Snow Day

Well since this is what's going on outside. . .

(Wally discovers he can eat falling snowflakes. . .)

Might as well start prepping for Thanksgiving. . .

Later we'll strap on a backpack and hike uphill both ways in the snow to the

other end of the Hill to bring home the turkey.

WIP

After making something like six baby hats and a sweater, I'm really happy to be working with big needles again. This pattern is called Camilla, from Madder patterns, and the yarn is from Quince and Co. The yarn is the softest wool I've ever seen. Can't wait to find out if it fits!

Wally

Kennet got a new camera and took some good photos of the dog.

Colorado: Part 1

We're on the road in Colorado this week- spending a couple days in Steamboat Springs. We drove through Boise and Green River, Wyoming to go straight to Denver, where we spent a couple of days with Land and Jenny in their cute house in Washington Park. Then we headed 45 minutes to Boulder where we got our permit to hike to Arapaho Pass. We hiked about 7 miles, starting at 10,000 ft and getting up to 11,900 at the pass. From the top we headed down over Caribou Pass to Columbine Lake, where we were the only ones camping. It was hot and dry until we got down to the lake, where it was lush and wet, and the quietest spot I've ever camped.

This one is from Harvard Basin, over the weekend. Wally is turning out to be a good hiker!

Ross Lake

Earlier this month our friends Rachel and Amy came up from San Francisco for a backpacking trip. The weekend started with a book reading Rachel gave in Bellingham about her new book. Then we headed up to Ross Lake for three days of hiking and swimming. Kennet brought his sea kayak, which worked out great- he got to do more paddling and less hiking, and we got to bring luxuries like the cast iron pan without having to carry them in our packs. Wally came with us and hiked about 20 miles over three days- not bad for a puppy!

Triathlon @52 degrees= Duathlon

The sprint triathlon I was supposed to do last weekend ended up happening in terrible weather. The lake was 52 degrees, which was 10 degrees colder than the Lake Washington test swim we did the week before. It was also raining and the race organizers were concerned enough about the six people that would get hypothermia that they cut all the swim length in half, which meant mine was supposed to be 1/4 mile instead of 1/2 mile. I was bummed because I had really wanted to push myself to do the 1/2 mile swim, but it wasn't going to happen. Turned out no swim was going to happen for me - I got a sleeveless wetsuit and they told us to seriously reconsider if we had no sleeves. The idea of freezing and then biking in the rain, where you're at speed and it's cold anyway sounded terrible. They set up a duathlon instead so we could do the 12 mile bike and then run 2.8 miles without the swim. 19 people took that option, 12 females including me. I beat all those girls. Does this mean I'm the best girl of the wimps? Yes, I think so, because all the hardcore people probably stayed in the triathlon. Anyhow, regardless of who I beat, I was really happy with my times.

Shelley Stromholt

Age 31 F

Total Time: 1:03:41

Race Place: 5 (5th place!)

Division Place (girls my age):1

Bike Time: 0:37:53

Bike Place: 6

Run Time: 0:23:33

Run Place: 5

That ink is still visible on my legs a week later.

Katie did the swim in about six minutes (she swam at WSU) which if you don't know, is RIDICULOUS, and then passed me on the second lap of the run to come in just before me, even though she swam before she did both of my legs. She's amazing and came in first in her division. Wally and Kennet did good race support, standing in the rain for an hour and a half, taking pics/modeling, and getting us post-race burritos.

Wally becomes a boater

We went to see ducklings today and test out the waters with Wally in the arboretum. We borrowed a double kayak from the UKC and Kennet paddled in the back while I held Wally. He was a little shaky but very interested in the ducks, turtles, and herons.

Summer Update

Well we hear it's summer, but it's not feeling so much like it around here. The weather has been not so great and that thing they call vacation lasted about 4 hours. I realized that our posts are pretty much Wally focused now, but I at least have some pretty patch photos to add in the mix. Here is what we were up to this week:

The patch is going gangbusters. I was away for a week or two and it seems to have exploded.

Beet greens, a new endeavor.

These were nasturtium seeds I harvested last year. They make a nice border between my plot and my neighbors.

These peas got so big and heavy that they broke the trellis. Kennet and Wally are for reference.

The tiny spot of sun in the house

Walnut and Walnut

The stain doesn't quite match the dog, but pretty close.

Spring

Wally has a new perch where he can look out the window. Or nap with friends. He figured out that he can stairstep up there without needing permission, so he has taken over that spot.

A new year at the ppatch- starting completely over.

There are still a few irises and tulips. And a new trellis or two for peas and beans.

More tulips.

A boy and his dog at the dogpark.

California

Here are some belated photos from my trip to San Diego and Santa Monica in February. This is what I was doing when I wasn't in a windowless room at the convention center with 500 other people.

The LA Train Station

The Griffith Observatory

Somewhere down there I saw a coyote, which I heard later isn't that weird.

Janice made me take this at the Chinese Theater.

I loved Santa Monica, mostly because of this.

The Santa Monica Pier.

This is what happens when you use a portrait lens on a dog

2009 in Review

Happy 2010!