Weather outside is Snowy--a Treat for Wet Washington

The temperature is a brisk 24 degrees F. The breeze out of the east just lifting the stars and stripes gently. The sun is shining and birds are enjoying the seeds left in the feeding stations protected by our gazebo. The suet is hanging on the cherry tree next to the house for those birds who crave a little fat.

Fire is going in the fireplace to augment the electric heat. The fireplace heater is wood burning and is a closed box with fan for more efficiency. I need to water the houseplants today.

The Christmas tree, a Nobel fir, gets special water that keeps the leaves green and the needles fresh.

December 5, 2008
Well, it's getting colder but nothing like this penguin is experiencing at the South Pole.

We have been enjoying just being home and doing the little tasks of daily living like shopping for groceries, doing the laundry, and straightening up the house.

With just two of us at home it would seem that clutter would be a nonevent but that is not true. I have my projects which seem to have multiple pieces and my husband has his interests which also explode to fill the available space.

Nevertheless, it is all manageable.

Saturday in England

Here I am with my husband, at a little fishing village called Lymington.

Forde Abbey Kitchen Gardens

/This castle-like home used to be a Cistercian monastary. It is now a private home.

Penguin Pictures

Here is a quick run-through of the places Percy Penguin and I have been in the last two weeks:

Percy practices flying on the train from Weymouth to Bournemouth (above).

We took Percy for a walk on a real English country lane.

This is Percy at an ancient fountain in a city called Wells.

This is me, standing by one of the doors to my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather's house in England. He was born here in the year 1605! I think he was not very tall...

This is a candy shop in the same town as the house above. When I was a little girl in California, candy was still sold from jars like this!

Here is a picture of the beautiful countryside near Yarcombe, England -- where we took Percy for the walk. It looks a lot like Tenino, I think!


Finally, here is a picture of my husband in a little church called St. John the Baptist. The other man is explaining how the bells for the church work.

On Sark

Here I am with Liz, a penpal who lives on Sark Island. Sark is part of the English Channel Islands. There are no cars on the island! Everyone walks or rides a bike everywhere.

Fougeres