Yardwork...it never ends

Home ownership can be fun...you get to decorate and furnish your home in whatever way you want. No paint color, design, or furniture is off limits. However, home ownership also comes with some downsides...projects always seem to take longer and more expensive than expected. To me yardwork is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, I hate doing it, but I sure love the end result, so I am really left with no other options but to just suck it up and do it.

Clark had a long weekend of work and with the sunshine and temperatures in the high 60s and low 70s, I decided to tackle the yard. It took FOREVER to weed the front flower beds, but now they are "clean" and ready to plant some more bulbs. Yes, if you didn't know it, I am obsessed with buying Costco bulbs. So I have some bulbs to plant soon that will bloom this summer and fall, including lillies, calla lillies, begonias, peonies, and dahlias. When I get those in the ground and they bloom, I will be sure to post, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, my spring blooming bulbs are beautiful. My daffodils bloomed first and then my tulips. Both of those are gone, but now my azeleas, rhododendrens, irises, and peonies are starting to bloom.

Once I get all the flowers planted, we will have blooms in every season - spring, summer, and fall...well, I guess every season except winter. That is okay, I think I will survive...unless Costco starts selling something and then I am doomed.

I have two matching red pots on my front porch where I planted some red impatiens

pink rhodies blooming
pink peonies in bloom (and they smell soooo good!)

purple and yellow irises

purple and pink azeleas

Birthday Weekend Getaway

Me and Clark at Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park

So for my big 30th birthday, Clark surprised me with a trip to Olympic National Park. He knows how much I love the outdoors, wildlife, and how I am obsessed with seeing every National Park (thanks to dad who instilled this in me!)

My mom graciously offered to dogsit Lucy while we went out of town, so away we went and we were "kid" free!!! Tacoma is only about two and a half hours from Port Angeles, the main entry point to the Park. Early on Saturday morning we first headed to Hurricane Ridge and took a nice scenic drive and got up so high that there was still snow on the ground and many people skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing. Not for us, but it was an excellent view. We saw some Roosevelt Elk along the drive and they let us get so close to them...it was so neat!

Then we drove to Lake Crescent Lodge, where we were staying for a few nights. We were able to check in and decided to rent a kayak and go out on the lake since it was such a sunny day. We were told to wear our lifevests and the temperature of the lake was only 50 degrees and it would only take 10 minutes for hypothermia to set in...great, thanks for that mental note, especially since it was both of our first times in a kayak. Lucky for us, we didn't tip over, but it was such a great view of the lake. It took us awhile to get the paddling figured out...after a few times of turning around in a circle, we were able to time it just right and I really enjoyed shouting orders at Clark!! (ha, ha, ha!) After that, Clark needed a nap and I decided to sit by the lake and read my book...I think I also dozed off for a bit, but at least it was in the sunshine!

Then we took a short 3 mile hike to a waterfall and then had dinner in the Lodge dining room. They had an excellent fresh fish and chips. Trying to make the most of the daylight and sunshine, we got in the car and drove out to the Coast to catch the sunset...we went to La Push, just a little north of Forks (ever read any of the Twilight series?). It was gorgeous. I was smart and thought to pack a bottle of wine, so we enjoyed the sunset at this beautiful setting with a bottle of wine. Cheers to me turning old!

On Sunday, we enjoyed a large brunch feast at the Lodge and then headed off to do some more exploring on the other side of the Park. We went on two small hikes in the Hoh Rainforest. It was a long drive, but well worth it. The largest trees grow here because of the unique conditions (did you know this area gets over 140 inches of rainfall per year? WOW that is a lot considering Seattle - known as the rainy city - only gets an average of 36 inches!) All of this rain makes for very large and very old trees...some found in this rainforest are older than our nation! It was pretty remarkable to see.

After the rainforest, we drove to Sol Duc Hot Springs...we were excited to soak in the hot mineral bath until we got there and saw that many others had the same idea. Needless to say, I wasn't excited about getting in my bathing suit with so many people nearby, like a communal hot tub...ewwww, gross. Maybe next time. So instead we took a hike to view another spectacular waterfall. It was great, and again, saw some Roosevelt Elk on the hike.

We returned to Lake Crescent Lodge and explored around some more, took another hike, and enjoyed a bottle of wine at sunset on the dock.

Early on Monday morning we headed home...what a great birthday weekend.

I am determined to get my picture next to each National Park entrance sign

As soon as we got in the park, we spotted our first elk

First stop - Hurricane Ridge, so far up that there was still snow on the ground

Mt. Olympus in the background

Clark and Andi at Hurricane Ridge

Many trees throughout the park have fallen over due to all the storms, leaving the roots exposed

One of the many waterfalls we saw on our hikes in Olympic National Park

Andi enjoying a glass of wine at the Coast in La Push, WA

Us at sunset

Smooches to me turning 30!

Cheers to a wonderful birthday!

Very tall and old tree in the rainforest

One of the largest spruce trees in the US

Notice the elevation change between Hurricane Ridge and Hoh Rainforest

Moss covers nearly every tree, root, stump, everything in the rainforest, includingn this phone booth in the Hoh Rainforest

What is important to notice in this picture is the formation of the trees...notice how they are all in a straight line? Well that is because a fall tree served as the "nurse" tree and seedlings grew on the trunk of the fallen tree in a uniform line...over time once the fallen tree decays and ties, the roots of the other trees grows around it, hence making those hollowed out roots...pretty cool

Me between two fallen trees in the rainforest

On a hike in the rainforest

After two days of hiking and exploring the Park, we enjoyed a bottle of wine from the sundeck at Lake Crescent Lodge

Another elk on a hike just minutes from the Lake Crescent Lodge

This tree survived a forest fire (you can tell because it is all black inside), but it is still alive and green at the top...very old and very cool

How I spent a few hours on Saturday afternoon...in these chairs, reading my book with a spectacular view and sunshine...cannot complain about that

Clark in the kayak for the first time

My view from the kayak

Us in the kayak and we did NOT fall in!

Yes, I am one of "those" annoying people who insists on taking a picture next to every freaking sign

the view of the lodge from the dock

Andi at Lake Crescent Lodge...as if the birthday weekend getaway wasn't enough, Clark got me a beautiful heart diamond necklace (that I am wearing) and also let me pick out a souvenier for this trip (I picked out this teal blue fleece vest that I am wearing in this picture)