kandas-adventures

Sarvey Wildlife Baby Shower

A local wildlife rescue held a "baby shower" at a park near us, and they brought unreleasable birds of prey and an opossum along to do an educational talk.  Above, a Great Horned Owl who had been hit by a car and can no longer dilate one of his eyes.

There were several handlers and each had a wealth of information to share, not only about the animals themselves, but about their habitat, how to protect them, and what to do if we find an injured or baby animal.

The crowd listening was mostly kids, and some parents were better than others on corralling their young children and keeping them quiet.  A few times the birds "spooked" at approaching or squealing children, and the eagle handler got a few bloody cuts across his forehead from the bird's talons, but otherwise the birds seemed content in their role as species ambassadors.

Of course all the birds were secured on "Jessies" and couldn't get far from their handlers.

The "spooking" incidents were pretty dramatic, because you got to see the wildness in the birds, and their amazing wingspans.

There were many tender moments, too.  The handlers and their birds definitely had a bond with each other.

Here the handler tries to calm his bird before putting it back in it's carrier.

In addition to the Bald Eagle and Great Horned Owl, we also saw a Red Tail Hawk (above left), a Peregrine Falcon, a Golden Eagle, and an Opossum.  All had injuries that prevented them from being released, however the main goal of Sarvey Wildlife is to rehabilitate and release.  They work with everything from tiny hummingbirds to enormous black bears.

I was just in awe at the handlers' poise and ability to manage these unpredictable, wild birds while also talking with the crowd.

Besides the lecture, there were also educational tables, activities, and crafts scattered around the park.

The kids particularly loved the "feather boards."  One of the educators had handpainted life-sized cutouts of birds and attached shed feathers so the children could feel them.

The board on the right, above, shows the Red Tail Hawk, with the left side being a juvenile, and the right being the mature plumage.  The eye color of the hawk even changes from yellow to dark brown.

Soon the show was over.  Birds were loaded back into their kennels for the drive back to the shelter.  Children and their parents learned new things.  And I have an even greater respect for the work wildlife rescue groups do to keep our wildlife surviving.

Day Trip to Vendovi Island

One of the charities that we give an annual donation to is the San Juan Preservation Trust, which creates conservation easements and purchases land in the increasingly populated San Juan Islands, nestled between the United States and Canada.  Recently they bought an entire Island, saving it from logging, housing developments, and commercial use.  The trust will make it open to the public for limited recreation (mostly hiking and bird watching) on weekends during the summer months.

You can see it on the nautical map above.  Vendovi Island.  The trust had to take out a bridge loan to buy it from the family who owned it.  The loan needs to be paid back within a short time, so the trust is having fund drives and events to raise money to pay off the loan.  One of the events was a chartered boat trip to the island (it can only be reached by small boats, no ferries or planes).

The boat ride was about an hour, and we had around 40 nature-loving friends to talk to on the way.  For a time, the girls and I sat at the bow and talked with this man who pointed out all the different birds he saw, and showed us more information about them from his bird guide.

It was an unusually beautiful day for April, mid-60's, patchy clouds, calm waters, just a light breeze.

Double Crested Cormorants, the one on top drying its wings.

Little K was excited to spot things, including harbor porpoises and seals.  A was engrossed in the Judy Bloom classic, "Are You There God, it's me, Margaret," recently picked up at a thrift store.  I was so happy to see her actually reading that I suppressed the urge to tell her to put the book down and enjoy the view instead.  A struggles a bit with reading, so I didn't want to interrupt her. 

We're getting closer!  The yellow blob on the lower right is where we are headed.

Pulling in to the only dock on the island.  The modular house is where the former owners would have family retreats.  It will now house the Island's caretaker.

The boat we arrived on, the MV Light Keeper.  In front of it is a smaller private boat that another family used to join us.

After a brief introduction to the island's history, we were split into groups based on hiking speed and ability, and set out to explore with a guide from the trust.  There were a lot of sensitive vegetation areas, so we were told to step carefully at times.

Carpets of wild lillies along side the trail.  Try not to step on any!

