Voice of the Turtle

Beautiful banana slugs

2010-09-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated to Margi, who has never had the opportunity to spend a day with a toddler looking for slugs in the northwest. May her love of banana slugs grow over time.

Yes, that's a dead sea lion we found on the beach....but it kinda resembled a banana slug!

What we've been up to the past month

2010-08-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

Picking lots of berries. Blueberries, red raspberries, blackberries...as many as we can get.

Visiting beautiful natural areas. This is a site owned by The Nature Conservancy in eastern Oregon. Sun and dry air!

Camping out and eating picnic breakfasts in the sun...

Building new steps off the back deck (yes, Zach really is this nasty when he's working!)...

Playing on the beach naked (at least Ada) whenever possible...

Don't let the sunny pictures fool you, the temps this summer have been frigid! Eskimo boots with a swimsuit is very appropriate...

And Ada's making friends with "Buffy" the chicken. She carries her all over the yard. Very sweet...

More beach play...

And a parade of purple veggies from our modest garden. Yes, that's a purple carrot!

Vampires beware!

2010-07-27T13:53:00.000-07:00

Garlic harvest season has arrived! I plucked 58 heads of garlic from my modest little garden bed. Now....what to DO with all of them!

Thanks, mom, for helping me clean them all up!

Grow cucumbers....GROW!

2010-07-17T14:55:00.000-07:00

Oregon coast gardening is challenging. It's Saturday July 17th....and the cucumbers are still waiting for the temps to warm up so they can grow. Today I created these little heat generating tents to help them out. Ugly, I know. But if I can get cucumbers to grow prolifically then I can justify buying a fermenting crock to make old fashioned pickles. Big dreams!

A box turtle found me

2010-07-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

Nearly 18 months ago I left behind my beloved box turtle project in Pennsylvania to come to the Oregon coast. Sadly, this portion of Oregon has no native turtle species so when a box turtle walked into my life I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. I'm trying my best to see it as a big coincidence, but there's a little part of me that believes she found me for a reason. That she knew I would appreciate her and was deserving to be her friend because of the countless days I've spent admiring, studying, and protecting her species. I like to think she knew I was special because I love turtles and have been so sad without them in my life.

This box turtle is a robust female found wandering through the coastal spruce forest. She is obviously a pet that someone has either released or lost, and would likely not survive on her own in this ecosystem. When I found her she was very light and dehydrated and has spent the past few days basking in a water bowl and eating raspberries.

I've always been against keeping turtles as pets, mostly because most pets are actually wild captured animals and wild turtles populations are in decline. But for this lady I have no choice. Even if she was plucked from the wild, I couldn't release her unless I knew the exact location. So, now I must work to create her an outdoor turtle pen so she can live the most natural life possible....with the addition of my culinary supplements. I'm happy she found me.

Camping at Mount Hood

2010-06-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

What a difference driving across two mountain ranges can make! We drove 3 1/2 hours from the cold rainy coast and found the warm sunshine at Mount Hood National Forest.

Ada got to swim....not really sure what Zach is doing in this picture:

Hiked up to a fire tower where we found this cool rock to pose on:

And visited the beautiful Camas Meadow where we watched dragonflies and flower sniffed:

The beautiful Camas flower in bloom:

Ada got to eat dirty snow off Mount Hood. Yum.

And show off her new owl backpack at the campground:

On the drive home we stopped by the Bonneville Power Dam and saw where our energy is produced:

And Multnomah Falls. The second largest waterfall in the country:

Unfortunately, our short trip came to an end and we are now back in the land of cold and rain. But I'm already scheming our next get away to visit the sunshine!

Dead girl walking

2010-02-22T14:08:00.001-08:00

I've been walking in my sister's shoes since the day she died. Literally. But it's not as creepy as it sounds. I found her shoes in the kitchen where she had taken them off. They are a pair of Merrell trail hiking shoes with shoelaces that have been cut. I slipped them on my feet and they fit perfectly. It was kinda like a Cinderella moment because my sister has always worn one size larger than me, a frustrating fact that always prevented me from "borrowing" her shoes when we were younger. But these shoes fit me...a fact I won't try to analyze.

