Michael and Jaspenelle

Morning Snapshots

Yesterday afternoon we had a few flakes of snow. I was outside with Damian during it and I have to say, I do not think he approved. His frown of concern was adorable when a few landed on him. With all the economic turmoil in the country (and world,) people seem to easily forget how much we have to be thankful for and how much beauty surrounds us. I do not know much about economics but I feel that a lot of what is out there is fear mongering. I am not trying to say times are not hard, they are, but I feel this has all been blown out of proportion. People are comparing the current situation to the Great Depression. I think that is an insult to the people who lived through those time. Michael has lost a 28% of his 401K since this “crisis” began, but you know what, we aren’t worried. I am certain that by the time we are near retirement and are ready to shift our earnings to more bonds then stocks the market will have rebounded (perhaps more then once!)

Anyhow, I am not economic expert so my opinions on that aside, I thought I would share some photos of my morning. I hope you see as much beauty in the world around you are I do. (I put one of this morning’s pictures in my photoblog, I hope someone can help me identify those unique seedpods.) I actually don’t know what a lot of these plants are so if you see something you recognize, let me know!

This weekend is the Canadian Thanksgiving, so I wanted to wish a wonderful one to all my relatives and friends up north!

Harvest Festival

We went to Beck’s Harvest House in Greenbluff yesterday, this is our third year going out there to pick apples and it is always really fun. Our friends Andrea, Peter, Shannon and Rachelle came along (the photos in this post were taken by Andrea.)

Damian stayed in the wrap most of the time, snoozing, but he was awake for a bit and all happiness (except when he wet himself in his carseat… I would be cranky about that too.) We didn’t bring his potty and he was very unwilling to go in his diaper. We are going to have to start bringing it when we take longer outings. Damian loved the red apples, he loves anything red. I am sorting them today for peeling and he keeps grabbing at the reddest ones.

I love that creepy scarecrow picture. I also love the hat of that kid in the pumpkin patch. Orange for the win! Normally we drive up to Mt Spokane after the festival but the road is closed right now. It washed with the spring flooding and they are rebuilding it. That’s okay though, I was pretty tuckered out between carrying Damian and picking apples.

We picked a huge box of Valstars, Jonafrees and… something else (I don’t remember the name but it accounts for about 90% of my apples… They are crunchy and tart, my favorite type for pies and eating.) I also picked up a case of pluots, they are a plum/apricot cross. (They look a lot like something I called dinosaur eggs as a kid.) I am going to dry or freeze most of what we bought and also make some butter (some of which will be turned into fruit leather.) Oh we also got fresh pressed cider (one gallon of which I froze for mulled cider at Samhain) and two bottles of local wine (one cranberry infused one for Winter Solstice.)

Now to go make some apple pie! (Lots more photos from the festival here! I took some video too but I don’t have it on the computer yet.)

Camping Recap

Imagine this picture, only in the dark, after a long drive down a rocky dirt road with a six-year-old scared that the bears would get her in the back of the van. That would be us on Friday night, driving to South Skookum Campground. Apparently the ranger I have talked to earlier in the day had been wrong about it being open. It closed on Labor Day, which was the weekend before!

Skookum is one of those wonderful secluded campgrounds, you know, the ones without phone reception? Which is awesome, except when you are stuck out there late at night with no way to tell the people who are coming up the next day that it is closed. However, we are a stubborn resourceful group of Pagans, so with a little bit of exploring by lantern light, we were delighted to find the host site was only 200 yards down the road and that someone had left the outhouse unlocked (double score!)

So we hoofed the basics down there (tents, sleeping bags and diapers,) pitched the tents and settled in for the night. Sal played his Native American flute for a time, a beautiful sound to drift off to sleep with. I did wake up three times during the night. A couple of the times were for Damian’s usual nursing and changing^[1] and once was to the sound of coyotes in the distance and something scamper past my tent (possibly a chupacabra or a baby sasquatch…)

The view coming out of our tents in the morning completely made up for Friday night’s misadventures though:
(more…)

Greenbluff Harvest Festival

I just realized we are only a couple weeks away from our yearly trip out to the Harvest Festival at Beck’s Harvest House in Greenbluff to pick apples and celebrate Autumn Equinox. It is a big, though very informal thing for me, most of our friends go and we have always had such a blast. Where has the past year gone? It was around this time last year I became pregnant with Damian, now if that isn’t a harvest gift I don’t know what is!

Damian loves being outside so I am sure he will enjoy the Harvest Festival too. It is a love I definitely want to nurture in him and hopefully over time it will instill reverence for Old Wild Mama Earth.

If you want to come apple picking with us, let me know, the more the merrier! If you are worried about not having the storage space, I have a dehydrator and a canner, we can set up a date a few days after to preserve some of the bounty.

(I’ll get around to posting about this past weekend’s camping trip tomorrow probably, it is all typed, but I need to finishing editing some video first.)

We’re Back

We are back!

From a weekend full of road barricades, disabled water pumps, hiking, lynxes, campfire cooking, music, lots of food, good friends and so much fun. But that is all I am going to say for now since we are worn out.

