Finally!

Rain. I welcome it. And I've missed it. Have I mentioned that I don't like the heat and humidity? I would take a blizzard over these scorching 100+ degree days in a heartbeat. But the rains came today and now it feels good. The heat broke too and it's back down into the 60s for the moment. Yea!

I paddled Tuesday night. I committed to it and then I had serious doubts because the temps were hovering in the extra high 90s again, but I went and I'm actually happy I did. Even though it was a very short paddle down the Rogue River into Rockford, we hung around in the backwaters of the dam and listened to the Blues Series from our boats. Well, until we were driven off the river as the sky turned dark and the wind whipped up, but alas, it was just a teaser and the storm missed us completely.

The attention we drew was kinda cool though. It isn't often that you see 24 kayaks come floating into town and the people on shore were pointing at us and talking to each other, and some were taking pictures. We gave them our best smiles and waved because we thought they might be wishing they were us. I would have been.

Last night I had to force myself to get on my bike and go for a ride just so I felt like I had done something other than play at being a slug. Again, a short trip, but it felt good to ride in spite of the heat and humidity. I rode by the creek to see if there was any water left in it. There was...

Not nearly as much as normal, but it is still flowing. I'm surprised. I don't know where the headwaters are for this creek, but I'm happy it's not dry. Okay, I just looked it up and I'm an idiot...I'm kidding, but I see the watershed for the creek comes from quite a distance and I've been on many roads that cross this creek without me knowing it. Shoot, I'm actually at the end of the stream and pretty close to where it dumps into the Grand River. Guess I should pay more attention to my surroundings. And now, just for kicks, I'm going to print a map and go on a quest to find the different starting points. You know, just because I can and I'm curious. No, I don't mean I'm going to go now, like, right now, but I am going to make that one of my quests.

That is all for now because I must go enjoy this nice cool weather before my thermometer goes bonkers on me again. Next up, I need to introduce you to a new addition to our family.

Hey, as I was proofing this something occurred to me. I have the windows open (finally) and with the moist, humid air coming in, coupled with the wind in the trees and the different sounds in the distance, it's reminding me of Taiwan again. It's weird, I was only there for 2 weeks four years ago, but so many times I get a 'feeling' of Taiwan. I don't know why that is, but it's kinda nice. I have great memories of my trip there.

Making plans.

Picked up a backpack today. Not for me, because I already have a beauty of my own. No, this one I'm borrowing because I'm taking a Little for a 3 day trip on the North Country Trail with a return loop on the Manistee River Trail. Both of us are beyond excited. We have much planning to do and we've only got one short month to get ready. 

My goal is for us to go minimalist with only the absolute necessities because I don't want the boy weighted down on his first trip out. We'll see if we can pull this off. One of my V.I.P.s once told me to put everything I thought I needed to bring into a pile....and eliminate half of it....then halve it again. Smart guy. Plus, I've camped enough to know that I can generally leave most items at home because, honestly, I have yet to take a trip where I've used everything I brought. Even this past weekend I managed to fit all my gear except for my tent and sleeping bag into a regular size milk crate and I still didn't use everything.

This is gonna be fun!

Hey there...

Can I just say, in real simple words, 2012 has kicked my ass and I'm so done with bad things happening in my life! Seriously, I'm not a sad person whose life is full of drama, but my goodness, I've been incredibly sad and full of angst for so much of this year. To be fair, things beyond my control have happened that have given me valid reasons to be sad...Tim (my cat) died, then a month later my dear friend died suddenly, which sent me reeling into a tailspin that I was only just beginning to come out of when we experienced a family emergency of another sort and I was sent reeling again. Then, I switched jobs a month ago and on my second day of work I received a call that my beautiful cousin was on life support and they were waiting until my siblings and I could get to the hospital (2 hours away and I couldn't go until after work) to disconnect. She was 46 and she was that cousin, you know, the one who is everybody's favorite. She was certainly my favorite.When I think about her I can hear her laugh and see her smile...her death was tragic and it breaks my heart still to think that she is gone.

Really? Are you freaking kidding me? Where did all this crap come from? And why was it all piled up in a few short months? My gosh....I'm so done with it. No. More. I'm crying Uncle! The universe can just go away and leave me in peace for the rest of the year. I mean it!

Anyway, all that to say I've been gone, but I am back. Different, slightly wounded and still hurting, but I'm back. I camped by myself Friday night and paddled with friends on Saturday...that helped as it always does. I'm digging deep and readjusting my priorities. That's always a good thing, but I'm pretty good at doing that without this much pain, thank you very much.

So, here's to a more peaceful 2nd half to the year. I pray she's gentle with me.

Crispy Bread

Aye, yi, yi! This is ridiculously good!

The recipe is here, but for conversion sake I offer this:

6 Tbls sunflower seeds

6 Tbls pumpkin seeds

6 Tbls flax seeds

6 Tbls sesame seeds

6 Tbls oatmeal

2 tsp salt (I only used 1)

1 tsp baking powder

100 ml olive oil (flip side of glass measuring cup shows ml)

200 ml Water

1 cup + 2 T flour

Here is how it is done:

- Mix all ingredients and stir until it is a sticky mass

- Separate dough into three equally sized portions

- Flatten each portion with a spatula onto parchment paper

- Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into sizes appropriate to crisp bread.

- Place the breads in the oven and bake them for 15 minutes, or until golden, at 400 degrees Fahrenheit

When they are done, let them cool off for a bit before eating, if you can.

To Be This Girl

You have to be able to go from this...

A soccer playing fanatic in pigtails...

To this...

A dancing princess with ribbons in your hair and on your shoes...in four short hours.

And then this happened...

Her Daddy joined her on the stage and the house went wild. Wow, the crowd was instantly on their feet with cheers and shouts and whistles and hoo rahs...and it went on and on and on. So cool. This girl loves her Daddy...

And we kinda love this girl!

Binoculars

We need them for looking at so many things when we're hiking in the woods. He brings them often, but the strap they came with was a pain, literally. It cut into his neck and scratched the skin whenever he turned his head. Hmmm, I had just the solution.

The fabric is leftover from a pillow I made him a couple years ago. He picked it for the strap without hesitation. That made me feel good. Guess he still likes his pillow. I cut the old strap in half and attached it to the ends of this new strap. It's a simple machine quilted piece that is much softer against his skin.

Ahh, much nicer.

This face.

See this face? Right, you don't see it here very often because he's at the age where he would rather do things with his friends instead of hanging out with his little siblings. I get that, I really do, but that means I don't get many pictures of him either.

 

He can be funny and charming, but he doesn't find us to be so funny and charming anymore. I get why it happens. I don't like it, but I get it. ~sigh~

Still, every once in a while I get a candid shot like this...and it reminds me that photography is really about the quality and not the quantity. Life is too.

I love this boy.