I like to think that when I wear these shoes that I'm taking my sister along to places she never got to see. Over the past 20 months they have been on my feet nearly every day. They've hiked the Grand Canyon, journeyed to the top of Saddle Mountain, explored downtown Portland, Olympic National Park, Phoenix, Washington DC, Seattle, the Oregon Coast, Vancouver, Port Angeles, Ghost Ranch, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, searched for turtles on the Gettysburg Battlefield, shopped at Fred Meyer, and more, more, more.

Thanks, Myra. If only the shoes could tell me more...

What you can do in an afternoon when you're supposed to be working....

2010-01-29T14:10:00.000-08:00

A cute little playhouse for Ada made out of an old cardboard box! Still have some finishing touches to do but I hope she likes it when she wakes from her nap. Amazing how you can really get into a project like this when you're supposed to be doing real work (sorry, Margi!).

Swimming upstream

2009-12-31T19:40:00.000-08:00

Life is hard. We all struggle along the way. But a trip to a small local stream in Seaside, OR put it all into perspective for me. Within this stream were numerous salmon making their way upstream to lay their eggs.

Salmon are unique in that they are born as small eggs in a stream bed and spend the first few years of their lives in these streams. These are FRESHWATER streams. Their bodies then begin an amazing transformation as they slowly adapt to survive in salty water and then venture out to into the Pacific Ocean to live out their adult lives. As the salmon reaches maturity it journeys back to the same stream in which it was born to lay it's eggs. How they find their way back from the immensity of the Pacific Ocean is a small feat in itself. The salmon then generally dies within a week of spawning, fertilizing the stream and creating a nutrient-rich environment for the new infant salmon that are about to hatch.

At the stream we visited I was told that salmon used to be so plentiful that a person could "walk across the stream on the backs of the salmon". Farmers used to easily gather the fish and lay them in their crop fields as fertilizer. Now, in this stream there are only a handful of salmon. Life is hard. Especially when your a fish and must conquer dammed rivers, fishing nets, pollutants, introduced diseases, and more just to complete your basic life cycle.

Two salmon in this picture....

The waterfall within the stream....

What becomes of the salmon after they spawn....

And Zach teaching Ada all about this amazing fish...

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

2009-12-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

The week before Thanksgiving we traveled to Ohio to visit Zach's parents. While in Ohio we visited the Virginia Kendell area of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Talk about memories...this was the place I came to frequently while working on my undergrad work at Kent State University.

I had started at Kent as an English major but I had no desire to teach or write and so my college path was starting to feel like a wasted effort. But after spending many days exploring the ledges at the Virginia Kendell I decided to spend my life working outside and helping to preserve the natural environment. I then switched my degree to a BS in Conservation of Natural Resources. Nearly 12 years later, I have a Master's degree in Environmental Biology and have worked for the National Park Service for 9 years. I don't say this to boast of my "accomplishments", but rather to honor the place that inspired me towards this direction.
Here's Ada enjoying the rocks and ledges of the park.

And playing hide-and-seek (her new favorite game) behind a tree.

Little piggies in the woods

2009-10-19T15:24:00.001-07:00

The autumn rains have officially started, and with them comes the emergence of mushrooms! This past week we have been very busy searching for those tasty edibles. The best find of the season is the "King Bolete" or "Porcini" as the Italians call it. Porcini is an Italian word that translates to "little piglet" and as the name suggests, these mushrooms are robust and tasty! Although they are a common mushroom in the forest they are difficult to find because of the tough competition by other mushroom hunters. The porcini season is only 3 weeks long and people take it very seriously out here. Just the other day there was an arrest at the state park near our house when a man pulled a knife on another man because he had walked into his mushroom territory. Crazy. My mushroom spot is nearly a 2 mile hike through the forest, with Ada on my back and George at my side for protection.

Here is a porcini popping out of the moss covered ground...

And another. They look like little loaves of bread in the forest.

You can see how big these mushrooms can get by using Ada for scale. And these are actually small compared to what they can become...

