The winter gloom really set in this week. The weather was consistently overcast and rainy, and I quickly lost my motivation to get outside for walks during the week. I've been burning a lot of candles these days to try to get through the long, dark nights. I'm really looking forward to longer days, when there will still be daylight left at the end of the work day, giving me more opportunities to get outside. Weeks ago, my mom had suggested spending inaguration day at their cabin in the mountains, completely off the grid. It sounded like the perfect escape, so Friday morning we packed up the car and headed off for the snow covered cabin. After a stop for lunch at Twede's in North Bend (aka the RR Diner from Twin Peaks) we were on our way. The last leg of our journey was a 1.5 mile snowshoe, since the road to the cabin isn't plowed in the winter, so after parking, we strapped on our snowshoes, shouldered our backpacks, and set off into the wintry wilderness.
Read moreIcicle Creek Snowshoe
This year, we started the year off right with a lovely snowy adventure in the mountains. Somehow, even though I've meant to for years, this was the first year we've managed to get out for a hike on January 1st. Hopefully it's something we can manage to turn into an annual tradition! Since we were already in Eastern Washington, we had easy access to the Icicle Road, a perfect spot for Andy and I to snowshoe while his family skied. Rather than driving all the way to the end of the plowed road, we parked at the Eight Mile Creek campground to follow a quieter, less crowded route. Had we started at the end of the road, we would've shared our hike with lots of snowmobiles and rambunctious off-leash dogs. Instead, the only other people we saw on our walk along the creek were a family returning to their car as we arrived.
Read moreLife: Week 52
The last week of 2016 was filled with snow, sunshine, family, and sweets! Most of it was spent in Wenatchee, celebrating a belated Christmas with Andy's family. After the hectic scramble leading up to Christmas this year, this was the perfect way to end the year, and start off 2017. We spent hours playing with new games and toys and reading new books with our niece and nephew. We drank hard cider made by my father-in-law from the apples on Vashon and limoncello made by my brother-in-law from the lemon tree in their backyard. We ate far too much delicious food, as we usually do when we visit Andy's dad. We stayed up late playing cards and dice, and catching up on life. We went on several snowy adventures, including two snowshoeing treks, with hot cocoa - or hot rum cider! - to warm us up after. Sadly like all good things, it had to end, but with 2017 off to such a good start, I'm optimistic about the year to come!
Read moreLife: Week 49
It may still technically be fall, but it's certainly feeling like winter! Lately, most days we've had frost that lingers well into the afternoon. We even had snow at home on Thursday, although I was in Oakland for work at the time. It was a busy trip with very little time for sightseeing, but I did manage to find time for coffee at my favorite Oakland coffee roaster. After spending most of the week away from home, I was looking forward to getting home early enough to have time to unwind from the trip before bed. Unfortunately, my flight was delayed for over 3 hours for no obvious reason. It was beyond frustrating to have end up stuck at the airport for such a long time. Thankfully I had a good book with me, and after getting some dinner - a long with a very large drink - I found a quiet place to read while waiting for my flight to finally leave.
Read moreKendall Peak Lakes
I've never had much of an interest in team sports. I attended a few minor league baseball games as a kid - my dad was briefly a huge fan of the Everett Aqua Sox - but that's about it. I've watched the Super Bowl a few times, always at a family member's house. Most years I hardly even know what teams are playing. However, over the past two years, Andy and I have developed an enthusiasm for the Super Bowl. Not because we're excited about watching it, but because we've learned that with everyone else at home watching the game, we can sneak away and enjoy typically crowded places in much more peaceful conditions. This year, since there was still plenty of snow in the Cascades, we headed out for some snowshoeing, hoping that this time we might actually need our snowshoes.
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