Indian Summer.

Oh, Seattle. How you've done me proud this year with your gorgeous weather- all the way through the 10th of October! We've been 80+ days without rain, and nearly all of them have seen the sun blazing. As fall began inching its way into our hearts, the days began and ended with a sweet crispness while the days were warm and sun filled. This is the kind of weather that I could get used to on a regular basis.

The garden is nearly ready for winter slumber, although there are a good deal of lettuces, kale and beets that I am hoping will thrive enough to harvest before it's too late. Overall, it was a pretty good season. A rough June wiped out a good deal of my tomatoes, but I was pulling a good half pint every 5 days of cherry tomatoes. And, over in Woodinville, the tomatoes took off like gangbusters, yielding somewhere close to 35 pounds. There are many containers of these beauties roasted in the freezer for winter.

Here's a round up of the season's preservation efforts:

Tomatillo salsa: 6 1/2 pints
Spiced peach jam: 4 pints
Cherry jam: 8 1/2 pints
Rhubarb jam: 8 1/2 pints
Tayberry + Cassis jam: 4 pints
Dill pickles: 6 pints
Pickled jalapenos: 6 1/2 pints
Roasted Tomatoes: 10 quart sized bags, frozen
Pickled Carrots: 2 pints
Pickled peppers: 2 pints, 4 1/2 pints
Tarragon vinegar: 1 pint
Chive blossom vinegar: 1 pint
Herb salt: 2 quart jars (to be given as holiday gifts)
Blackberry syrup: 1 quart (for Italian sodas)
Peaches, flash frozen: 4 quart bags
Blueberries, flash frozen: 1 gallon bag
Strawberry conserve: 3 1/4 pints, frozen
Pesto: 3 1/2 pints, frozen

It may be getting colder, and the days getting more grey, but at least I will have plenty of summer captured in bottles to get me through.

as a guest.

It's been nearly three months since I've left the winery, and I'm only starting to really appreciate the joy of being unencumbered on the weekends. No where to be early in the morning, and more than one day to fit relaxation, errands, chores and social outings into. It's quite nice. I see why people love the weekends!

Another perk is being able to be a guest at cool winery functions, instead of working them. My friend Susana alerted me to the wine club vineyard excursion, and because we were winery family, we were able to get in on advance reservations. This time, when I arrived at the winery at 8 am, I was there to enjoy the day rather than wait on others. All 40 of us boarded a bus and off we headed across the mountains to Stillwater Creek Vineyards. Stillwater Creek is owned by the family who also owns Novelty Hill wines, and it's predominant vineyard in their wines.

We arrived at the vineyard, sun blazing, greeted by glasses of crisp white wine and a few nibbles. We walked the vineyard with the manager, Ed. We heard all about the growing practices at the vineyard, tasted sun-kissed grapes off the vine, and were able to ask a lot of questions. There were fantastic photo opportunities at every turn.



We came back to the party pavilion to find a gorgeous spread for lunch, to be enjoyed with Novelty Hill wines. It was a lovely day, with a very sweet friend- made even more lovely since neither of us were working the event.

road trip.

Road trips were always an annual event with T and one that we always looked forward to. We'd been camping in Bend, the Olympic Peninsula, Boise, Whitefish- always finding a new area to explore. As we are working our way together, this year marked the first road trip in three years. I've had a plan to go to the Oregon coast this summer for a while now; I've lived in the Northwest for 17 years and never made it before.

We spent the first few nights camping outside of Lincoln City. A little farther south than I wanted to be, but the only campground available to make advance reservations, which is critical on busy summer weekends. The town itself left a little to be desired- a little too big with little of the quaint small beach town vibe I was hoping for. We did an amazing hike on Cascade Head; 3 miles up a bluff to overlook the stunning Pacific Ocean. The days were filled with tasty meals, local beers, great campfires and even kite flying on the beach. On our third day, we headed north to our next stop in Gearhart. We stopped along the way, going to Tillamook Factory for morning ice cream, stopping off for walks in Manzanita, and a beach walk in Cannon Beach to marvel at Haystack Rock. In Gearhart, we were able to drive the car on the beach. Seems so wrong, but it was so much fun!

After Gearhart, we were heading east inland to Willamette Valley to spend a few days wine tasting. The drive into the valley, going through farmland and vineyards is just stunning. Nothing makes this girl happier than sunshine, delicious wine, and good old farmland. Channeling my Asheville friends, we dined at Thistle the first night, and merely asked the chef to feed us. And feed us, they did. We had an incredible meal of local goods, all beautifully prepared, while being taken care of by Emily- one of the owners, who was without a doubt one of the most personable chicks out there.

There were some grand discoveries of new Pinot Noir's- Willamette Valley is THE area for Pinots; they are such a fragile and fickle grape that it's a challenge to find one that suits your palette and your wallet.

happy anniversary to me.