This here is a lobster mushroom. Not quite as yummy as a porcini, but worth a taste...

And for those of you worried that I may somehow poison myself....please relax. Zach and I are both taking a mushroom identification class at the local college so we know what we're doing!

Paddle and Pull

2009-10-16T14:25:00.001-07:00

In early October we volunteered to help eradicate the nasty invasive exotic plant, Enchanters Nightshade. It just a few short years this plant has infested the tiny islands found in the Lewis and Clark River.

Most of the islands are covered completely with the Enchanter's Nightshade.

Zach was the hardest worker in our boat. All the plants had to be pulled and carried back to the shore for disposal.

What a difference a climate can make!

2009-10-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

My garden back in Pennsylvania consisted of tomatoes. Lots of tomatoes. At one point we had over 50 plants, all heirloom varieties....Brandywine, Pruden's Purple, German Green, Sun Golds, and so many more. To me, a vegetable garden is centered around the tomatoes. So when we arrived to the cool, rainy northwest coast I was horrified to hear that tomatoes just don't like it here. But I was desperate to try, so I planted 4 tomatoes in pots and babied them all summer. At one point my neighbor noticed I was growing tomatoes and she said, "how sad." And she was right. The climate got the best of me. By the end of September I had plants covered with mold and a few tiny green tomatoes. Out of frustration, Zach and I yanked the plants from the pots and threw them over the bank. How liberating it was to GIVE UP ON THE IMPOSSIBLE!! And focus on plants that CAN be grown here in the cool temps and rain. I've grown the best lettuce of my life! Take a photo tour of our little garden....

Raised beds are the way to go here. With all the rain it keeps the roots from flooding and your soil in place.

Purple globe topped turnips....

Broccoli getting close to picking....

And this beautiful red leaf lettuce takes my breath away. One leaf is big enough to cover a slice of bread...

Here's my little helper bringing me brooms to use in the garden. Hmmm...maybe the lettuce needs swept?

Chinese cabbage...yummy cooked and raw in salads...

Lots of radishes. Ada like to pick them and feed them to the chicken (yes, only 1 chicken left...sad story for another time).

And here's Ada being my carrot taste-tester. She loved the tiny carrots (these were the ones I was thinning out) plucked from the ground. Now I'm nervous she will raid my garden when I'm not looking!

Also planted are beets, kale, parsley, cilantro, Swiss chard, arugula, and garlic and onions that will mature over the winter. My Dad would have been proud!

Sewing for Ada

2009-09-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tried to find children's clothing that doesn't have some stupid logo, brand name, or picture of Barbi or a warped image of a princess? It's virtually impossible! I tend to think that if those companies want my child (or me) to be a advertisement billboard than I should be getting paid to display their logo. Lately I've been oiling up the sewing machine and making Ada's clothes. While we still buy most of her items (I'm not THAT domestic, Alicia!), it's nice to throw in a few home-sewn items. I think they're cute and original!

Here is a picture of an all wool brown jumper I recently made. The clay buttons are handmade by a potter we knew in Gettysburg.

And this green dress was made from one of my old button dress shirts. I found a great (and easy) pattern for doing this! And yes, those are red glitter shoes that Ada is especially fond of.

Make your own kitchen cleaner!

2009-08-20T07:38:00.000-07:00

Perhaps this is a silly post, but I am totally in love with the new kitchen cleaner I have made. We normally use the spray kitchen cleaner made by Seventh Generation because it's non-toxic and more environmentally friendly than others. But after carefully reading the ingredient list on the bottle and some Internet sleuthing, I have found a recipe that works and now I'm cleaning all the time! It uses hydrogen peroxide as the base which is effective at killing common kitchen bacteria, such as salmonella, and removing stains. Plus I don't have to worry about toxic chemicals and synthetic fragrances. Here's the recipe for any of you adventurous folks out there:

Fill a spray bottle with:

16 oz hydrogen peroxide
4 oz water
A few drops of Dr Bronners soap (optional)
8-10 drops of essential oil of your choice (I used lemongrass but lavender would be nice)

Spray on counters, sinks, and tables and wipe off. Also, try to store the mixture in a dark cabinet as light can break down the properties of the hydrogen peroxide.

