Denver

A google picture of the blue bear in front of the convention center

Good morning bear

Hello all.  Last week Amir attended his first ALSA (American Society of Landscape Architects) conference in Denver.  Harley and I tagged along-mostly because we could.







Harley and I had a great time.  We took lots of walkies and visited many parks. We also discovered Harley's new passion -squirrels!

This was a park near our hotel. I love the trees.
You can see the remnants of snow. So pretty, but so cold!

This is Harley's preferred position

Denver squirrel, mocking my New Mexico dog.

The biggest park we visited was Cherry Creek State park.  It has one of the largest off leash areas I've ever seen in a park.  According to the brochure, its 107 acres.  Harley was very well behaved and only snapped at one big doggie.  I was also very well behaved and didn't bark at anyone. (For more more info cpw.state.co.us) We spent two hours walking and exploring.

The shore of a partially frozen lake

Sunshine on the ice

We climbed butterfly hill.  I don't know why it was called butterfly,
 because it was covered in prairie dogs. Another Harley favorite.

Skyline from butterfly hill

We also visited Washington Park.  Amir went with us to this one. Geese are apparently a major issue at the park.  I include pictures to show you the enormity of the problem.  (Luckily, Harley did not care for geese)

On the lake...

In the fields...

Flying...

Frozen...

Sorry I did not get a lot of people pics.  You will have to be content with one of Amir and Harley.

I did not go to any of the convention, but I did get to know my way a little bit around Denver.  It would be great, except for the traffic.  Friday evening it took me 15 minutes to drive 1 mile.  Saturday morning, the whole trip took 15 minutes. <<sigh>> All in all Denver was a nice city and we had a lovely visit.

Vote for Amir

Hey all! Amir has entered a design contest.  It's for a freeway underpass in New Orleans. I am including the link.  His is number 180. I don't know the deadline... Please vote!!!

http://www.nomala.org/between-spaces/

Shoulder dog

Got myself a shoulder dog

(for reference see hintsofbrilliance.blogspot.com)

September stuff

How are people supposed to blog-stock me if I don't post anything?  I don't post mostly because I live a quiet life.  Yey for boring!!

My car decided it would leak radiator fluid-a big puddle of pink goo.  Similar to the slime in an MST3K horror movie.  Yummy!  At least it starts. Which is a whole other story.  (Dead battery. Twice.  Amir had to remove and charge-twice.  Battery is impossible to remove!! It is under the air intake/filer and jammed next to the front tire.  American car manufacturers can go...way down yonder in the corn field!)

You can sort of make out the puddle on the passenger side of the car.
Most of it is under the car.

I must say, I love youtube.  How did anyone know how to do anything before youtube?  Or google?  I am not a do-it-your-selfer, but my husband is. Which is handy (most of the time).  But I am grateful for someone who takes care of my car and motorcycle and plants and is generally an all around wonderful guy. 

Northwest Break

Amir and I went to the great Northwest.  Sadly, it was clear and sunny most of the time we were there.  I got a sunburn in Seattle.  Who does that? 

I also left my camera at home.  I read somewhere to stop taking pictures and enjoy the moment, so I enjoyed.  There were many pictures not taken, but much fun had.

We went on a lovely hike with Amy and the girls near their school.  There was water.  All children are attracted to water. And dirt.  I think if a child is not covered in a layer of grime every day, their summer has been wasted.  There were so many logs to cross and so many blackberries to eat.  We also ate some Oregon grapes.  But they were very bitter.

More toward the school there were these large monument climbing things.  OK, maybe they weren't built specifically for climbing, but that's what everyone was doing.  The girls were very sad uncle Amir climbed all the way to the top and they didn't get to. But they did fine on the lower levels.

Seattle skyline.  So picturesque.  Amir wanted to see the Olympic Sculpture Park.  Right on the water front. 

This was one I liked called "Love and Loss"

Betsy and the boys and Gina and the girls were with us visiting the park.  But again, no pictures.  We attempted pictures with the boys, but Matthew was having none of it!
We are also missing pictures of Mei Lyns's birthday.  The balloons were great.  And much fun was had popping them. Betsy also made a gluten-free quinoa cake.  It was quite moist and delicious.  I also saw my dear friend Sharon and her wee ones.  They are growing so fast!
My dad's private playground is also missing.  And the wilderness trail.  My dad has a small 'wetlands' on his property. The kiddie-winkles made a trail and cousin club.  One night uncle Amir turned into a bear and was 'freaking us out." (According to Matthew)
 Amir went fishing with Jose and a friend. Here is his arm and the fish.  The fish was actually not bad...a little bony...but tasty.

