Our newest family member

The process was painstaking and involved coercion and too much time and even a few fibs, but we were finally able to bring home a kitten. So far so good, she's a sweetie!

The Mighty Hunter (RIP Possum family)

So we've had a family of possums living with us for some time now. Well, it's pretty much just been this summer, because they came in through the crawlspace under the house, and we've had it open this summer because our water spigot is under there. About a month ago I heard one crawling up the wall behind the shower, and we spotted it in the attic, but chased it back down and out, or so we thought.
Last night I came home with Haven from a nice dinner at a friends house (that Nic Cheetah can cook!) at about 9:30pm to find a possum in my bathroom. I interrupted Williams 'guys night out' with the news that he needed to come home tootsweet and deal with a burgeoning marsupial problem. William came home and walked in the door carrying a lead pipe. "You brought a pipe???" I said incredulously. He went into the bathroom and bludgeoned what turned out to the the baby possum to death. (Later that night I found an eyeball on the bathroom floor, it was DISGUSTING.)
We could see the nest under our bathtub. William said he would need to shoot his gun in the house to get the remaining possum(s) and we would do it tomorrow when I could take Haven out of the house.
Tonight. Haven and I go for a little ride and soon get the call that the other possum is shot. Back home I am going pee when I hear WHAT?! that's right YET ANOTHER possum rooting around behind our bathtub. And just like that our percentage of possum elimination went from 100% to 67%. Suck.
William can't get it when it's behind the tub, so we open up the attic and wait for it to make it's move. About an hour later I hear it scratching it's way up to the attic. William runs into the bathroom and I go up to get the headlamp when I see it. They really are kind of cute, except for the tail. Soon I spot it in the farthest corner of the attic, behind 2704 empty boxes all stacked up neatly.
Williams first shot hit it behind the neck. It was bleeding but still moving so he shot again. This time it was definitely dead. And it only took us four times as long to dig it out of the attic. Tonight I learned that a 22 rifle is surpisingly quiet in an insulated attic.
We are now possum free, and getting a new cat, a healthy cat that will chase away the vermin, on Monday.

Mushroomland

This morning Haven and I took a walk around Lake Padden. This is the time of year when the Pacific NW turns into mold central. This is one of the fungal scenes we enjoyed on our walk. It was a beautiful fall day...

Haven's first concert and the fair

First Haven rode a canoe around a weird little plastic river.
Haven's favorite ride was the 'fast boats.' She went on these three times!!!
Haven sees a pig! (Notice the ruby slippers)













This year, because we missed all the other fairs, we went all the way down to Puyallup for our yearly huge photo button. Luckily, it didn't rain on us.
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Haven got to go to her first rock concert! The Doodlebops were playing, and she just loves watching them on the Canadian channel. She danced up a storm. And she can talk of little else since!

Canning count

After many days slaving over a hot stove, our canning count is up to:
72 jars of applesauce
13 jars of blackberry jam

And our apple tree is finally almost empty of apples. Just in time for our plum tree to be picked!

RIP Bodhi Rungus

Yesterday we put Rungus to sleep. He was old and his condition had really deteriorated as of late. It was time, but it was still very sad. He has been my loyal companion for 12 years. We buried him in the backyard under a plum tree. He is sorely missed.



This is him in his last moments of life.
RIP Bodhi Rungus
June 1996~September 15 2008

Haven the photographer

Haven, with a little instruction from mama, has taken her first photograph! We have high hopes that her abilities will only increase from here!

In this picture I am picking blackberries, which will later be made into jam. We have been having a beautiful September in western Washington so far.....

Sleepy head

Haven did this to herself on a long car ride. We tried not to wake her up with our laughing!