A journey to old growth

2009-07-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we headed to Wilappa NWR to visit a 300-acre patch of forest, in the center of a small island, that had never been cut. Amazingly, this small forest had been left untouched by the axes and saws that greedily timbered nearly all of this country's forests. The cedar trees here are estimated to be over 900 years old. That means that these trees were alive during the Crusades, the existence of the Anasazi Indians, and the decline of the Mayans. I'll stop writing now since I don't think words can accurately capture the primeval beauty of this forest, and pictures probably can't either...but I'll do my best.

Since the forest is located on an island we had to paddle our canoe to get there. This was Ada's first boat ride (well, technically second since we did a "test run" in our backyard pond earlier in the week). Once you reach the island it's a 2.5 mile hike in.

Some bigger trees...

A dwarf amongst the giants...

Some trees on the perimeter had been cut. This is one of the stumps that we came across (Zach's on top for scale) . I can't imagine what type of person could put a saw blade into a tree this old and big.

Our legacy is our STUFF

2009-06-14T21:48:00.000-07:00

Moving the contents of one's house across the country is an eye-opening experience. How in the world did we end up with so many posessions?!?! As Zach and I watched the movers unload box after box (over 400 boxes and items in all) of our treasured junk into our new home (the house busting at the seams) the environmental impact of our actions began to sink in.

The cardboard boxes, wrapping paper, tape, gasoline to drive the semi truck 3,000 miles across the country....not to mention the natural resources depleted and pollution generated to produce all these items that we have collected and purchased over the years. We are responsible for all this stuff and must cart it with us wherever we go, like a cancerous tumor. Is this all really necessary? (well, Ada and Ike did have fun running around the boxes in the garage!)

But seriously, why does a family of 3 need enough dinnerware to serve 36 people? Or enough clothing to dress a marching band? Or kink-knacks, figurines, trinkets, and other useless items that require dusting? Why are we always shopping, buying, and collecting more stuff everyday? Are we addicted? Does all this stuff really make us happy? I must admit that today I am emberassed to be an American. As much as I love this country and our freedom it's obvious that we are all in a vicious cycle of consumerism that cannot sustain itself. When I leave this world I do not want my legacy to be the stuff I acquired or for our daughter to inherit all our "treasured" junk to sort through as a final parting gift. I want out! I'm tired of owning, managing, cleaning, guarding, replacing and moving STUFF! I want more time to simply enjoy life and take time to smell the flowers as Ada demonstrates below. If you have read my rantings this far then you must view this spectacular video about Americans and stuff at http://www.storyofstuff.com/. The video is 20 mins long but offers a brilliant perspective on this subject. Please watch and stop the cycle!

Box Turtles and Serpentine Barrens

2009-06-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

Last week I flew back to Pennsylvania for the designation ceremony of the Nottingham Serpentine Barrens as a National Natural Landmark. The serpentine barrens are a globally rare ecosystem that supports many rare and endemic species. The picture below shows the grassland areas intermixed with pitch pine forests.

During my visit I had the opportunity to extend my stay a few days and work on my beloved turtle project at Gettysburg. Despite the pouring rain during my field work and the lack of my skilled turtle dog, I was able to locate turtles.

Without my dog I had to depend on luck and my ability to track turtles by following the trails they leave in the Japanese stiltgrass (finally, a use for that nasty exotic!). The cool thing about following the turtle trails is that you can see what a turtle has been up to as they meander around. Sometimes the trails lead to berry bushes, carion, or a "form" where the turtle may have spent the night. I even followed a trail once that led to a scenic vista at a cliff edge. Was the turtle just looking at the scenery? Or did he get confused and turn around before he fell off the cliff? I like to believe the former.

