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

Mt. St Helen's

The weekend of the big hike had finally arrived, and I was mostly ready for it. Truth be told, I had a bit of a meltdown a few weeks prior, convinced I was nowhere near ready or capable to do the hike. Thomas asked me if I could borrow an ice ax from someone, and it put me over the edge. Ice ax? Um, no.. Mountain still covered in snow, ice ax to glissade down, and by the way, we need some micro spikes- all words spoken that terrified the hell out of me and had me twisted up in anxiety. Those aforementioned words meant 'technical hike' to me- and that was neither something I wanted to do, or planned on doing. After a very long conversation, and oodles of patience dispensed, it was decided that we would keep the date and hope for the best. After all, he said, it's going to be so much easier to do the hike in snow than it will be in late summer heat and ash. And wouldn't you know that the summer route and the only campground actually opened 3 weeks early, just days after the meltdown?

at Monitor Ridge, halfway point- Mt Adams in background

Summer came early this year, arriving promptly on the 4th of July. We were heading to the mountain on the 5th, to camp the night before the hike. We decided to do a little prefunk for our trip and grilled up some amazing prime filets and opened a super yummy 05 Rafanelli Cab. As we drove on the small windy roads to Campers Biouvac, where we'd be camping, the mountain began to come into view. And let me tell you- it's big and covered in snow. Queue that anxiety again. It was an early night at camp, since we had a crazy early departure time planned.

Waking around 4:30, we ate, broke down camp and packed up the car, and set off on the trail at 5:50 am. The first two miles of the trail is mostly through the forest, and the light breaking through the trees was just lovely. We were the only people on the trail at that time, so it was peaceful and quiet. Once you break through the treeline, you're immediately hiking on snow. A quick stop to put on the micro-spikes and a change into a short sleeve shirt and it was back on the trail. The best thing about this hike? You can amazing view pay-off pretty soon into the hike; once we were out of the trees, Mt Hood sparkled in the early morning light. I could have been happy to sit there, not going any further and just enjoy.

The second push of the hike is alternately through some steep pitches of snow and along the boulders of Monitor Ridge. A little bit further up, and Mt. Adams came into focus. The sun was shining high, and we were so very thankful to be doing this hike with such amazing weather. The hike itself is really only 4.5 miles each way, and an elevation gain of 5600 ft. However, you're gaining nearly all of that elevation in the last 2.5 miles- the payment for that leisurely early morning stroll through the forest.

At the crater

The last section of the hike is mostly all on ash and sand. It's hard work; like walking on a beach that angled at about 90 degrees. You took one step forward and sank back a little, so it was constant work. And you can see the top, it looks so close and yet you keep going and going and going... It took us 5.5 hours to get to the top-knowing what I know now, I could probably shave an hour or so off that time, but I am a slower climber. Arriving at the top, with the wind whipping and Mt Rainier greeting us- there are few words. The photos don't do it justice; the stratification of the crater, shining hues of pink; the pockets of steam billowing from deep inside; the 360 degree views, of which now we could Rainier, Adams, Hood and Jefferson, thanks to the gorgeous day. We had lunch, chatted with other hikers and began our trek down after about 1/2 hour.

a typical chute for glissading

So, the getting down part. Since the mountain is still mostly under snow, the easiest and fastest way down is to glissade- which is basically sledding down on your behind. Enter the ice ax, which you will need to stop your slide. Thomas braved the first chute down from 8367 feet- there was NO way I was going to do this from such a steep height- I was riddled with nerves! About 1,000 down, I made my first attempt to glissade. It was super fun, pretty fast and equally terrifying. We ended up glissading about 2/3 of the way down, which saved our knees and tons of time. 


The entire hike took us about 10 hours. It was hard, and I was beat by the end, but I'm so incredibly glad I did it. To stand at the rim of an active volcano and marvel at this bit of nature, with picturesque views cocooning me during the endeavor? Well, there's really nothing like it- it was magic. 

* the entire album is located here*

mid-week getaway

Nothing like some sunshine, a great concert, and missing work mid-week to make for a great little getaway. We went down to Portland to stay at Edgefield- a place with much history of good times for us- to meet Tom's sister for a few days. Our plan was to try to secure some tickets to the Foster the People show on Wednesday- the whole reason for Karen getting rooms booked earlier this year. Pulling into the parking lot, so many emotions filled me: comfort in being back in place where we shared many fun getaways, many of with good friends and family; anxiety at wondering what it would feel like to be back here with him; and a llittle reserve for all of this. By chance, Tom's brother was in town on business so we had a nice family dinner together on the property.

