Me in the Gym
Evidence that it’s not entirely true that I never go to the gym, it’s just my definition of ‘gym’ is slightly different from the one in the dictionary.
Back home and ready for a shower.
Cracking Nuts
Family outing: The Nutcracker at Pacific Northwest Ballet . Very good, and all three boys enjoyed their first ballet experience.
Smashing day grommit.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-28 to fix broken links
Split Skull
I was fortunate to receive a small selection of beers from the boys. This one was particularly pleasant.
It dulled the pain from the cracker jokes quite nicely.
Christmas Day Walk
How to top a stretch after a massive Chef-F inspired brunch with a stroll in Paradise? Bumping into friends on the trail who’d brought Sunny along to run with Ewok.
Arsenal Supporter
H had an Arsenal Christmas, lots of red and white and the result against Aston Villa wasn’t too shabby either.
Unke Paul & Granddad even had a Boxing day quiz. Thank-you Wikipedia :-)
Pre-Christmas Haircut
School had sent home a note to say that long trousers would be a good idea in the sub-zero conditions, much to H’s disgust. So what better way to celebrate warm knees than a dad-style haircut?
Finn = Six
Happy birthday Finn!
Some splashing at
Great Wolf Lodge
before amazing
Cadbury’s
Chocolate Birthday Cake at home.
(Big thanks from Finn for all the pressies and birthday wishes, and especially to D&F for the cha cha cha.)
Wonderful Mrs. Ito sent home a special poem for the special day:
When I was One,
I had just begun.
When I was Two,
I was nearly new.
When I was Three
I was hardly me.
When I was Four,
I was not much more.
When I was Five, I was just alive.
But now I am Six, I'm as clever as clever,
So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.
A. A. Milne
, 1927
I’ll always remember Gran reading this to us. Happy birthday Gran.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-12-3 to fix broken links
F F F Freezing
Riding to work was a bit chilly this morning. Minus 10 in the shade.
Still, I had the bike lane to myself…
Winter Sky
Lake Washington and a Seattle skyline from a chilly bench in Kirkland.
Lunch from
The Slip
was excellent – just as Fay promised it would be.
walking off a 12 year dinner
As previously explained , a walk was required this morning, so a walk we had.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-12-24 to fix broken links
Twelve Years
We first met at a place called St Edwards so an anniversary walk down to the lake at another St Edwards felt very apt. Besides, we both needed to walk off a rather over indulgent dinner from the previous evening. Ewok came along for the exercise, big thanks to VJR&H for looking after the other two boys!
12 years, just as awesome as 11 . Thanks Beautiful.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-12-24 to fix broken links
Winner
F’s long line of amazing creations took another step into the unknown earlier today as his
My Family
entry in the Visual Arts category was one of the winners selected for the next round. We’re all very proud!
F’s only concern is that it doesn’t go too much further in the competition – “when will we get the picture back” was his response on hearing the news.
Sunset at Rays
Sunset at Rays, with the Olympics peaking through above and below the cloud,
and the obligatory bowl of clams.
Family Snaps
A quick snap on the way down to the beach…
…and another right on the edge of the path that runs along the edge of the beach, and I’m in this one too!
Discovery Park Black Friday
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, when consumer Christmas starts and everyone goes shopping (except of course those that don’t go shopping). Apparently, it’s known as Black Friday after the crowds and traffic congestion experienced because of the excess of shoppers in Philadelphia in the late 1960s.
For our tradition, we walked down to the beach and threw stones at the water.
Which was fun, except Ewok couldn’t join in (he’s banned from the beach and can’t throw stones anyway).
This was the only non-muddy bit of the walk.
And yes, ‘twas a proper walk!
Chef F
F cooking the shrimp for “Shrimp and Avocado with an old school Marie Rose Sauce” from Jamie’s Food Revolution (aka
Jamie’s Ministry of Food
for overseas readers).
Fantastic. Pass it on.
PDC
Los Angeles again for another PDC, and some more hotel room views .
Turtleback Mountain
A great little hike up to Ship Point on Turtleback Mountain. Steep going up but the views were fantastic.
F found the going a little hard at first, but magic signs on the trail soon had him whizzing upward.
Our lunch spot was out of the wind but got damper as the rain set in…
…we didn’t get too wet though!
Evening to Night
Evening walk with Fay and the three boys along the beach as the chilly sun sets
leaving an amazing glow on the horizon as the next days storm rolls in.
Lost Memories
On a rock at Obstruction Pass Park.
There might be a name and address on the card, or maybe a virus. Should I look? Whatdoyouthink?
Obstruction Pass Park
Down a winding track past Olga is
Obstruction Pass Park
.
The website says this is one of Orcas islands ‘lesser known hiking areas’, and when we visited we were the only ones there.
There was a hard on-shore wind blowing on the south beach, but the boys found a great spot in the lee looking out on to the sound.
A perfect spot for Ewok posing…
…and kite flying.
Luvly. And made even better buy a bowl of warming soup at the Olga Cafe on the way home.
Cascade Lake Loop
Cascade Lake has a loop. It makes a very nice walk, about 2.7 miles all the way around.
There’s a new bridge across the lagoon
and it’s Ewok-friendly too.
With mossy spots to turn into happy faces
dramatic views of the lake
and only two roads to cross (or one, twice).
