The witch hits the road back to the big city this morning. Have a fun and safe holiday!
Witch, witch, where do you fly?
Under the clouds and over the sky.
Witch, witch, what do you eat?
Little black apples from Hurricane Street.
Witch, witch, what do you drink?
Vinegar and good red ink.
Witch, witch, where do you sleep?
Up in the clouds where the pillows are cheap.
Witch, Witch, By Rose Fyleman
They held a Day of the Dead celebration at Twisp Works yesterday with candles, singing and music. People made a shrine with photos and remembrances of loved ones recently lost.
Seems like there is always something going on in this community. I walked by on my way to the house last night but didn't stay long. It's been very cold although sunny, with the low October sun right at blinding eye level.
Needless to say, Halloween is a big deal in Twisp and great excuse for a party, with one street in particular the destination for trick-or-treating and bonfires. The kids are excited and lots of planning always goes into costumes.
Maya and her best friend Kate are dressing up as gruesome zombie dolls. I'm not sure about Nova. I always seem to miss the actual holiday here which is a shame. I'm going back to Seattle tomorrow to hand out candy to big city kids. As long as I can stay awake.
This afternoon I'll probably sit outside by the river and watch the leaves drifting down one more time. Then carry the beach chairs up to the garage before they are buried in snow. We still come occasionally through the winter, but it obviously depends on the weather and driving conditions.
One thing I'll say about our beavers is they are quite tidy creatures and cleaned up after themselves. At least they use what they kill and you can't blame them for stocking their larder. They know winter is just around the corner.
All is well here, although the devil beavers are still busy by the river, chewing down more nice young trees. About the only preventative is wrapping the trunks with heavy (not to mention, ugly) wire, and I don't have the tools, hand strength or inclination for that.
They cut the largest one into neat sections and hauled it off. How? Where? I've never seen a beaver lodge on the Methow River. Closer examination shows they've been working our property for a long time. Most of the old stumps were chewed off, not sawed down as I originally thought.
Anyway. What a moon last night coming up over the river, and this morning, setting behind the mountain with brilliant Jupiter right above. Maya has a soccer tournament today in Omak and I'll tag along with the girls. It's cold, but not a cloud in the sky.
We're headed into the first stretch of cold weather, so I lugged the heavy Jade plants inside from the front porch. One of my fall rituals. It's a pain in the neck to find room, but I hate to see them freeze after so many years.
Now this big boy is another story. It grew so much over the summer there really isn't a spot left to shoehorn it inside.
Amanda loves houseplants and the more the merrier, so I boxed it up to take along tomorrow. Certainly the largest tropical Stag Horn Fern in the Methow Valley. The upcoming weekend looks sunny, cold and clear so excellent driving weather. I have a few fall chores over there before the snow really flies.
There's no good reason to wipe out her little kingdom. Maybe she captures the fruit flies that drive us crazy in the summer. When not patrolling the web, she lives up in that window corner tending her egg sacks. Charlotte is just a common outdoor orb-weaver spider-- nothing like those alarming huge black ones that turn up in the basement in the fall. I'm not so benevolent with those.
This morning I feel well enough again to be on my feet at the Cafe for a few hours. There was a study recently that suggested people who have the bad reactions to vaccines build a stronger immune response than the lucky people who don't feel a thing. Wouldn't it be great if there really was a pay-off for feeling like crap?
Yes, National Baloney Day rolls around again. Once the staple of school sandwiches, now people eat more "lunch meat" which is supposedly healthier. Cold cuts are traditional German food and we had something yummy called ring baloney in Pennsylvania. But my favorite was that dark, wood-smoked Lebanon baloney. White bread and yellow mustard.
So I've had my share of cured and processed meats and lived to tell about it. But honestly, those childhood food memories are often better than the reality when you have these things again. Of course, it's possible that food just doesn't taste as good as it once did.
I'm worn out this morning from that Covid shot and my whole shoulder hurts. I woke up at 3:30 and did not go back to sleep. A cold rainy day with an afternoon nap in order. Hopefully that's the worst of it. Some brave souls are getting 2 and even 3 vaccinations at the same time. I can see the logic but not for me. We go back for our flu in a couple of weeks.
I went to Bartell's Drugstore for the $15.95 little photo. They sit you on a stool behind the counter in front of a white screen, and the cashier takes a quick photo on a cheapo point-and-shoot camera. No kindly Apple iPhone portrait mode.
Anyway, the harsh overhead fluorescent light really highlights all the dark circles, bags and wrinkles. To make it worse, you can't smile for these pictures and now must remove your glasses. People have always hated how they look in passport photos. This new grim faced expression apparently helps the facial scanning recognition. I look like a slightly crazed old lady who just crawled off a long economy flight. Maybe that's the point.
The cashier thanked me for being so nice about my bad picture. She said most people complain bitterly and make her keep trying. With these new mug shot requirements, everyone looks awful unless you have a makeup artist and go to a professional photo studio. You think Taylor Swift got her picture taken at the corner drugstore? I compared it to my old passport photo, back when you were still allowed to smile and wear your glasses and didn't recognize myself. Of course I was 10 years younger then. So it goes.
It wasn't always this way. Most countries initially had no regulations and you could send in any picture, showing what an interesting and nice person you are.
Some examples:
The requirement of a passport for every family member is relatively new. Up until the 1930's, a woman was listed as a footnote on her husband's passport as "Wife of Mr. John Doe."
