this weekend i've been doing a lot of catch-up reading on books i wanted to finish over the summer. i read through the art of the story, edited by david halpern, which features some of today's greatest writers from all over the world. reading through that anthology helped me get a taste for some people's work i haven't had a chance to read (margaret atwood, raymond carver, t.c. boyle, lydia davis) and it also pointed me to work by some of my favorites that i'd never seen before (edwidge danticat, patrick chamoiseau, colum mccann).

i finished the last in the hunger games series. have you followed some of the craze over it? yeah, it's pretty addicting and the perfect example of book candy.

now i'm onto a short story collection by aleksandar hemon. his earlier novel lazarus project hit me so hard and i have a feeling the stories in love and obstacles will do the same. (bonus, lazarus project has amazing photographs by velibor bozovic scattered through it).

anyway, books are on the mind. i'm eager to meet more inspiring authors this fall and hopefully share with you some things i've gleaned.

i was lucky enough to get one boat ride in this summer. we went up to my great-aunt's cabin on the water and took a row boat out about 20 feet. the boat was lopsided and we ended up sitting backwards in it to level the weight. jon was rowing backwards, the wind was blowing and rocking us, and i was frantically trying to get some shot without dropping my camera in the water. so, even though it was actually sort of stressful, i'm still glad we got a little boat time.

a new seattle company called urban bee shows how they gather their hives and extract honey:
video (sorry, it's a link to facebook. they don't yet have an external website)

september

september is...

apples and honey
the new year
harvest
a fast
crisp
family dinners
darker
socks
pears
plums
last bits of tomatoes
a wedding
a birthday
more tea and music and candles in my home

and for you?

light in my house

i'm clutching onto summer light wherever i find it. after a beautiful weekend, today is a rainy, stormy day and i'm left faced with the reality that summer--though it never really even started this year--is almost over. i have neko case's magpie to the morning on repeat, singing "don't let this faded summer pass you by."

with all my wistfulness and forlorning, i do feel like i did most of what i wanted to do this summer. we had a big party this weekend with all of our friends in our backyard. i made desserts and lit candles in bell jars when the sun went down. i picked blackberries in my grandma's front yard yesterday and boiled up peaches with water and sugar to put over yogurt all week long. here, see my progress on my summer list. i'm pretty happy with all i was able to do.

with that, september begins tomorrow and i will be here with a september list. no more whining about the end of summer. just confidence and contentment in the next changing season.
a bientot...

port townsend

 

(i meant to post this friday, but got too busy. this is the last of my olympic peninsula guides) 

port townsend

-on our last day of vacation, we got up early, packed up camp, said one last good-bye to the spit and headed out of town. with time to kill in our day, we decided to stop at one of our favorite little towns, port townsend. breakfast at salal cafe is a must. they will serve you eggs in any way you can imagine--frittata, omelet, scrambled, poached--all with yummy and fresh goodies on top or inside. i'm not always up for a plate of eggs, so instead i went for a tofu scramble with spinach, tomatoes and parmesan. so good. we warmed up on their back deck that has a greenhouse cover.

-wandering around the strip of town doesn't take too long, pop into small locally owned stores to get the flavor of the town or to find a special treasure to take home. i found a great deal on recycled glassware so i picked up a bowl for the kitchen.

-the wooden boat center in port townsend is beautiful! so many handcrafted boats with lots of style and care. we had fun looking out onto the water and watching the boats. 

-we got into town too early for a beer, but i can't talk about port townsend without mentioning the port townsend brewery. on other trips, we've sat at the bar and ordered tasting samples of all their beers. they do a fine job at just about everything. go there.

a guide to the olympic peninsula: dungeness spit

 

dungeness spit

after a full day of drizzle, we were so happy to pack up our car and drive out sequim, the "banana belt" of the peninsula (the area is called that because it is always drier and warmer than any other parts of the northern peninsula). we stopped at my all-time favorite grocery stores, sunny farms and reserved a spot at the dungeness spit campground. 

-before walking down to the official dungeness spit, walk along the bluff overlooking the strait of juan de fuca and take a look at canada. if you stand there long enough, cruise ships and barges will pass by.

-the dungeness spit is a wildlife refuge and a $3 donation is required to journey down to the beach. it is absolutely worth it. the small hike down is scattered with signs about leaving no trace, disturbing no animals, taking only pictures and leaving shells and sticks where you found them. these signs are a great reminder of our impact on our environment and they made me wish signs like this were all over.

-bring binoculars, you might spot birds you've never seen before. 

i was so happy to be in a warm spot with lots of visual inspiration: the shapes and lines of the seaweed and the grass in the wind, the smooth rocks and the bright flowers.

**

**

one more day of olympic peninsula pictures and then i'm done. things are picking up around here and i'm getting a bit nervous for fall, but i'm throwing a party for jon's birthday this weekend (it's a big one) and i'm excited to celebrate the end of summer with good friends.

guide to the peninsula: hurricane ridge

hurricane ridge
-you can't go all the way out to heart of the hills campground without making the extra trek up to hurricane ridge. it is 12 miles from the campground and takes quite a long time, but you will never regret it. just go slow on those corners! the fog was so thick at camp that we were nervous to not see all the beauty at the top, but as soon as we rounded the bend to hurricane ridge, the sky opened and beautiful mountain tops appeared. 
-get out of the car and take in the panorama view of the top of the olympics. the mountain air is so fresh and crisp, mixing with the scent of sweet smelling sage and mountain flowers.
-the visitor center is worth a trip, if not for all the history and ecology information, then to check out the old signage--black and white pictures and mid-century fonts.
-here is the place to pack a picnic. take simple sandwiches and eat them on the benches with other visitors, overlooking the view.
-finally, mosey around on the trails past short mountain trees, leftover snow, deer and wildflowers, slowly taking all the beauty in.

a guide to the peninsula: elwha river

 

elwha river

-from heart of the hills campground, take lake dawn road out to the elwha river. the road won't be marked well and it won't be paved for part of the way. you may see clear cuts and a make-shift shooting range, but you'll also see homes nestled along the lake and forest and meadow. and no other cars.

-drive out to the elwha dam and walk around. stop by the river and watch it rush along. notice the parts of the river that go faster, that bend, that are still.

a guide to enjoying the olympic peninsula

 

a guide to enjoying the olympic peninsula

(northern edition)

ferry

-from seattle, you have two ferry options. i usually choose edmunds to kingston on the way out to the peninsula and bainbridge to seattle on the way home. if you go to the peninsula often enough, you'll start getting a feel for what routine you like best. or, better yet, try to do a different route each trip!
-get up on the deck quick to snag yourself a window seat, or spend the whole trip at the bow of the boat, feeling the wind and watching the waves.
camping in olympic national park
-we chose heart of the hills campground this time around, which is at the northern entrance of the olympic national park. from port angeles, you take a long winding road through forests, until you find the campground securely tucked away in old growth trees. it may be foggy or clear or drizzly. (one day i'll do a south, east and west edition of camping in the national park, but that will require more traveling)
-when you get there. set up your tent, breathe in deep and enjoy the quiet.

quick dip

i've been a little distant, haven't i? so sorry about that. august is getting away from me and i'm seeking to grab it and hold on tight and enjoy. i finally got lots of film back, so i am ready to replenish this space. i am ready for more inspiration and more sharing. and i will admit it, i am nervous for fall.

next week: shots from a weekend of camping in the olympic national park.
here's to making the most of it all!