There was excellent signage at all trail crossings.  The former owners used to rip through the woods on ATVs, but many of the trails have been closed off and will be encouraged to return to the wild.  There are Eagle's nests and areas of rare and sensitive vegetation to be protected.  Because it is an island free of deer and rabbits, some of the native plants are much taller and fuller than you'd see on other islands and the mainland.  What was normally only seen as a low-growing shrub, was a waist-high bush.

As we emerge from the forest onto a rocky bluff we are greeted by a new assortment of lichens, ferns, and wildflowers.

The view is breathtaking!

We pause for half an hour to eat lunch, and hear more history of the island from our guide.  Some snap photos, others consult lists of flora and fauna.

The Indian Paintbrush (orange) is just coming into bloom.

K and A tiptoe to their own little spot to enjoy the view.  My fear of heights and falling down the steep hillside has me firmly planted back on the trail, and utilizing my zoom lens for these shots.

The girls enjoy the sandwiches, apple slices, and cheese I packed from home.

What a great place for a picnic!

Back through the lillies into the forest....

The previous owner of the Island was buried here, but he stipulated that if the Island was ever sold out of the family, his body was to be removed.  He probably never envisioned a land trust purchasing the island, and was probably concerned about having a house built on top of him.  Last summer he was exhumed and transfered elsewhere, but I can't imagine going anywhere more peaceful than this.  The cemetary was edged in brick and generously sized, as if to hold future generations.  Four dog graves are off to the side, but their bodies remain.  I wonder how many Native American remains are on the island as well.

Soon it was time to leave, and we were back on the boat.  Leaving the harbor, we lost a fender and had to reverse course to retrieve it.  "Don't reach for it Little K!"

Fender back on board, we returned to Anacortes.

Initially the waters were still calm, but as we got closer the wind picked up.

It was a lovely day trip and a great taste of the summer to come.  Vendovi Island is definitely a treasure worth protecting, and I hope the San Juan Preservation Trust is able to raise the funds they need to ensure it remains free of development.

If you would like to read more about Venovi Island or make a donation to the San Juan Preservation trust, you can read more here.

Winter's Not Over Yet

 

Tuesday, March 13th, brought us some snow, along with a 2 hour school delay.  It snowed off and on through the day.

We live on the shoulder of a small mountain, at about 1000 feet elevation.  When my husband got home from work he suggested we drive to the top of the mountain, which is nearly 1600 feet.  We left the couple inches of slush at our house, wound our way upward 600 feet, and found a good 8 inches of pristine snow, just waiting to be played in. 

When we first arrived it was calm, but soon the wind whipped up and a little blizzard engulfed us.  After about 10 minutes it passed, and we could spot a bit of blue sky between the clouds.

The girls ran and rolled and played, while my husband and I reminisced.  18 years ago we were standing in this very spot, surrounded by a magical snow just like this, when we fell in love with each other.  We'd known each other a long time, but this was the place, and the exact scene dressed in sparkling snow, that we saw each other in a new light.  We've been back here many times through the years, but this visit just felt special for my husband and me, watching our children laughing and growing up right before our eyes.

The snow would be gone the next day, the temperature rising and heavy rains washing it down the hillside, flooding rivers and lakes below.   "Savor this," I kept telling myself.  Just like my daughters' childhoods, these joyous moments seem to pass quickly.

On the way home we passed by an abandoned housing development.  The roads, a playground, and this beautiful stone and timber fireplace gathering spot were built just before the real estate bust.  The hillside behind was clear-cut in anticipation of building million dollar mega-homes on tiny lots.  Someday it will be built out, maybe not as originally planned, but for now the girls enjoy this lonely playground, even on a snowy day.

 

Midwinter break happenings

Here are some photos from our midwinter break in February. It was supposed to rain much of the week, but it was windy and we had some surprise sun breaks and were able to go outside and play while we were in the city. We rediscovered Golden Gardens park in Seattle, which got new play equipment geared toward older kids. As the girls are now 10 and 12 their playground options are getting more limited. They still love to climb and slide and swing, but many parks just have equipment sized for the preschool set. We're always excited to find "big kid" equipment!

The park also featured a nice treed area on the beach where the kids played "capture the flag" with friends.

