Mukilteo Musings

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Water Patterns

The gray whales are up in Alaska--along with my hubby who is up there on University business for the week. Actually, he called me at nearly midnight last night. I was sound asleep. He had forgotten about which way the time change went because he is so used to calling me from the East Coast where it is three hours later. Alaska is an hour earlier! In addition, it was still daylight because the sun does not really ever set this time of year in Alaska so he didn't think I would be in bed asleep.

Anyway, no gray whales to look for out of my window and the orcas are up in the San Juans. The water holds other life including porpoises and sea lions and seals which we see now and then. But this morning, the incoming tides on the calm water formed some beautiful patterns so I had to take the picture and post it here:

About an hour ago.

// posted by Janet @ 10:55 AM 1 comments

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Larry King Live

No, I am not going to write about Paris. I do not particularly like Larry King. In fact, I have a hard time watching him because to me he looks like a skeleton and skull with skin stretched over---kind of like the mummy at Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe on the Seattle waterfront.

However, last night I watched Larry King Live with my two children and I could have watched it for another hour. It was some of the most enjoyable television I have seen since "Dancing With The Stars" finished. Larry's guests were Paul and Ringo, the two surviving Beatles along with Yoko Ono, John's widow, and Olivia, George's widow. They were celebrating the one year anniversary of a Cirque du Soleil performance in Las Vegas incorporating Beatles music.

There they were together, Paul and Ringo, talking and joking about the amazing impact they had on the world. During the commercials, I was discussing with my kids how huge all of it was back in the day and how nothing has come along in 40 years to equal it. I do not think it is possible these days with our scattered and schizophrenic media. Back in 1964, people had only owned TV's for about five years and everybody watched the same shows. On Sunday night we all gathered around the television to watch Ed Sullivan. These four attractive and charismatic young men in their twenties with long hair and with music like we had never heard before blasted into history at exactly the right moment by appearing on that show.

Every single pre-teen and teenage girl in the entire country saw them and could not get enough. At school we could not talk about anything else. I was completely smitten at age 11 and I have loved them ever since. Even by the time I was in high school, we were still dancing to Beatles songs at our dances. "Hey Jude!".....mmmm.......sigh. The Beatles changed with us. As we became disillusioned with race relations and Vietnam and grew our hair even longer, so did they. Single after single became the number one song in the nation. At one point, the top ten songs were all Beatles. It was just incredible.

Ringo made the statement or understatement, actually, last night that he expected folks his age to recognize their music. But, he found it shocking that young people know the music, too. My children were surprised to hear him say such a thing because they know the songs and the words even more than I do. I still can picture my father saying to me they would never last. In his opinion, it was just a little teeny fad. Dad, that was more than forty years ago and your grandchildren sing and play their music. You were right about a lot of things but you were so wrong about the Beatles!

I have promised myself I would live my entire life without going to Las Vegas which represents pretty much everything I abhor. I am thinking I just might break the promise in order to see the Cirque du Soleil performance.

I guess I can forgive Larry King for tonight's interview because last night was just wonderful.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/06/27/beatles/index.html

// posted by Janet @ 3:22 PM 1 comments

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Part 2--Anniversary Weekend

We can't seem to escape the phone calls from the children. Always in the past, we have traveled with them to places all over the world. I have visions of them running and jumping in the Grande Place in Brussels, playing in the grass in Hyde Park in London, stepping on fountains in Lyon, throwing snowballs along the Seine in Paris, and dancing in the rain in BudaPest. But leaving them for a weekend while we went to San Juan Island a few miles north made them feel like we had driven off and left them alone at the Rye Grass Rest Area in Eastern Washington.

Phone call #1: "Mom, I hate to bug you guys when you are all off on your own and stuff but I can't find my purse---the new one with the bow?!"

"Kaley, I saw it this morning on the kitchen table. It might be under some of the newpspapers?"

"I looked there. It's not there; it's not anywhere."

"I know it was there just a few hours ago. Have you been anywhere?"

"NO! How could I go anywhere without my purse? My wallet, credit card, keys--everything is in there."

"Well, we didn't bring it with us and I am absolutely certain it was there this morning, sweetie. Look for it again."

"[grunt] It's not HERE. BYE! Click."

I knew the purse was there so I did not panic. She never did call us back which meant she found it.

Phone call #2: "Dad, where's the machete? I'm mad at Kaley and want to kill her!"

"Ah, excuse me?!"

"Nah, just kidding. But I do want the machete. I want to cut some more blackberry bushes down behind our fence."

"Are you in the garage? Ok! It's right there on the work bench. Lucas! It has to be right in front of your face. Lucas, look straight ahead. There you go. I told you it was right there."

