Fall Harvest

 The Harvest this year has been more varied than any other year. It has been fun to see trees that we have nursed along for ten years have their first yields.

The first photo has two Jonagold apples pictured. We got 8 total but they are so yummy they are disappearing. The other 3 apples are our harvest from our dwarf Kidd tree. It is a tiny tree that may be 5 years old now. Last year it had one apple. I think the deer got that one. This year we had lots of wire cages around the trees and it made a huge difference.

The Conference Pears are absolutely delicious. They are a later pear and not huge in size but big on flavor.

I wish I had taken pictures of the Gravenstein apples but I was too busy drying them in the dehydrator. We had our biggest yield yet for this reluctant tree, ( one box full). They are delicate flavor, lightly sweet. We will enjoy these through the winter.

No, I don't have a Banana tree but if you ask nicely at the grocery store you can get over ripe bananas for a reduced price. They make great chips, ice cream and banana bread. I also made plum leather from the plums behind the office.

Looking into my cupboard you will see dried Orcas pears, Red Clapper pears, apples and not pictured are  cherry tomatoes dried.

The Champion as always, are the Spartan Apples. We harvested 8 boxes of apples off of one tree. They are not very big but soooo tasty.  I like to think of them as a sleeping beauty apple. Shiny red after you polish it on your pants, crisp white flesh inside. Sweet and tart. Yum. So many to process and too little time! Yes, I will give some away and if I get lucky I might find someone who is pressing cider.

I have been quilting...

Yes, I always seem to be working on something, in my spare time.  This past weekend I went to the Quilt Camp at Camp Orkila.  I had something very specific I wanted to work on and knew it would take losts of planning and concentration.

I had seen a quilt pattern called "Painted Forest" that would not let me alone. I kept thinking of it and how I wanted mine to look like. Still I had not bought the pattern yet. I decided it was time to take the plunge in October. I had another quilt to work on for Angie's Christmas present and it would consume me until I could complete it and get it to the long arm quilter. I secretly hoped I would have a chance to play with at the November quilt camp... But there was no wiggle room at all.  It had to wait.

I got all my fabrics chosen from my stash, cut the different tree parts out and put them each in a file folder.  I decided to try putting one together before camp. It was habit forming. I then realized that they were complex and the more I could get done ahead the better.  I completed 7 trees before camp on Friday. I had 7 to go, then add the extra pieces that make it a forest and join the two halves.

At show and tell I only had one half assembled so I showed it. The next morning I worked on getting it squared up and fully assembled. I love it and am so glad I made it.

I need to tell you the pattern is by Scott Hansen of Blue Nickel Studios "Painted Forest". It is available at Craftsy or through his website/blog.

Barb Griffin and I are holding it up at Show and Tell time...

Half done :)

My Aspen Grove

Second Installment of Margo Visit...

 I wonder if you can see grandpas cat ears on his hat?? This dreamy look is Mo stroking the soft feathers on her cheek. She Loves This!

 Margo is having her first swim lessons, and she is soooo cute  going after the Rubber Duckie

 Just having some fun with Grandpa

 This is her first set of wheels and she is lovin' it!

 Grandpa and Margo at the Nature Center inside of a cool tree.

 Amateurs with a Selfie Stick! This was very cool and I will use one of our shots for Christmas Cards this year.

 Mo showcasing one of her many leaves found and saved at the Nature Center.

 This is a shot I got after being home. Taken at church behind the family center.. looking toward Crescent Beach and the yellow aspens. Look in the top of the lone pine to see the Heron that was resting! Beauty everywhere.

Our Margo Visit...

Well, it was named Margo on our flying Itinerary... but really it was a Family Visit. And I have so many pictures that I will have to spill them over a little at a time... Let's get caught up...

 First of all the backyard was awesome. What a cool swingset and great fenced in area with nice trees and a workshop for Daddy. The weather was so nice, lots warmer and drier than home.

 But Mo loves books too and boy did we have some fun reading them. She rarely tires of them and so there is always fun to be had.

 Grandpa had fun with Mo on his iPad.

 Barb and Margo getting dressed up for fun! We had gone to Mo's preschool for Trunk or Treat that morning... I can see her candy Jack o Lantern on top of the grandfather clock!

 Liz and Margo having a bit of a rest from all the Birthday activity. Margo needed to get rested for her birthday cake.

 Smooches from Nana

 This is Mo as a Jaguar at Trunk or Treat. It was a very fun time of parading with other preschoolers by the trunks of decorated cars and getting treats.

 Sukey did not want to be left out... Well, maybe she did?

 Margo LOVES her DADDY

 All the Grandparents and Grandkids. So hard to get everyone together and looking the same way.

 Happy Birthday to you....Barb starts us singing

 Margo has not a clue. She is not a grabby baby with food.

 So the best way to let her eat cakes was in small bitty bites. It was so cute to see her Orange tongue from her "candy corn cake" that Mommy, Daddy, Mo, and Grandma made.

 Trick or Treat later that evening. Daddy dressed up like his next door neighbor, Mo the Jag and it was a fun neighborhood event with many small contained bonfires and happy neighbors.

MY SISTERS CAME TO THE PARTY! Can you tell I was excited. It need to last so much longer than an afternoon visit. Ellen, Bunny, Rick and Colleen and I went out to Solomon's Island to look at gift shops, sip coffee and stroll our day away. I know Rick has other photos so I will have to get my hands on them but this is a start.

The Tulip Festival: A Pallet of Beauty and Color

 We have lived in the Pacific Northwest for over 25 years now and today was the first day we left the island, on purpose, to Just Go to the Tulip Festival.

 I remembered feeling sad last year that we had missed it. It is easy to get too busy to take time for rest and BEAUTY.

 There were lots and lots of people there. Tons of parking and lots of space to spread out in fairly quick once we got inside.

 Angie was able to join us and I know she enjoyed all the gorgeous colors and varieties like we did.

 Angie said that the purple grape hyacinths are supposed to be the river flowing through... lovely.

 I fell in love with all the different pinks.

 Some looked like star shaped roses.

 The endless rows

 One color to the next

 Just a bloomin' rainbow.

 It was impossible to pick favorites after a while.

 Rick loved the "fluffy red ones".

 This is a beautiful area with the mountains in the background.

 sneak peak

 Ooohhh the salmon color

 The doubles looked like peonies.

Hope you enjoyed your mini glimpse of the 2015 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. You can order bulbs too. I got 3 varieties that will be shipped to me in November.