Happy Thanksgiving

It is the end of another Thanksgiving and what a wonderful day it was! We were able to enjoy the afternoon with our "Pacific Northwest" part of the family. We are so grateful for the gifts of abundance in friends, family and wonderful surroundings.

















Even the pets seemed to enjoy the day. We caught my sister's Maine Coon getting in the act - he was sitting at the table as we were getting ready to have dessert - looked as though he was waiting on his portion! (Don't worry, he had plenty to eat from his real dish).



The cold weather is upon us, and the autumn golds have turned to red-brown leaves and moss covered trees, but I still think it is beautiful. The thermometer has been dipping into the 20's at night and early morning - brrrr! Now I know why I saved all those gloves and scarves over the years.


















Even my cat is trying unique ways to stay warm!


We have been blessed with a few very clear days - we can actually see 4 mountains when it is clear (Mt. Rainier, St. Helens, Adams and Hood). I took some pictures of Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams - don't have a lens wide enough to capture them all!!




















I have become very fond of the rock and gem shows in this area. Here is a metallic covered
leaf I got at one of the shows. We've gotten
some great "treasures" lately.















Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Friday, November 21, 2008

Well it appears winter is upon us! The thermometer says 51 degrees but I swear it is in the teens! The wind is biting cold. At least the rains stopped for awhile and we briefly have seen the sun.

















Time for hot cider and homemade pumpkin loaf!!



















We were excited to see that our 6 ducks in the pond were joined by 12 others today - maybe family in for the holidays! They have been a joy to watch - very actively eating, swimming and the occasional tiff between males. I got some pictures of them - tried to get up closer and they all flew away (but they'll be back). They are beautiful and look very healthy.

OOPS!

Yesterday was Georgia's (my Golden Retriever) birthday. Can't believe she is 8 years old already! She got some extra treats but didn't seem to appreciate it when I sang happy birthday to her.






Our 5 cats have (for the most part) made peace with each other. We brought 3 cats into the household to join our 2 shortly before leaving Florida, so they had the challenge of getting used to each other and making several environmental adjustments. They're coexisting now and have developed a habit of taking siestas in the afternoon, evening - make that anytime - with each getting their own chair or sofa.

Greetings

Monday, November 17, 2008
Greetings to our friends! We have been in the Pacific Northwest now for 5 weeks and finally starting to "settle in". We miss everyone back in the sunny South and the beautiful southern winter weather. However, we did arrive just in time to experience an absolutely beautiful autumn! There are lots of trees on our property so we were blessed with gorgeous sights every day. It was also great to enjoy our first weeks here with nearly no rain, although the rains here are more like misting and not the thunderstorms that are so common in the South. The weather has been cool but great - as low as 32 in the morning (brr) and up to a high of 60 during the day.



We are in a valley so the fog usually starts rolling in during the late afternoon.
This is a picture of our neighbor's home as the fog settles in.








Our house has lots of windows so it gets morning and afternoon sun, and stays pleasantly warm.

















































The cats enjoy it (this is one of the
clinic cats, Lili, showing her approval).















The dogs enjoy the exploring they get to do - we have a pond,
a river and three acres of pasture for them to see. They also
get to help us bring in the mail (our driveway is 1/8 mile long).


















Ronn is enjoying being a "city farmer" - he is keeping everything looking great!









I have been busy unpacking and taking care of the brood, but soon will be starting my projects that I had planned. Hopefully I will be starting a newsletter in January. Also will be offering workshops and classes by next spring. I'm still making jewelry and doing the animal portraits as well. Hope to hear from you.....

Cindy Juday and Ronn