Berry fever

 Me, just chillin' on this tire. Waiting for Rickhart to go salmonberry picking.

 And he goes for it! He was all up on the steep hillside, like a lil' monkey, getting the best berries.

 I stayed down low and still got some descent ones. 

I do not like road berries. I don't want all the dust, but I've been frustrated as I am READY to start picking, and the patches I go to are not ripe. These are road berries. I was all bummed at first, but I ate a few, and holy moly, they are goooood. I ate some more, and before I knew it I had a bucket of awesome berries!  I probably won't go back to get more road berries, but it satisfied my berry fever. I even have this inkling that they may be some of the best berries I get!

  Even Lou like berries!

 Lou is too cute. Too bad Timmy doesn't like Lou. 

Check out all the fireweed on the hillside! Purple hills.

misc

 I am learning to fly fish.

We have two kittens right now.

My berry picker!!! I am convincing her, I think, to help me pick berries, and eat them!

The proper way to make a cheese spread cracker

" Urg, MMommm. Here. You gotta spread it evenly."

 "See?"

Healy

 As of 2013, Healy is the only active large icebreaker in the Coast Guard's fleet. It made a stop in Kodiak. It's not every day you get to see an icebreaker. 

Abby says she wants to be in the Coast Guard.

Gibson revelry part XXVIII

 Our "cookie". 

It's patted down sand over a rock. We put icing on the cookie.

 GIGANTIC hermit crab!

I dream in red, white and blue

 Well, when I get a chance to dream, I sometimes dream I'm selling fireworks. 

The stand is the Seaton bro's, and I am an espoused Seaton. I've been practically living out there for a month or so. The time is almost over and I am a bit sad.

 It was busy for a minute, which is fun! That's the way I like it. Now things are slowing down. I find myself absentmindedly gazing at the sprawling gravel lot and listening to the little birds chirp and sing, which is often interrupted by the ravens' garish squawking.

Abby comes with me sometimes. She knows all the products too!  She orders, pretends to take orders, and likes settin' off fireworks!

Pies

Abby and I have been making pies. I have been busy harvesting rhubarb, so we have made a rhubarb strawberry pie and a rhubarb apple pie. Yesterday we made pumpkin pies. She's on her way to being a fifth generation award winning pie maker...well for five years old she is doing well. When I asked if she was going to watch me roll out the pie crust, she said "I've already seen that. I know how to do it." She has not learned that watching something is not actually doing it successfully!  It's amazing how people can make things look so easy when they are good at doing something. You try it, and realize your fumbles reveal their skill!

New Mexico

I went to NM for a conference. I got to see the mass of concrete of LAX. LAX bad.

I also got to see the splendor of a town (Santa Fe) that was green with flowers, cool people playing music and riding bikes....

 admirable architecture....

 a conscious government who supports recycling...

 complete with art...

 and a park (aka public green space) - for a couple of hours!

 

For the most part I was on a pueblo (reservation) resort hotel. Accidentally broke the camera, so I only have one photo of the posh place. It was a fairly new resort and it was niiiice.

Spent a little time admiring the scenery early in the morning and late at night.

There were fires while I was there. They were in extreme drought. 

The experience that was most emotionally rousing does not come with photos, not due to the broken camera, but due to that photos were not allowed. A couple NM Pueblos allow visitors one day a year on their Feast Day. Heavily Catholic, mixed with ancient traditions, the Pueblos have a day to honor their patron Saint. The Sandia Pueblo's Saint is St. Anthony, and lo and behold their Feast Day was when I was there. The community, from elders to children, dance, drum, and chant.  Photographs (even cell phones) are not allowed.  

One dance was a rain dance. It started to rain at the end of the dance and people went wild!  The air was filled with tingly excitement.

The festival reminds me a bit of Russian Starring. Part of the event is going from house to house eating and visiting. 

I learned about one cultural treat which I STILL need to make. I will do so this week! Kool Aid pickles. I know! Kool Aid pickles! For a dollar I tried one. Tasted like pickled watermelon rind.