Catching Up... Mt. Baker Flight

Surprise!  Someone went flying, and it wasn't the boys!  A friend from church invited Kerry up in his private plane, on a gorgeous, if slightly hazy, day last week.

If you're local, you may recognize this spot... it's the fairgrounds, looking very bare at the moment.

And if you're thinking of heading to the corn maze, on Hannegan?  Here's your map ;D
I remember one year they made it in the shape of a cow.  This year? Not quite sure...

And here's our friends' organic dairy farm.  Can you see the cows, out in the field?

It's always good when the pilot appears calm and relaxed ;D

He's a mountain guide, as well as an ER doc, and knew Kerry is interested in climbing local mountains.

We see Mt. Baker from all over the county, yet it looks quite different from above.

And these are the Twin Sisters, nearby.  Not as high, but very rugged.

My favorite :D

Catching Up... Trip to Rainier

Right before we started back to schooling, we took a quick trip down to Mt. Rainier (because nothing says *fun* like driving four hours each way, through a major metropolitan area, on a holiday weekend, to see my in-laws).  Fortunately for the Kerry and the boys, they were able to get in some hiking, while I holed up at the IL's house, prepping lessons for the first couple weeks of home school.

But I'm not bitter ;D

Actually, the boys spent a ridiculous amount of time doing this...

... looking for these...

... and putting them in here, and then releasing them.

But the main event?

Kerry and I did this same hike about twenty years ago, but my memories are a bit fuzzy.  They were headed for a peak that started with "P" - either Pinnacle or Plumber.  Not certain which one.

Pretty sure I don't remember the trail being that steep, but that's the beauty of memories, right? ;D

Wyatt and Tate were always out in the lead, but Gunnar wasn't far behind.

Lots to explore.

Fearless little mountain goats... that's what I call them ;D

It's always a grind, getting up to the summit.

But the views... the views!

That's Mt. Rainier, in the background - the tallest mountain in Washington state, at 14,410 feet.  I know the Rockies are taller, but our mountains start at sea level, y'know?

 Yes, that is my child, in shorts and a t-shirt, in the snow.

This is normal here, as the snow stays year-round at high elevations, even when the temp rises to the 70's and 80's :D

All that (frozen) water, melting slowly through the summer months, keeps everything green and growing.  And combined with the high altitude, it means wildflowers are often at their peak near the end of summer, long after they're finished down lower.

These purple lupine have a delicious, sweet scent.

The reddish-orange flowers in a previous photos are Indian paintbrush.

Of course, rocks must be climbed.
If you look between the boys, just above the rock, on the mountainside in the distance, you can see Paradise Lodge - several trail-heads take off from Paradise, including the main climbing route, via Camp Muir (obscured in the clouds).

Melting snow keeps little (and big) creeks flowing all summer.

It's too much beauty to take in all at once!

Grasshopper Days

Grasshopper Days

For today, Monday, September 24, 2012.

Outside my window...  the sunrises and sunsets have been spectacular lately, due to smoke in the air from fires to the east of us. Yesterday...

I am hearing...  listening to youtube clips of Henrik Chaim Goldschimdt with the Royal Danish Orchestra (Marcello's Adagio) and playing Gabriel's Oboe with the Faroe Islands Philharmonic - absolutely beautiful.  And one of my personal favorites - the LA Guitar Quartet playing Pachelbel's Loose Canon - amazing music, and FUN :D

I am pondering...  tales too ticklish to tell... in other words, things I probably shouldn't throw out to the larger blogosphere, but are weighing on my mind.

I am praying...  still praying for my friend Bruce, my mom's knee, and general family stuff.

I am thankful...  for the blessing of an intact family.  (Want to simplify your life?  Marry before having children, and then stay married.  Just a little tip.  And your parents?  Who stayed married?  You should thank them, for not ruining complicating your life.)

I am wearing...  oh boy.  Capri jeans and a blue t-shirt.  Amazing, I know.

I am going...  to crank out some sewing... MUST.

I am reading...  Island of the Blue Dolphins, Call it Courage, and Torches of Joy with the boys.  Their favorite?  Torches of Joy - the true story of how God's Word came to the Dani people of New Guinea.  Missionaries I've known since I was young worked very near these missionaries, so in many ways the story seemed familiar.

I am hoping...  to be in a more normal routine of schoolwork for the next few weeks!  We've been juggling our schedule to accommodate several appointments and activities, which is great - definitely one of the bennies of homeschooling - but it's time to get in the groove.

In the kitchen...  I'm so thankful to have a very full freezer, and lots to choose from.  Maybe stroganoff for tonight, if I haven't let the mushrooms go too long in the fridge...