The highlight of the field work was finding box turtle #4. She was one of the first turtles I found back in 2006 and she was relocated (along with many others) to the temporary holding pen while a portion of the forest was being clear cut. It was interesting that I found her back in the original location where I found her over 3 years ago only now her forest has been converted into a meadow. It gave me hope that she was able to survive the transition. Of course, she is not the only turtle that I've found safely returned "home". Of the nearly 200 turtles that I've marked I have recapture data for nearly a quarter of these. Now, if Ada would just take longer naps I could attempt to publish my findings one day!

A weekend as a tourist...

2009-05-27T21:00:00.000-07:00

Exploring the tidal pools of the Oregon coast is a great way to spend an afternoon. Here is a colorful photo of sea stars and sea anemones we spotted on a recent visit to "Hug Point" located just south of Cannon Beach. When the tide is low these creatures are exposed and vulnerable to clumsy humans that step on them or pull them from their homes. In fact, one must tiptoe through these areas because everything is alive....you can actually hear the barnacles making soft clacking noises, almost like a bowl if Rice Krispies.

Last weekend I had a good friend come to visit and we hiked the 6 mile "Fort to Sea Trail" which begins at Fort Clatsop and traces the route that Lewis and Clark traveled to the Pacific. Along the way we spotted a bald eagle fly overhead carrying nesting material and land in this tree.

Heather and I along the Fort to Sea Trail....

A random shot of Zach, Ada, and I at Ecola State Park. Ada had a blast running up and down the trail saying hello to random strangers. She has a very extroverted personality.

And you can't consider yourself an Oregonian unless you've had your photo taken at Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach. The Haystack is the 3rd largest monolith in the country and is home to all kinds of birds, including puffins, and has some splendid tidal pools, too. (Thanks for the photo, Heather!)

Chickens

2009-05-19T16:33:00.000-07:00

We finally gave in and realized that life is not complete unless we have chickens. So, the other day we became the proud parents of four baby chicks- Buff Orpingtons and Black Australorps . Ada is always asking to see the "birds". Here's what they look like now:

And what they will become:

What we've been up to lately...

2009-05-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

Ada seems to really enjoy car rides. This is the view I normally get when I turn around to look at her. She loves to pull her shoes and socks off while riding in the car...

And here she is posing at Cape Disappointment State Park, WA. We went for a Mother's Day hike through the wetlands.

A rare photo opportunity with mom (usually I'm behind the camera!)

The carousel in Seaside, Oregon. Ada was in her glory because she rode a bunny!

And here's a shot of the Young's River Falls. Apparently the waterfall is famous and was in a ton of movies....

A hike up Saddle Mountain

2009-05-04T14:33:00.001-07:00

Saddle Mountain Natural Area is located about a 30 minute drive from us. This steep mountain trail climbs 1,633 feet in just under 2.5 miles traversing through mature forests and sub-alpine meadows. The summit offers a stunning 360 degree view of Clatsop County and on a clear day one can see Portland, Mount Hood, and Mount Rainier. This past Sunday we put Ada in the backpack and trudged up the mountain.

The different ecosystems of Saddle Mountain support a variety of wildflowers...including pink fawn lillies that we saw in bloom.

This is one of the many panoramic views during the hike.

Zach pointing out the wildflowers to Ada...

Zach and Ada taking a break near the the top...

And we finally made it to the summit! Admittedly it was a STRENUOUS hike and the next day my legs were in pain, but it was absolutely worth it!

The horrors of wool

2009-05-02T09:31:00.000-07:00

Wool is one of the most remarkable fibers that we know of. It's soft, warm, breathable, and hypo-allergenic...perfect for use in a baby's room. However, as I delved into my pursuit to find natural wool bedding and clothes for Ada, I discovered that the large scale sheep shearing business in Australia (where a significant portion of the world's merino wool originates from) is terrifying and disgraceful. Check out the video...but be forewarned that it is extremely graphic so watch with caution: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4595645622036014391

Never again will I simply buy a wool product unless I know where it comes from and how the animals have been treated. I realize this will be difficult and probably more expensive but fortunately here in Oregon we have the Oregon Wool Growers Association that consists of small family farmers who sell wool products. I'd rather buy close to home where I can see firsthand how the sheep are treated.

