I So Support This

If Jules Verne can manifest his reality, I'm sure we can pull this off. This makes the Roomba look like it's going backwards. We'll take two, please.

Coach Caron Connects You with Success

A very large contributor to our success in moving, building our relationship(s) and enjoying ever more out of life is our lovely and special coach, Caron. I enjoyed producing these couple of introductions with her. Stay tuned for a much larger video project with Caron to be released later this winter. 

If you'd like even more/better/different results in your life, we highly recommend connecting with Caron. (ps I'm happy to say I also took her photo on the front page of her website...isn't she beautiful?) 

See the Difference

Our friend Holly asked us to make a change so her photo opps were up to her standards. What did we do? 

The quick change we made caused the entire property to sigh with relief. 

Photo Credit: Riley Johndonnel, who is currently sparking a project called Makehappyspots.com, an ambitious, making-people-happy community collaboration starting in New York City. 

More photos from Riley and Holly soon! 

Turn Your Face Towards the Sun

Photo by Chad Minnick

Our sunflowers are blooming! Many of them are taller than either of us and beaming their tremendous sunny yellowness. You can almost hear them shout "Summer!"

“Turn your face to the sun and the shadows follow behind you.”~ Maori Proverb

Process

This image speaks a lot about what we are learning here at North Star Hall. 

Those zinnias are growing in an old bucket, exactly where we found it when we moved in this spring. 

Where attention goes, energy flows and results show. An abandoned, rusted garbage-filled bucket is now home to an abundant bouquet of flowers. We made our choices, as a result fresh life is coursing into new places. 

If we don't water the zinnias, they die. Our ongoing attention is required. 

Someone else might have taken bucket and all and thrown it on the trash heap. For whatever reason, Chad and I decided to make it beautiful. A living "shabby and chic" experiment. 

We are already beginning to prepare for winter. This bucket teaming with blossoms will soon look like nothing more than an old dirty bucket again. A blank, fertile canvas. For several long, chilly months there will be no visible signs of life. What will we do with the bucket next year? 

Our garden is like that. Once crowded with weeds and thistles, it is beginning to come alive and be fruitful because we are putting our attention to it in the form of constant weeding, watering and fertilizing. 

The entire Grange experience has been one of choice, attention and flowing energy where we can, or at least where it makes sense at the moment. When we first looked at this place it was a cold, dusty gray rat and bat poop-filled musty old bucket of a building. We didn't know if the water or electricity would work. I obsessed for weeks if buying this place was the right thing to do. "What if it doesn't work? But it's a great price. It's a beautiful building rich with history. But what if it doesn't work out? What will we do? Should we go for it or should we walk away and save the trouble?"

I still feel somewhat obsessed over whether we should be doing this or not. I can't say it's been an easy process, or even always enjoyable. However, after months of attention the building is beginning to hum and vibrate with life. Everything feels warmer, more comfortable, more together. Right this second Chad is preparing one of our guest bedrooms for our first bed and breakfast guests. He invested several hours this morning getting hot and cold running water in two of our bathrooms! Every day sees new improvements. Our attention and choice to shine love on this land is beginning to pay off. Flow is occurring, we are enjoying more of the results we were looking for and worked hard to achieve. We have taken this fallow bucket of a building and are turning it into a thriving bouquet of Life. 

Thank you! 

Facing East

Our classroom, facing east:

We have a lot of work to do. We feel so lucky to have the space we do. I am excited to find some yoga partners! 

One of the images I posted this morning to our new Airbnb.com page: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/3857454

Please feel free to share the Airbnb page on Facebook, or with anyone you consider to be any mix of bright, happy, creative, motivated and that you think would vibe with our North Star world. Thank you! 

Wild Turkeys

I wouldn't consider myself a great wildlife photographer. Aside from the gear, wildlife photographers enjoy a great deal more patience than I. Nonetheless, these first two snaps excite me because this turkey family was in our yard, pecking for food and chilling out near the cool spray of the sprinkler. The second reason these excite me is simply because I used my camera gear for a shoot this weekend and it was ready to go...the way camera gear should be! When I came around the corner of the building and saw this family, I snuck backwards into the house, grabbed my camera, switched to the telephoto lens really quick and ran back outside to be with the turkeys. So simple and satisfying! 

