Getting Painted

Our house exterior was looking shabby. It had been painted once early on, but hadn't been touched since. We got a recommendation for a paint company from our trusted contractor, and went with it. Sunset Painting did a fabulous job. They took good care of our plants, and also painted the oldest iron railings and the pergola. It feels like a new house!

Choosing the new color. Whole Wheat and Casa Blanca.

Preparing the siding for paint.

The first coat.

The new color is lighter, creamier, and more golden.

The brick color limits what paint color we can choose.

All finished, except for the trim.

 

We've also been working in the yard and I've taken care of a few more things for the pantry. I got a few garden plants started in the window. Squash and cucumbers. They got going so fast that they were out in the yard within a week! I also ground seeded the carrots and planted some cherry tomato plants purchased from the farmer's market. I dehydrated some of last year's storage apples; usually we have enough from our apple tree to last the year out, but last year was a poor crop. This year should be a good one, since the apple tree has bloomed beautifully.

Seedling tray. I removed the heat mat after the first few days.

Ready for the garden.

Apple blossoms.

A very full dehydrator. I use the dried fruit to make granola.

My apple peeler, corer, slicer. A great kitchen tool.

I also got my second dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Russ and I celebrated by getting a free Krispy Kreme donut after our second doses. That got me into the mood for more donuts, so I picked some up with Russ' repaired boots. The shoe repair business we like is across the street from The Original House of Donuts. Other than donuts, our diet has been improving with the reopening of the Farmer's Markets in Tacoma. I've been making a lot of asparagus and mushroom dishes.

Free donut.

Dose number dos.

Creamy spinach pasta with a green salad and wine.

Spring frittata (asparagus and snap peas) with a blue pear salad.

Pasta with asparagus, leeks and goat cheese.

More frittata with a lemon drop cocktail.

Red velvet donut from OHOD.

Digging Clams

We took a spontaneous trip to the Olympic Peninsula to meet some friends and dig clams. We stayed at a county park campground on Oak Bay, just south of Port Townsend. I really loved this quiet, no frills campground. We chose a spot with an electric hook up that backed up to the view at the Upper Oak Bay Campground.

Amazing spot. Lower campground is on the sand bar.

The Cascade range in the distance. Mt. Rainer is out of frame to the right.

Russ picked up our shellfish licenses the day before we left, and we arrived Monday afternoon and stayed through Wednesday. This was enough for two rounds of clam digging at low tide. The first time we got mostly butter clams, and the second round (Russ only) was primarily varnish clams. Our friend Z cooked up the butter clams on Tuesday night on her grill, so delicious!

Russ digs for the butter clams.

Butter poached in shell.

Z dishes the delish.

Like bacon, but clam

Fireside chat.

We got to watch the full moon rise over the bay. Exceptional. We also drove into town to visit the Port Townsend Vineyard tasting "room" which was an outside patio. We enjoyed a bottle of white and then drove further into town to the Port Townsend Brewery and enjoyed a pint. I limited my consumption and took over the driving for our trip home. Tuesday night's fire included s'mores to give us a sweet finish to the trip.

Full moon rising.

Shoes in the beer garden.

Hot sugar with chocolate. Goals.

Russ and I also enjoyed an early morning walk to the Lower Oak Bay Campground. The entire trip felt relaxing. We both slept so well. I'll be glad to take a few more of these quick and spontaneous getaways.

Lower Oak Bay Campground check in.

R-Pod across the pond.

Early morning Oak Bay.

Happy, relaxed people.

Vaccination Achivement Unlocked

I started haunting the appointment websites for our area at 6 AM on the first day we were eligible. No appointments were available. I would retry every fifteen minutes or so, and after about 2 hours, I scored an appointment in our city for the next morning. Just a short while later, Russ managed an appointment about 30 miles to the north, but for the afternoon of the first available day! So we got our first doses. I got Pfizer; he got Moderna. 

All done and waiting my 15 minutes.

Even the tulips know it's time to rise.

A celebratory treat. Fruit and yogurt smoothie.

I almost cried when I was taking the picture. I hadn't realized how much stress I has been enduring. I thought that I was fine, and we were isolating and wearing masks and being careful, but now that we've started the vaccine process, it is clear that I didn't feel safe. I was so scared of getting COVID and then passing it to someone I love.

This rabbit enhanced my morning meditation.

Enjoying outside company on our newly rebuilt deck.

Finally finished (including the fence).

We've experienced a couple of weeks of better than usual spring weather. Like way better than usual, which would be 50 degrees F. It has been in the low seventies all week. Russ really got after the yard work. Everything is ready for summer enjoyment. We have been using our side-yard deck to eat our meals again. It is also a great place for an outdoor visit (with my parents this time). The farmer's market is open again, so I have been excited to get back to some of the spring foods that are now in season.

Chef salad with tofurky, egg, and beets.

Asparagus tart. Goals.

Tart with green salad for dinner.

Baked salmon with dill, asparagus and potato.

I am so optimistic about the near future. Just knowing that in three more weeks, I'll get that second vaccine dose and go out and embrace life again thrills me. We've started making plans.

The afghan on our bed. I made it and usually meditate sitting on it.

Cherry blossoms on the walk to the farmer's market.

Speed Queen and Feeling Fine

Lately I just have this undeniable feeling of vitality filling my senses. The fine spring weather here in the northwest helps tremendously, but I have optimism for an improved future. We've continued to go walking and hiking in our local area, which I enjoy. I've also spent one day a week with my vaccinated parents to do our laundry. We usually walked (they walk every day) while the first load was running. Our dryer stopped working, so I ordered a new laundry set since both machines were 22 years old. I took some time to find replacements made in America to a more robust standard that should last another 20 years, a brand called Speed Queen. Unfortunately, everything is in short supply, so we waited a month for delivery. I did enjoy spending several hours a week with my parents, but I'm glad to have in-house laundry again. 

Mom and Dad with their dog, Chili.

 

Ready for loads.

Delivery team.

 

We walked at Chambers Bay again, and also hiked a new-to-us trail, the Tiger Mountain Trail. We usually do these adventures on Tuesdays. We drive by this one frequently and the parking lot is always packed full. Going out mid-week is the best way to avoid crowds around here. We only saw 6 people all day on Tiger Mountain. It was a beautiful day out with a surprise view of the Olympic Mountains from the Cascade Foothills.

We did see three riders.

Avalanche Lily

Distant Olympic Mountains with power lines.

Chambers Bay's lone tree.

Train, barge, and golfers only.

Our local farmer's market is open again, so I'm appreciating the fresh food that is now available. Last week, beets, arugula, and goat cheese were all there, so I made a beet risotto with goat cheese and arugula. So yummy. It's good to try a new recipe and like how it turns out. The market also provided some salad greens (greenhouse grown), so we ate salad for the first time since the season shut down salads last year. What a treat!

Beet Risotto.

Shrimp and grits with beet greens and broccoli rabe.

Wild mushroom quiche.

The quiche with a blue cheese and pear salad.

Potato soup.

 

Easter felt weird this year. We usually have a lovey meal with family and friends, this year, nothing. But I did take a picture of the colored eggs I bought at the farmer's market. I guess the farmer has several varieties of chicken making a rainbow of eggs.