woodpeckers were certainly not suspects.

Sigh. I walked to the Seward Park Audubon Center and invested way too much money in a large seed feeder that was advertised as "squirrel proof". Imagine that, just the thing to confound my pesky squirrel. I gleefully hung the new feeder on the same branch in the same tree as the missing suet feeder. Gotcha, Mr. Squirrel.

Sigh. Now that feeder is gone too. I'm left with a 10-pound bag of birdseed and no feeder to put it in. Damned cheeky rodent! I do have to admire his go-gettum attitude... just a little. Be on the lookout in your neighborhood, I'm encouraging him to move on.

  

Signs of Spring in Winter

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Early Perennials in My Garden


January 15, 2012

February 11, 2012

... and dozens more primroses to add, just because I couldn't resist a few promising days of sunshine.

Seattle Snow

January was memorable for an early snowstorm that lingered on... and on... and on. The fresh snow was exhilarating at first as it drifted down in fat, billowy flakes. The scene outside my window quickly shifted from the usual shades of green to a complex study in black and white. Initially a treat, that blanket of white overstayed its welcome by several days. The downside of Snowmageddon 2012 was snarled traffic, school closures, an airport shutdown and thousands of people living without power for too many days after an ice storm brought branches and whole trees down on power lines. We stayed home, safe and comfortable, with power the entire week. Bored? not really, but I did read a lot, surf online, and cook up a storm (link).

Feet up on the stairwell windowsill, I kept an eye on the hummingbird feeder and played with my iPhone as the snowstorm began. 

I wasn't eager to drive on icy, rutted roads but cross-country skiing became a tempting possibility.

Three resident hummingbirds didn't stray far from the feeder. 

The ivy reindeer needed rescuing before the ice storm hit.

Brrrrrr, this cormorant looks like he could use a parka.

Who Stole the Pretty Leaves?

Last week's sunshine lit up the landscape, spotlighting the neon reds, oranges, yellows and golds of Fall colors in the neighborhood. This seasonal display drew my eye up to stunning tall trees and down to tiny deciduous shrubs. Jack Frost? Nature's Paintbrush? There was color everywhere, right here in the Evergreen State. 


And suddenly, it ended. The view changed, along with the weather forecasts.   

Last week...

...this week.

Asian pear trees changing color...

... and dropping leaves.

Leaves on the ground, snow in the mountains; winter is almost here. I'm not complaining, oh no. Last year on this date (link) we had snow on the ground here at home. I vote to keep any snow up in the mountains until 2012.

An Autumn Walk in Kubota Garden

The view through the entrance gates barely hints at the varied and beautiful landscape inside this park, a neighborhood treasure tucked away in South Seattle. An historic landmark, this mature twenty-acre garden blends Japanese garden concepts with native Northwest plants. Join Hilary and me on our stroll through the garden, decorated in its full Fall foliage.

Wicked Good Temptations

Touring the Theo Chocolate Factory

Just moments ago the box held 4 caramels and 4 ganache chocolates, and then we sampled just a few, sliver by sliver.

Chocolate, dark chocolate, truly good chocolate is absolutely the food of the gods. No, really, don't scoff. The scientific name (Greek) for the cacao tree is Theobroma Cacao and means "Food of the Gods". I heard that yesterday on a tour of Theo Chocolate Factory in Seattle's Fremont Neighborhood. I toured, I ate, and I now I believe... it is indeed the food of the gods!


I learned all sorts of interesting chocolate factoids during the tour, and a Wikipedia article (link) listed a gazillion more for me today. Did you know that chocolate may be a health food, can improve circulation, might fight migraines, could delay brain function decline in the aged, and is a mild non-caffeinated stimulant? Beyond all that, the truly important fact is that good chocolate tastes heavenly. (and Theo chocolate is way beyond good!)


Theo Chocolate production facilities are located in funky, quirky Fremont, self-proclaimed center of the universe. The old brick warehouse at 3400 Phinney Avenue N. looked familiar when we pulled up. I'd been there before... many years before... on a tour... when the building housed the old Red Hook Brewery. Tasting tours are always fun, and how can you top beer or chocolate? 


The company has won recognition and awards for its business practices and fair-trade committment. The chocolate has won local, national and international awards for taste and quality. Oprah included Theo Chocolate on her 2008 Best List. After sampling my way through the entire collection in the retail display area, I agree with the plaudits. Theo produces some amazing chocolate. No, I can't pick a favorite yet, though I'm leaning toward the caramel confectionary dark chocolate choices rather than the chocolate bars. I might have to taste my way through all of the the winter offerings again (and again, and...)

It all begins with the seeds, about 20 per pod, picked from the trunk of the cacao tree.

Hilary smilingly displays her chocolate treasure bag.

I restrained myself and only brought a few items home to share.