Home Again

Happy Halloween,

October has been a traveling kind of month; on the boat, back at home, on the boat,back at home, on the boat... You get the idea. I love being in either location, but I could do without the six-hour drive each way. Why? when the scenery is terrific, full of NW greenery and Fall color, beautiful shorelines and interesting boat traffic. Could it be the alarm clock at 05:30 a.m. that is so annoying?  

Even an early-morning wake up couldn't diminish the dramatic beauty of a Campbell River sunrise on the morning we left.

Then we drove, and ferried, and drove some more.  OK, we did pause for a delicious lunch at El Cazador in Burlington - I had threatened the driver with physical harm if he didn't stop and feed me. And then we kept on driving while it rained, and rained, and rained. 

The flower-filled pumpkin above was waiting for me on the front porch, a UPS delivery that really said "Welcome home." (Thanks, Mom!) Today the sun is shining, the car is unloaded and most of the stuff has been stowed where it belongs. It is good to be home again.

(Small giggle to self over tonight's Halloween math: subtract a very small number of trick or treaters from one bag of Snickers and what's left? Answer: too many tiny candy bars for the freezer and/or me! OMG, how I love frozen Snickers.) 

Gone Cruisin'

We're back aboard Rhapsody, doing boat stuff and having fun. Check out this year's cruising or even cooking at the other sites.

This was the view out the pilothouse port window early Saturday morning. Since then we have seen rain showers and downpours, blue sky and heavy overcast and felt a gale blow through the area. It certainly feels like Spring in the Pacific Northwest - just wait a bit and the weather will change! 


The Grass Project is already a dim memory, now that we're out of town and afloat.

Grass Project Update

A few days ago Ron added more grass seed. Since then we have seen more sun than rain and the daytime temperatures have risen a bit. All good things. In the encouraging warmth of today's sunshine you can watch the grass grow... well, almost. Those vivid green shoots are getting taller by the hour, except in those annoying bare spots where they haven't even sprouted yet.

Patience, besides grass, I really need to grow some patience.

Green Grass Report... sort of

That's it, the new lawn after three weeks of mixed weather conditions. We have seen downpours, windstorms, nearly freezing overnight temperatures and the occasional sunny day that approached sixty degrees. This is Springtime in Seattle, with its notorious "just wait 15 minutes and conditions will change" weather. Skiers revel in several inches of new snow dumped on nearby mountains while joggers run in the parks dressed in tank tops and shorts. Myself, I vote for warm and sunny.

Sigh, I really wanted magic. Instead I have an invitation to develop patience, to embrace delayed gratification, to visualize green. Give me patience... nah, give me green!!

Timing is everything... oh, yeah.

I'm just too disappointed to venture outside with the camera right now, to dodge the raindrops and fight the wind gusts. Perhaps I'm avoiding reality, I really don't want to know what the lawn area looks like until this storm passes... whenever it finally passes. I suspect there are gullies, ridges and new little ponds appearing everywhere and the grass seed is making like boats and sailing away. Or not. What's up with a sudden winter storm in springtime?


Maybe it won't be catastrophic. Updates will be provided... whenever.

The Grass Project

Spring is here! it is officially noted, and even printed on the calendar. It’s exuberant presence is on display everywhere.

Our lone Royal Anne cherry, three Asian pear and four ornamental fruit trees are in full riotous bloom, several weeks ahead of schedule. 

I rescued a huge bundle of trimmed cherry branches to enjoy a fresh Spring bouquet inside the house, but I can't force myself to cut anything else blooming in the yard. Spring flowers belong outdoors (besides, daffodils and the like make me sneezy and teary-eyed).

A neighboring Saucer Magnolia is covered with pink blossoms, each massive flower the size of a large nosegay. Today it presents an amazing seasonal display outside the second-story window in my office, and it offers some functional summer shade later in the year.

Our neon yellow daffodils have begun to fade just as the shockingly bright tulips are opening. Vivid waves of squill and ranunculas light up the flower beds, self-seeding and spreading in random patterns.  Rhododendrons flaunt a heavy sprinkling of buds that are just beginning to open, showing traces of pale pinks and deep purples, a preview of things to come. The weeds and mosses are thriving too.

…and then there’s the lawn. Sigh. It is old and has not aged well, worn out in its battle against critters, invasive weeds and enthusiastic mosses. At one time it was vigorous and putting-green smooth, but lately it has developed wrinkles of yellowing mounds and boggy dips (thank you earthquakes, burrowing mountain beavers, and assorted other challenges). Even the new Spring growth looks tired, a bit ragged and sparse, fighting a losing battle against the massed enemies.

Solution? Out with the old and in with a newly-seeded lawn. While we work to keep the grass seed moist, I will also be working on my patience . I can’t wait to see the first hint of green shoots. C’mon Spring, work your magic on my wannabe lawn!

The Grass Project (my version)

Step 1. Strip off the old sod and cart it away.

Step 2. Lower the humps and fill in the hollows. 

Step 3. Bring in some topsoil, grade for drainage, compact it and level it all out.

Step 4. Apply grass seed and the appropriate fertilizer, lime, and whatever else it takes to encourage a sturdy, luxurious growth and discourage cutworms, moss, etc.

Step 5. Water lightly and frequently until green shoots appear and healthy roots  develop.

Now stay tuned for upcoming Green Grass reports.

Where did February go?

We flew home from Southern California (Mom’s birthday celebration) early in the month, spent a week on the boat at the end of the month, and the middle just went missing. I do remember that the weather was warm and sunny for days on end - Seattle’s annual one-week-of-sunshine-in-February event. Aside from organizing some paperwork for taxes, doing a little yard work, and swimming twice a week, well I just don’t know where those days disappeared. I hope I had fun!

It won’t be Spring officially for ages, but tell that to the bulbs, shrubs and fruit trees. Everything is SO ready to burst into bloom, ahead of schedule, even before our last frost of the season. The blue sky and vibrant plant blossoms are certainly welcome February treasures, and an invitation to head outside with the camera.