At that moment, Dave shut off his cell phone and so did I. We figured they wouldn't die for the couple of hours we had for a lovely anniversary dinner. And lovely it was. Our first course was a steamer pot with oysters, mussels, clams and spotted local giant shrimp caught right there in the San Juans. Dave had prime rib and the same shrimp for his entree and I had cedar planked Copper River King.

Phone call #3: I didn't realize until Sunday afternoon that our phones had been off since the night before. Oh well. They knew where we were staying and if anyone had died, we would have heard so I made this phone call home. "Hey, Lucas!"

"Hey, Mom."

"We just got back from whale watching and we saw the J Pod. It was so cool! (silence) Is everything going ok?"

"NO! Kaley is so annoying and I can't find anything. You KNOW I don't live here anymore. Where do you keep all of your cleaning stuff? She won't help me find anything!"

"Ah, what do you need....and why?"

"Apolo threw up."

"Ah, where? Is he ok?"

"Yes, he's fine--his usual Apolo throw up. But I had to clean it up and I couldn't find anything."

"What did he throw up on?"

"The rug by the door."

"Look, use some paper towels and get it up the best you can. That rug can just be washed in the washing machine--no big deal."

"Oh! OK! Good."

"Bye, Lucas."

Yea, I turned my phone off again after that. We were headed to Friday Harbor for another nice evening but there was still one more phone call. This one I eavesdropped.

Phone call #4: Man in Friday Harbor with a drawl from somewhere that is not here, "Hey....yea...Ahm standin' here just a few steps from the OCEAN. Yea, we've been havin' an awfully good time. Yea, we're lookin' for a place to eat. Yea, we're gonna eat fish agin. Yea....yea.....Yep, this is fish country. I guess you gotta eat fish every night. Yea...."

And the following photos were taken between phone calls.

The Chapel next to our room as viewed from the whale watching boat.

Ah. Peace. The view of Roche Harbor from the Chapel.

J-33 photo taken the same day we saw the J-Pod only two hours later. Photo taken by the Center for Whale Research on San Juan Island.

The little restaurant where we had our Sunday evening dinner. And, yea, we had fish for the second night in a row. Imagine. Dave had scallops and I had halibut that was half as expensive as my salmon from the night before and it was to die for. Oh my gosh, I am still thinking about it.

Ah Peace.

// posted by Janet @ 2:58 PM 1 comments

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Thoughts About Our Anniversary Weekend
Part 1

Twenty-eight years living in Seattle and we had never been to Roche Harbor in the San Juan Islands. Two or three times we have taken day trips to Orcas Island or Friday Harbor on San Juan Island but never have we spent on overnight in Roche Harbor. With kids and dogs, the trip never happened but this past weekend we left our children in charge of the house and dog and took off without them. I think it is hard for them to grasp that their parents have an existence separate and apart from them. We were married for 12 years before they came into our lives and we have rediscovered how much we enjoyed that time together.

Location of the San Juans

The San Juans are not far though somewhat challenging to get to. We drove up I-5 for about 45 minutes and exited to a town called Anacortes to catch a ferry. Only about three ferries leave during the day so we parked and waited for a couple hours in line. The ferry ride is only an hour and five minutes to Friday Harbor and the drive from the ferry dock to Roche Harbor is about 15 minutes. We felt like we were a million miles away in a fantasy land.

San Juan Island is the bigger island on the left in the map near the border and directly across from Victoria. The more monied of mainlanders maneuver their fancy dancy yachts into the islands and particularly Roche Harbor or they fly in by float plane. For a cultural observer like me, I found the experience to be a gold mine.

I won't go into the colorful history of the area but let's just say we had a thirteen year war with Great Britain over island ownership. It all started in 1859 when a British pig decided to invade an American garden to eat a potato. In true American spirit, the pig was blown away with gun fire and the stand off began. The whole story doesn't give me much hope about Iraq but eventually with negotiation, the border between American and British soil was resolved. The British part became Canada and the crooked border remained as evident in the map above. In 2007, in commemoration, the Roche Harbor restaurant has a "Pig Martini" that comes with a pig swizzle stick and everything. Furthermore, as a grand gesture, the Roche Harbor Resort retires the colors on the dock each evening at dusk with the Canadian national anthem, the British national anthem and Taps.

Multiple flags

The Roche Harbor Resort orginally functioned as a lime producing operation. The suite where we stayed had been part of the house of the son of the owner of the company. The restaurant is in what used to be the main house. The old hotel is still the old hotel and of course, several newer buildings have been added as condos. The harbor is almost completely protected which is why the marina is so popular. Dave and I had the best time walking around the docks and looking at the names of the boats. One of them was called the "Red Delicious" of Yakima. It had gold plaques of apples along the side. Obviously, someone did very well in the orchard business. I will think about this every time I pay five bucks for three apples picked by migrant farm workers.

Our room was in this building.

