It’s been a busy few weeks here with lots of fun stuff to report on and an extra slow laptop that makes blogging about it something I put off until I feel an overwhelming sense of guilt for neglecting both of my readers. So, to make up for it, here’s a quick update and some new photos…

I don’t talk about work here, as most of the good stories would breach the duty of confidentiality and the rest are so painfully boring you would want to stab your eyes out. BUT, I can share some of the other fun things I’m involved in on a semi-professional level, like being recently elected to the board of PCC Farmland Trust. For those of you unfamiliar with the Trust, they are doing amazing work saving organic farmland here in Washington. And if you have any interest in farms, organic food, the environment, or conservation in general I highly recommend checking out their website. Otherwise, you should brace yourself for lots more farm photos and the occasional plug here and there from yours truly.

A few weeks ago I was asked if I could attend a restoration event on a farm the Trust owns and take some photos – a silly request because there are few things I love more than pretending I’m some sort of legitimate photographer. Because it didn’t seem fair that I should have so much fun all by myself, I immediately offered up Captain Graybeard, Esquire for a day of hard labor. We ended up spending a beautiful Saturday at Growing Things Farm planting a hedgerow along a small tributary that feeds into the Snoqualmie River. For those of you looking to get out of the city and play in the dirt or learn more about some of our local farms, keep an eye on the Farmland Trust’s “On the Farm” series of events for plenty more restoration and farm tour opportunities.

In stark contrast to sweaty, dirty farm work, Graybeard and I also recently attended Tuxes & Tails, the Seattle Humane Society’s annual fundraising dinner and auction. I mention this for the sole purpose of announcing to the world that I took full advantage of this fancy affair to wear The Dress. Though I also want to announce that it still fits, it has been less than 365 days since I last wore it, so that is neither surprising nor impressive.

In furry news, someone finally learned to swim and decided that fetch in the water is her new favorite thing ever. Someone also acquired giardia. The two may or may not be related.

And on the pretentious hobby front, Graybeard made bacon the other day. This requires curing and smoking pork belly – and if he had a blog he could tell you all about how he did it. But as far as I’m concerned, it’s magic. Delicious mouthwatering magic.