 

The weather was so nice that we went to this park two days in a row. The first day was really windy and cold, and we stopped by between downpours, so we had the place to ourselves. My mom was with us and she just stayed in the car and read while I ran the beach with the girls and we flew a kite. I didn't have my camera with me to capture the action, unfortunately, but the wind was strong and sustained, which was perfect for kite flying.

 

On one of our days in the city with Grammy we had donuts at Mighty-o, which specializes in organic, vegan donuts. Now if only they could make them fat-free, too!

 

My mom always has coupons burning a hole in her purse, so we ate out constantly. Lunch one day was at Ivar's Salmon House, even though my mother hates fish. She had a roasted veggie focaccia sandwich, while the girls and I had clam chowder and salmon. The masks the girls are wearing were the kid's menus -- cute!

 

Another day in the city we spent an afternoon at Blue Highway Games. I bought an expansion for Ticket to Ride, the game the kids are playing in this photo. We have the European version at home, but the expansion gives us detailed maps of Switzerland and India to play as well.

 

And kittens! We have two foster kittens right now, and the black one came down with a nasty case of calicivirus, which meant he and his little friend had to be quarantined in our bathroom. His nose and mouth became horribly ulcerated with weeping, bloody sores. I was doing lots of laundry, cleaning, and medicating. I have never seen a kitten sneeze out so much mucus! I was scraping it off the walls, washing it off the floors, and changing my clothes every time I held him, because he'd splatter me with so much snot. Then of course the medication gave them diarrhea, which is another fun experience. But aren't they just adorable little balls of fluff?

Other things we did during the week were attending a lecture, visiting friends, planning a memorial service, cleaning the house and packing up outgrown clothes for donation, unloading pallets of cases of Girl Scout cookies from the big rigs delivering them, filling bird feeders at the nursing home, playing board games, and staying up too late each night. It was a good "staycation!"

 

Farewell Doll Museum

Our area  lost a treasure on March 1st.  One of the most comprehensive and well designed doll museums in the world closed it's doors.  

Opened in 1992, it was built specifically to house doll collections, and the design of the display cases, lighting, and interactive features were well thought out and implemented.

It was a fun place for the young and old alike, and there were surprises to be found througout.

A admires a doll that her great-grandmother could have played with as a child 100 years ago.

My mom and Little K watch a video loop about mechanical dolls -- ones that could be wound up and made to walk, wave, talk, cry, or roll their eyes.  These were major innovations 3 generations ago.

There were many different types of groupings.  Above was a school scene, below a hospital.  The dolls within were from different countries and from different time periods.  Other display cases had just one type of doll, such as kewpie dolls.

At the doll museum you learned not only about design, manufacture, and trends, but also about world history, different cultures, and countries.  How during depressions and war shortages parents and artists adapted materials and kept making dolls.  How some dolls were made for play, and others only for art and display.

 

When a business fails, you wonder why.  "Because people didn't come" isn't a good excuse.  There is a reason why they didn't come, and it is not just the economy to blame.  Each time I visited the museum, even on Saturdays, it was empty.  I'd tell other people about it, especially moms of girls who were going through a doll-crazy stage, and every time the response would be, "There's a doll museum here?  Really?  Where?"

Through the years I talked with musuem staff about their need to advertise.  There were so many lost opportunities.  They could have arranged regular tours for groups from retirement homes.  They could have reached out to Girl Scouts and created a scavenger hunt and simple paper-folding craft that met a badge requirement.  They needed to get their visiting exhibits profiled in the local newspaper and on local blogs or TV.  Maybe they tried some of these things through the years, but it wasn't consistent enough.  In the 6 years I've been in Girl Scouting I've heard about yoga studios, science workshops, cake decorators, zoo overnights, and other private businesses and museums, but never the doll museum. Why?

When the American Girl company opened a retail store and cafe in Washington, I wondered why the doll musuem and the American Girl Company didn't forge a reciprical relationship.  Imagine if each new American Girl doll came with a coupon for one admission to the doll musuem.  The museum had a great display about American Girl dolls and the museum promoted the collecting and accessorizing of dolls, which would be good for American Girl's sales.  Just another failed opportunity, unfortunately.

