Do these people ever work? Well. Yes, we do.

Here's one of the reasons I love living where we live: Besides the fact that our spot (also called "the American entrance to the Alps”) is gorgeous, lush and wild, it's only a one and a half hour drive to the East to reach a completely different ecosystem – the Methow Valley, called “the East side” by locals. 

It's like entering another world. Instead of the moisture-loving, towering cedar trees we are used to, the East side sports majestic pines that prefer a dry climate. Instead of ground covered with ferns and moss, the East side grows grasslands and heat-loving alfalfa.

My family loves driving over Washington Pass and descending into the Methow Valley.  We did just that last week, because the highway over the pass is closed all winter, and as soon as it opens, we're on it.  It helped that it was a rainy day here, and we knew that as soon as we crossed over the pass, the sun would shine.

And shine it did.

Washington Pass

We hiked in a place called "Pipestone Canyon", a gorgeous little valley with dramatic rock formations.  It's a haven for rattlesnakes in the summer, but we figured what better time to explore it than now, when it's not too hot and the rattlers won't be out yet (hopefully).

Another favorite place to explore is Patterson Lake, where we tried fishing (no luck), fought the waves in our inflatable kayak, and hiked up Patterson mountain, where wildflowers bloomed their little butts off, and dramatic cloud formations made me swoon.

And now here's the thing: If we drive one and a half hours to the West, we arrive at yet another completely different ecosystem: Puget Sound, where saltwater and islands create another magical playground for exploring.

Last week, we headed that direction as well.  Bowman Bay is one of my favorite places, with a charming backdrop of cute little islands, hikes in all directions, beaches, sand, pebbles, and driftwood to play with.  And a sandy puppy loving everyone up.

If you look at these pictures and think, "Do these people ever work?", I can tell you:  YES!  We work really, really hard!  In fact, I'm writing this early in the morning when my kids are still asleep, and I already milked the goat, checked the other goat for more signs of labor, fed the chickens, cleaned out their coop, fed the ducks, weeded the garden a little, and put away dishes.

Steve left at 5am to work.

The day has many, many more chores in store.  So if you read my blog and look at all the pictures showing us goofing off, and if you are wondering how we could live such a life, here is how:

We choose to live simply.  We homeschool our kids.  We prioritize quality time with family.  We know that our children will grow up very, very soon, and we want to give them experiences that will shape them, and we believe that time in nature, time with us, will do that.

Our kids work hard, too.  They have to help on the homestead, learn to be disciplined, take leadership and initiative on projects.  They deserve down-time and fun times.

This week, I will leave you with random images around our place.

Eva collected acorns, shelled them all herself and made a feast for the squirrels, which she set out on a plate, decorated and put in front of a cedar tree (in case a fairy or two were hungry as well).

On a walk to one of our wild creeks, kids and puppy explored the sand bank.

Yours truly milking the goat, while at the same time teaching the puppy that it is NOT okay to put her nose into the milk bucket.

Eva saying good morning to the puppy, who is trying to gnaw on her bone while also giving her friend a high five.

Me saying goodbye to the two goat babies I grew really attached to.  I sold them to a good home, knowing that I can't keep every baby goat born on the homestead.  See the heart on her back?  

PS: I published a post on why making cheese is so much easier than you think on the Molly Green Magazine blog. Read it here.

Disasters strike at my time away

You know about living what one preaches? After my sermon here I decided (and was urged by my husband) to take three days off over Mother's Day. Little did I know that by the end of the trip, disaster would strike.

I drove the RV West to Deception Pass State Park in torrential rain, and once I claimed my spot at the campground, I commenced to seriously relax. The rest of the first (rainy) day, I blissfully read a whole book and went for a lazy walk on the beach.  On the way, I saw a pair of geese with their fluffball babies, which made me tear up because I missed my kids.

The next day, I woke up to the RV toilet overflowing. The entire bathroom floor was soaked and soggy.  Also, Steve called to tell me two of our ducks had gotten killed by a racoon in the night.  Not to worry, though, because I was on vacation and determined to stay in a go-with-the-flow mood. No pun intended. 