So we going to take showers, order pizza, watch some Smallville and sleep early. I’ll post more in the next few days!

Gone Camping

We are camping up at Skookum this weekend, see you on Monday! If I don’t post by Tuesday, Bigfoot got us…

Camping Countdown

(Me at Skookum Lake, WA in 2006)

So it is decided! We are going camping up at Skookum Lake on September 5th, 6th and 7th with Shannon and Rachelle. Andrea and Peter might be coming up on the 6th too. I am so psyched!

Skookum is in the Colville National Forest. I haven’t been there since 2006, so it will be interesting to see if it has changed much. I hope not! The campground is perfect, 25 spots, not to big or small, lots of trees (not like those campgrounds devoid of greenery.) There is a trail all around the lake that is wonderful, and then the lake itself of course, totally gorgeous. It is $12 a night per vehicle. The only thing I am unsure of is if there will be a ban on campfires that weekend, but there is lots of rain in this week’s forecast though so hopefully any ban will be lifted by the 5th.

Last time we went, we drove up to Gardner Cave in Crawford State Park and walked across the US/Canadian border, but this time we will probably spend more time at the lake. My swimsuit does not fit so I will be doing the t-shirt and shorts bathsuit thing. Besides that I have no idea how anyone could breastfeed in a one-piece suit.

I am not worried about how Damian will be out there, he loves being outside and we cosleep. We are going to have to bring all his cloth diapers to make it through, and his potty. And we’ll have a bucket if handwashing is needed. On a side note, he will be turning 3 months old while we are there. He was 17-lbs yesterday and 26-inches long, which is the average size of a 6 month old, he is growing so fast!

So, twelve days to get everything together, which more then enough time (too much time!) I am already pulling out and sorting our camping stuff though, as well as plotting a dehydrator meal for Friday or Saturday night. Any ideas? Our dutch oven kind of got left on the patio all the winter and has rust, I have no idea how to remove that… Elbow grease and wire brush? Michael always makes cobbler in it. He is an excellent cook when it comes to camping, must be a boy scout thing.

I can’t wait!

(Blue tarps are a necessary accoutrement for the Northwest camper, but hopefully we will avoid the biggest thunderstorm of the season this time!)

[video] Spokane River

This is some of the video Michael and I recently took along the Spokane River. The first clip is from Bowl and Pitcher in Riverside State Park and the remaining ones are from various parts of Riverfront Park in downtown Spokane. The river has crested though it is expected to stay at or near flood stage for awhile, especially with the hot weather and rain still in the forecast.

Google Maps Street View

Street view is now available for Spokane, WA. I love this Google Maps feature, you can basically “drive” around the city and see it as you would looking at the window of a car. This of course does raise some privacy issues but it doesn’t really bother me, though I did see a topless guy in my friend’s yard…

Next time I talk about places in Spokane, I’ll be able to show you where they are.

Here is some stuff in Spokane (and a couple other places):

• Part of our townhouse complex
• Michael’s Work
• Spokane Midwives Birthing Center - this is where I plan on giving birth
• Beechwood Dr, Raleigh, NC - I think I lived here was I was very young
• 57 S 100 E, Bountiful, UT - Michael lived here a few years ago

As far as I know it is only available for the USA right now, though they want to do it for the whole world. I think it is so cool!

Twelfth Night and Stagnation

Michael and I are going to our duchy’s Twelfth Night celebration today, the duke and duchess specifically requested that we attend… Which is a little weird to me, as we have pretty much been inactive for most of 2007. Still it will be fun, I need to make a dessert to bring and I am really not in the mood for that this morning. Unfortunately they did not have Haagen-Daa Reserve Amazon Valley Chocolate ice cream in the Middle Ages. Unfortunately we do not have any in the freezer at the moment either… *sniff*

This is my hearth altar at the moment. I want to change it up, maybe put some Spring flowers there, I just need to find the energy…

The second Temple Free Spirit newsletter will becoming out Monday. We didn’t get as many submission this time and I wonder if this season affects people other than me. Mid-January to February I feel like all my energy is draining away, maybe filling up those persistent clouds outside, or getting lost in the fog. Then in rains down on me and washes what it left into the soil. Maybe the Earth needs it more then me though.

My doctor wants me to talk to the clinic councilor at the end of the month, which I will, though I really don’t think it will help any. I truly believe it is just the weather getting me down. As soon as the sun returns, so will my energy. It has always been this way. I admit this year it is worse then usual and I am sure pregnancy in amplifying it but I am certain I am not going to go antepartum psychotic though. Just give me back the sun. Maybe that is why the snake has been visiting me so often in my dreams lately, he always comes with the sun.

I don’t really know why I am talking about this particular mood right now. I am not sad or happy, I am just kind of… void. Easier to sit by my daylight (a really bright light that emulates sunlight) then do much of anything else, until I am recharged at least. But if anyone else feels like this, you aren’t alone you know? It isn’t your fault the your energy level currently does not match the height of pots and pans in the sink.

Speaking of which, I ought to make some apple pie… and do this dishes.