Cama Beach Getaway – Part 1 February 8, 2010

 

 

My Dad wanted to do a little get away with me before we left on our Summer adventure.

So I did some looking around for places near by, and found a treasure!

Cama Beach State Park is located on Camano Island. It is the newest state park in Washington.

It is a small resort that was built in the 30’s for familys to come enjoy in the summer.

Its a collection of really cute little cabins. They are simple little buildings, but very comfortable.

All but 4 of the cabins lack a bathroom within, but a new and very nice bathhouse is very close by.

It was quite humorous to me that so many people complained about not having a bathroom within their cabin.

Even though each cabin had hot water, a fridge and electricity (which includes heat).

Our every day luxuries are taken for granted.

It is valuable to take a moment to appreciate everything in our lives,

We are truely blessed with many comforts that most did not have 100 years ago (or even more recently).

 

 

 

 

The day we arrived we were welcomed with a beautiful glowing sunset.

The light on the water was truely beautiful.

It was the start of a relaxing couple of days along Saratoga Passage.

 

 

 

 

Our weather was really wonderful for this time of year!

The clouds passed in front of the sun a few times, but over all we were blessed with lovely sunshine!

It truely felt like spring, I really could not believe that it was February!

The wildlife abounded in the area.

What a special treat to be able to watch all of these beautiful creatures.

There were many different water birds (unfortunatly this is a weak spot in my bird ID skills).

I watched a porpoise swim through the passage.

A pair of Bald Eagles lived in a tree above the cabins, and spent their days soaring the skies and calling to each other.

 

 

 

 

What a tranquil setting, it is no wonder that these cabins were built here.

And what a treat for many more to enjoy!

The property has been slightly restored and improved by the park system.

The cabins really are a wonderful price, making this a reasonable getaway for families!

 

 

 

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My World Tuesday

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Getting in Shape with Nature January 28, 2010

 

 

Today Angel (Above) and I went for a hike.

We went south, to the Chuckanuts, to hike the Pine and Cedar Lakes Trail.

This is a great trail for me to get back in shape on,

Its a steep climb up, and reminded me I have not been very active this winter.

Huff and Puff.

 

 

 

 

Our sun was shining today! Well at least this morning.

After a nice 2 mile climb up the steep old logging road,

We arrived at Cedar Lake.

I took this picture from in the shade, and spotted a bench basking in the sun on the other side of the lake.

We migrated to that bench, and I took a little cat nap basking in the sunshine.

My soul soaked up some much needed sunshine,

While Angel listened to the squirrels and other small wildlife scurrying around.

 

 

 

 

After my little rest, we climbed up a trail to a view point above the lake.

It looks out across some of our clearcut hills toward Mt. Baker and the Twin Sisters.

 

 

 

 

It almost looks like Mt. Baker is lounging across the foothills in this photo.

Basking in the sunshine.

Angel and I started back down, taking a hidden side trail back down to the main trail.

My legs felt like rubber on the steep downhill.

Tonight my body is happily tired!

A wonderful reminder to start getting in shape for the up coming hike.

 

Bernie went on a slightly different adventure today,

And got some amazing photos of his own.

Check them out Here

Light Shines Within January 19, 2010

 

 

We took an evening walk.

Mount Baker was basking in the sunlight.

 

 

 

 

Even though it is only January,

It really did feel like spring today.

 

 

 

 

These pictures speak stronger and more beautifully than my words ever could,

About our lovely outing,

Soaking up the sunshine.

 

 

 

 

The park that we visited has a lovely fragrance garden.

This garden held a fragrant beauty for us to meet.

I recently learned that this is the blooming season for Witch Hazel.

A lovely surprise this time of year!

 

 

 

 

And today I learned,

It comes in red also.

 

 

 

 

Peaceful moments spent outdoors,

Soaking up natures essence.

Tonight my light shines within!

New Energy Springs Forth January 17, 2010

 

 

Energy is ever changing,

But spring is a time that it emerges in so many forms.

We are still immersed in the winter months,

But nature is showing little signs of stirring.

 

 

 

How is energy stirring within you?

Is there some dream that has been nestled within you,

Protected in its beautiful shell,

Waiting to burst forth into a beautiful tree?

 

 

 

Today we did some yard work. Many plants are just starting to show a few buds.

The acorns are starting to push apart their protective shells, getting ready to emerge into the world.

There were even a few daffodils peeking up through the dirt.

I know we still have some winter left,

But spring is starting to flirt with us,

Just a hint of her bright gown peeking out from behind Winters Heavy cloak.

 

Life’s Abundance January 12, 2010

 

 

The Universe produces endless abundance in infinate forms.

If you feel that you are lacking any form of abundance in your life,

It is as simple as shifting your mindset.

When we appreciate the abundance that is already in our lives,

We will attract more abundance into our experience.

And often there is MUCH abundance in our lives that we simply may be overlooking,

So just take a few moments to reflect on what is abundant in your life.

The more time you reflect upon and appreciate your abundance,

You will be amazed to find so much more flowing into your life!

 

 

 

 

My life is filled with so many forms of abundance,

And I appreciate all of it!

