Aspen Alley

The Mr. and I and our two little furkids spent the last two weeks in Washington state with our daughter and son-in-law. The cherry trees and apple trees were in full bloom and the rhododendron and other blooming foliage were spectacular! The mossy growth above is at the base of the cherry tree in their backyard and the cherry tree is huge as you can see by the 6 foot fence in the background. The weather was very cooperative as the Mr. spent a good deal of time under the house? Why, you might ask?
He was renovating the main floor bathroom. She spent many trips shuttling him back and forth to the big hardware store for parts and he helped the Mr. with the removal of the tub and the numerous other obstacles encountered with this undertaking. That is another story for another time. Her best friend from Virginia flew out and his sister and some of their friends came to support Erica in her first screen print poster display for the Artwalk held last week in Olympia.
I got to see first hand how the process of stretching screen fabric, applying emulsion, exposing the images and printing the colors, evolved into a finished poster. There was also a Parade of the Species which is an annual event in which the local residents participate. This was no small event either. Hundreds of people of all ages dressed in costumes, mostly homemade as various species. We had to guess at some of the interpretations, but there was sea life...crabs, shells, fish, seaweed, mermaids etc. There were bugs of all kinds, lady bugs, butterflies, bees, etc. There were dogs, cats, apes, hippos....you name it. There were lots of bands, very few with traditional instruments...drums from 10 gallon paint buckets and water bottles..let your imagination go wild. Then we all went back to their home for an evening of drink and great food..all prepared by Erica and her friend and I helped a little. She and Jeffery were two busy people the entire time, but we all enjoyed the trip.

So I am back at the keyboard just in time for another snow storm!