Despite driving in mini monsoons all the way down, we lucked out with some fantastic warm weather. Walking the property is so inspiring- their veggie gardens have grown to an acre or so and were thriving. It was fun to chat with the gardeners and ask questions about their practices. They also have bee hives on the property now- so of course, I had to come with some local honey. We lucked out with getting tickets to the show early Wednesday morning! The crowd was definitely a good 20 years younger, on average, but the old folks braved the kids and staked out a space close to the stage. The concert was tons of fun, and all in all- it was a perfect little mid-week getaway.

brutal.

We have only 3 weekends remaining before the St Helen's hike, and that means only 3 more training hikes. So, it kind of goes without saying that these last 3 are going to be tougher than those before, as we're going longer and harder for training. This past weekend was no exception. I'd go out on a limb and call it extreme hiking, and also say that I don't need to do again anytime soon- possibly ever.

Full disclosure: I picked this hike; it was all my idea. I had heard about it from a friend, and I was expecting it to be similar to Mt. Si: about 4 miles, and roughly 4,000 ft of elevation gain. The first 2 miles of the hike was just lovely- slow grade, talus fields, and foxglove blooming everywhere. Once you traverse the slippery rocks along the falls to continue on the trail, which had me terrified of falling on the rocks,  you enter new territory. The rest of the trail, about 2 more miles and somewhere between 2-3,000 elevation gain, is brutal. There wasn't a real trail to speak of. It was pouring rain, and you're climbing at a steep grade- all of these things combined meant for a very strenuous, very stressful and very muddy hike. Once we reached about 4500 ft, we hit a snow bank. With adrenaline working in overdrive, I was able to hike up the first snow bank and then I was done. The next rock scramble was too narrow, too slippery and I just couldn't- and didn't want to- go any further.

This is the 'trail'- and me coming down.

Needless to say, there wasn't any break at the top; no time for resting and eating our lunch. It was miserable- a fact that Thomas was kind enough to point out first. So we headed back down. Carefully and dreadfully slowly. The rain continued, and we kept slipping and falling in the mud- it was that steep and treacherous.

We finally made it down to the waterfall, and somewhat safer terrain. At this point, we'd been hiking for 6 hours with little rest and no real food to keep our reserves up. We briefly ate and finished the hike down. I was done, beyond done. I think the adrenaline kept any pain away, but once we inched ourselves closer to the car, they came. My feet were aching terribly, knees throbbing, and booty hurt from one nasty mud fall.

It was the first hike where we didn't reach our goal, the summit. We figured out later that we were a mere tenth of a mile away, but there was NO way I was going any further- it seemed too dangerous. I just don't need to get to the top that badly.


So, 2 more weekend training hikes remain. I'm feeling a variety of things: strong that I was able to go as much as I did last weekend, but defeated that I was so wrecked afterwards. I have to work just as hard on conquering my internal fears as my external strength in these next few weeks.

easy.

My last shift at the winery came and went; it was a bittersweet day and I felt a little sad as I pulled away that evening. I had a handful of friends stop in for one last tasting with me, and I left with the a little gift for myself.

Tom's nephew was in town for the weekend, so we took him with us on our hike Sunday. We planned for a little easier hike, in an effort not to kill the company, and hit Little Si again. It was a little bit of a dreary day, and super muddy, but it was a good hiking day.

A stop at Snoqulamie Falls ended a quintessential PNW day- drizzle and all.

poppies at the p-patch

the pantry.

I've been taking and assisting with classes at the Pantry for a years now- when it was a one- woman show, teaching in a space when it was closed on Monday and Tuesday nights. Then they grew into two, and now have this beautiful space with a little garden lining the pathway to the entrance. The space is open and bright, with touches of urban farmhouse and shabby sheek. I just love it there, and feel fortunate to be able to work with two women who are so dedicated to building a community around food.

I was super excited to assist this last class- my first with a guest teacher. Willi Galloway was up from Portland, and her class was going to bring the garden and the kitchen together. The class was focused on the herb garden and we started with smelling and tasting a variety of herbs, while nibbling on tartines with a dill butter and smoked salmon and sipping a herbed tisane. I picked up some good tips on planting- like how it's best to plant smaller seedlings that bigger ones, as well as helpful tips on pruning herbs (which I rarely do) and fertilizing (kind of lazy about).

The class participated in making batches of herbed salts and a delicious parsley and cilantro pesto (sans cheese). The goodies were used in putting together a dinner for us to share at the end of the class.