  If this were a sports stadium, the local goverment would swoop in to rescue it at tax payer expense.  Nearby there is an art museum which failed in 2003, after 50 years, due to bad management, but it reopened in 2005 with support from the city and new donors.  This museum is far superior to the art museum a few blocks away, which is simply lots of empty space with sparse displays of mostly modern art that has narrow appeal.  The problem is, male donors aren't interested in dolls, and little boys would rather have their teeth drilled than be dragged to a doll museum with their sisters.  Even if you hated modern art, you'd proabably boast about donating to an art museum, whereas if you were a man, you wouldn't want people to know you liked a doll museum, it would just be too uncool.     

I'm glad that my daughters are old enough to have enjoyed and experienced this museum.  Neither of them are "doll-crazy," but they appreciate the art, the details, and the attraction of doll collecting.  I'm really sorry that they won't be able to share this with their daughters someday.  I wasn't much into dolls as a child, but I like textile arts, so I loved looking at the hand-sewn and embroidered clothing the dolls wore.

 What will become of the collection is truly sad.  Many of the items were donated, and I'm sure those donors thought their beloved dolls would be preserved for posterity.  It looks like some of the collection is going to be sold.  I've always felt that exquisite and rare artworks should be on display in museums, for many to enjoy, rather than on the shelf in a box in some collector's home.  In the museum they are in climate and light controlled cases to prevent deterioration.  There is a fire sprinkler system throughout the building (but not in the cases, of course), and security against theft.  In the museum these treasures are protected.  Once sold, these valuable pieces of history have an uncertain fate.

If you'd like to read more about the museum's last day, with insights from the owner, you can read an article about it here.

 

Busy as a Hummingbird

The girls have been off school for a week and we've been on the go.  We had a classic "staycation" where we went into the city and hit some playgrounds, coffee houses, and even flew a kite on the beach one stormy afternoon.  We spent a couple days with my mom, ran some errands and did some chores for her, visited an elderly friend, attended a lecture, and ate out at a salmon house and a Parisian crepe cafe.  Sadly, I took few photos.  When I catch up on the neglected household chores, I hope to do better with my posting here. 

Inspiration in 10 minutes

Enjoy this fast-paced, fact-filled video that may inspire you if you are struggling with the same New Year's resolution I am:

http://www.youtube.com/embed/aUaInS6HIGo

 

The Snow and Ice that Came to Stay

Sunday... the fun begins!

Monday... on the way to the store, a little chilly and slushy, but not bad yet.

Tuesday... the abandoned blade from a city plow that broke down as it attempted to scrape our sledding hill.  The kids were very happy for that timely breakdown!

Wednesday... a main arterial near our house, usually busy with cars, has walkers, sledders, snowshoers, and skiers instead.

Thursday... no milk delivery, no newspaper, but USPS delivers!  I met him at the mailbox with hot cocoa and cookies.  He admited that ours was the last neighborhood he was going to deliver to, and that all the neighborhoods to the south of us would just have to wait until tomorrow.  He hadn't been home in 2 days.  Poor guy.

It's been a week since I drove my car, and it doesn't look like I'll be going anywhere, anytime soon.  First we had about 8 inches of snow, then we had freezing rain for about 12 hours that turned to ice on contact, since it was only 28F degrees.  It was supposed to be a heavy snow that lasted 2 or 3 days and was washed away with rain and much warmer temps in the 40's.  The weatherman was wrong, though.  The heavy ice has caused trees to fall, and widespread power outages.  We are lucky, we have power, but hundreds of thousands in the region are without.

My van, with snow and a crust of half an inch of ice.  I will be VERY SURPRISED if the engine starts after all this time and all this cold.

I wonder what Friday will bring...

The New Year

Now that the winter holidays are over and we're back to school and work, I am again rising in the darkness (5:45 am).  Most mornings dawn gray and drizzly.  It is still dark when I wave farewell to A as she boards her bus for the 40 minute ride to school.  Sometime between getting Little K out of bed and myself in and out of the shower, I might glance out the window.  One morning last week I was lucky enough to see this sunrise. It was glorious like this for just a few moments.  I took this shot from an upstairs window, and by the time I'd run downstairs and out into the street to get a more expansive view, the pink glow was entirely gone, and everything was gray again.