A chilly and grey Monday morning in Seattle. We're getting his and hers Covid boosters at Safeway to start the week off right.
I'm always surprised when people say they dislike turkey. Safeway had this weird sale on turkey parts a couple months ago so I snatched some up for the freezer. One of those "don't ask, don't tell" bargains. For all I know, the butchers sawed up frozen turkeys from last Thanksgiving.
Whatever. The wings made good soup and the breasts were delicious cooked slowly on the grill, or roasted in the oven like this one served with Stove Top, of course. Sandwiches the next day, and still plenty leftover to make a pan of enchiladas. What's not to like?
Anyway, Friday rolls around again. Some sunshine yesterday, but now we're back to morning clouds and drizzle.
The chore of the day is getting my passport renewal going. Once submitted with your photo it routinely takes about 3 months. And if our dysfunctional government shuts down in November, who knows? No international trips planned at the moment, but then, ya' never know.
Have a good weekend.
Those are Dutch Iris, poking though the compost. They will stay like that through rain and snow without any harm done. In February, things take off again.
It is beautiful stretch of weather for October, typically a wet and dark month. It was 70 yesterday and will get even warmer today. Lovely, with the tree foliage at peak fall color in Seattle.
I'm looking forward to my outdoor ukulele group this afternoon since I haven't gone for 2 weeks, much less practiced, shame on me.
I worked at the Cafe yesterday. Frankly, food service work is pretty dull and it takes me back to those bad jobs of my youth! But I enjoy seeing (most) of the regular faces at the Senior Center. I've also gotten good at the job which they appreciate, so there's satisfaction in doing anything well. Maybe I should find a volunteer gig that requires a little more brain power? But this is fine for now, and they don't mind when I take time off.
Back to our false spring. The "lawn," which is mostly weeds as you can see, at least is green again and popping up with an assortment of interesting fungi.
Thanks for sharing this gem, Wendy.
However, a little digging revealed that despite Mickey's many crazy business ventures, including Rip-offs (disposable undergarments) and Tip-Offs (disposable bra) this restaurant was a prank, attributed to a creative adman.
Filled with inside jokes about Mickey, still pretty darn funny. On a day we could all use a smile.
Anyway, speaking of pasta, many a can of this old staple...
Nope, no pasta here tonight-- teriyaki pork and brown rice.
High up above the valley floor at Amanda and Tom's property, looking down on the river is one of those "ah-ah" moments. From that viewpoint, it's obvious the entire valley is just a massive flood plain, and the benches lining the valley sides are old high water marks. I was there with the girls on Saturday, and picked up a perfectly smooth river rock from what was once an ancient gravel bank.
Anyway, we enjoy watching a Northwest geology series called Nick on the Rocks. It was originally broadcast in short segments on our local PBS station. It's now available on YouTube and Nick the Geologist is entertaining and informative. Nothing like geology to put us puny humans into perspective.
I'm back in Seattle, after a lovely drive yesterday over the North Cascades Highway. Sometimes you just get lucky-- sunny skies and peak fall colors in the high mountains.
It was fun but somewhat of a hectic visit (what's new?) and Twisp was really hopping on Saturday between the farmer's market, a gallery opening and a block party for the new Room One Community Center.
The girls were busy with friends and activities, but I got some on-on-one time with Nova, driving her to the ranch for chores and riding Saturday morning. I gave her her my old riding jacket and leather half chaps so scored some points there. I sure got a kick seeing her decked out in my old attire.
A picture perfect Methow Valley fall day. We didn't do much-- met with our nice new snow plower in the morning and took a short walk (above) with Amanda at the Salmon Recovery Pond restoration area just outside of Twisp.
In the afternoon, John and I drove to Mazama then stopped at the fancy store for an ice cream. Mazama is turning into a mini Jackson Hole. Well, not exactly, but much more posh that it once was. The fall colors really at their peak in the North Cascades.
"And the sky is grey. I've been for a walk, on a winters day."
Not quite yet, but the season certainly changed overnight. As you probably guessed, I'm in Twisp. An opportunity came up for a short visit and John is also driving over today to spend 2 nights. I didn't see Amanda at all last time I was here.
On Friday, she heads to Gonzaga University, 230 miles east, for a weekend of in-person testing. Then she's back to Pt. Townsend next week, the same travel distance west, to work away on those clinical hours she needs for the degree. To say this is a big accomplishment is a real understatement.
Anyway, this family is so busy we feel lucky seeing them at all. It's sometimes 7 pm by the time the girls finish their after school activities and get home. Nova is really active with the riding school which she loves, both taking lessons and helping the instructor with the kids. Maya has dance class, soccer and I'm not sure what else.
All good stuff, but as you can imagine, the logistics of getting everyone where they need to go is pretty daunting.
Eleven candles on the cake for Maya!
Some joyful pictures on a weekend of horrible international news.
Today is Indigenous Peoples’ Day, officially proclaimed by the White House. Although, I think it was invented in Seattle? Even Columbus, Ohio no longer observes its namesake's holiday.
Some Italians still argue that Columbus Day was intended to celebrate their heritage, not glorify a greedy, clueless exploration.
We went to the Symphony on a strangely hot October day. It hit 80 in places on Saturday, a record. Traffic was heavy downtown and people were out enjoying the last summer hurrah. Everything and everyone seemed frantic for some reason. There's something slightly creepy about such warm weather when the sun slants low in the sky.
Last but not least, our friends Betsy and Paul gave us some homegrown, heirloom tomatoes yesterday. Beautiful.
