As an Army brat, I grew up all over the country and have called many places home. I have to say that western Washington is the most beautiful place I have ever lived.
Here are some pictures just in my parents' yard and pasture from our latest trip.
Even in the dead of winter, it is still quite green. Moss grows on EVERYTHING that is stationary. The house roof has to be de-mossed each spring. In the spring, summer, and fall Washington is a kaleidoscope of brilliant blooms and even more shades of green.
Here's a picture of the barn. My Dad grew up on a farm and is true to the saying, "You can take the boy off the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the boy." Since he already has a career and is in the Reserves, he's more of a part-time gentleman farmer. He raises a few cows 'cause he likes cows. Our first cows were named Midnight and Moonshine. Midnight, as her name suggests, was a pitch black calf. She was quite willful liked to escape. Before the housing development went up next to my parents' property it was a wild jumble of pasture and massive blackberry vines. Midnight ran over and hid in the brambles. We had to lure her out with her mama, but even then she was extremely tricky to catch. We spent hours chasing down that dumb cow!
In addition to cows, some years my Dad would grow a great big vegetable garden. I remember planting row after row of corn the day of a high school dance. I was barefoot and stamping the dirt down to cover the kernels. I'd remembered to put sunblock everywhere, so I thought. However, that evening I noticed that I'd managed to sunburn the tops of my feet! Then when it was time to harvest the corn, the six of us spent the entire day blanching, cutting the kernels from the cob, and bagging the corn in freezer bags. Several large kettles boiled the water for blanching and we had two new trash cans filled with icy water for chilling the corn afterward. It was quite the production. We had plenty of corn that winter.
Right now my Dad's "herd" consists of just a mama cow and her twin calves, a little bull and a heifer. They were born a few weeks after Isaac was. My father is quite proud of the twins. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he keeps a picture of them in his wallet, right next to the grandkids.
Right outside the front porch is a boulder wall which wraps around half of the house. Currently it's just moss and ferns, but in the spring it is simply gorgeous. I'm guessing that there are about 10 different massive rhododendrons, several lilacs, and other blooming shrubs.
And another view from a different part of the wall.
There's a duck pond too, but I only saw a few canadian geese roaming around. Mom was dismayed when she learned that I'd taken some pictures. "But it's so
ugly right now! Everything is brown and dead!" I think she would have difficulty adjusting to more arid climes. Even in the winter I find Washington gorgeous.
Crawling:
His hair curls back after baths just like Melissa's did as a baby. I think he's going to have curls!
Just today. Happy baby!
