Easter: Mendenhall Wetlands

Our friends went on a 10 day excusion and asked us to watch their dogs and stay at their house. We jumped at the chance to play with three dogs (and stay in a place with internet, netflix, piano, a shorter commute, etc.)

First there's D - she's an old gal. Our instructions were to walk her to the mailbox and back. She did not get to enjoy the mud flats with us.





Easter morning (actually both Saturdays and Sundays), we walked Willie and Bella the block to the Wildlife game refuge/Mud flats to play catch and chase birds.

Willie's ready to play. Can you see how well Bella is camoflauged?

Oh, there's Bella. She'd like the ball too.

It's so fun I'm gonna jump over you.

It was sunny and warm and the dogs had a blast. They chased sticks and tennis balls, watched for bald eagles, sand pipers, stellar's jays, marsh hawks, and juncos, and splashed in the streams. It was a nice relaxing morning.

Flashback: Car Fire

Remember the car that crashed into the church? Well, the next day I was reading the news and saw that a car had burst into flames on our corner just ten minutes after we left for seminary. When we got home that evening we looked around and sure enough there was a charred vehicle across the street. I was glad that I wasn't home when it happened, the fire was pretty bad, it sent the owner to the hospital.

Seward's Day at Blue Mussel Cabin

The last day in March is Seward's Day. We had the day off and our friend asked to be invited to our plans. We didn't have plans, so we made some up, "How about the Blue Mussel Cabin?"

The sky threatened rain and we know that the trail is typically muddy so we dressed for success, hiking in boots and rain gear. Rather than mud however we found snow and ice and after lunch the sun appeared.

We looked at sea anenomes and crabs in tide pools and crunched through the mounds of blue mussels piled along the beach.

Mr. X taught our friend to sling rocks in front of the cabin while I explored the 15 - 20 foot ice slides on the cliffs.

The cabin was a mess, so we gathered up the junk, washed windows and attempted to repair the windows in the loft.


Rather than taking the trail back to the car Mr. X wanted to bushwack. So we made our way through leaf-less Devil's Club. Eventually, I decided I was finished getting stung by the prolific, prickly bush, so I took off toward the road. Mr. X and our friend had no other choice but to follow.

It was an easy but enjoyable hike. Perfect for starting out the hiking season.

Saying something nice

My mom always said, "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

That's kind of how it's been around here lately. Although I do have some pictures to share from our Seward's Day hike, I don't have them ready because our favorite upstairs neighbors - who we adore (NOT) - were BANGING ON OUR BEDROOM WINDOW AT 2 AM!

So, I'm standing there in the mud in my wellingtons and pajamas with a headlamp. Ready to wallop whoever it is trying to climb through the window. And they're just washing their windows...and dangling an electrical cord down the side of the building. Happy day.

At least we have monster cookies to eat.

Grand Theft Auto

photo from ward site. currently we have 18" of snow.

Note that our building is not a standardized plan and it has T-111 siding

Somehow this morning Mr. X and I left the house ten minutes early. We arrived at the church after the CES missionaries but incredibly before any of our students.

Pausing for just a second before getting out of the car, the corner of my headlight caught something on the corner of the building. The church had been hit by a car! Maybe the snowplow? - But it didn't snow last night.

The windows were frosty so I'm thinking, "Great, they took out the heater; it's going to be a cold morning for the junior class". Mr. X and I decide to investigate and after inspecting the smashed wall, I can see tire tracks, and it's obvious that the damage was caused by someone doing donuts. I say, "Let's see what it looks like from the other side." Mr. X's key works in the side door, but before we even go in, I can see that rather than a cold classroom, we're looking at a very wet one. The crash had ruptured the pipe on the radiator so that every time the heat kicked on overnight, hot water was pumped onto the Primary room floor.

Elder Z was already working to take down tables and chairs and had called someone from the Stake. Young men started arriving and Mr. X put them to work emptying the classroom. I found the piano in a couple inches of water in yet another room.

After helping the Brother T get temporary scriptures for his class, someone handed Mr. X a phone and he was instructed to turn off the water in three locations under the church. I opened the crawl space for him and then headed to our classroom in the Priesthood room. ...where I was suddenly supposed to do a song and dance until Mr. X arrived to take over.

Mr. X came in after 20 minutes and announced that the police, a plumber and Chem-dry had been contacted, the water was turned off, so don't use the restroom, and please note that the area where the church was crushed was a crime scene - don't touch it.

After our class, Brother S showed us a very nice but munched Subaru that was found parked behind the church. Someone's joyride apparently came to an abrupt end.

2011 Hiking Goals

Stroller White (l.) and Mt. McGinnis (r.) from Grandchild Peaks

My hiking goals for 2011 are taking shape.

1) Stroller White - we're not sure how to reach the top, either from Mt. McGinnis or the Grandchild Peaks trail. May require technical climbing, which I will not be attempting this summer.

2) Overnight Trip on Grandchild Peaks - have to procure a bear barrel. Someone riddle me this though - if the barrel is not to be tied-down, where do you put a barrel on a ridgeline? I keep imagining an animal rolling it over the edge. :)

photo: recreation.gov

3) Eagle Glacier Cabin

4) And just because it's been on the list every year: Mt. Juneau Ridgeline.

What are your options?

Today in Seminary Mr. X asked the class what the Saint's options were when they were attacked by Missourians. Their answers:

• Form a Militia,
• Guerrilla Warfare,
• Leave, or
• my favorite: Kidnap the Governor's Daughter.

Someone's been watching too many Westerns.