In the learning rooms...  Wyatt has a biology experiment brewing in the downstairs bathroom (which has no windows) - four jars of pond water with different "food" sources are fermenting and awaiting his inspection with the microscope, Tate is adjusting to the more rigorous science course he's doing, and Gunnar is just perking along fine :D

Around the house...  I finally got things cleaned up (I kind of let everything go over the summer, when we were outside so much) and scattered some fall decorations around.  I like to put lots of family pictures out (more than I already have) coming up on Thanksgiving because that's what I'm thankful for :D

The Mother Load...  I must not let Christmas sneak up on me!  Must get going early on gifts!  I enjoy it more when I'm not under pressure, and I want to enjoy giving gifts :D  And we have six birthdays between now and Christmas, besides, though I'm not sure all of the guests of honor are going to attend their own parties, so it may only be four.

Noticing that...  it's just so hard to be thirteen, sometimes.

Something fun to share...  more bunny pics coming soon, but in the mean time...

Podger is shedding his summer coat and has two, matching, lighter-colored dot on his ears.

Weird-cute.

I reminded the boys to give the adult bunnies regular attention (and not be totally distracted with the little ones) or they'd get ornery.  No problem :D

One of my favorite things... music.

A Bible verse...  2 Peter 1:3
His divine power had given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.

Everything we need.

A few plans for the rest of the week...  school, school, and school.  May or may not go to "Back to School Night" at Wyatt's HS.  And the benefit would be...?  Choir rehearsals start in two weeks, so I'm enjoying my evenings at home :D

A peek into my world...  I'd better get these before the &@%# deer do.

Young Men

They are changing, right before my eyes.  Muscles popping out all over.  Hairy legs.  Deeper voices.  Needing to shave that upper lip.  New interests replacing old ones.  Taking responsibility for themselves.  (Have not had to 'encourage' Wyatt to get up for school even once yet :D )

They are putting stretch-marks on my mommy-heart as they spread their wings.  Some of their projects drive me a bit crazy, like the Maverick - Moving Armored Vehicle - (previously referred to as the War Wagon) they're building in the driveway.  Other interests I'm more enthused about.  So when they asked if they could bid on an item donated by a friend of mine in a fund-raising auction last July, I said Sure.  And they won.

You've heard of bi-vocational pastors, right?  (If not, that's a pastor who supports himself with another job.)  My friend Gerald is more than bi-vocational.  He's a pastor, a choir director, a librarian... and an award-winning marksman, who donated a one-hour shooting lesson, intended for one person...

which he graciously extended to a two-person, two-hour bonanza of careful, detailed instruction and

BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG.

The boys - Wyatt and Tate - were in proverbial Hog Heaven.

Though they've shot rifles many times with Grandpa Grasshopper, this was their first exposure to hand guns, and they loved it.

That colored gun may look like a toy, but it's a laser - for practicing aim and holding steady while pulling the trigger (not as easy as you might think.)

Then they moved up to a .22 pistol.

And there were more.  Many more.  All handled respectfully and with great care taken not to mix up the ammo.

They couldn't wait to get their hands on the Big Kahuna (I think a Smith and Wesson .44?) - the boys aren't here to correct me.  My young men are off all weekend on a SAREX - a Search and Rescue training Exercise - yay, CAP :D

They started off with some lighter loads, but when they moved up to the heavier loads they realized how much it can kick.  Which is why Gerald wisely loaded just one bullet at a time.  (No misfires with the gun pointed up.)

And it wasn't all BANG-BANG-BANG.  They worked on proper form.

And learned to load and unload safely.

And blasted bowling pins and metal "plates" to their hearts' content.

And came home happy and all in one piece.

I love it.



On a side note, if you noticed that Tate is wearing his ear protection "wrong", it's because he can flip his HA on and off quickly.  On, to hear instruction, and off to let the earmold function as an earplug.  Interestingly, he just took the CI off and didn't need to protect any hearing in his left ear (since there isn't any) but wore the ear muff because he could feel the pressure against his ear drum.

His hearing devices (both) will not amplify sounds to dangerous levels, so theoretically he could leave them both in and on, and probably will while hunting - since actual gunshots are few and far between, and it's rather important to hear environmental noises!  But we try to protect the hearing he has left - especially at the shooting range, where the noise is constant.

Little House on the... ?

1.  Our neighbor is mowing his lawn - no problem.

2.  The washer is in that stage where it sounds like a jet engine, spooling up for take-off -  I can handle that.

3.  Someone in the neighborhood is banging something metal... what?

4.  The city is apparently working on a major arterial, just two blocks over, and has diverted traffic onto our quiet, neighborhood street - fabulous (not).

5.  Public Works is replacing a culvert across the edge of our property, necessitating digging up our driveway, one entire side of our yard, part of the neighbor's yard, and a section of the street.  Hello heavy equipment, dump trucks, jack hammers, workers with loud radios (communication, not music), and vehicles that incessantly BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP whenever they're backing up.  Or just left idling in reverse, for reasons I cannot, for-the-love-of-all-that-is-good-and-holy-please-make-that-sound-stop, explain.

Just another quiet, peaceful day of homeschooling.

Someone Help Me...

This makes sense, how?

TLAPD - Arrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Make Cap'n Slappy and Ol' Chumbucket proud.

Read all about it HERE.

Translate your words to pirate-speak HERE.

Translate your whole blog or website HERE.