Ruby Red Slippers

2009-04-24T14:56:00.000-07:00

We got Ada her first pair of shoes the other day. They are ruby-red mary jane crocs. I had wanted a nice conservative brown color but Ada insisted on the red pair. I suppose that red color represents the independent, extroverted, fiery personality she is becoming. Below is a video of her modeling the new shoes.

Easter Morning

2009-04-12T07:33:00.000-07:00

Ada's second Easter! Her Easter bag was filled with wooden lacing beads, a small chocolate dipped peep, and a little lamb I sewed her from wool remnants from the Pendelton Wool store.

California Sea Lions

2009-04-09T20:13:00.000-07:00

Just a short walk from the grocery store in Astoria is a fishing pier where California sea lions like to hang out. These magnificent animals live in the mouth of the Columbia River for most of the year with the exception of June to August when they migrate to California for breeding. Sea lions can weigh up to 700lbs and excel at catching salmon...much to the dismay of local fisherman. The other day we got lunch from one of the local "taco trucks" and parked our car on the pier right next to the sea lions. Ada was enthralled with watching them roll into the water and listening to them bark and groan at each other.

Zach's parents were came to visit for a bit and got to see the sea lions, too. That's Grandma on the left....Grandpa is hiding behind the camera :-)

The new house

2009-04-04T18:47:00.001-07:00

I hesitated to post pictures of the house we are in the process of buying because I didn't want to jinx anything (the loan is still being finalized)....but here it is! The house is about 1800 sq feet and sits on a small pond. Although the house is newer (we really wanted an older house to restore since new development is responsible for wildlife habitat loss) the previous owners were very green minded with the house design and it's energy usage. The ocean is less than a mile walk away and so is Fort Stevens State Park. We will only own .6 acres so, of course, our neighbors are much closer than they were in Gettysburg but perhaps that will help us ditch our anti-social ways :-)

And here's the house from behind....

On Two Legs....Ada is Walking!

2009-04-03T07:32:00.000-07:00

A bit wobbly but she's walking! What really got her trying to walk was a morning spent at play group watching other little kids walk. As soon as she got home she started practicing.

You know we live in small town...

2009-03-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

...when Zach and Ada make the front page of the Daily Astorian!

History follows park chief's journey from coast to coast
HTTP://www.dailyastorian.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&subsectionID=398&articleID=59606&Q=80343.12
Web Posted 3/30/2009 11:22:00 AM
Article :

Zach Bolitho is all energy. His hands flick as he speaks, illustrating and emphasizing his words. But being energetic and active might be a Bolitho family trait. Bolitho has just joined the staff of Lewis and Clark National Historical Park as its new chief of resources.

One of the early things he did after arriving at the park was hike the Fort to Sea Trail. Bolitho and his wife, Carolyn, set out with a group of nearly 50 other park service personnel from across the country two weeks ago with 13-month-old daughter Ada in a baby backpack carrier. But Ada became a little crabby after a short while and Carolyn headed back home with her.

Bolitho explained that Ada prefers to continue to move along the trail, and wasn't happy about the frequent stops for discussions. Then again, maybe she'd had enough travel for a while. The family had just come cross-country from Bolitho's last assignment with the Park Service, at Gettysburg National Military Park, in Pennsylvania. He said Ada is fine when he pushes her along for five or six miles in her jogging stroller.

The diverse activities at Lewis and Clark National Historical Park attracted Bolitho to the job. "I think it was the mix between cultural and natural resources - like Gettysburg," he said. He added that - in much the same way leaders at Lewis and Clark are striving to return the park to the biological state it was in when the explorers first arrived, leadership in Gettysburg is trying to restore that park to its Civil War-era state. Both parks are trying to preserve a piece of history, while restoring their area's historic landscapes. And Bolitho was ready to try something new. Either my park, where I was at, was going to give me more responsibility, or I was going to have to jump out and try something else," he said.He said Lewis and Clark was a new park, in a new part of the country for him, that had begun projects - like the restoration of South Clatsop Slough - that he could take part in. Otter Point - those types of projects are of interest. It was a step forward," he said. "I thought it was an opportunity to try something out. You've got a lot going on here."

