Closer to home

Fall is officially here and I've been busy this week putting up our harvest of apples, sweet corn, and so so many tomatoes. It's always a big undertaking, but there they sit on the kitchen counter staring at me, awaiting their turn. Clearly the pressure is getting to me!

Oh, how I love my apple peeler corer slicer!

Unhusked tomatillos destined for a big batch of salsa verde.

My first time growing cannellini beans. After shucking, I gave them a few hours in the food dehydrator to be sure they're ready for the long haul. I think they're so pretty, they may not ever get eaten.

One of our hens hatched a baby chick a while back and we set them up with their own little coop near the house. It has been fun seeing it grow and interact with mama. Plus, with the hen raising it, we have less work! I noticed the other evening that the hen was roosting about 4 feet off the ground outside the coop, so I started looking for her chick. I looked in, under, and all around the coop beginning to worry. Then I spotted it. Aww!

Ole started preschool again this fall, surely a relief for both of us. He has enjoyed it right from the start.

And more than a month after Ole's birthday, the balloons are still floating in the sun room. It just seems joyless to slash them, but when the heck are they going to sink?

South Beach

We capped off a wonderful summer with a camping trip to South Beach State Park on the coast near Newport. We've been camping nearly annually with this same group of friends since the 90's and long ago we dubbed it EcoVillage. It has changed over the years to include our growing families, but at its core, it's about gathering around the campfire, drinking beer, and laughing. Ole biked, rode his scooter, ran around, and had such a fun time playing with all the kids.

Being three: A study in two photos

Growing like crazy

There have been some early mornings here at One Point Seven lately as I try to fit in garden work before the hot summer sun and the wandering boy make it impossible. This morning I jolted awake before 6 wondering aloud if I'd left the sprinkler running all night. One trip out to the garden in my pajamas later...no, it was off. It's lovely out there early, though, and worth the extra effort it takes to get up early. Plus those green beans aren't going to pick themselves.

Sunrise! Do they have one of these every morning?

Bean pride.

Then I put my new pressure canner to work, putting up many jars of green beans. Truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of plain canned green beans, but I'm willing to change.

Dilly beans are more my style.

My little green bean is growing like crazy, too, turning three this month. We celebrated with a pizza party on Sunday at the pub. I somehow managed to not take one decent photo at his party (I think there was frosting on my lens!), but he had a great time. He was showered with lots of fun new toys and felt the love of his friends and family...success!

Opening gifts with the help of his buddy Wes.

The bean bag toss game I made in a fit of craftiness.

His first razor scooter ride on birthday morning.

Happy birthday, buddy! 



 

Ride, Baby, Ride!

With his prowess on the balance bike, Alex and I predicted last year that our little guy would be riding a big boy bike this summer, even though he's not yet 3. Well, we tried removing the training wheels this week and we were blown away--he rode across the yard on his very first try!

We clapped! We cheered! After a few more rides in the grass and on the driveway, he seemed pretty squared away. But he woke up the next morning and exercised another new skill, "I'm not going to ride that bike," he said, "put the training wheels back on." So now we're in bike limbo, trying not to push, but eager for awesome family bike rides. Maybe our three year old will be less fickle!

Another great day

We followed up Friday's fun with another awesome day on Saturday. First it was to Skamania Lodge to check out their raptor program--I've been wanting to go for ages. This bald eagle was part of breeding program, spent a year free, and was then injured too badly to survive in the wild; it's now part of Raptor House's education program.

This amazing barbary falcon flew back and forth between the two handlers several times, flying so low that the audience was brushed by its wing tips.

Here one of the handlers spritzes water on a barn owl to cool it. I liked seeing the easy rapport they seemed to have.

Alex and I love this kind of stuff. We could have hung out watching birds for a long time, but you-know-who was ready to hit the beach. So we drove on to our favorite beach in Hood River.

So much fun. We grabbed a late lunch at Full Sail and felt the happy, sun-kissed, drowsy, summer glow. We even stopped for a cocktail at the neighbor's house on our way home, topping off an excellent day.

Camas Days

We joined in the fun at Camas Days today and marched in the Kid's Parade with Ole's preschool. This year's theme was rock 'n' roll, so we were ready to rock out. We painted Ole's face and tried hair chalk, but I just couldn't convince him to wear the feather boa, sunglasses, or carry a guitar.

 

Quite a pair, huh? Ole was having none of it.

He perked up after, though, when we visited the shave ice stand.

Sharing a bite with dad. We laughed how he'd open his mouth when giving us a bite...aaaah.

Even rockers like snow cones.

Then we high-tailed it out of there for a quiet picnic above the river, watching a nest of osprey and the boats coming and going from the marina. Good day.