That day, I rode my bicycle up Mount Erie, a ride considered a “leg shredder” by the hardcore macho guys who wrote the bicycle route book I like. And wouldn't you know it – they were right. By the time I huffed and puffed up this seriously steep mountain, my legs felt quite shredded. But good! And the view! There's nothing like endorphins and pride in a goal accomplished! And people incredulously staring at your sweaty self once you make it to the top. (Yes, I'm a show off. I know).

On the way into Anacortes, my tire went flat, making me almost crash. I keep thinking: if the tire had gotten flat on the super fast descent down Mount Erie, I might not be alive. Maybe. Luckily, I knew a bike shop close by, and the folks there changed the tire in no time flat. (What is it with the puns today?)

Back at the RV, Steve called me.

“I know what you mean now!” my husband, who never complains, sighed.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Being with the kids all day...”, he said. “It's intense.”

I was floored, and very, very touched. Steve is a hands-on Dad who spends more time with his kids than almost any other man I know. For him to validate my burnt out state felt like the best gift ever. I so very much adore my children and my life, and at the same time, it's the hardest job I have ever done. Sometimes, when too many things have built up, I get emotionally and physically depleted with taking care of them in a conscious way, homeschooling them, taking care of the homestead, and running several businesses at the same time. Mea culpa, my choice, I know. I like being challenged, and I make the choices I make for a reason. This is why self-care and time away is so important for me.

And boy, did I take advantage of this time away! My last vacation day found me hiking at Bowman Bay, one of my favorite places on earth. The park got more crowded as the day went on (since it was a sunny Mother's Day), but I found a far away bluff with not many people, where I sat and stared into the blue water and knitted.

Then it was time to head home. And this is where disaster struck. I had an uneasy feeling, an ominous intuition the whole way back. First, the CD player stopped. Then, the mph gauge failed. And soon after, in the middle of a busy roundabout in Sedro Woolley (an hour away from home), the RV died on me. It just stopped, in the middle of traffic, with people honking at me, while all the relaxation from the past days drained away from me. I frantically dialed 911 first, then a tow truck company.

The very short story is that two police officers showed up. They were incredibly kind, and the older one kept saying, “We'll take care of you. It's mother's day, after all.” I couldn't believe it. They jumped the RV four times, so I could drive it to a nearby shop and save hundreds of dollars in towing fees. They escorted me with police lights and all! It was so exciting!

And the best part: The older cop drove me all the way up to Concrete, half an hour away, so Steve could meet me there to take me home. And the other best part: All the RV needed was an alternator belt. And the other best part: The kids and the citizens of Concrete saw me get out of a police car. I made sure to hug the officer so people wouldn't think I had gotten arrested. And because he had been so kind.

It all ended well!  Happy Mother's Day to me! And you, too!

Bliss, Beaches, and Beauty

I took the kids camping for a couple of days.  We all needed a change of scenery, and we sure needed a change of the yucky, damp weather.  Instead of days and days of rain, we got sunburnt, buried ourselves in the hot sand, and cooked bacon on an open fire.  We explored several beaches, hiked to a lighthouse, collected crab shells, piled seaweed, played with sun warmed smooth rocks, and one of the members in our family got a lot of knitting done at the beach, and didn't even feel guilty about not getting any home schooling done.  What's not to love?  Steve worked during the day (like, you know, for money), but he joined us in the afternoon.

This is at Bowman Bay, one of my favorite places in the world.

Kai and Luke are doing 100 pushups each a day.  Steve got them to do it... I don't know what the deal is.  It's a guy thing.

There is even a playground at Bowman Bay.  Play with a view.

Walking through a wetland to get to Lottie Lighthouse.

After Eva fell flat on her face, the boys comfort her as we take a rest, with a view of Deception Pass Bridge.

Hiking through enchanted forests with the smell of roses wafting through sun warmed air with the sound of children's laughter - how many cliches can I put into one sentence?

That's Kai and Luke out on that point.  If you look closely, you can see the Olympic Mountains way in the back.

I love this sun hat I knitted for myself.  It really works.

Steve joined us in the afternoon.  Eva loved having Daddy around.  I did too.

Amazing rock formations at Deception Pass Beach.

And when we got home, I got greeted by my lovely roses, who had exploded into bloom while I was away!