Sunday, July 22, 2012

Nice laid-back day

From Laserbread's Flickr site
I think I'll go spend some time in my treehouse. I found this picture online somewhere and tracked it down to discover it's the work of a guy named Brock Davis, who lists his occupation as creative director (he doesn't say of what) and I have to agree! He said he couldn't make a tree house for his son, so he created a broccoli house instead. I thought it would make an appropriate break from my own garden pictures.

Yesterday was filled with activity. When I first woke and saw that the skies were overcast, making it unlikely that I would be able to skydive, I decided to go on the 8:00am walk. I had already told my friends that they should hope NOT to see me there, because if I showed up it would be because I couldn't go jumping. After some commiseration, we walked a nice brisk four-plus miles, and I noticed that there were breaks in the clouds, showing some blue sky. Because Snohomish is 80 miles south of Bellingham, there was a possibility that the weather there was completely different.

So I came home and checked the web cam at the Drop Zone and saw that the clouds were indeed beginning to lift. Once I got there, it was 12:30pm and the clouds had opened up enough to begin jump operations. My friends arrived and we quickly got ourselves on a plane. By the time we were ready to exit, however, there was a huge cloud over the airport. We were still able to jump by heading over to the alternate landing area. The FAA doesn't allow skydivers to intentionally jump through clouds and the pilot could lose his license, giving us plenty of incentive to follow that rule.

By the time I packed up to go home, I had made three wonderful skydives and had an excellent day. Tired and happy, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the traffic north wasn't too bad in the early evening. (Usually I head home around 4:00pm.) I pulled into the driveway at 7:30pm. A long day, but a fruitful one. Today's forecast is not good, and now that I'm realizing it's likely that the only possible breaks in the clouds will be brief, I'm spending the day relaxing and enjoying myself. I didn't talk to my garden at all yesterday, so that's where I'm heading next. Although Friday was rainy, yesterday was sunny most of the day; I figure my plants must be missing me. Those aphids and slugs were probably glad for my absence, however.
:-)

27 comments:

  1. smiles...haha...the aphids and slugs hopefully did not have a party in your absence...sounds like a good day overall...a nice walk...some dives...

    about to head to dtown branson to poke around a bit...been a laid back morning with the fam..

    might need to try that on the treehouse...it looks pretty cool and i bet my boys would enjoy making it...

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  2. I will never skydive, but if ever I were fit and brave enough to do it, I bet it would be quite the rush.

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  3. Your last line in your post makes me want to say "Aphids and Slugs oh my". Okay, got that off my mind, now on with the comment on your last few days. I can only imagine how tricky it would be for skydivers to fall through the clouds...and the pilot losing his license over it. Good for y'all for respecting that aspect of the sport. I can imagine your day was full and taking time to relax and enjoy your garden sounds heavenly. Your plants had some sunshine....that's good. Just wish our yard and garden would get more of your kind of rain tho.

    Happy Sunday.

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  4. after a four mile walk, i'd have been ready for a nap - you, instead, drive and then skydive! :)

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  5. Sounds like a very nice day to me. We all need a relax day now and then. The problem is that most of my days are that kind and that's not so good.

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  6. Your boundless energy is inspiring! And love that little treehouse.

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  7. I read all your past posts that I had missed and enjoyed your hikes. Your pictures of the mountain landscapes are gorgeous – I biggify them twice and my entire screen fills up with your mountains – then I look in awe. Your garden has come up so well – you have a right to be very proud. I need to send you a picture of my husband’s pots that the squirrels destroyed. Now the squirrels rest in the pots when it is too warm (or get into the squirrel-proof bird feeders..) – they are funny though. The Tour de France ended today so I’ll be able to go back to blogging but I am a bit melancholy – because it has ended and because I’ll miss looking at my other country.

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  8. For a day that started out overcast you certainly packed a lot into it DJan. Glad to hear you got in a dive. Our weather was like that last week, on minute the sky would be blue and the next there were angry clouds everywhere.

    I love that little tree house!

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  9. Active days like that are what keeps you young. You don't give yourself time to sit around and think about old age!

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  10. Oh, I'm happy for you that you got to go sky diving! I had my grandkids yesterday and we played outside all afternoon. It was lovely.
    today tom and I appreciated the cool, cloudy weather. We get started on the hedge pruning, which is a very big job here that awaits us every July.

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  11. If you could bottle that energy, I would be your first customer ;)
    What an exciting life you lead !
    ~Jo

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  12. I've never sky-dived because I suspect they'd have to prise my fingers from the fuselage and hurl me out , when it came to it .
    But I was watching gliders go over yesterday from the local airfield and wondered how that must feel ....

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  13. I'm in awe of your skydiving. I wonder how it feels to float down; it is just that first step that would give me a heart attack.

    It sounded like a great laid back day even without the aphids and slugs. The little buggers probably had a party during your absence. I hope they left you some food.

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  14. I love that broccoli house. How clever. I wonder how long he had it up until he discarded it. Lol.

    I am glad you had a full and interesting weekend.

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  15. DJan, The day I took my tandem jump we had to wait about an hour for the clouds to open. My instructor explained it as basically "jumping blind."

    We saw a circle rainbow that day - I'm sure you have witnessed many.

    As exhilarating as the tandem jump was, I can only imagine controlling it yourself.

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  16. You have the most amazing life. I love that you're sharing it with us. You inspire me with all that you do, and the spirit with which you do everything.

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  17. What a jam packed day! A 4 mile walk and three sky dives. I don't know how you do it. I know you spend a lot of time on the computer. (blogging) But no one could ever accuse you of spending all your time surfing the net.

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  18. You had a good day! Getting all your favorite things to do in one day makes for a full day for you! :)

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  19. I really chuckled when I read the title, "A Nice Laid Back Day" . . . and it is anything but! You were busy the entire day, not kicking back for a moment, well, maybe during those free falling moments it would seem "laid back"!

    It's been such strange weather. I nearly needed a sweater yesterday, (and didn't have one with me) but fortunately it warmed up enough.

    Don't let those aphids and slugs think you're taking a break! :)

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  20. I thought I'd replied to this post, but apparently not. I love the tree house picture. How creative of him. Did you ask his permission to use it? I often see pictures I would love to use on the internet, but we are not supposed to are we? unless we ask permission first. That can be awkward, if you don't get an instant reply. The moment passes and we forget to do it - use the photo I mean.
    You just love your exercise, don't you. Why aren't I like that? What motivates you to do it all the time? Can I have the recipe? Actually I'm very happy in the skin that I'm in, but I am wondering what I am missing...?

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  21. You are amazing...and I continue to live vicariously through your posts.
    Hugs and smiles,
    J.

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  22. You sure do keep busy.. and have so much fun in the process. I'm tired just reading about your day. ;) Fun tree house.

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  23. Dear DJan, having just read your posting on your blog "Eye on the Edge," I know that all you did yesterday went down deep into yourself and helped you reflect on the differences between your mother's life and yours.

    So much technological change and yet so much remains the same--the love we have for those who touch our lives with glory and the enjoyment we take from being them. Peace.

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  24. I'm always so amazed to think of you up there floating amongst the clouds.

    Ahhhh... aphids and slugs are the bane of our lives too.

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  25. Well your laid back day was very much opposite to mine. I was flat on my back with an annoying headache.
    I am finding myself slipping more and more into inactivity:(
    You are right to stay so active.Now here's hoping your garden will be glad to see you.

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  26. Can't resist a quick late wave from Fargo. ;)

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