 Dad let the kayaks loose and we went to American Lake.  Isabel and Reina showed no fear.  We went into a kind of swamp, which was nice.  I'm not saying I want to build a summer home there, but the trees were actually quite lovely.  We saw ducks and snails and a deer along with moss and reeds and flowers and bugs. Many bugs.

Another adventure in Orting.  There is a super bike/hike trail.  Next to a river, of course.  And the girls wanted to walk in it, of course.  And Uncle Amir let them, of course.  He said it was survival training. Sure.  He also taught them to smear mud on themselves. Sorry Amy.  Glad I didn't get pictures of that. (They wash) And a snake.  Why not?   The poor thing was manhandled by four little girls. Its traumatized forever.  

It was a great time, but exhausting.  

Friends

Our dear friends who are leaving in a few weeks (I don't want to talk about it) came over for one last Persian BBQ.  I wanted to get a pic with the food in it too.  There was chicken kabab, kabab koobideh (ground meat with spice), flat bread, mast o khiar (cucumber and yogurt), salad Shiraze (cucumber, onion and tomato), kashkeh bademjan (eggplant and sour cream), green salad, and Caitlin's famous pasta salad. (Molly's favorite! Made by Mike this time.)  We had so much food, we could have fed...well...us.  For a few days.  You always have to have leftovers!!

Caitlin and Mike Channer
Two lovely people who will be sorely missed

Yours truly and Amir the sweetie-pie

For father's day Amir got cookies.  And I had to take a picture because they turned out so perfectly.  My chocolate chip cookies have a tendency to be flat and crispy.  I don't like crunchy cookies (unless you're an oreo).  My mom says to add more flour, but when I do I end up with cookies that don't spread and are dry floury lumps.  But this time....just the right about of puffiness and chewiness. YUM!

Doldrums

Yeah, its been awhile.  I had school. I had finals. I had sickness.  And I still have sickness, just another kind.  And yes, this is a total ploy for sympathy.  I feel bad.  LOVE ME!!!

This is Harley and her new summer cut.  No more hair.  Isn't she cute?  She found a bone whilst walking in the park.  She carried it all the way home and kept it safe from all the other doggies.  Amir said she looked liked a warthog.

I would have a picture here, but Amir neglected to send it to me.  The blue truck has been sold.  It is no more.  It has ceased to be (at our house).  The end of an era.  Amir hauled sooooo much stuff in that thing.  I don't know how many people he helped move.

We still have the tool box, which is quite nice for storing stuff on our porch.  If you know anything about where we live, chaining and locking stuff up is the only way to keep it from walking away.   I must say, living here makes me thankful for my quiet, uneventful life.

I am also incredibly grateful for family.  If you read my sister's blog, you know my grandfather died about a month ago.  As funerals go... it was a hoot.  Sad yes.  But my family puts the fun in funeral!  Some of my cousins I hadn't seen in years.  Every family has weirdness but, for the most, we all get along.  Or pretend we do ;)  Its a funny thing, to know there are people out there who you may not see often, or communicate with regularly, but they're always there if you need them.

merriment in the mist

I miss my rain.  Albuquerque has permanently dried me out. I am a prune of my former self. But occasionally I do get to visit Washington.  To see my family, yes.  But I can't deny the anticipation of precipitation.

Can you see the mist?  The lack of blue sky?
Feel the dampness seeping into your bones!

The above by the way is a simply fabulous park; reclaimed from a sand and gravel works.  Chambers Creek Regional Park. (I think)

The crew

The park

Bradys, attaaaaaaaack!

We also spent time at the zoo.  The not-Tacoma zoo. In the day we saw animals with Betsy and Co. (It's always better at the Brady's)   At night there were zoo-lights.  Fun, but cold. The men stayed home in the evening and did whatever men do when they're alone.  (It probably involves eating, drinking, sports, T.V, and much grunting I imagine)

Yeah. We're totes adorbs.

I also got to visit with an old friend from Portland days.  It's so lovely when you see old friends and it's like time just hasn't gone by at all.  You can pick up right where you left off.  Which in my case is very nice, because I am a horrible correspondent. Yikes. Please forgive my negligence you favorite people you.  I think about you. I am simply remiss in my affectionate communication obligations.