One form of abundance in our lives on the farm lately is eggs…….

We have close to 100 chickens (hens and roosters) at the moment.

A couple months ago we were not getting a single egg from our girls,

Due to a hard molt (loosing their feathers) and the lack of sunlight.

Well we told them they needed to get with the program.

Be careful what you wish for…..

It started with one egg and the numbers kept rising.

We are currently getting on average 20 eggs a day at this moment,

With the numbers at a slow but steady rise.

We love our farm fresh eggs! What a beautiful healthy gift they are,

But there is no way that we can eat anywhere near 20 eggs a day.

 

 

So how is abundance present in your life in this moment?

The Art of Appreciation January 7, 2010

 

Our weather cleared up a bit today, we even had moments of sunlight! This is a treat here in the Northwest during the winter months. Bernie and I took a little journey to the Chuckanut Mountains today. We have not been getting outside as much as we enjoy lately, so it was nice to get some fresh air and be immersed in nature. We ended up hiking about 6 miles, which was a good stretch for our legs and souls.

 

 

Nature emulates the same form in many different ‘beings’. Here is a tree impersonating an octopus. It looks as if this tree started as a little seedling in a bit of dirt on the top of this rock. As it grew it spread its ‘arms’ to embrace its new home. What a beautiful form it has taken! I love to see the life in plants, they are such amazing beings to me. If you have ever doubted that plants are ‘alive’ and ‘conscious’, take the time to sit in nature and watch the plants around you. Not only might you watch them come to life through the day, they might start to talk to you in their own special way. What do the plants have to teach you?

 

 

This moss illustrates how wet it has been around here lately. It has soaked up the rain like a sponge, and is still dripping with it, even though it did not rain a drop today. What amazing form these little plants take. I love to look at the form of these graceful little beings. There is so much detail we can miss in our every day world if we don’t take the time to slow down and enjoy it.

 

 

The cedar trees were coated in this beautiful lichen on the lower part of their trunks. It highlighted the amazing patterns that the cedar bark grows in. Each tree had a unique ‘painting’ on it.

 

 

It looks as if this tree is stepping into the light, to enjoy the wee bit of sun rays that were shining through the canopy. Are you stepping into your own personal light?

 

 

We did a big loop hike that takes us on a beautiful journey through the woods, seeing many amazing different scenes along the way. The light was not plentiful today, thus the slight darkness to many of the photos. But it was a spectacular day to spend outside, enjoying the beauty of nature. And when the sun managed to peek through the clouds and the tree canopy, it was a special treat that made the emerald foliage on the forest floor glow.

 

What a beautiful day Bernie and I got to spend in the Chuckanuts. If you feel yourself being down, tired, or bored in the winter months; take the time to go outside. Nature has an amazing way of re-setting our souls, helping us come back to our center.

 

And I received a treat when I got home. A lovely lady I met on Facebook, Peggy Halevi is in the process of publishing her first book. She asked if I would like to review a copy of her not yet released book, and give her my feedback, I was honored! Well, her book arrived today, and I look forward to reading it!! “The Art of Appreciation” by Peggy Halevi will be immerging into the world shortly. This has prompted the title of this post, because I truely appreciate my life in every way!

Our Christmas Card December 29, 2009

 

Carry the Spirit of Christmas With You Through the Year!

 

The Dearest Christmas is the Christmas in the Heart.

 

May the Magic of Christmas fill Each Corner of Your Home and Heart!

 

 

So this Christmas, I decided that I wanted to make our cards. One reason for this is there was a list of people that we call trail angels, or trail hosts. These are beautiful people that invited us into their homes to rest along the trail, or did other beautiful things for us on our great pilgrimage! And I also wanted a nice personal card to send to friends and family. So I made this collage of some pictures from the trail this summer. I made it into a 5×7 format, and took it into Costco to be printed simply as a 5×7 print. Then I came home, and on the computer made up the 3 different holiday greetings above to print onto card stock I have. On the back I printed “Stacey and Bernie. A collection of photos from our thru hike of the Pacific Crest Trail 2009″. I then glued the picture on the front of the card. A fun and unique Christmas Card! This is a great way to share with loved ones some of the fun and unique things that you do through the year through pictures. Many photo editing programs have a “collage maker”.

 

So this is my Christmas card to all my lovely online friends! I hope all of you have had a most beautiful holiday season!

A Christmas Filled With Beauty! December 26, 2009

 

Well, I had a lovely Christmas with my beautiful family! We had a very relaxed and peaceful day. It was filled with beautiful moments shared together, and some really special gifts for each other! As you can see from the photo above, we rarely skimp during Christmas, although I truely feel that we are moving away from getting “stuff” as was sometimes the case in the past, and now are making an effort to make and get items that we know will mean something to each of us.

 

Now, I do have to say I wondered if perhaps we were getting a few too many presents under the tree when Angel was slowly getting pushed out of her bed. It looks as if she is holding her own, even though that red present looks as if it is planning a territory take over.

 

I got many fun presents today, little things that add to my hobbies. But I have to say there was a couple presents that I am quite excited about. The most meaningful present to me this Christmas was two pendants, one for Bernie, and one for me, from my parents. They had these custom made by an amazing local artist.