This also points to the mixed blessing of having the animals discover our yard as a lush place full of food. Now we are back to warding off the deer and rabbits. 

I thought I'd throw in a couple more turkey snaps from this last winter at the canyon. This flock had maybe 30 turkeys, all of whom launched themselves into the cabin at roughly the same time. It was quite dramatic. 

Random North Star Hall Update

The bugs love the huge barn light at the south end of the building, over the double doors. We have a 200w bulb that blazes the entire yard. I looked for the name of this large moth to no avail. If anyone knows the name or wants to look it up, I'd love to know. Being a tour guide and introducing folks to the area is much more enjoyable when I don't have to make stuff up. 

Another zinnia photo. Every zinnia I see lights me up. What darkens my flowery outlook is the obliterated zinnias that were growing perfectly at the classroom door. Every morning this week I've woken to find some malicious critter has snapped a new plant off at it's base. I seeded, nurtured and enjoyed watching these plants grow and bloom. Then blammo. Gone. Like they never happened. Thankfully the other zinnia's remain thus far untouched. Devoured bedding plants further encourages us to go with natural, locally occurring plants. I'd love to know more plants that are repugnant to deer and rabbits. 

This tomato came to us via the plants that Darren and Lisa dropped off earlier in the summer. How awesome is that?! Our first beefsteak tomato! This evening we used the basil they also gave us and made a delicious caprese salad drizzled with avocado oil and a sweet and thick balsamic glaze. A yummy vinegar glaze that incidentally, Darren recommended. Tasty treats gratis' Darren and Lisa! Thank you! 

We'd love some advice on the cracking tomato part. Did we simply leave it on the vine too long? 

Yum Caprese!

Last night we sliced our first squash, sliced and toasted with oil, a touch of that balsamic vinegar glaze and pink himalayan salt. We all know that organically grown garden fresh tomatoes taste better than store bought. We were delighted to discover that our garden squash tasted amazing! Full of flavor and nuance. Now we love squash! 

Brookstone Ionizer

Last fall our good friend Nina allowed us to use her Brookstone Ionizer at the cabin on extended loan. I notice it gets very mixed reviews on Amazon from a handful of reviewers. We love it! This ionizer carried out multiple scent-reducing jobs at the lake cabin very effectively. Since moving here to North Star Hall it's proven it's worth again. Our larger basement has water issues that leaves a hanging, damp, musty odor in the air. Left alone that dank air tends to waft it's unpleasantness upstairs to the rest of the hall, especially in bathrooms next to the theater room. When we leave the ionizer running in the basement there are no awkward smells anywhere! The results are clear. Up until the setting of "7" it runs near silently.

Contrary to the couple of Amazon reviews, we've been running this thing pretty much 24/7 for months now without issue. When the little amber light comes on at the bottom of the unit, I'll take it outside and rinse it off with a hose. I find it cleans rather quickly. I don't think I would risk putting it in the dishwasher. Although it's apparently designed for cleaning in a dishwasher, I suspect doing so would be hard on the plastic and wires.

We highly recommend this product! Treat it well and it'll clear your air for you for a long time.

Abundance

Mostly we intend to focus on perennials. But who can resist zinnia's? They are starting to bloom and they are beautiful. We'll keep the zinnia's around. For whatever reason, they feel era appropriate, like they belong here.

We enjoyed our first sit-down, candle-lit, home-cooked dinner with special guests last night in the classroom! Cloth napkins, parmesan grater, toasted bread topped with mozzarella and fresh picked basil and drizzled with a summery balsamic vinegar gaze accompanied our three cheese stuffed tortellini drenched in a roasted garlic tomato sauce. We served a simple salad picked from our garden. Before dinner we raised our glasses to our collective victories,  with a special nod to Chad's mother Lauretta for helping to make our meal even more enjoyable by providing tables, chairs, glasses and cutlery. Thank you Lauretta!

In many ways, last night represented many dreams coming true. We are blessed with wonderful support from family and friends across the world.

Thank you!

What Makes a Weed?

This is the head of a wavy leaf thistle I pulled out of the canyon last year and planted at the cabin. I find many of the naturally occurring plants in this part of the world to be very attractive. Why not make the most of them? 

When first transplanted, the thistle didn't do that great. I overwatered it, trying to give it an edge over it's thistle brethren left back in the canyon. Once I figured out these thistles really are a desert plant, preferring drought, I backed off watering and it seemed to slowly recover.

