Winter Break

Frost is off school this week for Winter Break. Its been a stunning week of relatively warm weather, bold blue skies and sunshine. People are outside: running, walking, gardening, wondering whether its too early to plant seed (usually it is but it feels like spring).

We bought a plum tree bare-root and planted it in the back yard. The other plum tree has borne only 4 plums in its 5 years so I have concluded its a pollination problem. The second plum is self-pollinating so either way we shall have plums.

The boys have been helping me remove stones from the garden. I've paid them 1$ per bucket of pebbles they collect and the beds along the south side of the house are finally starting to take shape. In summer, this area gets a lot of heat and sun and I am thinking of planting corn and sunflowers there and cleaning up the side yard for a small shed.

For those of you who live in other regions, Seattle is having a renaissance of food gardening. Many beautiful neighborhood gardens are being reshaped to include edibles. We have a short but very productive growing season for stone-fruits, apples, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and other less known varieties like huckleberries. Experts argue about why people are ripping out their lawns to grow food - some say its to 'eat local' and improve our health while reducing our carbon footprint. Others claim it is due to the recession and the chance to eat well and save money. Others say its therapeutic and builds community as we connect with our gardens.

Anyway, we are still talking about our trip to South Africa in summer. We wanted to go somewhere devious instead but it looks like that won't work so I am making plans again instead.

Wren enjoying a kids cocktail at the diner on Friday night.

Wren rearranging some ducks in someone's yard.

Dylan, Frost and Ariadne in the fort, in the rain, having built a BRIDGE (Sunday lunch).

I am going to post this now even though it is not crafted graciously. I am going to try and keep up a bit more. We're all so busy and the moment I type on my computer the kids latch onto the ipod, DS, TV or Youtube so I have to be careful when I use screentime!.

Catch me if you can

So much news so little blog. I know. I have been an un-blogger but I hope to make up this week.

Yesterday, I took a ride around Greenlake with Wren, Frost and Alex. All of us were on our scooters. My butt is rather sore from pushing but Wren did superbly. It is 3 miles (5k) and he only complained in the last stretch.

Friday night we enjoyed some art at Roq la Rue Gallery in Belltown and went out to dinner with the boys afterwards. It felt fun to be out with at night with the whole family. I am going to bed soon so I shan't write much but here are some pictures for Mum, who has just returned from 'the Cabin' at Port Julia.

Frost, Wren and Alex halfway around the lake. We are wearing coats because a light rain is falling which meant the track was not crowded for a weekend.

A passerby offered to take a picture of all of us, so here I am with the boys. I ride the razor scooter with broken handlebar which we scavanged from a dumpster at a campsite last summer.

Wren at Roq La Rue. He is very afraid of dogs but decided he liked this dog, Oliver, who was a very sedate bulldog. Wren stroked and talked to Oliver. Oliver showed surprising speed when he saw Frost's hedgehog puppet which he believed to be a dog toy. Luckily Wren did not see that.

Frost stands beneath a painting we liked.