Recommended.
Mount Constitution (the return)
We returned to Mount Constitution for some awe inspiring views of the San Juans
Note: This post was updated on 2020-12-19 to fix broken links
Night time ferry adventure
The ferry was almost empty (apart from Friday Harbor’s High School football team) and the only way to figure out where we were was with the GPS thingy in the car…
Last game
Last game of the season.
F was psyched to score 10 goals, he did, although 9 were in pre-game training.
Haircut
H was insistent. Haircut please,
Mohawk
style.
Dad did his best with the clippers.
Fay’s up next…
Saucers on fire
Another entertaining game with a few goals and some great action on the pitch.
Mum & Ewok missed some of the action.
But F managed to see just about everything
Good game coach :-)
Paradise Dog Walking
Mum went shopping (not a frequent thing) so the boys went walking.
This time taking the Cedar Run trail – a one-way adventure into the unknown depths of Paradise Valley.
Parts of the trail have been recently replaced, with sections of raised walkway
as well as specialized balancing logs for bikes.
Can’t wait to ride it
Ewok Update
This week in the Ewok house, Ewok has…
1. Been left out in the rain
2. Eaten H’s homework assignment
3. Graduated from puppy kindergarten (
puppachino
)
Clever boy.
Ladybugs with altitude
Jeff found these little chaps hiding under a rock at the top of Garland Peak.
Garland Peak
Up early on a dark and misty morning to cross the mountains to the east side.
It was a tad chilly – 19 degrees in old money (or -7 Celsius if you prefer).
The hike up was tough (to quote one guide “The first half of this trip is a brutally steep, brushy at times, curse-inducing slog”) although Chris and Jeff appeared to dance up.
But the views of peaks, including Glacier, Rainier and a hint of Baker, the autumn colours, and the pumice field that exploded out of Glacier 10,000 years ago left me speechless (or maybe that was just the lack of all round fitness)
A couple of warming brews at the top (7525 feet) before the obligatory summit photo…
…and the longest shadow of me I think I’ve ever seen.
Thanks guys. Awesome trip.
[ More on flickr ]
Evening Walk
An evening stroll with Ewok was nicely interrupted by Tommy and Henry who wanted to play. Their mum & dad kindly invited us older kids in for a glass of something, lovely.
Good job F had a head torch to light the way back home.
St Helens
Mount St. Helens erupted almost 30 years ago, with a 2.9km 3 debris avalanche, a large portion of which ended up filling the North Fork Toutle River.
Given that everything else was buried under several feet of ice, snow, rock and ash, I’m not sure how this tree ended up on the ridge by the Johnston Ridge Observatory , but it made for a pretty pic.
Unfortunately, the summit and post-eruption lava dome were hidden in some cloud, through which some sunlight occasionally peaked.
At least
this time
there was some sun.
But a great family day out all the same. Thanks Fay for organizing & Steve for the tip.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-10-01 19:36:29 to update broken links
Silver Lake
The first stop on the road to Mount St. Helens, Silver Lake .
Dogs are okay here.
Which pleased Ewok (he’s considering moving to a larger crate, although he’s waiting to be sure that the market has bottomed out to ensure that any purchase would be a good investment).
Nice walk and pretty views of the marsh land too.
Night Photography
Heading down I-5 the boys had fun with night-time snapping from the back seat.
This one was my favorite – not sure which of them grabbed it.
Autumn Colour
The trees are turning and fall color is on the march. Feels very much like Autumn Colour, only different.
Soccer
Finn does soccer too.
Finn’s Big Brov was quoted as saying “He gets more excited over one goal than my team does over the whole season.”
There’s something in that. Happy is as happy does.
[Mum adds: nice pics but where’s the ball?]
Afternoon Stroll
A post-school post-work de-stress stroll in the woods.
All the cool dudes were there.
And the boys got some x-country running practice in at the same time.
Wizz.
Lubly Ice Cream
Harriet did a stellar job yet again, this time making amazing ice cream to top off the brownies. Yum yum & thanks much!
Sunday Afternoon Ride
Not content with riding the ~10 miles to our house, James insisted that he drag us all off into the dank dark woods for some more two-wheeled exercise.
Actually, we had a metric tonne of fun, with H’s trail reading especially entertaining. Instead of Robert’s “tight right downhill, large rock stay left” we had “yikes”, “yeeks” followed by a “whooooaaaaa”. He jumped right back on again though, made his Dad proud (they’ll be a slight delay while I go and tell him that).
Note: This post was updated on 2020-10-01 19:36:29 to fix broken links
Footie Time
The saucers are back for the new season. Some great fun games already and some new moves too.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-10-01 19:36:29 to fix broken links
Woodland Seating
Some seating from a little walk in the
woods
garden, a more frequent delight now that Ewok provides an incentive to get out and about.
Rocket Launch
Take one empty soda bottle, decorate with fins (not Finn’s) and favourite footie team adornments, and weight with a tennis ball…
Place on compressed water+air thingy, engage safety goggles, and retire to a safe distance before signaling eldest son to launch!
Watch soda-rocket woosh several hundred feet into the evening sunlight to the ooohs and ahhhhs of the other cub parents. If I’d known cubs was going to be this much fun I’d have joined up too.
Balloon Season
Not one.
Not two.
But three balloons
(or maybe the same balloon on three successive days?)
