US US

Thanks to Naomi, we've been tagged for our first MeMe. It's the 7-things-about-me-MeMe, and we're calling it our UsUs:

1. Peggy and I are identical, mirror-image twins (aka reversed asymmetrical twins) which means that one of us is left handed, the other right handed; we have our natural parts on opposite sides of our heads, we lost the opposite teeth as kids and we were sick with mumps at the same time but on opposite sides, etc. There are many etc's. You'd have to be there, but it's boring, mostly.

2. We were born in Seattle, but as young adults one of us lived in Vancouver, BC and the other in Vancouver, WA. That was weird and neither of us was very happy about being so far apart. We moved back to Seattle within a year of each other and now it takes less than 1/2 hour to get to her house from mine.

3. We have extremely vivid dreams, almost every night. Some of them we call 'adventure dreams', which are wildly action packed and can be very entertaining. If we're really into a book or a movie the dreams often take that theme. We almost always know that we're dreaming and can manipulate a dream that upsets us until it turns from 'the dark side' to a happier ending. We didn't always have this ability and it was a huge relief to acquire it.

4. We believe that there are lines in the movie 'Moonstruck' to handle almost every situation in life. A favorite: 'You may as well tell them the truth, Loretta; they're going to find out anyway.'

5. We've both been married twice. Twice was plenty. In a few cases, it was too many, iykwimawtyd.

6. Genetically, our children are half-brothers. Think about it...

7. Peggy likes muted colors and I prefer brights. Our homes look very different but we like the same clothes. In fact, we have a lot of the same clothes but if we catch ourselves wearing the same thing at the same time one of us has to change, 'cause really, 50ish-something twins shouldn't be dressing alike. It was cute back in the first half of the last century but now, not so much.
That's it. Thanks Naomi, that was fun! We're not tagging anyone, so if you want to do a meme, you go Girl!

We're on vacation until July 5th. We're going to Black Sheep and then up to Fort Worden in Port Townsend for a week of spinning and knitting to movies. We'll probably go for a few walks, just 'cause.

The Fremont Street Fair, a classic

Every year on the weekend closest to the Summer Solstice the famous and infamous gather in Fremont for the Street Fair and Parade. The parade is 'alternative', very political and naked ~ naked as in the bicyclists, who are the heart and soul of the whole event. There are other fun things going on as well, but I ran out of memory on my camera so the following are the best photos I managed. It's the joy on the faces that I loved best ~ not just the paraders but those of us watching as well. It's a fine Seattle event, perhaps the best we as a community offer.

The 4-wheelers:

A 3-wheeler:And the 2-wheelers:
(and remember, these people are naked;
painted, yes, but (mostly) buck under the paint)

After the Naked Bikers came the parade proper...

(or not so proper...)

Sweetie Dahling, the Best Budgie in the World

Sweetie Dahling

November 2000 - June 13th, 2007

What a great Budgie. Named in honor of the ladies of Absolutely Fabulous, Sweetie was everything one could want in a lively and audacious little bird. Hand-fed out of the egg, she was only a couple of months old when she came to live with Peggy, where she learned to love people and interacted fearlessly with everyone she met. She would hang upside down from the ceiling of her cage to let us know she wanted OUT and never used her beak for evil unless she was provoked, such as at nail-clipping time. Peggy discovered that Sweetie lived for baths (like any Diva) and it didn't matter if it was in a bowl of warm water or a shower from the kitchen faucet. Her favorite treats were egg sticks and fruit/seed bars although occasionally she would be a total slut for a cuttle bone.

Sweetie came to live with me when she was about 2 and Peggy adopted a couple of kittens. She loved being out of her cage and flying free and she was able to do that at my cat-free house. After I adopted a few more English Budgies, Sweetie fell totally in love with Cloudy and lived happily with him for many years but never lost her desire for being out in the world with us.

We have all had a 'best one' in our life, be it the 'best dog in the world' (Aro and Amber) or the 'best cat in the world' (Poulie and Toast.) Sweetie was the 'best budgie in the world', as attested to by everyone who met her.

Sweetie, it was an honor. Thanks.

California Lilacs

This thing can't be pruned often enough.
It started out as two very small plants four years ago
and is now taking far more of its alloted space.
Sigh.
It must be time for...du du du...
The Chain Saw of My Heart!

Full bloom honey bee heaven.

Bee with huge saddlebags of pollen.

Blue snow.

Revamping the yarn room or What I Did Over the Three Day Weekend

It's out of whack, needs help.
This is a job for...WOOLY WOMAN!

There shall be a place for all this stuff! A while later...

Peggys' plan and solution:
two six-footers from the IKEA AS-IS room.

Break them down...

and, because girls know how to pack,
load them both plus two other cabinets
into the Mazdaratti.

Haul them into the room for re-assembly.

24 hours later:

The 'sock and other yarn' side.The 'spinning fiber and results of spinning fiber' corner.

Part of the knitting/spinning library we share.

No men were harmed in the revamping of this yarn room.

Burke-Gilman in May

A little bit of info for those not from around Seattle: the Burke-Gilman Trail is a favorite for walkers, bikers, roller-bladers and skate boarders, families and dogs. It starts way over there and goes and goes and goes until it ends up way over that way. My bit of The Trail stretches between Metropolitan Market on 40th NE in one direction and 125th NE in the other. So far. I'm working up to more. After a year at it, I feel that I'm still new to bicycling and don't enjoy exercise all that much ~ ok, not at all. Most* people using The Trail are very pleasant and they like my bike. It's pink and it has a bell, which I use. The flora and fauna is classic metropolitan Seattle and the views are great. If we ever win the lotto, we'll find us a place between The Trail and The Lake and hunker down to knit, spin and watch the water from inside, leaving all boats to the crazy people. I mean that in the nicest way, really I do.

The Trail

Spring bloom

Trail guardian

Tall grass

Looking east

Clover

Bees

A retaining wall

No need to wear a watch if we walk this way

A covered walkway down to the house on the lake

One of my favorite lakeside houses

These folks have a great view looking east toward Kirkland

We call these plants The Pod People**.
They grow uninvited and, like kudzu,
they take over everything.

We don't know what they are or who is responsible for clearing them out, but they need to be gone. They're taking over whole sections of both sides of The Trail.

* Some professional bikers ~those in skin-tight bikewear, you know who you are~ on The Trail are every bit as rude on Burke-Gilman as they are on the city streets which means if you don't watch out they will run you down because they're speeding (the speed limit on The Trail is 15mph) so it's not all that restful or fun to be on The Trail when they are. How hard is it to get a bell and use it? Ok, rant over.

**We would like to find out what this plant is and how to kill it so if anyone out there knows, please leave a comment or email me at rebecca at bienn dot net. I'm as much a gardener as I am an exerciser but that doesn't mean I'm not concerned about a plant from another galaxy taking over the planet. These Pod People need to be stopped!