This past weekend, I celebrated 17 years in Seattle. 17 years! The anniversary of my move always reminds me of that time in my life- it was the first time I had ever taken a plane ride. I had just $1,300 to move across the country, with a boy I thought I loved, with few possessions, to a place I had only seen in movies. At 37, I'm not so sure that I would be so cavalier again, but maybe having that hopefulness that comes with youth served me well. As hard as it is sometimes to be away from my family, and not to be able to see my gorgeous kiddos grow up, moving was the best thing I ever did. The boy is long gone, but I will forever be grateful for his invitation to join him on this journey. It's hard to think I could have never met any of the wonderfully dear people that I keep closest to my heart, had I never moved. I do believe the universe has you exactly where you need to be- even when it feels as though things should be so different, there's a reason why you're still where you are- there's still a lesson to learn, or a message you just can't see yet and you're not going anywhere until it clicks.

On my anniversary weekend, I had a few days off of work for a little staycation. There was lots of gardening to be done, and more canning of the summer season. I did an amazing hike on Friday to Mt. Pilchuck- just a little over an hour away. The weather was perfect, and the hike was both challenging and filled with gorgeous views of the Cascades that we don't normally get to see on other hikes. The summit was a lookout- a somewhat scary little rock scramble up to a ladder to gain entry to the lookout revealed a full 360 degree view. You could even see the Puget Sound, Whidbey & Camano Islands. It was stunning (and the ladder was super secure, I checked before scaling up it!).

postcards:garden love

Cucumbers

Gorgeous "merlot" lettuce

First batch of Zucchini

Tomatoes- large fruit ripening on the vines

playing a grown-up.

When I was little, I was lucky enough to spend time away from my parents and stay with my Auntie. In my child memory, it seemed like a week and more than once. In all actuality, I think it was a weekend, maybe two; then we moved to North Carolina when I was 7, so proximity made this challenging. Regardless, I hold these memories close to my heart- and always have. I remember hanging out at the lake in their neighborhood, going out to a fancy restaurant, and being groomed on the merits of happy hour everyday at 5 in the gazebo (don't worry, I had Shirley Temples and goldfish. But it all felt so grown up!). When little ones came into my life, I always knew I wanted to do something similar for them. Jasmine and Dylan were finally at the age where it seemed feasible for this happen, so the planning started last year.

Two tickets purchased in May. Countless phone calls to check in on the nerves and to take a temperature on how they were doing about the impending 5 hour flight from Atlanta to Seattle- alone. Books sent to Dylan so he could wrap his brain around the plane ride, and what to expect. They finally arrived on July 21st, sauntering off the plane like they were old pros. They did great on the flight, and had no issues whatsoever. They were here for 5 whole days, for me to enjoy all to myself and I was so excited!

Sunday we headed to the Zoo, after a lazy morning and homemade blueberry waffles. I took them to my p-patch so they could see the veggies growing. Sunday evening brought a few tears from Dylan, as he battled a headache. I think the excitement, plane ride, and jet lag caught up to him. But it was brief, and once sleep came, we were all fine. It was a little scary though, knowing that I had to be the one to handle the situation because there wasn't anyone else. Being a grown up, and responsible for another human, is scary!

Monday took us to the Pike Place Market and the Ballard Locks, and then to a baseball game that evening. Tuesday, I took them on their first hike at Rattlesnake Ledge- a good 4 mile round trip hike- and they loved it! I was so happy they enjoyed being out in nature and getting some exercise. They were rewarded for their hard work with delicious Molly Moon's ice cream. Wednesday  the weather was spectacular and hot, so we hit the Sculpture Park before going to Alki Beach. Our beaches are a bit different than others, rocky and craggy, and cold. Since they didn't venture into the cold water, we went to the neighborhood pool so they could get some swimming in. On our last day together, we took the ferry to Whidbey Island and played at Double Bluff Beach, soaking up the sunshine. 

 

A week seemed like a good long time for them to be here, but it went by so fast. They were so fun to be around- to hear their laughter and joy, to show them new things, and inquire about their lives and what they like. It was also exhausting! Kids require constant monitoring, entertaining, and caring for. They eat like little piglets and seem to grow by the minute. I have a new respect for parents and a new perspective. They are such smart, funny, sweet, inquisitive kiddos and I can't wait to see them again.  

Garden in photos

garlic harvest. much smaller heads than I've had in years past.

two bunches of beets and overwintered onions; oregano to dry

Bee balm!

purple cone flower

The garden is finally starting to give back, after months of patience and lots of tending...I am assaulted by the aroma of lavender while weeding and have to carefully navigate all of the bees feeding for pollen- it's all so worth it. The bee balm and cone flower are in Tom's yard- some of my favorites.

lovely orange sunflower in the p-patch