Fantasy Island. Dave is on the left in brown and white.

The little boy running with his sister apologized to me for messing up my picture--but I said, "no, no, it's perfect--quite perfect!"

Perfect indeed. More later.

// posted by Janet @ 9:27 AM 2 comments

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

More Lake 22 for Lucas, age 22!

It was in the 40's and cold!

Snow trail at the end of the lake.

View of waterfall from snow trail.

22 Creek waterfall.

Apolo's drinking fountain---one of many!

// posted by Janet @ 9:22 AM 0 comments

Lake 22 For Our 22 Year Old!

Yesterday was my son's birthday. He did not want any presents although graduation plus birthday equals a new lap top--but these days this is more of a necessity than a luxury. For his birthday, he wanted to do a hike with me. But even more amazing is that my husband who is trying to be healthier with his eating and exercise, decided at the last minute to blow off driving in to the U and to come with us. On his lap top, he managed to have files sent to him from DC and he did a conference call from home and claimed freedom for the rest of the day. Kaley, who is not fond of hiking, had to go to her job as line cook in the afternoon so her whereabouts for the day were pre-determined.

Although we have hiked to Lake 22 several times, it just seemed appropriate since Lucas turned 22. And I love this hike. The trail head is 45 minutes from our front door. The hike is 2.7 miles up to the lake with another mile and a half or so around the lake. Total distance is about 7 miles. Within the 7 miles are old growth trees, waterfalls big and small, incredible undergrowth, wild flowers, glaciers and snow fields, and gorgeous vistas. There were two difficult parts. On the way up, the trail traverses an ancient rock slide. The trail is rocky and steadily up mountain so you feel tired. Easily, one could twist an ankle so you have to focus on your feet. Also, we trudged around the lake which meant we were slogging through snow fields and over glaciers. Easily, one could fall through and break a leg on the thin edge parts. It was exhausting.

Enough with the words. The pictures are better but they still do not capture the grandeur, the smell, or the invigorating dampness. I had a recurring thought. The absolute beauty with every step is in no way perfectly planned nor micromanaged by God. Although it is all His creation, the waterfalls, the 2000 year old cedars, and the skunk cabbage are chaotic. Giant logs have tumbled into the roaring white water creek and tiny waterfalls snake their way down the man made trail with complete randomness. Disheveled rock slides knock down trees and create stunning views. Yet all together is perfect gloriousness.

Beginning of hike.

Skunk Cabbage not yet blooming.

More Flora.

Old Growth--the trees that is.

Proof he made it.

// posted by Janet @ 7:37 AM 0 comments

Thursday, June 07, 2007

My Children.....Have Jobs!

My children are gainfully employed and it is a little weird for me. I still think of them and have dreams about them as they are in the photo below which I have recycled from another blog post.

Kaley was the first to land her position. She prepared a sophisticated resume which included her college success to date, her music achievements, and her skills as a "foodie." For years, Kaley has thrown big parties for her friends and she has planned and prepared the food with ease. I am not talking pizza and chips here. At her last Christmas party, she had Dave and me sitting at a table slicing open tiny pumpkin bisquits, spreading them with cherry preserves, placing pieces of duck that she roasted herself, and topping them with arugula. Her boyfriend from Portland is now visiting and to greet him, she prepared braised chicken thighs with shallots, cinnamon sticks, pomegranate juice, and red wine served with pine nut couscous, roasted carrots and broccoli with olive oil, and for dessert, strawberry rhubarb pie. We weren't invited and she did all of it without help.

Anyway, she found a listing for line cook at a well-known Seattle Italian restaurant. With absolutely no experience, she convinced them after two tryouts to hire her. She works in a kitchen with mostly men chefs over the age of 25 and she is not only holding her own but she loves it. At her own station which is in view of diners because it is an open kitchen, she prepares salads, appetizer plates, bread, and she plates desserts. I am amazed because she is self-taught. She learned nothing of these matters at my apron strings.

Lucas, now a college graduate, was feeling a little out done by his little sister when a job literally landed in his lap. A friend of his from high school called him up and told him his father's Bellevue business needed help--fast. They needed French speakers and writers. Evidently, this business has entered a Canadian market and everywhere in Canada, the law requires all publications to be in both English and French.

Lucas has discovered he is working with fascinating people from Brazil, Senegal, and Morocco who all speak French. He works on a computer and definitely thinks his language skills are stronger than his computer skills but is grateful he is being challenged to become more computer savvy. Naturally, he is pleased he is earning more than twice as much as his sister. The job at the moment is temporary and project based but since Lucas is planning to take off to France in the near future, it works for him.

Both children are commuting in Seattle traffic which has opened their eyes to why their Dad takes the bus. As a result, gas prices are now really affecting this family. Both of these employments are skilled jobs but yet they are not full time and have no benefits. Neither child would be able to rent even a shack in Seattle with their earnings.

