Mount Baker show shoes

We rented show shoes at the glacier ski shop and did a couple days of shoeing which was great!!  lovely lovely.  First on a cross country trail half way up the mountain and the next day, in the snow and snow.  Jim and I did a while then Tesia and Mikil went on with Loki his great dog.  Mike had some friends in from seattle and calgary,  We joined them for dinner 2 nights.
SNOW SNow!!

Mount Baker Skiing

Took the ferry back to mainland from Port Townsend to Northern Washington State.  Headed up the freeway north to our good nephew's Ski Shack in Glacier Washington near Mount Baker Ski area.  Mikil and Jim skied yesterday at the Mountain for a lovely bright sunny day.  They recovered the next day from drinking too much wine the next day and hiked to old growth Douglas Fir trees north of Mikil's place.  Great time and wonderful to be with Mikil. After our day of recovery the ski was blue and weather was warm and we took advantage of a wonderful ski day at Mount Baker.

Washington Northern Olympic Peninsula

Took our auto on the ferry from seattle to Bainbridge Island.  It is a 30 minute ride and from there drove to Forks on the Olympic Peninsula, which to our surprise is the home of the Twilight series of books/films.  The Peninsula is beautiful and remarkable for the coastal shores on the west and the huge forests or pines and varieties of moss/lichens found because of the precipitation from the pacific. First is Second Beach, a location we hiked over the mountain and down to see.  no development just raw nature at it's most beautiful.  Spent a couple days hiking and then left to drive onto Mount Baker for hiking and skiing with nephew Mikil.  So looking forward to seeing him.  second photo is Lake Crescent in Olympic national park.

More Wine

Second day in Wala Wala visiting several last wineries before we leave for olympic national park, WA.  First L'Ecole winery, tasting room in a 100 year old school outside of town.  Lovely wine and we seemed pretty pleased.  We did the deal and bought some wine.  Also had a chance to watch wine bottling at Durham Winery with one of the owners. Sweet

last day of wine &.....

another day of wine tasting. visited the aiport start up wineries and established L'Ecole on westend of town.  Did the deal today and bought some great wine.  Also had a chance to watch the bottling of Durham Winery with one of the owners.  Sweet

Wala Wala Washington Wineries

today did wineries in Wala Wala Washington.  The southern part of the city is a valley perfect for
raising grapes.  there are now 150 wineries here.  We visited 3 today and did tasting.  Took some pics
and drink a number of cab's, merlot, syrah, petit verdot, malbec, semillon.  Jim heard about this area from rudy maza on pbs.  the money is pouring into this place.  take a look at a couple of the vineyard and tasting we did today. the second photo Basel Winery was ready to hire Jim.  Evidently there are a number of retirees that spend time here to enjoy all the valley has to offer.  We had to nap by 3pm.
Had a wonderful dinner tonight in town at t. Marcones.  First time for both of us to have

Tagliatelle pasta, written about in one of jim's favorite Italo Calvino books.  Cosmacomics

it would say,
"Oh, if I only had some room, how I'd like to make some tagliatelle for you boys!" At that moment, Qfwfq and the others begin to picture "the space that her round arms would occupy," the space for the dough, the flour, the wheat for the flour, the sun on the wheat, the galaxy to harbor the sun . . .

In the act of making pasta, the universe can be imagined—and, in that moment of generosity, imagination, and love, Calvino says, our world and all of us were born.
today we were born again.  what a day!!!

Sweitzer Mountain, Idaho Ski Resort

MIssing a few posts but today was an beautiful drive from Sandpoint idaho south on 95 to moscow and dickenson idaho.  Stopped at the moscow A&W only to realize it was veterans appreciation day. jim scored a free pappa burger combo!!  Drove thru the snake river valley, unbelievable.  Jim skied from wednesday thru sunday at Sweitzer Mountain.  so great to see him happy and skiing as Tesia says smooth as ever.  here are a couple pics of jean claude kosmalski coming down Sweitzer Mountain.

View from Sweitzer Mountain to Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho. 

Pine Ridge Reservation South Dakota

Started February 1 and headed to Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota.  We stayed at our favorite local B&B, the Wakpmani.  Old farmhouse 100 plus years right on the reservation.  Had the house to ourselves which was grand.  Photographed at Wounded Knee and took a hundred photos and 5 rolls of 120 film.  The weather was ok.   Horses along the bluff were very interested in what we were doing.  Emotionally charged area.  We talked with a local who said there will be an tribal walk commemorating the massacre and recent passing of Russell Means.  Vil Kilmer was be in attendance and hosting a meal for the attendees.  This is  February 26.

 

This is the ravine looking south where the battle/massacre happened December 29, 1890.

This is the iconic image of Big Foot's Frozen Body at wounded knee in 1890..

Had dinner at the west cafe in Gordon, Nebraska the night of the super bowl.  We ere the only customers in the cafe which was owned and run to a chinese man and his wife.

One of those pictures you wish you would have taken. 

Up early monday to leave for billings, montana.  jim could not find his shoes which he left the the back door to avoid bringing mud into the house.  so who would steal in the middle of nowhere. turns out The Swick's dog carried them out and put his boots in the wheat field.   

ON root we stopped at the Red Cloud Indian School which opened after the dakota wars as a boarding school for native youth.  thankfully they are not boarding kids anymore.  They have a heritge center where they show contemporary indian craft and fine art.  wow.

Lots of amazing work.  here is the exterior of one of the buildings, inside is the heritage center/

.