Oh what a world my parents gave me

 Today I put away our camping gear (I LOVE having a storage closet on the deck in this apartment, so much better than leaving everything in the back of the van).  We went camping four times this summer, and probably won't again before late next spring -- although that's not set in stone, there are some really pretty year-round campgrounds we haven't been to.  But we're not bushcrafters -- we probably won't want to spend a long weekend in the snow or the rain.  

Its a bit bittersweet, since I really look forward to quiet weekends in a tent surrounded by rushing creeks and mossy old cedars (most of the campgrounds we've been to around here are in the Mt. Baker-Snowqualmie National Forest).  But the sweet part -- in the process of packing up the camping gear, I resorted and more-conveniently located the halloween and christmas decorating stuff!  

It's almost autumn!  It's almost OCTOBER (my very favorite month).  And then it'll be almost CHRISTMAS. 

I'm going to decorate this apartment with SO MUCH HOLIDAY CHEER.  

 We have MOVED.  Not far, but into a bigger, possibly better apartment.  I'll post some pictures soon, but there's still some stuff to clean up.  I hope all of ya'll are having good days too!

I am sending holiday cards out today! . . . which means it's very likely they'll be late. I keep forgetting that Christmas is at the beginning of the week this year -- time, it does escape me.

So, in case the cards don't make it before the new year -- Happiest Holidays, and a very Merry New Year!

I love you all, you're great, and I hope you're having a really wonderful time.

 So I missed the deadline for Yuletide sign ups by a few hours  last week -- I didn't join in last year, but I wanted to this year, because I haven't written anything in a while and feel like I need to stretch those muscles, you know?

So, instead, I think I might do Nanowrimo?  At least, unofficially.  

 So, sometime in the next few years -- lets say three years from now -- Chad and I want to vacation in Japan.  

Neither of us have ever left the country, which means we're taking the time to do some research (and save some money).  Also to learn at least some serviceable Japanese -- I've picked up some phrases from years of watching anime, but that's not really going to cut it for actual useful conversation.

Now, I know at least a few of you fine folks have traveled there (some of you have lived there!  I'm super jealous, btw) -- can I ask you for some tips?  

Just things to look into (phone use, what to definitely pack, what to definitely NOT pack, what do we do if Chad has an asthma attack and for some reason we don't have his inhaler?  What phrases should I add to my vocabulary?).  

Help me, f-list, you're my (best) hope!

 It's my birthday, so i took a break from the terrible shitshow that is my country in general, and took a stroll along the waterfront in Seattle with my husband.  We've lived near the city for a year now, and this is the first time we've really gone down to explore -- don't worry, we'll be doing it again soon.

We hit up the Five Point Cafe for lunch -- fantastic Cuban sandwich, and really amazing fried cheese curds (tried them with honey for the first time -- so so good) in a tiny punk ass bar with rainbow stickers on the windows and an anti-Trump protest sign leaning against the restroom wall.  I loved it.

Then we wandered over to Pike's Place Market (super crowded) and to the waterfront, where we went up in the Great Wheel -- the sky was wonderfully dramatic.  

Seattle is a good city.  I had a good time.

( pictures )

 Feel like throwing myself into the holidays this year.  Who wants a holiday card? Just give me your address (comments are screened)

 I  . . . didn't sign up for Yuletide this year.  It's the first time in a long while -- I haven't been really happy with the last couple of fics I wrote, (and last year I got no response of any kind from the recipient, which is . . . disconcerting.  Feels a bit like limbo) -- so it felt like a good year to just . . . not.  I might yet do some pinch-hitting, since I'm still on that email list.  Maybe this year I'll concentrate more on reading fic and discovering cool tiny fandoms.

I am, instead, considering doing some novel writing -- not, perhaps, NANOWRIMO as such, but using the time to really whip an idea into something workable.   It feels like time to get back into writing.

So the Cascade Loop is a road trip that takes about 9 hours of driving time and fills it with 4 or 5 days worth of stuff to do and things to see. It gives a traveler a broad overview of the climate and surroundings of Washington, and is generally pretty awesome. Chad and I are thinking of making it an annual thing -- there's enough stuff to do that we can pick one or two "destinations" on the Loop and spend the rest of the time camping and enjoying the scenery. :D

We took the Loop clockwise, basically, starting with the ferry to Whidbey Island and then mostly following HWY 20 around. We stopped and camped the first night in Newhalem, in the North Cascades National Park, which was chilly and mountainous and covered in pine trees. Then we drove through the touristy old west town of Winthrop to an AirBnB in Wenatchee, which is in the part of Washington full of scrubby desert and heat and vineyards and orchards. The third day we backtracked to take a swim in Lake Chelan, which is, no lie, the most beautiful water I've ever seen -- the lake was so clear, and so blue, it looked tropical even though it was JUST the right side of too cold. (this was very welcome, because our van doesn't have working A/C, and that side of Washington, like I said before, is HOT). There were ducks swimming around with us, Mallards I think, bobbing along and staying just out of reach of the kids in the water. Then we went through some more rocky mountains and over some impressive curves before camping for the night at Moneycreek, in the Mt. Baker-Snowqualmie National Forest. It's an old growth forest, full of massive Red Cedars and hoary, moss covered Fir. Really impressive, we'll definitely be back -- I didn't get many good pictures there, because the light was too low for my slow old workhorse camera. Next year, maybe. The fourth day we did a bit more sightseeing and touristy stuff, and then we came home!

Here are some of the best pictures:

( lots of pictures )