And this, my friends, opens my eyes and gives me pause!

Mother's Day 1995 on Whidbey. Lucas almost 10, Kaley 7, and poor poor Jed on his last outing before we had to put him to sleep because of cancer.

// posted by Janet @ 1:35 PM 3 comments

Monday, June 04, 2007

Peonies and Ants

As long as I can remember, my Mom has grown beautiful peonies in Montana. Peonies can be tricky around here because of our soggy days and limited sun. I was delighted when we moved to this house four years ago to discover some peonies sprouting in our back yard. However, never did they bloom or even have buds. When we built our fountain and redid some of our landscaping, we moved the peonies and lifted them up a bit which I had heard would promote blooms.

Unfortunately, my Mom has always told me that peonies need ants in order for the buds to open. We do not have any ants because our house was infested with carpenter ants when we bought it and we have a pest guy on retainer who comes regularly to make sure we never ever have them eating away our house again. Needless to say, when the large black carpenter ants meet their death, small harmless sidewalk, peony-opening ants accompany them.

I was excited months ago to notice our peony had buds. Would they open without ants? Would they bloom without lots of hot sunny days? Everyday I checked out my peony. I read things that said the ant part was just a myth but the weeks went by without a bloom popping open. If you google "peonies and ants" you get all kinds of advice and opinion with some information saying the ants are necessary and some saying no.

It has been months but guess what? My peony popped without ants! We did have a little run of hot sun for a few days, though. My thought is that perhaps ants help peonies to pop a little sooner by prying open the outer shell. But clearly, my peony proves that ants are not essential for a gorgeous gigantic flower.

My favorite color, too!

Spectacular.

// posted by Janet @ 9:59 AM 1 comments

Friday, June 01, 2007

My Earliest Bear Memory

Way back when in probably 1960, my first bear encounter happened and I did not even see him. My father was working with a bear researcher named Dr. Charles Jonkel for the summer near Glacier Park. (Dr. Jonkel must have been a very young man at the time because he is still extremely involved in bear issues the world over as indicated by a google search. Currently, he is the founder of the Great Bear Foundation in Missoula.)
http://www.greatbear.org/staff.htm

The process involved trapping bears with no teeth traps, tranquilizing them and stapling identification tags in their ears. For part of the time, my Mom, brother and I stayed with my Dad in a cabin in the camp where he was located. My Dad, ever the fisherman, found little places to go fishing in his spare time when he wasn't wrestling sleepy bears.

The four of us were at this gem green lake surrounded by thick trees for a picnic and some afternoon fishing. Not one other person shared the spot with us. A rickety raft was pulled up on shore and my father figured the fishing was probably better in the middle of the lake. After all, he could get out further that way than with his hip boots. The raft was obviously not safe or big enough for children so he and my Mom poled out to the middle of the mountain lake leaving my brother and me on shore. I was about 7 and my brother 10. I remember clearly that the lake was small so my parents were visible and within talking distance. Of course, in wild places such as that with the stillness and the water, whispers can be heard a hundred feet away.

Little Janet decides it would be fun to wade in the water. But rather than take off my shoes and socks and subject myself to glacially freezing water, I pull on my Dad's gigantic hip boots. I was holding them up as best I could with my hands while splashing and kicking around the rocks in the crystal clear waves. "Uh oh--slippery. Boots way too big for my feet!"

KERPLUNK! At this very moment, I feel the icy rush into both boots. All I could do was scream and break into tears piercing the silence of the wilderness. The frigid water swirls around my waist as I sit there bawling. My brother was probably laughing behind me--I don't remember.

"Janet, HUSH! A ...bear... is... behind... you," my Dad exclaimed with an emphatic whisper from the middle of the lake.

Immediately, I freeze. My crying shut off like someone had flipped a switch. I don't turn around; I don't try to get out of the water. Little Janet is completely and utterly terrified. My Mom and Dad maneuvered that raft to shore like it was a power boat. Evidently, my scream had caught the attention of a black bear who ambled down the bank and through the trees to find out what in the world had happened. He stopped not far from me to see what he could see.

But my Dad, ever the fisherman, was not about to give up on this particular lake or maybe he was a bit frightened of the closeness of the bear to his children. My parents loaded my brother and me with no life jackets onto the ridiculous raft consisting of a few logs lashed together and returned to the middle of the lake. The gaps between the logs allowed me to peer through the clear water to the bottom. I felt safe being with my parents but the deep deep water scared me. And I was still shaking from the cold soaking and the idea that I had attracted a bear.

As I write this and remember how frightened I felt and how cold I was, I shudder. I shudder because if a bear can swim two miles across part of Puget Sound........

.......SHUDDER!

// posted by Janet @ 1:59 PM 1 comments