Since the chives were blossoming in the garden, I took the opportunity to make my own batch of chive blossom vinegar together. It's a simple recipe and after a week of steeping, you just drain off the blossoms and enjoy the vinegar. I'm thinking this will be a great addition to a baby lettuce salad with strawberries...

pushing the limits Memorial Day weekend.

 Memorial day weekend was the hardest yet in the training program, with two hard hikes. Our first hike on Saturday was Lake Serene, in Index. The day was set to be beautiful, which was comforting for our first longish hike. Lake Serene is an 8 mile hike with a 2,000 foot elevation gain. There was another small side trail to Bridal Veil Falls, which we also took.

The falls consist of enormous slabs of granite. Magnificent. The hike was arduous, I can't lie. A lot of stairs to the summit, and since it was a nice day, it was pretty busy on the trail. Arriving to the lake, we trekked through a little bit of snow to lunch and sun on the large rock overlooking the still frozen lake. Mt Index loomed over the lake. I can only imagine how lovely this place is when the lake is melted.

The reward for the hard hike that evening was a
decadent burger from La Bete- a favorite neighborhood
restaurant- this was on the way to a BBQ mind you.. There
was no time for resting post hike- it was a quick turnaround
to shower, grab a bite and head to see some friends.
That was probably best though, as the adrenaline just kept
us moving forward.

The next day? Sore. Creaky. Calves felt like they might
explode. Still, some good walks kept the lactic acid moving, after all, Monday had another big hike waiting for me. There was a shopping trip to REI (who incidentally seems to be getting all of my money. no cute shoes for moi lately.). There was a walk up to my favorite farmers market. watering the p-patch, and then over to Chateau St Michelle for glasses of wine and wandering the grounds, gawking at the classic car show on the green. Tasting some mead at a local winery, and then hitting one more, because hey, the suns out and it's there!

Monday arrived, and my mind was not in the game. Mt. Si, the big mountain was the destination for the day. 4 miles up, gaining 1000 feet each mile. Roughly the same hike as St Helens is going to be, so it's a great training hike. But. My legs hurt so badly from Saturday's hike, it was raining, and I was having a hard time getting into the head space I needed to be in. It may have been a slow trek, but I got there. And I was ever so glad to see the bottom of that mountain. It was equally invigorating and exhausting to have pushed myself that hard in 3 days. The weekend ended with a delicious dinner with friends- the way they should.

start of summer.

We've been pretty spoiled so far this spring with many lovely days of warm temperatures. We've had something unheard of like 9 sunny weekends in a row. Love it! If it's going to rain, rain while I'm at work, I say. So there's been plenty of good weather to tend to the garden, which makes this girl very happy. And, I've already made the first batch of preserves from rhubarb that was planted 4 years ago. So pretty in it's ruby pink color.


The garden is beginning to shape up as well. I took the risk and got tomato plants in the ground. The rule of thumb in the PNW is that they're safe after Mother's Day, but it still tends to be cool through June. Also seeded some cucumber (for eating and pickling), baby blue-bell squash (blue skin and sweet orange flesh), zucchini and two varieties of beans. It's always fun to see the beans break through the ground- a sure sign of summer coming.

I'm trying to be better about thinning the seedlings this year. It's the proper way to grow veggies for the
best production, but I always end up feeling like a killer of the tiny shoots! I added the thinned beets to a lovely garden salad, along with some home grown breakfast radishes, and it was spring in a bowl.

stepping it up.

Week 3. Despite the best of intentions, I haven't been able to consistently get moving during the week. Interestingly, at work a new wellness committee formed and we're participating in a walking challenge for the next 112 days (begins May 24th). Everyone got pedometers, and we're all tasked with trying to walk 10,000 steps a day, or the equivalent of 5 miles. It's definitely easier to hit this mark on some days- when I'm going to the gym, walking to work, etc. But if I have to drive to work, and have a day spent hunched over my computer, the results are dismal. Just goes to show how much our daily lives are spent in a sedentary state.

This past weekend's hike was the hardest so far. West Tiger Trail 3 in Issaquah. I am not exaggerating when I say that it was straight up the entire way- all 3 miles up and 2250 feet in elevation gain. Seriously. There just wasn't anywhere to walk on flat surface to catch your breath; I struggled. I seemed to have a hard time finding my center and often felt askew. I'd catch my breath only to feel it knocked out of me. But, I made it. I wasn't sure I would, and as girly as this sounds, I felt like crying at one point. When gaining such elevation, it feels like you're going so much further than you are- that last .9 miles feels like 4 miles of hard work.

I'm only smiling because we're on the way down!