This year, our special thistle sprang forth! It's huge! In my opinion, it's also beautiful and definitely loaded with giant pink'ish flower heads bees and butterflies adore. I love the spiky dusty green color of the leaves.

Yep, It's a thistle. I've gotten teased and queried several times. Why are you planting weeds?! It's a weed! You planted a thistle...? Don't you know that's a weed? It's going to spread everywhere....

What makes this beautiful thistle a weed and other plants not a weed, exactly? Because it's now beautiful is it no longer a weed? Is it still just a beautiful weed? Or at some point does the quality of the experience tip the scale into a garden quality "plant"? I find the architecture, scale, size and color of this thistle PLANT to be stunning and interesting. Definitely in the top 5 of anything I've planted, ever. This thistle has singlehandedly created it's own bouquet of bees, butterflies, moths and small sunflowers which are protected from voracious deer within the boundaries of it's thorny self.

      

It's curious this epic piece of greenery could still be viewed as a weed and therefore undesirable. It hardly takes any water. It's local and adapted perfectly well to it's environment. If you live in Eastern Washington, I recommend this particular variation of thistle. It's a dramatic addition and more readily available than say, an ornamental artichoke. (Which are also beautiful, like Jurassic-sized thistles). 

In the world of "weed control" I'm collecting the seed pods before they bust open and make a mess for the neighbors. So relax.

With all that said...

These horrid scotch thistles are taking over our garden! And, guess what? I hate them! For all my high minded ideas about beautiful weed/plants, I feel cursed by these obnoxious, irrepressible little weeds. Payback for purposely planting that other thistle. These green demons erupt over night, and seem not to care when you grab them by the root and throw them in a heap. It's as though they crawl back to their original hole and root themselves back into place! Add water and they multiply like Gremlins. We could spend hours picking them. They aren't pretty. To date, I've been trying to kill them with my bare hands, gloves would help. They hurt my feet when I step on them. 

They are even more irritating because I am now aware "weed" only exists in the eye of the beholder. Given my heavenly and peaceful wavyleaf thistle experience, I know I am hating these scotch thistles by choice, which is further irritating. 

I must start carrying my regular camera around with me! I love this image of the bees on the head of our beautiful thistle blossom. When I whipped out the iPhone to snap a pic there were only two bees. At the moment I pushed the button a third bee photobombed us. Which brings me to...wow, the power of embracing process! An element of photography that often blows me away has to do with the process and timing of things. Synchronicity and Delightful Surprises. Plant thistle year one. Year two, thistle explodes with drama and color and right when you take a photo three bees collect to pose for one, unpredictable and precious moment that is forever captured. These beautiful, synchronistic and precious moments expand to the degree the images/moments shared.

Our coach, Caron, is fond of saying "Where focus goes, energy flows and results show". For example, focus on ugly and you get more ugly. Focus on beauty, and you get more beautiful. This concept of focus expanding results points to why I believe art can change the world. Three bees, one thistle, inquiry, process, being with, snap photo and now, untold numbers of people can reexamine, even if for a nanosecond, their automatic judgements about how life is supposed to work. Also they are free to contemplate and enjoy the pretty colors and the inherent wonder of nature. Focus on Beauty, Beauty expands.  

We would love to hear your xeriscaping successes and see your favorite images of ugly weeds. 

Bathroom Window

In what is the master bath, and what will become a beautiful, restful bathroom with a retreat, spa-like feel. 

Sand Flat School

So much going on! so much we could blog about!

We ordered a couple prints from the Lincoln County Museum (please like them on Facebook). This is an iPhone snap of a long horizontal print at the museum dated 1920. 

Yay! 

We *love* this stuff! 

We are still in the process of nailing down the specifics, but the paperwork says this building was erected in 1900. Ostensibly for the school...? 

I love knowing that this fellow shared our space a century ago. Later he became a charter member of the North Star Grange! 