There is so much potential in a new year.  This year we have big plans, and there is much to be accomplished.  There are also mounting obstacles, from health challenges to financial uncertainty.  The occasional brilliant sunrise I'm lucky enough to witness during these dark Northwest winter days are like a glimpse into the future -- a future that could be brighter if I could just conquer my fears and work hard at what needs doing. The low gray clouds that hang on me during the day are the process, which I don't enjoy and which fills me with sloth and dread.  Then, the end of the day nears, and sometimes, if I can remember to look outside, I might see a spectacular sunset, or just another darkening descent into nighttime.  I never know which I will see, but I have to keep getting up in the morning, and going through my days with purpose, ever hopeful that the future will be brighter.

Here are some of the things I am wrestling with:

* Losing weight and getting in better shape for the sake of my heart, which is already under enough strain from a defective valve.  This has to be the hardest task on my list.

* Clearing out the clutter in my life.  There is an entire room filled with stuff, all of it "meaningful" in some way.  Half of it arrived when my dad sold the house that belonged to my grandparents, and I grabbed boxes of stuff that I felt shouldn't go to the dump: love letters between my grandparents during WWII, family photos, home movies and slides, projectors, mementos, a brand-new sewing machine, etc. Then there's stuff my mom keeps giving me: books and toys from my childhood, her childhood... things that belonged to my grandmother, stuff of possible monetary as well as sentimental value, but things that are hard to store and take up space.  Then there are children's things I hang onto, to pass on to future grandchildren, or to pull out when friends are visiting with little ones.  Things that are both handy to have and filled with memories.  I have to come to terms with the fact that I cannot save everything, and that things that I don't wish to use or display need to find their way to others who might enjoy them more. I'm tired of being a hoarder, holding onto things because I "should" or "might use them someday."  Then there is the garage, overflowing with camping gear, sports equipment, tools, lumber, etc.  We can't even walk in there!  This must change!

* Going back to school and getting retrained in a new field (a 3 year time commitment, and something that will cost a lot of money which may not be worth the investment) or keep applying for jobs that I'm unlikely to get because I've been out of the workforce for too many years.

* Planning a epic journey, on a shoestring.  This should be fun, but the pressure is on because it is likely to be the last vacation we'll take as a family for a long, long time.  The logistics, the cost, the expectations of all involved... it's going to be a lot of work to make it happen.

Can I do all this?  I don't know, but right now the months and weeks stretch out ahead of me, and anything is possible.  As a bonus, the days are getting longer.  Wish me strength and determination.  I need it.

Fall Has Come

The house at the end of our street that was vacant after foreclosure last year has new owners now, so we couldn't play in their yard like we did last year.  About half of the houses in our neighborhood have a maple tree in their front yard.  Ours is a Japanese Maple, with probably a million tiny leaves.  Others have giant-leafed maples, with bigger, but fewer leaves.  Most homeowners deal with their leaves by mowing them into bits with their lawn mowers, and dumping them in the yard-waste bins for collection by the waste management service.  Others let their lawn-service people use those annoyingly loud leaf blowers to disperse them off their property -- sometimes into the street, often under the bushes to be left as winter mulch.  Few people seem to own a rake and make a pile for children to jump in anymore.  That leaves me.

Perfecting the peak of one of several piles.

Even after dark, it's fun to go out and play in the leaf pile.

During a quieter moment, after the jumpers had collapsed from exhaustion, we even brought a foster kitten outside to explore the leaves for a few minutes.

When we move from this house, I'm really going to miss this maple tree.  We can't take it with us, because it is huge, and also because the developer was very thoughtful about siting all trees directly over all the underground utilities -- gas lines, water lines, electric lines, sewer lines.  Some of our neighbors have had trouble with root intrusion because of this.  Stupid developers!  They had good taste in trees (sometimes), but poor judgement in placement.

Now that the leaves have all fallen, the kids are anxiously awaiting the first snowfall.