And a news channel helicopter reporting on…
…a garage fire.
If only every day were a slow news day.
Spider Time
It’s the spider time of year. Lots of webs and lots of early morning dew to make them shine. Soon they’ll be looking for somewhere warm for the winter…
Garden Apples
After the plums come the apples. Garden Apples. You know, that special kind of apple that you find in the garden. Apple and blackberry crumble me finks.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-10-01 19:36:29 to fix broken links
First Bath
Today, Ewok had his first bath.
He was very good, but then he needed to be. $16. For dog shampoo? You gotta be kiddin.
He cleans up nice though.
Even if he did try and get messy in the garden straight after.
[Note for Les: ears double dry checked and hairdryered? Check]
Split Sigg
Poor little SIGG
Split down the side, leaky and sad.
From the
Sigg FAQ
Can I FREEZE my SIGG?
NO. NO. and NO. Just like the water pipes in your home should not be allowed to freeze, freezing a SIGG with liquid inside of it will cause the liquid to expand and burst the bottle open, causing it to crack. We cannot replace bottles that are cracked or burst open. You can add ice, use ice packs, or you can even place your SIGG in a tub of ice to chill the beverage inside it. DO NOT leave it in a car overnight in sub-zero temperatures. Protect it from freezing solid if you are camping in sub-zero temperatures. Do not put it in any appliance if said appliance may cause liquids to freeze. If your bottle was empty, or partially full and did not burst or crack open, then you are lucky, and the bottle is still safe to use.
Bike Ride
Following our earlier adventure biking in the Paradise Valley
Me: Sorry H, I forgot my watch, wallet, camera, and phone
H: you forgot your thinking brain too!
We thought it would be fun to give it another go with a leisurely sprint along the mainline trail and back.
Surprisingly, we bumped into Fay, Finn & Ewok along the way (I think they didn’t trust us not to get lost again) and persuaded them to take a picture (good) and the camera (not so good) with them.
But we did win the race back home!
Paradise Walk
Paradise Valley Conservation area is about a mile or so north of us and recently opened up with a revamped trail system.
The previous week Harvey & I had found the trail head on a small ride – starting out as a 20min ankle warm up and ending up as a 2+ hour 7 mile circuit. So this time we went with the rest of the family on foot.
Ewok walked (unusually), except when he didn’t.
Finn wanted to demonstrate that Ewok wasn’t the only boy in the family to have grown recently…
…in between playing tunes on the sigg .
We found evidence of others having fun!
And, of course, this was a proper walk
Too much ink
Sorting out the recycling I stumbled on the box of used inkjet cartridges.
Far too many mefinks.
Sorry
Epson
, I’ll not be using as much in the future.
Plum Jam
The tree is full of ‘em. Plums that is, not jars.
So Fay’s been busy turning them into various delights, including this test batch of jam. Meanwhile, Finn is trying hard to eat them all.
First day at school
The boys ready for a new school year. Now they both get the bus together, much to H’s delight :-). F even gets a big yellow bus pass.
F’s left home, preferring school, or so his Mum claims.
The tears did settle down a bit, but not until we were about halfway through.
The bottle that is.
And there I was thinking Ewok would do the trick!
Competition time: which family member is featured on the label?
Hint: it ain’t Rach.
Ewok took over the bathroom
Ewok took over the bathroom yesterday.
Yes, really. He’s only a ten-week old puppy and I couldn’t even get through the door to take his picture – there was so much “dog beauty stuff” everywhere.
I couldn’t tell you what dog beauty stuff is, all I know is that there was a lot of it…
New hair cut
H was playing in a footy tournament at the weekend as a guest player for a friends team.
This required a new haircut, as seen above. A strange request you might think, but it appeared to work; they won three games from three.
Squirrel Harvest
It’s the time of year when walking in the garden without a crash hat is dangerous.
The local squirrels are harvesting pine cones, which involves the cones being knocked out of the tree and then falling 200ft before thumping into the ground.
This example is from a Douglas Fir . You can tell from the mouse tails.
Finn goes to a party
Pre-party, checking out his moves in his party gear!
Post-party, demonstrating how to merge into the undergrowth.
More Ewok Socialization
A trip to the playground and a game of PlayMobile on the climbing frame.
Obvious when you think about it.
Football for Breakfast
Watching Arsenal v Celtic (second leg) for breakfast, thanks to tv.arsenal.com .
Sounders Camp
Harvey (aka Ljungberg aka Arshavin to his coach) did Sounders Camp.
”Good, very good” was the assessment “but not as good as
Scott’s Hot Shots
!”
Not more cuddles!
By the evening Ewok was getting just a little fed up of all the attention.
“Just a little yawn” he thought, “surely no-one would notice?”
Day five in the little Ewok house
It’s early in the morning and Finn & Ewok are having a cuddle in the kitchen.
Socializing Starbucks
Apparently socializing a young pup is a critical part of his early development.
This being Seattle-land: socializing == coffee == starbucks. Fin.
Ewok: day three
Day three in the little Ewok house and Fay is starting puppy training with a discussion about who is taking who for the walk.
Later, Ewok entertains with his best chewy impression,
before later chilling out with his toys in the evening sunshine.
For those asking, Ewok is a boy Labradoodle , or, to be slightly more precise, an Australian Labradoodle.
