Gabe's birds keep him busy.

Spotted Towhee in March
Rufous Hummingbird on my Rosemary
Fox Sparrow on the ground feeder...
and in the Forsythia branches.
Steller's Jay looking at you.

Purple Finch

Front yard feeders and bird bath calling the Goldfinches.
Western Bluebird

Evening Grosbeak pair yesterday morning.

 My Bird Boy

Purple Finch
Newly Hatched Chicks - Gabe's own Rhode Island Reds and Easter Egger with four French Black Copper Marans from special deep chocolate hatching eggs. 
Gabe's birdhouses guard the garden with the blooming crabapples, lush rhubarb, and leafing out raspberries.
Thistle seed waiting for the Goldfinches to find in the front yard with the crabapple tree just starting to pop!

A Good Friday to Remember

Jesse led us to a cave in a neighboring cow pasture.
Waiting for a turn to descend into the hole in the ground.
Like going into a tomb.
Opened into a large lava tube cavern.  We walked to the far chamber before the cave began to narrow again, turned out our lights, and sang in the darkness.  Jesse spoke of our Lord Jesus.  The darkness and the worship wrapped me like a warm blanket.
  
"Here I Am To Worship"

Light of the world, You step down into darkness.
Opened my eyes let me see.
Beauty that made this heart adore you hope of a life spent with you.

And here I am to worship,
Here I am to bow down,
Here I am to say that you're my God,
You're altogether lovely,
Altogether worthy,
Altogether wonderful to me.

King of all days,
Oh so highly exalted Glorious in heaven above.
Humbly you came to the earth you created.
All for love's sake became poor.
Walking home, a healing warmth of the love of Jesus continued to flood my tired body.  By His stripes, I am healed.
A shared meal with elements of the Seder fulfilled.
Meg's table.  I was amazed how the food fed us to absolute fullness with seconds, and thirds, and still more leftover, just like the loaves and fishes.  Lydia confirmed that she had observed that too.  It was such a beautiful start to a celebratory Easter weekend.
I think, "Thank you Jesus for all your benefits."  This leads me to Psalm 103:
"Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle."
Amen

March Birthday in New Home

Wild violets confirmed I was home for my birthday.  Special gift from my Maker.
And a patch of the most fragrant wild pink violets!
Mom and Lydia set my table for birthday dinner.
Lydia bakes a cake.
Birthday buddies share the cake!  Happy Birthday Luke!
Blew those candles out easy!

Leaving Whidbey

Lydia walked about on this lovely spring day, taking parting pictures.


Overwintered Carrots

Must be a bush bean sprout.


Early March Family Birthdays

Havilah took us all on the Klickitat trail and a picnic for her 15th birthday.  She found a perfect knoll by the river for our lunch.

Boys are exploring on the far right.

Little magenta blossoms growing.

Seated on a mossy rock and looking over the mossy bank and pools.  An sleek black otter popped his head up several times, coming up the bank and decided we were too big a crowd to linger near.

Jed and Great-Grandma

Grass Widow

Columbia Desert Parsley
Gold Star

Marshal took the ADVENTURERS to the opposite bank and followed deer trails, crossed ravines, and scaled bluffs back to the vehicles.

I have to admit, their hike was much more thrilling and stunning in wild beauty than the gravel trail that I stayed on.  I was fretting over them besides, instead of enjoying the scenery from my side of the river.
Grandpa turned 72, surrounded by nearly half of his grands, last week too.

And Lydia and I made lemon curd meringue pie to celebrate.  A nostalgic pie that goes way back for Dad to childhood and his mom's perfected flaky shortening crust, sweet lemon, and fluffy meringue. 

Caravan

We completed our first big haul of farm and shop to our future home last week.
What a crew!  Dads and Cousin Greg came to help us and drive trucks and trailers.  We couldn't have done it without them.

Three trucks, three trailers, the van, and a pick up full of chickens and two sheep!

Cousin Greg turned a few heads with that load.  What a trooper he was, and he didn't even get stopped by a state trooper.  The traffic stood clear of him making it easy for Marshal to keep an eye on him.  Arrived in Trout Lake just past midnight.