It's been so long...

"The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature." -- Anne Frank

Having kids and a husband and full time plus job and a busy social schedule, I've found that certain things have fallen by the wayside. One of those things seems to be blogging. I really do enjoy chronicling my adventures big and small, so I'm going to try to keep at it. If it's more occasional than I otherwise might like, so be it. At least I'm showing up.

So all sorts of things have been happening. Last weekend I went to the Seattle area to celebrate Jojo's bachelorette party. It certainly wasn't your typical bachelorette fiesta replete with boas, phallic paraphernalia, scavenger hunts, and lots of booze. It was Jojo style -- a natural affair where 5 women went kayaking and camping in the San Juan island region outside of Seattle. We did have some wine with dinner and our guide Collin was quite cute, but that's about as close as we got to the usual uproar. It was perfect though -- an opportunity to reconnect with friends and with nature. Lovely. I did miss my hubby though -- it was our first time apart since before we got hitched in May.

Interestingly, I've noted that I do not have to travel all the way to Washington State to be close to nature. I've literally have it coming to me in my backyard. This morning I spotted a coyote prowling around. Actually my dog Marley noted the coyote first. She was barking and agitated most of the night. I was too tired to check on it during the night, but when I went to feed her this morning I spotted the tan animal skulking in the back yard. It was definitely more afraid of Marley and I than we were of it. I was very excited to spot our new neighbor though I'm sure some other neighbors may not be as thrilled.

Usually we have more benign natural wildlife come visit. There's a family of deer that likes to come tromping through our yard. The deer are very brave and will saunter through unless we try to get too close.

I love living in a big city but on a dirt road with all sorts of creatures as neighbors.