Proper walk in the garden
A proper walk in the garden in my new shoes.
Yes, they do generate conversation, and laughter. Lots of laughter, especially from my brother. Lots.
Finn & Friend
Finn & Ewok taking a swing.
[Yes, Ewok pictures have taken over,
usual service may or may not resume at some point in the future]
An Ewok is in the Garden
Ewok arrived this morning
and appears to have spent most of the day in the garden. snoozing.
and watching.
H & F celebrated the arrival in their own special ways.
last minute final snap
Last minute final snap…although if we’d realized the flight was going to be a day late we might have taken a couple more. Nice one BA.
Quackers
Fay took Toni & little H out for a big day in Seattle.
But with a flat camera batt, all you get to see are some views from the back of the duck…
…and the obligatory little H pic!
Cloudy Mount NoRainier
A cloudy day in Woodinville? Let’s head up to Rainier for some sun and views (well, it has worked before).
The boys had the car packed with mountain essentials: DS; Play Mobil; water (with ice); and a safe full of money (plastic).
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-08 to fix broken links
Windows 7
Well it’s done. RTM 1 was at the end of last month, party yesterday and GA 2 is later in October. W00t! or so I hear they say. On to Window 8?
Posted from a Windows 7 build (as have most of the other c r o s s o a k posts since early 2007, but don’t tell Fay that).
Salad Shaded BBQ Diffuser Food Day – with geeks!
H made the salad
and we flew the wing to get some shade over the deck
which helped to diffuse the light to capture omnitechnews
and the other H’s delightful puddings
tvm
Not a proper walk!
+ twisted ankle = sprained ankle (or so I thought).
A gentle stroll the following weekend seemed like a good idea.
But, apparently not.
The doc said it’s really busted (sprain + tearing + fracture) and needs some TLC. No more proper walking for a while. Cue violins.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-08 to fix broken links
Kit
Tiny & solid. As used for the group shots on Ingalls.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-08 to fix broken links
Bye Bye Grandparents
End of a big trip and it was time to say goodbye to granddad and nana.
The cheery luggage porters were standing by to make the check-in experience as swift and stress-free as possible…
…or at least one of them was.
Just time for a last minute balanced-on-a-coffee-table snap before tear-time.
They even made it through security first time, looks like they’re getting the hang of things :-)
Chelsea come to town
Last minute decision to grab some tickets for the Chelsea game was well worth it.
Great game & great entertainment.
15 minutes to go and we were 2-0 down. Things didn’t get any better, but then they didn’t get any worse either.
Gran Day
What better way to remember Gran than a day on the beach?
Just watching the world go gently by.
I took the stove so we could make some tea, but really it was just too hot.
And I didn’t have china cups, you can’t drink tea on the beach without china.
Proper Walk
Following a slight diversion by way of a proper float, we return viewings to our regular series of proper walks.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-14 to fix broken links
A Stroll Up Ingalls
A beautiful day for a walk in the mountains, a stroll with Chris & Jeff
our intended destination, seen here in the centre, was South Ingalls Peak
Hot day, so lots of hydration on the hike in…
…or maybe just a chance to admire the views
A spot of lunch in headlight basin and some time to study maps and things.
Headlight Creek and Mount Stewart forming the perfect backdrops
Lake Ingalls at 6,463ft was still covered in ice (just), and the views got better and better as we went higher.
Chris spotted something strange…
Was it Jeff poking at clouds?
Or maybe pointing at real climbers (look closely!) on the dogtooth spires leading to the north peak.
After some much needed scrambling lessons from Jeff, we reached our high point of about 7,400 feet (below the south summit) defeated by time and my dodgy sprained ankle.
But we had enough time on the way down for some fake ‘victory’ piccy’s
before taking the super speedy way down
(how my ankle wished for snow all the way back to the trail head :-))
as the clouds rolled in.
Fantastic day. Thanks guys!
Garden footie
Granddad took on the boys and silenced the crowd with some silky smooth moves.
[Dad was on the bench, sprained ankle]
Out of order
There’s a rule, or two, on crossoak.
> Pictures are those that we’ve taken, they get published in order, and as close to when they were taken as family life allows.
Avid readers have noticed that our 4th July Celebrations appear to have broken the publish in order rule (unless we zoomed back to Woodinville half way through our trip to Yosemite). This is obviously an exception, and due entirely to me taking ages to process the sunrise pics. Explaining all this isn’t necessary, but because of that other crossoak rule – no posts without pictures – it does provide an excuse to post another view of that lovely sunrise.
Normal service yadda, yadda …
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-14 to fix broken links
Sometimes it pays to get out of bed
Half Dome, Vernal Fall and the Yosemite Valley from Glacier Point at sunrise.
Sometimes getting out of bed early can be a really good idea.
The pictures don’t even get close…
4TH
Plan C worked out so well last year that this year it was promoted to plan A.
This year we arrived just around sunset…
I can’t help thinking that all the \($\)s spent on fireworks over the years must amount to more than the tax on the tea , and besides, everyone drinks coffee over here… Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-14 to fix broken links
Yosemite Tunnel View
The Yosemite Valley, with El Captain & Bridaveil Falls, as taken from the viewpoint at the end of the Wawona Tunnel .
