Sculpture Art Garden

Oh boy! A walk in the light rain through a lovely mown field filled with sculptures and kinetic art with my two favorite people ever!

Thane says his favorite sculpture was the heart of darkness; a metal found-art crocodile who holds a metal heart in his rib cage. Tyson said his favorite piece was a tall black spire of granite. And a concrete totem pole called "Raven and Wolf". Oh, and a great timberframe garden shed with two open walls that would make a fantastic horse run-in shed.

Yep, that's what we did tonight after a couple of nice training lessons on borrowed horses with Jean Moyer here at the farm. Billy is lame lame lame and I'm trying hard not to let my worried-horse-owner side overtake the veterinary side as I wrap and ice and sweat his fetlock. Tyson and Thane gamely suffered the downpour of equine adventures during our cross country schooling this weekend on Whidbey Island. Tyson's attempt at video of Billys runs resulted in an eerie, misty headless horse(wo)man effect that would make a great backdrop for a creepy Halloween movie.

All the horses ready to load up for the ride to Whidbey Island.

This Giants Table and Chairs would really be great on a cross-country course!

The Pacific Northwest is truly a beautiful place to play and explore, but the three of us are hoping to see some sun and warm temperatures soon so we don't have to go home to Alaska with our heads hanging having missed all the 75 and 80 degree weather that is happening at home!

WILDlife!

Today was rainy, cold, and dreary but made much better by a visit from Alaskan friends Dave and Sophie. They've done the seemingly "normal" Alaskan Pony Club routine of buying a truck (sight unseen) and a new horse trailer (extra long please just to complicate the trip through downtown Seattle) in the Lower 48 and are hauling it home up the AlCan. Sound familiar?



Happily for us they decided to add onto their adventure and take a quick ferry ride to the island to see us. Sophie got to ride one of the barn horses and then she hopped onto Billy for a lesson. She rode Billy beautifully and had a huge smile on her face as she executed gorgeous extensions (yes, in collection!) down the long wall. Over and over I might add. I'm awaiting pictures to post. Billy appreciated the light weight of the teeny tiny rider on his back and worked extra hard to be good for her.



After horse and barn chores were completed and Dave and Sophie off to the returning ferry Thane, Hannah, Tamara and I went on a search for the perfect ice cream sundaes, quickly followed by a tour around the island. Wildlife sightings were the order of the evening; rabid foxes (not really but they are really accustomed to begging at cars for food), attack-deer (really!), and tons of new and as-yet-unidentified-by-us birds.



The deer story is real; we were nearly home when we saw a huge eagle dive into a waist-high-timothy hay field, obviously on the hunt. Milliseconds later a doe galloped down the hill and pounded that unsuspecting eagle with her tiny hooves. After a few minutes there was no attempt by the eagle to rise. We were so amazed at the deer's ferocity that we (well, me, Tamara pushed me out the car door) had to hike down to the area to see if a fawn had also become a victim. The deer bounded away as I got closer (phew!) and I could see all that was left of the eagle. Now that's maternal aggression at it's finest. (Scroll down if you want the photographic evidence.)

Lime Kiln Point

Lime Kiln Point mini-family-minus-one pic.
















Been walkin' long?
















Lime Kiln Point is the main whale-watching site on the island. You can also see Victoria, BC from here, and it's not very far away!




















Tree-hugger. Comes by it naturally.










































Lime Kiln Point lighthouse was built in 1919. One year after Grandpa Jim was born! (That's an old lighthouse!)

Day One of Our Blog

Thane and I have decided to start our very own blog, complete with pictures once we find the camera. We are in Friday Harbor, Washington for much of the summer to ride horses (me) and explore, play, and grow (Thane). Tyson will come down to be with us in our adventures when he is off work. Thane is going to be a big part of writing this blog.
Tonight after dinner we started exploring the island. Using Thanes map-reading skills we drove Big Blue (our giant new truck) through grass-covered valleys, over tree-lined hills, and around curving ocean view roads, finally stopping at Lime Kiln Point State Park as our beginning exploration place.
Coming up tomorrow...pictures and more important information!