Spring's promise of a better year was spectacularly exhibited by the cherry trees blossoming
around the Quad on the UW's campus. They were originally a gift from the Japanese Envoy
on his way to donate trees for Washington DC. They keep on giving beauty, joy and promise.
Enjoying the First Day of Spring
News & Notes
Winter's rain, snow and darkness motivated a quick renovation of the upstairs bedroom.
J finished weaving a pretty rug for inside the sliding door to the patio. She used Japanese kitchen towels she'd collected over the years or received as gifts from her friends. Though they have been used continually in the kitchen, they have retained their bright colors. And because some are calendars, they show numbers or Japanese characters in places.
J's New Rug
The big news this Spring is our first travel, requiring passports, in 2.2 years. We hadn't taken such a long pause since 1990! For three weeks we cruised Vancouver and Vancouver Island in the Little Red Car. Although the Island seems like a small appendage glued to the southwest corner of British Columbia, it's huge, more than 500 km long. There's lots to see. We've now visited most of the Island accessible by car. Meaning, we've missed a lot of forest despite continually seeing trees! A brief description of the trip is available.
Spring Brought a Road Trip Around Vancouver Island
Before the Vancouver Island trip, we worked in a visit to see Jim and Julie in Libby MT. Often our visits include boating and fishing on lake Kookanusa, the reservoir behind the Libby Dam. After draining out through turbines all winter to generate power to keep Northwesterner's lights on through the dismal weather (and to prepare for the coming Spring snow melt), the lake was 95 feet below 'full pool'. Usually, the fish we catch are swimming between 30-40 feet below that surface. The instruments tell the whole story.
The Lake Bottom, Called Into Service As A Beach
With our travel batteries fully charged, we headed off to Scottsdale AZ to visit friends Lisa and Rick. They own a lovely home surrounded by desert, which kept us Northwesters fascinated with unfamiliar wildlife. Eventually, we had to relax in their gorgeous pool.
Dinner with Lisa and Rick And Good Friend Margarita
In recent years Spring news usually includes a report on newts (tadpole-like creatures that become salamanders) growing in our garden pond. This year, it seems, we have zillions, four or five different hatches. But in addition, for the first time ever, we had a pair of mallard ducks visit the pond. They flew in late one afternoon, swam around nibbling on the algae for twenty minutes and then flew off. We were honored, but suspect the tiny space wasn't the dining experience they were looking for.
First Ducks to Visit our 7'x12' Pond