This view means a lot to me — it’s the same subject as Ansel Adams ’ Clearing Winter Storm — a picture that has influenced me more than any other.
This picture means a lot to: taken on June 30th 2009, halfway around the world from Frinton , and a reminder of another huge influence on me. Gran, Say hi to Ansel for me.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-14 to fix broken links
Merced Float
The Merced river flows peacefully through the Yosemite Valley.
(H ‘stalked’ the deer to get the pic above. Good one!)
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-15 to fix broken links
Cool Dip
Our cabin backed onto the south fork of the Merced River and, according to the agents details of a nearby cabin for sale, was situated close to one of the best swimming holes on the river. H and I scouted out the best spots.
After our [hot hike]({filename}/2005-2018/203.md) a swim and a float was just perfect.
F had a near encounter: “it was this big”.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-15 to fix broken links
Strong family
Some wind storms along the trail and downed a couple of trees (English: the wind had blown down some tress along the path).
This provided a great opportunity to practice our tree lifting techniques.
Chilnualna Creek Hike
A short, but very very hot, hike to the lower Chilnualna Creek waterfall from the cabin.
H lead the way along the road…
…and through the colourful meadows.
After a mile or so, with a couple of diversions to explore new rock routes,
we arrived at a cool spot at the base of the lower fall. An ideal spot for a rest and a snack…
…and some more climbing :-)
Energetic nana & granddad went onward and upward to the bigger falls – granddad got lost and was found several days later with a little more stubble than is considered smart!
Top climbing H!
Road Trip
A small road trip – San Francisco to Chilnualna Falls Rd in Wawona .
via Maccy D’s somewhere in the Central Valley,
a few winks on the road,
and the odd windmill or five (thousand?).
Biking the Bridge
Had to be done – biking the bridge thanks to enthusiastic blazing saddles
We all made it to the end of marine drive…
…and, after some detailed examination from Finn, the tag-team decided to cross the bridge, but just half-way across mind.
Mid-way, we thought, “why not go all the way?”.
So we did!
We did decide not to head down to ‘beautiful Sausalito’ and headed back to down town double quick, with a little help from ‘turbo, turbo, turbo’.
Good job!
Fun time in San Francisco
A few days exploring San Francisco
Practicing the Granddad Shuffle
Chilling to the Alcatraz view
Checking out the flora
Scoffing chocolate ice cream
Clams, of course
Brick-built buildings
and Italian-American restaurant window views.
Space Needle Glimpse
Space needle and the experience music project .
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-15 to fix broken links
Dad’s Day Lunch @ the Space Needle
A double Dad’s day lunch at the Space Needle. The mountains were hiding, but yummy views none the less.
A Day out in Seattle
Recipe for a day out in Seattle: take the bus to downtown; then stroll through bell town , stopping at Patagonia , and on to the Olympic Sculpture Park .
Lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory and then a walk along the water front to any random coffee shop for a rest of weary feet.
Wrap things up with a Seattle Sounders FC home game – beating San Diego Earthquakes 2-1.
Sorted.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-15 to fix broken links
Finn’s Last Day
For the last day at BCS for Finn’s class story time was in the garden with Mrs Cambell & Mrs Simmons. Fantastic school, we’ll miss it.
I’m not sure where squirting water at the photog came into the story, but at least it wasn’t me getting damp.
Lake Serene
Martin was back states-side for a brief visit, but not so brief that a short walk wasn’t in order. So with Chris we took another amble up to Lake Serene…
Chilly.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-15 to fix broken links
Panorama Hike
With a big breakie at Paradise Inn behind us and the boys safely off with grandparents it was onwards & upwards for us.
We left the guide service hut and dirty snow at Paradise behind…
…and climbed up along the western side of Alta Vista through Paradise Park
The trail led up through the snow – a different route from Camp Muir last July – and was helpfully signed to avoid embarrassing falls down step slopes.
The view from Panorama Point was amazing, with Alta Vista, Mazama Ridge and then Mounts Adams, St Helens and (just visible) Hood on the horizon.
Mount Adams (from last years’ escapade )
Mount St Helens (not as much as there once was)
We even had some company for lunch
The way down was fun: steep and slippery. Fay tried plunge stepping before giving in to the charms of glissading (at which she was too fast for me to get a pic).
Wide brimmed hat = no/little sun burn
Kuhl cap & no hair = red ring of embarrassment next day in the office
Some more pics on the way down and then a well deserved drink back at the Paradise Inn.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-15 to fix broken links
(Bed)Room with a View
The morning view from room 317 at the Paradise Inn on Mount Rainier.
Better than the
hotel in London
; but waking up to
this view in Padstow
is still my favourite.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-15 to fix broken links
Christine Falls Hike
A gentle hike through the woods along the trail blazed by the Mighty Finnster…
…to a bridge…
…over the gushing Van Trump Creek.
Just below, the creek drops over Christine Falls and then beneath the road that winds up the mountain from Longmire to Paradise.
Our Favourite Creek
Kautz Creek . A great place if you wonder off the beaten track a little, which isn’t difficult.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-15 to fix broken links
Unidentified Flying Object
With Grandparents in town Fay & I had a Sunday to hike up to Panorama Point on the southern flank of Mt Rainier. Snow all the way up to 6,300 ft with some amazing views, including this one of a large
lenticular
cloud floating east of the summit.
