Playing Catch Up

Well guys, this is it. The somewhat unheralded attempt to switch away from facebook... to some other medium. Maybe one or two people will read this. That's cool. So as you may know, I graduated in June from Western Washington University

Then I sat around in Bellingham for a while... Looking for jobs, and looking at these creepy crawlies. There was an over abundance of tent caterpillars this year. At least in my opinion. When it sounds like its raining but its really just these fuzzy guys falling from tree tops and plunking through the canopy... well. I screamed like the 4 year old girl I am when I felt one on my leg. And I swear I'm not skittish. 

Then in July we took a trip south to stay with the SO's family, and went on a jaunt to Mt St Helens and explored the Ape Caves, among other things

We saw some sweet insects... I think (read: know) I was more excited than he was

Cerambycid on flowering bear grass

Saw fly doing it's thing

Then I got wind of a job in the Olympic National Park, as a lowly intern, had a short and remarkably easy interview, and a few weeks later I gleefully accepted a position as a Restoration Botanist Intern (or something like that). I packed up the apartment and donated anything that didn't fit in my truckling. My belongings went to live at a friend's while I made a rather spontaneous trip. Having received a few not too subtle hints from my mother, I made the 900 mile drive south to sweltering Central California...

Some gorgeous fig jam made with cosmetically challenged figgies, still not sure how it tastes

Worked a little at Market

But time was short, I drove back to Bellingham, leaving my sister's at 2am (NOT wise, by the way). Stopped for a day to hang out with the SO again...

Driving through Oregon

More insects!

Then it was time. I packed all the belongings I had prepacked and drove down to lovely Port Angeles... I moved in on Saturday, and started on Monday. My darling SO came down the following weekend and helped me navigate my new town, and the mountains that act as the spectacular backdrop to Port Angeles.

As can be expected I spent a while chasing flutterbys... This one just sat on  his
flower and let us stare at him for several minutes... And almost touch him

And now, we are somewhere near the present.

Labor Day weekend chocolate on chocolate cheesecake

After a month or so we went to Kalaloch, working on acquired properties. Our bunk house was across the street from this.

And now, we're really in the present. I work in a nursery most days. Some days I go here (see below), and this is where I will spend much of my time this winter... Although not in such magnificent weather. But I'm bored of fiddling with this, so we'll talk about THE PROJECT next time around!

'Lake' Mills, or the drained reservoir