The flip side of this is how you feel coming down, once you pulled your boots off to sink into some comfy flip flops at the car. There's this amazing feeling of accomplishment- especially when you've done all of this before 12 or 1 on a day! The other interesting thing was my recovery time; there was no napping upon getting home. The other times I was so knocked out that once I hit the couch, I was out like a light. And while my legs felt great the next morning, my booty was aching from the constant climb. Next climb, a biggie: Mt. Si.

change.

Week 2 of the training was a bit harder than the first week. I think it was because I worked the day before at the winery, and my little pedometer indicated nearly 7,000 steps in 7 hours- we were busy so between the hustling and all that talking, I was beat by the end of the day. We hiked Little Si, yet another local favorite I had never tackled. Little Si is actually a little shorter than Wallace Falls, and I would say about equal on elevation gain and stretches of flat walking. Despite this, I was moving slower than I had the week before and it took a good 20 minutes longer to summit than the week before. And, I must have unintentionally come down hard on my left knee because it was throbbing pretty badly on the descent. My takeaway from this hike will be to 'pre-load' with advil prior to setting out in the morning. The views of the valley and neighboring Big Si and Cascade ranges were pretty spectacular though. And, while the hike seemed harder for me, the recovery was a bit easier. A little sore, but definitely not consciously hurting like the week before.


While managing all this work to actively get moving more, I made another big change this week. With a somewhat heavy heart, I gave my notice at the winery. I've been contemplating doing this for months, and had originally planned to do it earlier this year, but I just couldn't get there. I've been racked with guilt for leaving; I know I have no reason to feel this way, but I do. It's been 5 years, and I've made some great friends that I otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity to meet. I've had the opportunity to take part in fun events, taste wine for free up and down the west coast, and take advantage of stellar discounts on wine. So, after my shift on Saturday, I loaded up 2 more cases of wine at deep discount, knowing this week I was giving my news. They were gracious and offered me to come back someday, and assured me I'd always be part of the family. One more shift in June and then I will have every.single.weekend. free- for whatever and however I wish to spend it.. It will be nice to have that time unencumbered again. Once I get over paying full price for tastings and wine, that is..

a goal.

Have you been to the doctor recently and been told it's high time to make some changes? Well, I have- on more than one occasion. Time to get moving more and shed some pounds. Seems so easy in theory, and overall, I have a relatively healthy diet. I don't eat fast food or drink soda; I cook at home 90% of the time; I shop for local produce as much as possible, and try to grow a good portion of what I can; I don't eat a lot of fried foods (although I do love me some good pomme frites!); I have cut back my consumption of meat a good deal (but still a pretty big consumer of dairy, in it's cheese form). However, it's just not enough and definitely not enough when I'm consistently taking in more calories than I'm expending. You know where this story is going.

So. Dealing with threats of medication for cholesterol (hereditary, maybe), and family history of high blood pressure, heart disease and other ailments that I'd like to steer clear of, I've made a commitment to get moving. It helps to have a goal. I was asked if I'd like to hike St Helens in July; I immediately said yes. After all, I've lived here 17 years and never even been there. Admittedly, I had no clue what I was saying yes to. Hiking Monitor Ridge is not really a technical hike, but it's long and there's an elevation gain of 4500 feet. I've never done anything like this before. My enthusiasm was quickly replaced with fear and trepidation- there's no WAY I can do this! What did I agree to! What am I going to DO?! A little coaxing and encouragement was given, and I've settled my nerves a little. Needless to say, REI has become my new favorite shopping excursion- what a difference good clothing makes when hiking.

What I'm going to do is keep my head and my focus forward. 8 weeks of weekend training hikes. My first was a good push at Wallace Falls, another local favorite I've never hiked. For some reason, I did a fair amount of hiking my first 6 years here, and then nada. That's all changing this year. Wallace Falls has three falls to stop and ponder, on your 2.5+ mile hike to the summit. The elevation gain was 1200 ft, not too easy for a first time out.

But the scenery, the scenery! Rushing river at the beginning of the hike. Moss dripping from old growth trees. The falls just spectacular from each new vantage point. You can just breathe better in the forest, deeper.

I made it. It was hard but I pushed through, and there wasn't one complaint from me. Much of it is a mental challenge- can you push through the pain to get to the other side? Can you set your mind in a place of winning this challenge or will you let self doubt drag your will down? It's tough; I never played sports growing up, so I don't have muscle memory of endurance. I wonder if it would be different if I had that to call on. I was beyond beat when we got back home. But I made it. And felt strong and happy that I pushed through. As for the next 7 weeks? I am just taking it as it comes, one challenge at a time, working towards that big goal of the volcano.