Getting down was fun & fast
J
Early Misty Morning
I woke up too early and couldn’t get back to sleep, so off I went, camera in hand to work via the lovely Sammamish River Valley.
What a treat to be out and about before the world.
Proper Walk
A while (April) since the last proper walk so we made up for things by not wearing shoes.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-15 to fix broken links
Warm Wallace
Our previous Wallace Adventure was slightly chilly, so with the temperature soaring past 20 Celsius we headed for the busy-on-Memorial-day Wallace Falls State Park.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-15 to fix broken links
Camp small
The boys camped out and were as “Snug as a Snooza”.
We left nothing but the footprint from the big fat frog .
Harvey is Vanilla Ice
A random juxtaposition. Desktop slideshow on random. Media player on random too.
Cue comments on aiddy’s taste, or lack thereof, in musak.
St Edwards Park Paddle
What to do on a hot sunny Sunday afternoon? Our old fallback – St Edwards State Park. Even with the pool now closed, we managed to get our feet wet with a paddle in Lake Washington.
MTB’ing
H and I took
the new bike
for a proper ride along the trails in Redmond Watershed.
It’s a sweeping up-down-left-right ride through beautiful second growth forest.
H was biker-tastic, even managing a to get some air (controlled) on one downhill section!
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-15 to fix broken links
Men at Work
What does this mean?
Is it relevant that they are ‘men’? (They were, I checked.)
Is it that unusual that we need a sign?
Mum and her boys
Fay with the terrible two.
With downtown Seattle and the space needle from West Seattle
Stormy Sky Seattle
Stormy sky over downtown Seattle.
The rain held off just long enough for us to catch the
water taxi
back from
Seacrest Park
to Pier 55.
Fortunately, Alaskan Way was still standing, so we had a dry-ish walk back.
Rattlesnake Lake (an adventure in HDR)
The ridge.
Stump man.
Reflecting.
Rock, mountain, stump.
Mono.
Squeezed between the end of the week at work and the school auction I managed to stop by Rattlesnake Lake to get some pictures.
A bit of fun with High Dynamic Range to try and capture the sky while keeping some detail in the scenery.
Don’t show the children
Fay has banned this from being shown to the children; something about nightmares.
Still, that won’t stop me from inflicting it on everyone else. Ha.
Long story involving: boys versus parents nerf battle in the garden (parents won, thanks to cammo); boys versus parents footie (boys won, big time); and then having a camera in hand to shoot the evening sun in the trees and thinking
“I wonder what that stuff was that Fay smeared on my face”.
A mirror might have been the more sensible choice.
Another May in the garden
Another May in the Garden pic.
Apparently this is a ‘Daisy Thing’, also known as a ‘weed’. But since it’s about the only colourful thing that hasn’t been eaten by the rabbits, deer, possum or our friendly neighbourhood cougar, I think it’s quite lovely.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-21 to fix broken links
Unusually smarter than usual
For the first time in a long time, or at least since last May , me in a suit.
Fay, being the stylish one, cleverly wore something different this year.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-21 to fix broken links
Bellevue Growing Up
Bellevue is growing into a real mini-city. When we moved here the boys would distinguish between Seattle, Bellevue & Redmond by the number of cranes: lots meant Seattle, a few was Bellevue, and one for Redmond.
Rain drops in the garden
Everything looks different in the rain.
The only thing going through the basket were water drops
and the night lights weren’t looking very jolly either.
More birthday fun
A Birthday dinner at Anthony’s, followed by a stroll and some chaos making in downtown Kirkland, and then birthday cheesecake and candles back at home.
May in the Garden
Our third
May in America
.
This year Fay and the boys have been doing wonderful things with the tubs on the deck. It's beyond deer height you see.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-21 to fix broken links
Happy Birthday H
Mr. H is a grand eight years old today.
Which means he has a bike with gears. 7 gears, not six, and not eight, 7. That’s 7 gears. First gear is easy on the legs, seventh goes fastest (usually), first is for going up hills, seventh is for going down, third and fourth gears………….
Birthday Time
Harvey is almost eight.
Eight? That’s scary.
To celebrate we had a soccer and bakugon party.
No, I don’t know what a bakugon is either.
Apparently that’s because I’m > 8 and have no hair.
It also transpires that I am unable to spell bakugan. How embarrassing.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-15 to remove broken links
A note from the editor (and his lovely boss)
April 2009 was starting to look very bare on c r o s s o a k.
Blame for this should be targeted squarely on welcome visitors from the homeland.
Or not.
So I’ve had a bit of a splurge and am almost caught up, as a result, you’ll find some of the fun stuff we did with Brov, Boj & Amza in the links below.
Some isn’t.
CYA
Don’t mess with Amelie
Four things to do while waiting for a ferry
A Walk to Cascade Falls
Mount Constitution
Proper Walks
Beach Fun
Orcas Home for a Long Weekend
Pause at Deception Pass
Chart Madness
Cousins
Family Ford
The Marshmallow Man
The Great UNO Championships
Wenatchee Walk
Chilling Out
Easter Egg Hunting
Trail Singing
Discovering
Ski Time
Visitors
Almost back to Anacortes
Watching the Olympics emerge from the evening gloom as the ferry chugged back to Anacortes.
