Eleven

My middle child had a birthday this week.  Luke, blond as a Viking (their blood does, indeed, flow in his veins), obsessed with fishing, a natural athlete and musician, with lots of fire under his butt (yep, just like his mother), turned eleven.  He is really starting to come into his own, his puppy energy maturing into something deeper, steadier, but no less energetic.  I really like who he is becoming.

Here he is holding fishing spoons he received as a gift, made with silver and gold, which apparently attracts the right kind of fish (it works for me, too, since I love everything glittery and have hoarded such things like a magpie ever since I was a little girl).  Watch out, Luke, your mother will steal your fishing gear while you are sleeping!

He also got waders for fishing, and whipping cream, which is to be sprayed directly in one's mouth in our family.  Yep, that's how we roll.

For his birthday party he invited two of his closest friends.  They spent three (plus) hours watching football at a restaurant, since we don't have TV, and afterwards went home to play football in our yard.  As I'm writing this, I hear lots of cheering and smacking (of footballs, and not heads, I hope).

I adore these preteen boys.  They have known each other since birth and are such good buddies, growing into gangly thoughtful young men, and the best thing is that they still think we adults are kind of cool.  There is not too much eye rolling going on.  Yet.

In other news of the week, we went on a family biking trip to Samish Island, which started with breakfast at a famous bakery, then commenced with blue skies, blue water, and lots of pedaling (little Eva on the ride-behind bike).

Later on, because we were having such a good time, we headed to Padilla Bay, a lovely research facility in a vast estuary providing education and research.  Their exhibits are fabulous and kid friendly, and some of the hiking paths sport lovely views of Puget Sound in one direction, and Mount Baker in the other.

If I were a cow, I would want to graze with a view like that.  See snowcapped Mount Baker in the background?

Other activities this week revolved around autumnal walks in the neighborhood, and COFFEE!!!  I am now officially a coffee drinker, a habit I kicked 20 years ago, but somehow started again a couple of weeks ago.  I love it.  I love the taste, and I love how happy it makes me feel.  I also love milking the goats in the morning and adding a few squirts of milk straight from the teat into my cup.  That's deluxe country living right there.