Holly Jolly Christmas

We're anxiously waiting this Christmas Eve to see if the forecasted snow (1-2 inches, maybe!) arrives in time for Santa's sleigh. In the meantime, it's getting all Christmassy up in here!

We chose the most beautiful tree a couple weeks back at our usual u-cut place. In classic northwest style, there was a cold steady drizzle, but Ole had a blast running through the pines with his buddy Asher.

The Lucky Lab Christmas party had a goofy photo booth this year. I counted and I've been to fifteen of these parties now...my, how they all blur together--it's good to have a photo reminder!

We made a visit to Santaland to see the Big Guy. I was kind of dreading the traffic and long lines that go along with holiday fun, but in the end, it was a breeze. Ole and I had a great visit with Santa (such a nice guy!) and then met up with Alex for a fun fondue dinner at Der Rheinlander.

And here are a couple more cute kid shots I can't resist sharing.
With the crazy amount of rain we've had lately, new waterfalls are spouting all over. We could see three from the kitchen window!

Looking through binoculars with dad.

We jogged together down the road the other day "for exercise, Mom" and stopped at the overlook to take it all in. He's jumping up and down chanting, "Christmas! Christmas! Christmas!" He's a pretty understated kid, so I revel in the enthusiasm.


Wishing you all a joyous, cozy, festive holiday season! Now bring on the snow....

Icy and bright

It's that time of year again. After many days of cold, sunny, windy weather and a blustery Thanksgiving, the rain moved in last night. Our east facing hill is especially prone to freezing rain so I wasn't surprised to wake to our world covered in ice. The ice was over an inch thick along the fence and on the poor lilac bush near the road.
We stayed home today, of course, lingering over breakfast while wishing for the newspaper. Alex paid bills, Ole built a racetrack, and I made mochas, turkey noodle soup and finally cleaned out the microwave (so gross!), determined to accomplish something today. We also spent more time outside than usual, despite the wind, drawn by the beautiful crunchy coating.

There's mail in there, but we'd have to chisel it out!

I never get tired of looking at our new-old barn.

Little icy stem

Icy fences

Can't stop taking pictures of icy things!



An old rotted tree fell across the yard.



Ole stayed entertained practicing "Ninja moves."

Also fence drumming and thorough icicle breaking.



I feel like this shot should be in a magazine. Too bad I don't have a magazine.

Come on, fruit trees! Hold on!

Um, blackberry, it's December. I do love how they look magnified.

The classic whimsical birdhouse shot.

By afternoon, the sun peeks out and it's starting to melt.

Tomorrow we'll be back to school and work, hopefully without too much sliding and skidding down the hill. Wish us luck!

I nearly forgot to mention that we visited the Grotto's Festival of Lights this week. So many fun Christmas lights! I didn't get a family photo, but luckily we had someone to capture the evening in crayon.

Complete with lights and his bag of popcorn (in yellow)

Autumn in no particular order

Fall is just the best, isn't it? Changing colors, pumpkin spice, and building fires! We had another spectacular pumpkin crop and an endless flow of vegetables from the garden, but the calendar has now turned to November. The warm days have given way to rain, and as we move indoors, there's more cooking and crafts and thoughts about the upcoming holidays.

Hauling in the pumpkin harvest

Phew!

The lineup

School field trip to BiZi Farms

Vroom

Flying south



Rope swing, perfect fall day

Painting amid construction

The Balloon Man at the Washougal Pumpkin Harvest Festival

Park ranger with sword

First figs



New much agonized-over curtains, twelve feet long.

 

Wood shed porch with fresh siding and screen door

Found: wind-blown bird nest woven with white and black horse hair.

Late August

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I've been mired in a few technical glitches: my camera started chirping "Lens Error" a couple months back, and my phone automatically restarted every time I tried to press the camera button. So without any good photos to post, I've let it slide. Armed with a new camera and a new phone, I'm back!
My birthday/anniversary this year was just a lovely day. As I looked back at the photos I took that day, I thought in total they summed it up perfectly.


Arrived home from work Friday to this nice surprise. What adventure awaits?

Woke up Saturday to wind and thick smoke everywhere from wildfires in the state.
 It was very unsettling but we were thankful the fire was not closer.

Tomato season in full swing

Ole has been playing Smash-up Derby since our trip to the Wasco County Fair. I was lucky enough to get a ticket for this show.

Him: It's you, Mom. Me: Yes, I can tell.

Plums, blackberries, and our first (and only!) apples from a young tree.

Goofing around with our homemade rope swing.

New birthday bling.

Out for dinner. Looks like I was really tossing back the drinks!

By Sunday the wind had died down, so we headed to Battle Ground Lake State Park. It was the perfect spot for a paddle and a picnic, followed by a swim.

See? Lovely.

Changes

It has been a time of change around here this week, both sad and happy.
First we lost our beloved goat, Iva, after a short battle with illness. My heart has been heavy with guilt and sadness, but we were quickly faced with finding a companion for Iva's buddy, Milton, who has never been alone. He's a bit of a surly fellow so I searched for a friend who could handle his moods. He's been getting lots of extra attention in the meantime, accompanying us on a blackberry picking excursion down the hill.

Mmmm, blackberries!

Introducing Stella! She's a 2 year old milk goat, a mixture of breeds, and very sweet. She rode home in the back of the SUV like a champ and seems pretty at ease with this crazy place. Also she loves to eat! So far the goats have butted heads gently in greeting, but I'm keeping them separated for the most part until she's settled.

 

She's a first-time freshener meaning she kidded and is now being milked for the first time this year. My goat milking experience is pretty limited, so it has been a learning experience for us both. After my first attempt, I quickly set to building a milking stand.

It'll take some time to adjust to the new routine of 8am and 8pm milkings, but so far it has been great. Her milk just tastes like milk, not the pungent tang I was expecting. I'm pasteurizing it for now, until I feel more confident about my own sanitary practices and the goat's health. She's not producing enough for cheese or ice cream yet, but I'm hoping the boost in grain and regular milkings will up her supply and provide enough for recipe experimenting.
Another bright spot of the week was finding a new home for two of our roosters. The flock of seven baby chicks produced two new roosters, and four roosters quickly proved too many. I posted the two oldest on craigslist, and this nice couple came to collect them.

We have a strict don't-ask-don't-tell policy with chickens we give away, but hopefully they're ruling a harem of hens somewhere.
This hot summer has really given us permission to relax a little more than usual in the afternoons because it's way too hot to do much of anything outdoors. These are the times I will remember when I think back to summer.

Sharing popcorn with Pepper.