Tidepooling

Sea stars, sea anenomes, sea cucumbers, oh my!

I'd like to share with you some tidepool glory from our summer visit to the beaches near Kalaloch on the Olympic Peninsula. I was in a state of awe the entire time we explored this rocky coast.


I had
never seen such vast colonies of sea anenomes... and that was what was visible above the water line. Their magnificent bright blue-green color really surprised me. I recently learned that some anenomes this size (larger than both of my hands together) are more than 60 yrs. old. Live on Grandmom anenomes! Then there's the starfish . . . their hues of bright orange and deep pink and the way they snuggle together.


I stood watching the turbulent waves rushing in, trying not to step on anything.




















This is what I hoped we would find when I put my 3 year old in the car for a five hour drive out to the Olympic Peninsula ... a natural phenomena that would blow my mind, and it did.

Camping with kittens across a swing bridge

Morning crossing

That's the same look I had on my face
being awoken at 8 a.m. by a pile driver.
One traditional type of pile driver uses a heavy weight
when released from its highest point it
smashes on to the pile in order to drive it into the ground
(The construction on the nearby levy to increase salmon habitat -!!!- will be done soon.)

off to breakfast by the river
and what do we find

but her first chance to hold a kitten


"Can you get me a little white kitten?" she asks.Back to the site for some important dental hygiene rituals.

Mama likes feeling the movements of our family as we are
suspended
and
supported
over that clear clear river water.
and finally in that water
a little r&r is in order
for everyone.Papa makes sure we'll have plenty of fuel for our fireside chat.

THUD.

We talk until it feels really really really late
...you know, like 10:30 pm
Hauling it all back to the car.

This place was definitely a great spot to camp with little ones. The walk-in aspect makes for less noise and people, but it's also more of a work out.
I loved:

• that it was only 40 minutes from home
  
• the river was clear cool and gorgeous
• swing bridge
• hundreds of bats catching mosquitoes for us at night over the river
• not to mention kittens.

Green Smoothies

What is a Mama to do with this much chard and kale in her garden?
As well as all the greens from the CSA membership?

First, put one little urban farmer to work,

carefully harvesting kale.

then send it to the super-munching machine, along with
blueberries and lots of good fats for those skinny little ribs.
Alita controls all the buttons on the blender and adds all the
greens and fruit into the small opening of the rubber lid.

and wa la!

Green Smoothie Recipe
Ingredients:

• 5 leaves of greens (purple kale is sweetest, trim stems from all kale and chard, use only leaves. Spinach and chard are mild tasting and easy on your blender. Most lettuces end up tasting bitter, just add more sweetener)
• 1 cup yogurt, cream and/or milk
• banana
• 1 cup frozen or fresh berries, apple or other fruit
  
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1 Tablespoon molasses

Blend yogurt, milk and banana, sweeteners and molasses. Have your child add the greens and fruit. This is our basic morning recipe, but avocado, flax seed, nuts, leftover cooked oatmeal or quinoa also make it into our smoothies. I love adding molasses, the flavor takes the edge off the bitter greens and adds a little iron boost. I also add good fats (avocado, coconut oil, summer butter or your favorite dairy) so we can more easily absorb the nutrients from the greens.

We also like to use these glass straws that are extra wide (new to me, they have a fabulous Lifetime Guarantee Against Breakage for a glass drinking straw, awesome.
We will be using that!) They are not only beautiful,
which helps Alita joyfully sip her drink, but physically necessary. Cheers to you and many more mornings of adorable miracle vegetable intake.