And life returns to post wedding normal...

It was soooo nice last week getting reaquainted with the Normal that is our routine around the homestead, without wedding chaos and prep ~ special events are fun, but MAN, they can really kick one's keister on so many levels.  Sister is settling nicely into married life, and they are now focusing on Dan getting a job on this side of the mountains (more opportunity in Western WA than in Eastern WA) and hopefully eventually relocating over here, too.  Til then, their new normal is Seeking Change, and that should keep them on their toes! 

Normal for us is the Return to Routine.  As I age, it becomes more and more clear to me that I am SO a creature of habit and routine, and any deviation from that can really turn me on my ear.  Hard to believe I was a fairly spontaneous youth!  I've become a Planner - ie, if it isn't on my calendar, it likely isn't happening.  That may also be due to the fact that I finally got it all together and promptly forgot where I put it.  Memory ain't what it used to be, so the routine dependence is almost more out of necessity so I don't go bonkers trying to remember things.

Part of my return to routine was attending the first play of the season at Village Theatre in Issaquah with my friends Ann and Connie.  We've had season tickets for years, and this season started off with lunch at the diner attached to the theater, Fins. 

After a tasty lunch, we wandered next door to our seats for viewing The Full Monty. Yeah, it was a bit racier than the usual fare, but pretty funny, all in all. 

After the show ended at around 5pm, I raced over to Lombardi's, a yummy Italian restaurant just down the road, to meet my friend Sheri for dinner and some solid catch up time.  We were so busy talking, I forgot to take any pictures.  And that is saying something.  Got home a little after 9pm.

Sunday dawned cool and overcast, and blossomed into a lovely fall afternoon.  DH had spent Saturday and then Sunday cleaning out the garage and building a new shelving unit.  It is SOOO nice to have the garage cleaned up and closer to organized!  Next weekend is a run to the dump and Goodwill, so we don't end up storing junk and useless stuff on these fab new shelves!

I kept busy myself, while DH was fixing up the garage.  These are the cherry tomatoes that finally started ripening up a week or so ago - I halved them, drizzled with a mix of olive oil, parmesan cheese, dried thyme, salt and fresh ground pepper, then slow roasted in a 250 oven for 3ish hours.  YUM!! 

Found a recipe for fruit crisp to use up the last of the peaches and pears purchased at a roadside fruit stand while over in Eastern WA wine tasting a couple weeks ago - also threw in the last of frozen blueberries, an overripe banana, crunched up walnuts and almonds, then the crisp topping...more yum!! 

A gal DH works with has been sending him home with overstock from her garden, mainly, giant yellow squash, pretty much too big to slice up and saute, so I found a recipe for muffins, and yup, more YUM!! 

Also spent some time outside, digging up the rest of the potatoes, cleaning out finished tomato plants (tho some are still going pretty strong), and taking pictures around the yard...

Here's the garden at season end...have some corn to pick and a few more 'maters...

The tomatoes are winding down, but I've been pleased with the late harvest!

The one, lone pumpkin in our "pumpkin patch" - but it is THE most SINCERE pumpkin you are EVER likely to see! 

Good thing the garden is in wind-down mode, or this young doe wouldn't have enjoyed as much of my tolerance as she did!  I have a hard time running them off anyway, especially the fawns, but at the height of garden season, I'll do it, man! 

Some weather related shots from the last few days... 

 

A blurry spider, devouring the moon?? 

...nah, it's safe...as evidenced by the ROCKIN' telephoto on my Canon :)

 

Monday, October 18, appeared to be the kick-off for commercial fishing in Colvos Passage, cuz it was busy.  There were five vessels net fishing pretty much all day.  The little motor boat drags the net out behind it into a big loop, then swings back to the main boat, and they draw the net closed to catch fish. 

Caught an interested party watching from on high...perhaps waiting for leftovers?

The vessel in front certainly cut that driveby a little close...looks like it's going to run right over the nets...

I finally managed to "capture" the fisherman's nemesis, the Sea Lion, who likes to swim into the nets and help itself to an easy meal.  Notice it is INSIDE the net area below...

Problems arise when the sea lion is so busy nom-nomming that it doesn't realize it's being "enclosed" ....

Here's the net towards the final haul... 

...and they've caught more than they wanted to...note the sizeable noggin peering up at them, IN the net... 

While I didn't get a picture of it, this particular episode had a happy ending, as they were able to free the sea lion and off it swam to nom another day.

All this was witnessed not only by me on shore, but this couple rowed out to observe and then drew close to dialogue with the crew after the release. 

And finally, here's Angel, in the position I certainly felt like assuming after a busy, but productive, weekend :)