Bolitho's first job with the Park Service was at Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho. It was later expanded and reclassified as a national monument and preserve. He moved on to the Shenandoah National Park, where he was a member of the Exotic Plant Management Team. The team assessed, controlled and eradicated (where possible) the most invasive plant and insect species in eight national parks in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland. Since his time there, the team has expanded to control invasive species in 14 national parks.

He then moved on to Gettysburg. Bolitho's work in the past eight years in Gettysburg has been to restore the 1863 battlefield landscape. His natural resources office in Gettysburg was responsible for monitoring forest health and sustainability. It managed the park's agricultural properties - leasing out 3,000 acres for farmland. "I think I've got a lot to learn, in a good way," he said. "The resources are different."

Thanks for visiting http://www.dailyastorian.com/!

Should I walk or should I crawl? Important thoughts of Ada Evaine Bolitho.

2009-03-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

One of these days Ada will be walking on her own, but for now we still help her out, as Zach does in the video below. It's funny because she hasn't been wanting to practice walking lately and we think it's because she's so talanted at crawling.

Mount Rainier National Park

2009-03-20T20:07:00.001-07:00

Well, we made it to Mount Rainer National Park. It's about a 3 hr drive northwest of us. Zach was there for a training for work so Ada and I decided to come visit for a night. Beautiful place, even though we never actually got to see the mountain since they were having a blizzard! Who would have thought there would be that much snow up there?
Lacking snowshoes or skis we didn't stray too far from the roads, but we did enjoy the snow.

Volcano Evacuation Route?? These signs were posted everywhere. Thankfully the volcano didn't blow while we were there...although maybe that would have melted the snow for us...

I must have too much time on my hands...

2009-03-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

I seem to have gotten the sewing bug these days. It's strange because I never was a sewer even though my mom was a talented seamstress and my best friend growing up would sew the most beautiful riding clothes for us. But I've found that sewing for kids is easy...mostly because you can make colorful, fun things and nobody criticizes your mistakes! Below is the felt food collection (yes, those are ravioli), a beach ball, and some thrift store jackets that I covered up the ugly designs they came with.

And more shirts with fun critters. It's so addictive to buy an ugly shirt and make it uniquely beautiful (or at least I think so).

And then there is "Irene"....

Turtle tracks? Think again!

2009-03-18T19:16:00.001-07:00

On beaches around the world it's not uncommon to see tracks of sea turtles as they crawl onto shore to lay eggs. The tracks photographed above are from a loggerhead turtle as she made her way back to the ocean at Cape Hatteras. Species of sea turtles can actually be identified by the tracks that they leave.

So, a visitor to the Oregon coast this afternoon may have been stumped when they came across these bizzare tracks in the sand. Sea turtle? Energetic star fish? Hmmm....

It's a motoring baby with a snickerdoodle butt! A gorgeous sunny day today here on the Oregon shore allowed Ada and I to spend the afternoon on the beach looking for sand dollars, watching the wind surfers brave the frigid water temps (are they crazy?), and of course....practicing our false turtle tracks!

And here she continues....all the way up the dune where no timid turtle would dare to go. Does the girl have no fear?

A few pictures

2009-03-15T09:16:00.001-07:00

Fort Stevens State Park....with the mighty Columbia River in the background.

At the highest point in Astoria on a rare sunny day. That's the town in the background.

Maybe there is hope

2009-03-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

I heard a rumor the other day that a western pond turtle had been spotted near where we are living (I'm withholding exact location information as this is a sensitive species and you never know who's reading these blogs). This is great news for George and I! The western pond turtle is one of only two native turtle species found in Oregon. Range maps show no turtles what-so-ever in this section of northwest Oregon even though historically the western pond turtle may have been here. It seems that the species is declining all across it's range so the possibility that it may be in the area is very exciting. Of course, there's always the concern that the turtle spotted was incorrectly identified and was one of those exotic red ear sliders escaped from somebody's fish tank. George and I will need to investigate....

