They say that we will get our first snowfall tomorrow so here are some memories of the fall. We tried to get out in nature as much as possible. Some shots are from a get together near an old orchard and abandoned school. One of our friends runs a bed a breakfast there.
Others are from a drive we took south down the coast. We saw some amazing sites from these fantastic observation areas.
A bunch are from our office olympics and a hiking trip we took with Jim and Dave in Obira, the town just north of ours. They office olympics were really fun. We won the championship and had a big party afterwards.
Some of the pictures are from a bike ride we took around our town.
Tomorrow brings the snow and our Halloween party. Chrissy is so nervous I don't think she is going to go to sleep. She made some great pumpkin pies and the house is going to look great with all of the decorations she bought.
You might want to click on the pics and view them on the Picasa site. Some of the captions are long and you can go at your own pace more easily there.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Chrissy vs. Spider
So I'm home alone, baking a pumpkin pie from scratch (like REALLY scratch, we're talking actual pumpkin), and as I close the oven and head to couch to do some knitting, I spot a giant brown blob scurrying across the couch. Ok, a 1-cm spider qualifies as giant in my book. As if it sees or hears me stifle a scream it halts, poised on top of my Mac power cord. I strategize quickly before the spider escapes or attacks me, I grab a hanger first but rethink that decision. I roll up a nearby magazine and gently pull the cord away from the spider (I don't want the cord to get spider guts on it) and take a good swat. The spider doesn't even flinch. I swat again, harder and when I lift the magazine, the spider is GONE! Nowhere to be found! Somehow, I simultaneously look at the magazine in my hand and throw it across the room. I quickly inspect every inch of my person, but still no spider. I'm now flinching at every spot on the wall or floor. Not cool. Why does this stuff happen to me? But the question I really should be asking is how is that a biology teacher is such a baby around bugs. Anyways, I get the vacuum and go to town, but just as I lean in really close to the scene of the crime, the power in the whole house goes. Now I'm standing in complete darkness, sure that the spider is on my face. But since running screaming from the house is out of the question, I find a flashlight and the fuse box and get the lights back on. As I put the vacuum away, I contemplate how long I can go without sitting on the couch, tricky. But then, as I bend down to pick up my knitting I see the carcass on the ground under the table. I blow to see if it moves, and it DOES, so I grab enough tissues to put about 1 inch of it between me and the crunch that's about to happen. Does anyone not shiver at the crunching exoskeleton of a squished bug? Success, finally. Mr. 8-legs is now on his way down the Rumoi sewer system, soon to swim into the Japan Sea, maybe to be eaten by a fish I'll buy at the market next week. Ew, but at least I win. Yes, I just wrote a looooong story about squishing a bug. Pathetic? Maybe.
Happy Birthday to Don!
make a pretty big fire ball!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Knitting Project #2
below a "project" because it is finished. (and it actually fits Don's
head!). By the way, wool yarn here is about $1 a ball, maybe $3 for
super fancy stuff. With my yarn collecting tendencies this could be
trouble!
Monday, October 12, 2009
I want to be a farmer. Stop laughing please.
Today we spent the day in Mashike, the town just south of Rumoi. We met up with Jim and Dave, and some people from the chat club, then headed to a nearby orchard. The owner showed us around and had us sample 5 different delicious types of prunes (plums?), several varieties of grapes right off of the vine, and of course, some apples. The grapes especially, put american grocery store varieties to shame. We also talked plant propagation and genetics (so you know I was happy). With gurgly stomachs, Don and I agreed that to have something like this ourselves would be amazing. Then we headed to a winery down the road that made apple wine, or hard cider. The owner of this operation explained the process to us. Also tempting and interesting. Even though both of these ventures clearly require huge amounts of hard work, I'm still fantasizing about my own farm/orchard. I also just finished Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, which is inspiring me (as if I needed it) to grow as much of our own produce as possible when Don and I finally settle into a house, in America, don't worry moms. The questions that remain are
1. How much of my time can we afford to devote to this agriculture adventure?
2. Will growing our own food save us enough money to be worth that time? I feel like it's worth it for our health alone, but mama's gotta pay bills. Thanks a lot NYU.
3. Are chickens out of the question? Sheep for wool? What about a horse? Ok, maybe we're not there yet.
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