Lang, Herbert R.,  Jan 3, 1974

"Services were held in CA last week for Herbert R. Lang, who died in Cambria Dec 24. Born in Keller in 1907, Lang later attended Sand Flat and Davenport schools when his parents, Frank and Caroline Lang, farmed north of Davenport. A charter member of North Star Grange, he later owned and operated the Gerome ferry, store and post office and then the Gifford ferry, which he built. Survivors include three daughters, 5 grandchildren and two sisters, Margaretta Adams, Davenport, and Frances Duckey, Mercer Island." (Dav. Times: 1-03-1974)

More info and details to come, consider this a teaser. The friendly folks at the museum are looking for more tidbits, old ads and what not generated from this building. It's very exciting! 

If YOU know anything about Sand Flat School or the North Star Grange, or anything else about this building, please contact us! 

Terra!

We recently had the pleasure of a visit with Terra Holcomb, our swiftly up and coming artist friend from Seattle. We love when Terra visits because she's easy going, she rolls with whatever is happening. Terra always helps us get even more excited about the opportunities for fulfilled living in Eastern Washington. She gets the vision! Many of our west coast friends question what the heck we are trying to do out here in the boonies?! Terra understands. She appreciates the landscape and the special underlying energy out here in Eastern Washington.

It's fun to create with Terra (last year we all got covered in mud and sand) and definitely to see the results of her personal work. I find her work powerful and intimate. Terra keeps pushing her boundaries, expanding her limits and exploring her edges. It takes a lot of courage and vision to stick to one's creative path. Terra's commitment and heart clearly ring true.

The skulls were a gift to us for the new hall. Terra put them to work. Here is a study image, a piece of her process, from Terra's work-in-progress in Friday Bay last week. I find a subtle, sacred light in her image.

We welcome artists, collaborations, workshops. We intend this be a safe place for people to explore their creativity. 

Thank you Terra! 

Happy Pride Seattle!

It's a lovely and powerful thing when we can simply honor, even celebrate, each other's spirit.

Dead on Impact

These waspy things are gigantic and scary looking. They look like they would make your neck swell up nigh onto death. Fortunately for us, bummer for them, Tough & Tender kills them dead on the second squirt. Bam. Take that evil bug from hell! 

Where the Green Citronella Grows

Sadly, Bowie did not make it. Losing her was a difficult transition for us both. Bowie taught us a lot. Among other things, how to love more sweetly, with less attachment.

We would have preferred to learn our lessons with a living, purring Bowie still around for us to hug and tend.

Thank you, Bowie.

Yoga

This morning I finally got around to doing my first iPhone led yoga session in our classroom in front of the huge, old-school chalkboard. First, I scratched this message, borrowed from our only fridge magnet, author unknown.

Given our current circumstances I find the above quote especially meaningful. Let go and be present seems to be the message. This IS it, right now. Be. Chad and I have at least a million things that could use our attention at any given moment. We've a lot of moving parts to consider: work, businesses, remodeling, clean up, gardening, 5 animals we live with and the occasional rescue animal, belongings scattered between 4 different properties in 2 different states, aging parent concerns. It's a lot and the work can be taxing. Heck, at points the whole thing has been a total drag. 

"Life Does Not Have To Be Perfect to Be Wonderful" How perfect is that?! Especially in this historic old building, especially doing yoga in a beautiful sunlit room with huge windows and the odd bit of bat poop or cobweb yet to be cleaned off the walls. There's an old tree fallen down in the garden behind the classroom, crushing the fence. The hummingbirds love the feeders we've placed in it's branches. I'm stiff as a board and my feet hurt as I move into downward dog. 

This hall teaches us many lessons. 

In related news, Chad got the ancient wood furnace in the basement running today. Now when we stand over the large, iron grate in the classroom warm air rises up to envelop us. This gives us much more confidence regarding our winter experience! Further, we think it's going to be amazing heat to do even more yoga in. 

Thank you.

New Stage

When we get this room all cleaned up I'll photograph it again using my regular camera. The iPhone is not doing this justice. Yesterday, Chad decided to take down the wall that someone had put up to turn the stage into a serviceable room. As an extra room for a large family, it made sense. But it was like someone cut the head off of the North Star Hall. I can't believe how quickly and efficiently Chad did the demo. Wow! 

This morning we work up to a room that felt like it was breathing with light and air...what a difference! I don't know if it was literally warmer, it definitely felt much warmer. So much more energy and aliveness! We think when it's done the theater room is going to be a gasper. 

Thanks Nina!