 

 

If you are not familure with the Sea Otter aspect of our lives, Bernie is a Wildlife Biologist, and before I met him had done several years of Sea Otter research. Two summers ago, we did a volunteer job together up in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska doing Sea Otter research (If you want to see some photos from our journey here are the entries from Bernie’s blog on that adventure! Visit here ). These are truely beautiful creatures, and I fell in love with them! So these pendants are a gift from my parents to remember our adventure with these beautiful animals!

 

This first pendant is mine, with a beautiful sentiment of love from my parents on the side.

 

 

The tallented lady that did this scrimshaw work is Tina White, and she lives here in Bellingham. If you would like to see some of her amazing work I would highly recomend visiting her website www.scrimworks.com . And if you have Facebook, I suggest looking her up by searching “scrimworks”. Her personal site has some beautiful photos of her scrimshaw jewelry.

 

My parents pulled out a couple of pieces of scrimshaw that they have collected over the years, and there is simply no comparison! Tina does such amazing detail! The other pieces simply look crude next to her work. My photos don’t do justice to these pieces of art, the detail is spectacular! We were looking at these through a jewlers ring, wow!

 

 

This beautiful pendant is Bernie’s. Tina really captured the essence of the Sea Otters. So much of the Sea Otter artwork that we have seen has simply lacked accuracy, and the inner essence of what these beautiful little souls are. It is amazing with all her artwork how she captures the essence of what ever she is carving into this fossilized Mammoth Ivory.

 

 

My other present I am excited about is this new Sansa clip+ 4GB MP3 player. I know that this is standard equipment for many now days, but I am a little behind. So this was a lovely gift from Bernie for me to be able to take music with me when we go hiking (yes, the Appalachian Trail is seriously calling to me….. I did not think I would be saying that so soon). The technology is truely amazing! I can’t believe how many things this little tiny piece of plastic can do. It also has an FM tuner for when I get bored with the music I put on it. It has beautiful sound!

 

Another very meaningful gift that my dad is making for Bernie and I, is a serving tray. He does beautiful wood work, and he is creating a beautiful Maple tray with an inlay of two hikers (us) with a mountain in the background. He was not happy with his first attempt at the inlay, so he is starting over (he loves to get his projects perfect). The parts he has done, and shared with us today are really beautiful, and such a loving gift! I look forward to sharing pictures of it when he gets it finished. He made mom an absolutely beautiful Walnut serving tray. It is not quite finished either, but close, and it is an amazing piece of wood!

 

I also got a few books, all of which I am excited about reading. They are all about our food system now.

 

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle 

by: Barbara Kingsolver

 

The Omnivore’s Dilema

by: Michael Pollan

 

The Wisdom of the Last Farmer

by: David Mas Masumoto

 

What a beautiful Christmas! It was filled not only with beautiful gifts, but wonderful time spent with my family, enjoying the amazing energy that is the Holidays! I hope everyone had a beautiful day with those that are near and dear to them!

Did you get any special gifts this year?

What did the Holidays mean to you this year?

Reflecting From Within December 15, 2009

 

 

When we see the beauty within ourselves,

It reflects onto the world wround us,

And we find that we are immersed in beauty at all times.

So take the time to remember your beauty,

In all its forms.

 

 

 

So we did get snow this weekend, but it was only a couple inches, and did not lend itself to a photo opportunity. So I share this picture from a few winters ago, when my parents came to visit our home in Winthrop. My dad took this picture one morning. There were many moments filled with beauty in Winthrop.

Beautiful Inside and Out December 7, 2009

 

 

Alright, this is not my best photography, but it gives you an idea of what I have been up to. These are a few of the presents I have wrapped recently. Honestly, to me wrapping the presents is as much fun as the presents themselves. My mum taught me how to wrap such beautiful gifts! I love that she shared this with me, and that we get to spend time together wrapping.

 

This bird is one of my favorite packages to date. This little friend was a real treasure to find, and I just got a red version of her yesterday that I look forward to matching with the perfect gift. And this lovely bird has a clip, so instead of gluing her on the package as I do with all the other embelishments, I simply clipped it on the ribbon, so that the person recieving the package could put her anywhere they wanted to enjoy when ever they wanted.

 

 

 

 

I love all the different looks you can give the packages. Just like the presents inside, each wrapping is unique. Its a challenge to match together different elements, getting the colours right, and a balanced looking embelishment. There is an amazing selection of beautiful flowers, greenery, and glittered bobbles to choose from.

 

 

 

 

Some people collect figurines…… my mom and I collect Christmas wrapping supplies. We have a couple boxes that we pull out this time of year. Filled with all kinds of bobbles, colours and ribbons. We have a 5 gallon bucket full of tubes of wrapping paper. The possibilities are endless. And we are always in search of a new unique piece to add to our collection.

 

I love wrapping gifts in a way that they are fully enjoyed as a beautiful gift before they are even opened.

 

I hope you all are having a wonderful Holiday Season!!

What are you enjoying this Holiday Season?