Four things to do while waiting for a ferry
1. Do your homework.
2. Make strange faces in the back of the car.
3. Try to extract short straw from bottled water using a short straw (this one gives hours of fun).
4. Puzzle over how to convert two short straws combined together into one longer straw back into a short straw that is short enough to be used to drink water from a bottle while resting that same bottle on your lap.
A Walk to Cascade Falls
On the way down (or up) Mount Constitution is a very child friendly walk along some creek I didn’t catch the name of to some pretty little waterfalls that I probably got the name of wrong.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-21 to fix broken links
Mount Constitution
Mount Constitution in Moran State Park is a 2,409 ft mountain on the eastern lobe of Orcas Island with a fire lookout at the top.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-21 to remove broken links
Proper Walks
A small collection of proper walks .
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-21 to fix broken links
Beach Fun
Having the beach right outside the front door was great for beach combers.
Dusk paddlers.
And avant-garde foot impressionists.
I think Finn managed to look under every rock on the beach for crabs, worlds, urchins and other creatures-of-the-sea.
Orcas Home for a Long Weekend
Home on Orcas was a snug cabin right on West Beach, so called because the beach faced west, great for evening sunshine and the odd spectacular sunset.
A perfect spot for just sitting and watching the world.
Some people liked it so much they decided to stay.
Pause at Deception Pass
After a HUGE brunch at the Maltby Cafe, we were early for the ferry from Anacortes to Orcas Village, so we took a small detour and stopped off at Deception Pass.
Down on North Beach there were some fab views…
…and even fab’er people to take pics of.
But we nearly stayed too long – we only *just* made the ferry, the car behind us tried and failed to squeeze aboard.
Although that didn’t prevent Finn from having fun,
or from being his normal mischievous self.
Chart Madness
Well, I guess you have to laugh.
On the USA side of this chart, depths were marked in feet, while on the Canadian side they are in meters. Apparently it’s so a boat can use its depth sounder to check whether its crossed over the border between the two countries.
The Marshmallow Man
Disappointed with my ability (or lack of) to roast marshmallows on the barbeque, Graeme resorts to using the heat lamp.
Very U S of A.
Wenatchee Walk
Saturday was a spring day so we decided to go for a wonder along the Wenatchee
with some great views of the river, mountains and sky.
Fantastic day.
Chilling Out
After our little ski trip at Stevens Pass we all felt a little achy – especially Graeme’s shoulder and head.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-21 to fix broken links
Easter Egg Hunting
First: Amazing Star Wars eggs – Uncle Graeme was the egg transferring champion.
Second: a rocky, hilly, tree-y garden for a egg hunt.
Trail Singing
Hiking back up from the beach at discovery park, Finn entertained with some trail songs, complete with accompanying percussion sticks.
Discovering
A stroll down to the beach at Discovery Park, where she could sell sea shells on the sea shore.
Ski Time
There was still a little snow in the mountains…
…so we took the boys and Graeme & Jo up to Stevens Pass for some fun on skis in the snow.
Visitors
We’ve been busy with visitors! Brov & Boj & Am-za came to town.
”Awesome” said Finn.
We’ll try and find some more piccy’s to post later…
Sad Day
Sad Day. D & F flew back to the UK, my attempt to prevent this by giving the cab driver the wrong directions having failed. Such is life.
I also failed (miserably) to get them to sit still and pose for a decent farewell piccy.
But I think they were teaching me a lesson in enjoying the moment. They certainly were.
Extended Family
Allsorts has come to stay, and a very welcome addition to the family s/he is too.
However, I’m just a bit flummoxed over whether s/he is a
hamster
or a
guinea pig
.
(I’m sure Miss H will put me straight upon her return.)
Bread
I baked some bread.
It was so bad that I thought of selling it as house bricks…
…by the next morning, Fay had made an example of it.
No, I don’t understand the significance of flags, Matryoshka-style salt and pepper, and roses either.
Hyatt Conserves
Even better than this was the fact that the room was dark and the TV off when I arrived.
Could they do better? Well, turning off the aircon and the empty fridge, and providing mugs (instead of disposable cups) for the __single-use__ coffee maker would be nice. But they are also trying hard to conserve water by not cleaning the windows.
Saul Bass was Right
I was at a talk once (Royal Albert Hall since you ask) when Saul Bass was bemoaning our inability to design even everyday things sensibly. Case in point: this tap [faucet] has water saving sensors to turn it on automatically (although whether it saves enough water to pay for the energy used is another question). Unfortunately, to trigger the sensor, your hands have to be above the rim of the basin, causing water to splash all over the place, and, if you’re not careful, down the front of your MKs .
Lost in Lexington
Getting around couldn’t be easier, just find a PC and projector and fire up google maps.
w00t!
More pillows
Do the staff at the Lexington Hyatt have a sense of humor?
Did they see
yesterday’s pile of pillows
and think “we can top that”?
Or did Aiddy just pile up two-beds worth of pillows onto one?
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-21 to fix broken links
Crazy Pillows
Fay would like this place. Loads of pillows. Loads and loads of them.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-21 to fix broken links
Wally’s at Wallace
The boys took another crack at the Wallace Falls Hike
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-21 to fix broken links
Night Hike
We repeated last year’s excursion to the top of Mount Si [4,167 ft (1,270 m)], only this time with less light and less snow. I say less light cause it was night and therefore dark, except for the fantastic views of the Snoqualmie Valley and Bellevue in the distance.