Nina Bjornstal is the Seattle-based realtor who helped us purchase the North Star Hall and supplied us with stellar service in the process. Working long-distance she answered all our questions, getting paperwork straightened out that was quite literally spread from Davenport, WA to India. She also managed to get all sorts of only vaguely helpful paper shufflers to work cohesively as a team and get this place closed on time. I appreciate Nina's sensitivity to our family's particular dynamics and needs. Nina went way above and beyond the call of duty. Frankly, this was a small deal for her and even so, we definitely enjoyed million dollar level service.

Recently, Nina graciously sent us a Home Depot gift card as a housewarming. Look at all the nifty stuff we got!  Right now I'm especially loving that hose! We have constant need to be dragging hoses everywhere and there's nothing worse than constantly kinking hoses. This hose is a kink-free blessing and makes our gardening much easier. The day I went shopping for these things Chad told me to go to Macy's and "get something nice for myself". Instead I went to Home Depot and got a hose. The latches are on the doors which makes it way more enjoyable to come and go. That packet of towels has turned out to be a little Bowie miracle...she has us rotating towels several times a day.

Thank you Nina! I'm proud to count you as a long-time friend. We are happy you are now an important friend to our quirky new family. Thank you for the gift card! Thank you for your professional and comprehensive service ushering us into our lovely new home. We could not have done it without you!

Animals. Because We Don't Have Enough To Do

Apparently, Chad and I aren't quite happy unless we are up to our gills in projects. This is one reason I find it challenging to post on a regular basis, especially now that Chad is working full-time at the Seven Bays Marina.

Everywhere we go, every step we take includes an entourage of dogs and cats at our heels.

Mr. Moneys got neutered last week. He's a much more calm and dedicated doggie now...though I still feel a little guilty, I must admit I enjoy his constant companionship and lack of competitiveness and aggression. He seems happier, we'll run with that. 

Snickers (pictured immediately above) is the consummate hunter. He came in the other day and gave me that "Lassie...what is it?!" vibe. He brought me outside so I could celebrate his most recent kill with him...a giant mole or gopher or something. Earlier in the day I noticed he was rooted to one spot and thought he might be sick...? something seemed a little off. Turns out he was doggedly pursuing his prey. After giving him lots of puppy high fives and butt pats I brought him inside, waited a few minutes went back out and buried the mole/gopher/thing in the garden. 

Chester and Riley are happy in their respective baskets. Now that Chester has his own basket, he's not quite comfortable unless he's in it. Riley's basket simply will not do. So now we have to juggle cats to make everyone happy. Strangely, the cats are not roaming around the grounds much unless we happen to be outside with them. So far, our fears about them getting lost or consumed by the wildlife around the hall have turned out to be a non-issue. Thankfully. Pix to follow.

Yesterday, I was looking out the window while on the phone with a business associate of mine and a huge Bald Eagle launched itself from the field directly across the street from us. It gave me chills...so beautiful and epic. I hope he stays away from our livestock. 

                            

The most recent addition to our pack are two kittens that were living in the crawl space underneath our hall. Chad rescued first one, and then the other a couple days later. We don't know where the mom went. The tabby is a healthy and vibrant young kitty. Buddy LOVES the kitties, guarding over them while relentlessly kissing them. The little black one, "Bowie" is teardrop of a kitten. She's tailless, her legs are gimpy and she's cute as a button. We'd like to keep her. Only problem is that her rear-end is not developed normally, and it appears she may have trouble going number 2. We talked to the vet and she may be viable...though unlikely. Most of these kittens don't make it. Please pray for Bowie. We are feeding and tending to her as if she'll be okay. 

                           

Now we are nursing two little babies every day on top of everything else. How do these things happen?! Are we in tune with our lives and dreams, or simply nuts for taking so much on? Or something else? Regardless, it's hard to beat having two well-fed, content kittens falling in a huddled sleep on your chest. 

We are working hard. We have lots of plates spinning. The random eagle-flying, kittens-cuddling, or excited-dog moments make make all the trouble worth it. We like knowing our animal friends are happy. 

Welcome!

This mat newly beckons welcome at the front door of our classroom. I don't exactly remember when my grandmother gave it to me, perhaps I was gifted it after she died. At any rate, it's been my welcome mat at every place I've lived since it first came into my hands. Apparently the marbles were stomped into place by my Uncle Bobby when he was 8 or 9 years old. I think it's missing some marbles. I remember exactly how this looked, along with the ambient sounds and quiet sounds at the back door to my grandparent's place outside of Goldendale, Washington.

