The orchard with almost three acres of trees, and not just pears. Get out the canner.
And getting right to work outside...
Maya in front of the beautiful Russian wood stove...
(Going to be a learning curve there.)
And Nica, already a country dog.
Wishing them a safe and quick move to the new home. They need to be completely out of their old one by November 15th for the renter.
Our house is neat as a pin and ready for another long winter, which is closing in fast. Yesterday morning the hills around town had the first dusting of snow.
I walked up the familiar street to Amanda and Tom's house for dinner one last time, something I've enjoyed over the years and frankly, will miss. I sat on the porch looking at the same view of Mill Hill that captivated me when we first came to Twisp about 18 years ago. That long!
And now a new and exciting chapter begins for all of us. I saw their new home for the first time yesterday. The old farmhouse is dripping with charm, and the orchard a wild and wonderful thing to behold.
I don't have time to sort through all the pictures this morning, but here's a teaser:
In case you are wondering, orange wine is a "skin contact wine," made by fermenting the juice in contact with the grape skins, which gives it color.
The pours were a bit strange, including a "natural" Gewurztraminer from a Washington winery called "Savage Grace."
Gewurztraminer is an extremely aromatic grape that can be quite delicious, but they managed to turn it into something that looked and tasted like unfiltered vinegar. Savage, indeed! The Germans would be horrified at what goes on with their grape out here on the frontier.
But all in good fun-- the company you're with, as always, makes the excursion.
And it hasn't been just boozy excursions!
Methow at Home organized an outing at the Shafer Historical Museum in Winthrop.
And something near and dear to my heart: finding aids. These documents are the key to the archives, describing in detail the various collections.
Almost all the work at Shafer is done by local volunteers and historians. Much of the museum's collection of photographs and documents is scanned, cataloged and available online through their website. Impressive.
Amanda and Tom's new home is set to close on Monday, and they had a walk through yesterday with the owners. It was the first time they've been inside the house since that sunny day in August, and there's still much to discover. They are excited and of course overwhelmed. I'll see it for the first time today.
So a new adventure begins just as winter is closing in fast here. They're moving everything (including 12 chickens, 2 cats and a dog) over the next 2 weeks.
This is the homecoming dress I've been talking about. Whew, alterations complete. I'd post a picture of Nova wearing it, but it might crash the Internet. Ha! She is growing up to be a lovely person.
And as the saying goes:
"Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in morning, sailor take warning."
The first atmospheric river of the season is poised to hit the Northwest coast tomorrow. The storm is potent enough to bring rain over to central Washington this weekend and snow in the mountains.
How much snow and at what pass level is the question, but the first snow always seems to catch people off guard. A bad time to be out on the highways. I'll keep a close eye on the pass reports for the drive home next week.
In the meantime, I'm in no hurry to leave the cozy house, and enjoying the last few autumn like days, with the valley covered in golden foliage. All too soon, the leaves will be down and the ground covered in snow until spring.
What a dramatic sunrise this morning. The sun climbs over the eastern hills about 8, although that will soon be an hour earlier, as we go back off daylight savings time. Why oh why, we ask ourselves twice a year.
Today I have a dress to finish,and will make dinner for the crazy busy family tonight. Curry.
I like driving in shoulder season, especially on a fall weekday when there's less traffic on the highways.
The 93 mile leg from Cle Elum to Lone Pine Fruit and Espresso is my longest, so the store is a welcome sight and rest break. Customers are unfailingly greeted with a hello and smile from the familiar sweet women who work there.
Yesterday was still warm enough to sit outside and have a cup of their homemade soup.