Apollo 13
This is the Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King that plucked Tom Hanks and Apollo 13 out of the middle of the Pacific . Or at least I think that’s what the guide said…
Midway
USS Midway ( CV-41 ), 45 years as an aircraft carrier of the United States navy projecting US military power around the globe. Now a floating museum in San Diego harbour, and a kids Sunday afternoon delight.
Navy Pier
Navy pier in downtown San Diego. A great place for watching boats and for lunch (even if mum did give away our dinner).
See the sea world
Welcome to Sea World San Diego with lots to see
Small fish…
…and bigger ones
Happy performing dolphins…
…happy fish-eating sea lions…
…and happy admiring people
With the odd and peculiar.
Home for 5 days
View from the pad at Solana Beach right on the Pacific.
Fay even managed did a bit of boarding. In Feb. Suits all round.
Seaworld: Journey to Atlantis
Journey to Atlantis at Sea World San Diego. I don’t like heights & aren’t too keen on rides. Good job I’m blessed with two adrenaline junkies…
…F gave it good marks.
Winter break: Legoland
A short break down in San Diego for warmth, sunshine, and crowd free adventures.
Second stop was Legoland.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-22 to fix broken links
No pictures of water fun
Unlike the rest of the guests at Great Wolf Lodge, I didn’t think it was the “done thing” to wonder around a waterpark with a point-and-shoot in one had and a video camera in the other. So instead of amazing pictures of us in the wave pool, water castle, tub, slides, tubes and Howlin’ Tornado, here’s a pic of a couple of wacked guys the next morning.
Plus I’ve realized you can always rely on
others
to
record
similar memories for you…
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-21 to remove broken links
Profound Fort Nisqually
At the other end of the Nisqually river from the glacier is a delta where the river drains into the southern end of Puget Sound. In 1833 the Hudson’s Bay Company established Fort Nisqually, which wikipedia currently states is the first European trading post on Puget Sound.
The fact that it was named Fort Nisqually rather than something like Nisqually-mart is probably something that should give some pause for thought about the past.
The fact that the restored Fort Nisqually that we visited was moved to its current location in the 1930’s as “part of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal program to provide jobs to the Depression stricken nation” is probably something that should give some pause for thought for the future.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-22 to fix broken links
All you need
An annual North West Forest Pass. (Almost) all you need for fun and adventure.
Top value.
Dinner Out Treat
We watched the last of the sunset from Anthony’s…
…where the boys cleared up the clams.
A Kirkland Evening
A sunny January evening in Kirkland town with downtown Seattle *just* visible across the lake.
Work View
Foggy morning in the valley but nice and clear up on the ridge. Could do with some more snow on the hills…
Tolt MacDonald
An amazingly clear day after the snow and low cloud so we headed up the Snoqualmie valley to old Tolt MacDonald park where recent flooding had done a good job of piles of leaving drift wood several feet above the ground.
Across the river are some new camping Yurts — we’ll try and try them out later in the year.
Finn’s really getting into this hiking lark, and set a blazing pace on the climb up from the valley once we’d crossed over the Snoqualmie.
We got back to the trail head as the sun was setting and the mist rising, and some of the best views of the day. Luvly.
Foggy Morning
After what felt like weeks of low gray cloud and lots of rain, not to mention melting snow from the big freeze and flooding to boot, we’ve had some cold crisp days with fantastic views once the morning fog has cleared.
This is the in progress building 83 to be, which may or may not continue being “in progress” depending on the current economic climate.
A New Year Hike
To celebrate the new year, Chris, Martin, Jeff and I did a little snowshoe hike up the Surprise Creek valley, along trail 1060, to not quite Surprise Lake, just inside the Alpine Lakes Wilderness .
Deep snow, and no one else on the trail, meant we were more snow-wading than snow-shoeing. A party of four that overtook us when we stopped for lunch gave up soon afterwards. A shame, since it was nice to follow someone else’s tracks for a while.
Obstacles slowed progress considerably, but added to the fun, although not shown is the 5 minutes I spent digging my left foot out from a hole.
(Of course, I blame the heavy pack & weak snowpack structure and claim that excess Christmas eating had nothing to do with it.)
Jeff excelled by finding a fallen tree route across the creek. Nice one!
Crazy Jeff and crazy Chris blasted through their turnaround times and headed back down the trail for some headlamp fun with darkness approaching.
With the forecast for snow and temperature down to –11 Celsius, crazy Martin and crazy Aiddy dug in and camped overnight in a beautiful spot above the creek.
With a view from the tent upwards through snow capped trees to the sky (and amazing stars after dark)…
and across the creek to the snow fields on the opposite side of the valley.
A totally amazing and awe inspiring trip.
Thanks guys!
Two sides
Two sides of Finn. Side 1, the distinguished and erudite reader.
Side 2: the dessert monster.
Quote: “I don’t feel too good after my pudding, can I have some chocolate?”
Legos
A large quantity of Lego was received as gifts this year, with a substantially smaller than large quantity still waiting to be built. Ideal for passing the hours without power over the snowy, freezing, festive season.
Thank you!
Above is 7038 Troll Assault Wagon which was a joint building project by the three boys.
Note: This post was updated on 2020-11-22 to remove broken links