It's even more special knowing this welcome mat graces the entry to our home in this historic building that used to be a Grange Hall for the local farmers and residents. I like to believe Grandma and Grandpa would be extra proud knowing Chad and I were inspired to restore and breathe new life into this beautiful place. Inez and Howard Bratton were Grange members for many years.

I've been thinking about my Grandmother quite a bit lately. Like last night when the full moon shone brightly in the clear country air. Or when we work in the garden, I can see Grandma in her flowered dress, walking behind her old, single-wheeled garden hoe. I've often dreamt of a quiet rural life with my happy family. It seems as though Chad and I have a real chance at creating a viable, productive and prosperous life in a special place. I'm glad for many of the sensibilities I learned being a part of the life my grandparents built together. 

I think I'll go listen to the The Entertainer, a popular piece for our family to play on Grandma's piano.

  

Bathroom by MelaMagic

Thank goodness for products like MelaMagic. There's a ton of old, disgusting dust around here, alongside several bushels of rat poop. I feel a lot more confident cleaning with products like MelaMagic and Sol-U-Mel because they work immediately, keep me safe from microscopic critters, smell good and freshen the place up. We'd have to gas ourselves to near-to-death if we were using bleach, 409, or any of the regular brand products. 

This bathroom smells and feels tons better. Next stop, the grubby shower, and the currently brown stained bathroom next to the backdoor. ugh. 

Lots of paint will be applied to all of this. 

Beehive

There's a lot of news to share. We've been too busy to keep caught up, much less blog about it. Chad has done a ton of work around here...it's hard to believe how much he's accomplished.

For now, today's big news is the beehive we found inhabiting a couple holes on our northern wall, underneath the neon "north star". 

What's fun about this is, we've been talking for a year how we would like to keep honey bees. And there we have it, our very own hive we get to extract from our very own wall! We love when the universe works like that. I'm excited to photograph whatever the hive looks like once we open up the wall. 

Now we get to acquire beekeeping outfits. 

I think it's fair to say we are concurrently excited, grateful, appreciative, scared, daunted, overwhelmed and optimistic about this whole North Star Hall thing. We see the possibilities and know we have tons of work to do. Sometimes it seems like everything we do involves some element of epic project. We have to figure out how to solve a myriad of problems daily. It's not always "fun". At the same time, miracles also occur for us daily. This place has a special energy. Our intentions include maximizing, sharing and enjoying the specialness whenever possible. Please stay tuned and thank you all for your support! We couldn't pull this off without you! 

Darren and Lisa...

...stopped by with a garden/housewarming gift of tomatoes and basil! Thanks guys! We loved hanging out with you and loved planting these in the garden. Yum! Some warm evening later this summer we'd enjoy having you over for some fresh-from-the-garden caprese! 

Snake in the Tree

Who knew these things climb trees? He/she was there most of the afternoon, probably so he could catch bees gathering pollen from the blooming locust trees. Later in the day I happened to catch the tail end of him disappear into the tall grass below. 

Why I Don't Love Deer

This was about to grow into a beautiful sunflower, right along with it's neighbors. All of which were topped by the local mule deer population. Darn it. 

Field of Iris

There are a ton of flowers around the Northstar left over from long-gone years of gardening. My iPhone wasn't doing this field of iris justice. However, if you look close you'll see there are pink wild rose interspersed with the purple iris. Beautiful. You'll have to see it in person to really appreciate what we're seeing. 

Sold!

Wagon Wheel by Val Mohney on 500px

Thanks to Kathy Kiefer and the Moses Lake Art Center, I get to enjoy the special feeling that comes with selling a photograph! Kathy curated a show at the art center showcasing artists and the creative spirit in and around Soap Lake, Washington and invited me to participate. Opening night blew me away with all the hard work Kathy and her team invested in the show. It was a huge event and well attended. Also in attendance was Bonnie Guitar, who at 91 still drew quite a crowd and sounded great! We extended an invitation to her to play at the hall, which she accepted. Cross your fingers! We'd love to host Bonnie! Thank you Kathy!

Lawn Maintenance

Freshly mowed, thanks to Chad's newly repaired, awesome self-propelled lawn mower.