Ada is WALKING!

2009-03-07T20:42:00.000-08:00

Okay, so lots of posts in one day but I thought this addition was necessary. I thought this short clip of Ada walking with her toddle cart was worth sharing. This little cart was worth every penny I sunk into it!

"Ocian in View"....we have arrived!

2009-03-07T20:26:00.001-08:00

The travel portion of our journey is now over and we are settling into our new quarters, which isn't hard to do since our rental house is situated on 4 acres of ocean front property in Warrenton, Oregon. Warrenton is located just a few miles south of Astoria. The house itself is HUGE! We still can't figure out what one does with three bathrooms, but we are loving the space.

This is the house looking from the Pacific Ocean. It's about a 1/4 mile walk through the grassy dunes to get to the beach. At low tide the beach is supposedly good for finding razor clams (very tasty!). We tried to go today but the hurricane strength winds and rain chased us home after only 5 minutes.

Here's George enjoying our beach on a sunny day. Miles of shoreline to get us to throw the ball for him.

And this is the what I saw out our kitchen window yesterday as I was making pumpkin waffles for Ada...a herd of 17 elk! They come right up to the house and look in the windows.

Ada seems to be enjoying her new surroundings. She's discovered that carpeted floors are catalysts for mobility...hence her crawling and "walking" have really taken off.

Of course, there have been some downfalls to the move (besides missing everyone back in Gettysburg). Things get broken :-( This was what happened to Ada's rubber duck. We still can't figure how it's head exploded like that. Her crib was also broken which was a bummer. But the movers are insured so we'll get reimbursed...which is good because that rubber duck was an expensive latex (i.e., no BPA or other plastic crap) duck!

Along the way....our cross country journey!

2009-03-07T08:44:00.000-08:00

Traveling nearly 3,000 miles with a baby, a dog, and two cats was a monumental effort! Fortunately for me, Zach volunteered to drive with all the animals while Ada and I traveled by plane (with a scenic side trip to the Grand Canyon). Here are some pics of the journey westward...

Our third trip to the Grand Canyon, but it was Ada's first and Simon's (cat) second. Yes, he spent 5 weeks with us there once before.

George's bad habit of leash pulling finally came in handy in getting that tricycle up the snowy paths of the Grand Canyon.

Zach and Ada showing off for the camera again :-)

This was how the Subaru was packed for Zach's journey with the animals. (thanks for the chew toy, Paul and Heather).

And no album is complete without a photo of George in Texas.

Memories of the Redding Farm, Gettysburg PA

2009-02-14T17:03:00.000-08:00

I still can't believe that we're really making the move to Oregon! Tonight is mine and Ada's last night in Gettysburg. Tomorrow we set off for our drive to Ohio and eventually a flight to the Grand Canyon, before making it to our new home state of Oregon. I will miss the Redding Farm and all of the wonderful memories we've made here the past 8 years....

Ada's First Birthday - January 30, 2009

2009-02-14T16:50:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture from Ada's first birthday. I made her an applesauce kitty cake. She was hesitant to eat it at first, but once she got a taste of sugar there was no holding her back!

Parakeets in Flight by Ada Evaine Bolitho

2009-02-08T09:42:00.001-08:00

2008-11-24T04:20:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of George the turtle dog. George is a German shorthair pointer / chocolate lab mix that I've trained to sniff out box turtles. I trained him using modified bomb-sniffing techniques that police departments use...that means when he finds a turtle he is to give a passive alert (sit next to the turtle) as opposed to picking it up in his mouth which could lead to shell punctures. So far George and I have marked, measured, mapped, and photographed over 200 box turtles in our 10 acre reserach site!

In Loving Memory

2008-11-03T05:06:00.000-08:00

Myra "Maya" Davis

July 19, 1971- October 16, 2008

Perhaps it's strange to begin a blog with a death, but then again maybe not. Death is just the beginning of a new journey into the next world. My sister passed away unexpectedly two weeks ago and we are all struggling to find an answer.

Rest in peace, Myra.