Update and a new challenge

 Hello Family!

Autumn has arrived in the Pacific Northwest. It’s cool and we’ve had a bit of rain.  Great time to hunker down - Oh wait - that’s what we’ve been doing for the last 8 months!  We’re enjoying the beautiful colors, but they won’t last much longer.  It soon will be leaf raking time!

Our first season of gardening here was a bit of a mixed bag, but very much a learning experience.  We had a bountiful harvest of potatoes, kale, chard, parsnips, beets, onions, carrots, snow peas and green beans.  Less successful were the tomatoes and peppers - although we did get some.  Also got a couple of good sized pumpkins.

I did not know that peas could get this tall or that parsnips grew this big!

The fruit trees we had planted a couple years before we moved in grew like crazy this year.  Most didn’t fruit, but we did get a few dozen apples.  Our one apple tree is grafted with 5 different varieties - one of which is Honeycrisp.  We got exactly one of these, but it was huge!  

We checked it regularly as it was ripening, but it fell off in a windstorm and the birds got to it before we did.  We were pretty bummed.  This apple was a little smaller than the honeycrisp, but still pretty good sized and quite tasty!

We also participated in the local gleaning program.   Fruit tree owners contact the program when they have more fruit than they can harvest or use.  We ended up doing 3 gleans at the same house as the owners had multiple trees. We’re allowed to keep some of the fruit and share with friends and neighbors, but are expected to give a sizable portion to local food banks or other charitable organizations.  This year the rules were a bit different because many of the usual places weren’t taking donations because of Covid.  However, the tribal food bank in Sequim was - so we gave them plums and 2  different kinds of apples. After my first glean, two of the neighbors who took some of the fruit offered to help me with the other gleans.  It was a good opportunity to get to know the neighbors a little better as we’ve obviously not been able to socialize with them.

My leg is completely healed, but I’ve started a little physical therapy to regain some strength and flexibility.  Hopefully I’ll be able to get back on the bike next year.

We’ve gone on several hikes recently as we continue to familiarize ourselves with our new surroundings. We want to make sure we know the best places to take people once when folks feel comfortable coming to visit.

Speaking of visiting - what are your thoughts about rescheduling the reunion?  I don’t feel confident about next summer but maybe in the fall?  I know Laurel and Sage have a Fall break - Julie do you have one?  Anyone else who would have trouble getting away in the fall?  I know it’s a long shot, but if we could put it our there tentatively, it would be something to look forward to and I could really use that. Let me know what you think.

Okay, time for today’s challenge. Even though I got only one response to my last challenge, I’m going to try again - mostly because posting these pictures makes me laugh.  So, it’s time for the worst school picture!  Sure, I’m okay with your best school picture, but since the picture I posted last time was my best, I decided to go for worst.  For those of you with adorable small children, be aware that they will not always be so cute - especially if you (like Marge) have poor bang cutting skills.  I have so many traumatic memories of having my bangs cut (oh, that’s not even, snip, snip) that the first time I ever trimmed my own bangs was this year.  

A second option for the challenge is worst holiday picture.  Here’s my contribution to that category.  Have you seen a sadder group of people?   I’m assuming this is a Christmas picture - I’m hoping it wasn’t a photo  Christmas card!

I guess that’s enough of my rambling for now.  I miss and love you all and look forward to seeing your posts (hint, hint), and sometime in the near future giving you each a big hug!