How time passes

Wow.  I suddenly realized I hadn't added a post for many months.  Yes, the intention had been there but then so many other ways to post things and keep in touch seemed to keep winning out.  So here is a quick rundown of my timeline as I remember it:

April: returned to NH after a few months skiing out west.  I packed up my apartment, gave away, donated or sold additional items from my life that no longer were needed.  What a wonderful experience to "shed old skin" and move forward.

May:  Packed up my car with fishing gear, sea kayak and road bike. Kissed Elizabeth goodbye and headed west. Stopped in NY on my way to visit with family, including my 99 year old grandmother and do a little fishing with my cousin on Oatka Creek.

From NY I made a beeline to Montana and the Bighorn River.  What an amazing place.  I arrived in Fort Smith in the mid-morning, secured my license and some flies from one of the fly shops and headed out.  Low flows from out of the dam made for easy wading and clear water and for 3 days it was game on catching fat, healthy wild rainbows and browns. 

Then it was back in the car to finish my drive to Seattle.  The scenery through the rest of Montana and into Idaho was spectacular.  I certainly am fortunate to be living in this neck of the woods and plan to make regular trips over to Idaho to fish. 

Just after crossing the border into Washington I made a stop in Spokane to see my friend Hiliary and her fiance Rick.  I had left my ski gear with them when I returned from BC so I needed to cram in more stuff for the last 4 hour push.

The next day I completed the trip, arriving in Seattle mid-day to partly cloudy skies and warm temps.  I dragged out my stuff and down into Kevin and Julie's basement.  The plan was to stay with them until I found a place for Elizabeth and I.  Luckily that didn't take but a few days since my employer provided the services of a relocation specialist who took me around to a variety of properties.  Soon I had signed a lease on an apartment in Ballard.

With some time before I could into the apartment and a few weeks before I started my new job I set off for Oregon and the Deschutes River to fish the Pteronarcys Californicus hatch, aka, the salmon fly hatch.  Nothing like catching fat, healthy redside rainbow trout in a beautiful high desert location.  For 5 nights I camped out at the BLM site at Trout Creek.  In the evening the stars would twinkle through high clouds while wood smoke drifted through the campground chock full of fisherman from all over the US.

Elizabeth came out for a few days toward the end of the month.  Evergreen Hospital flew her out for an interview and we were able to spend a little time together in our new apartment and exploring Ballard.

June:  Back to work time.  Started my new job with Swedish Medical Group working in Redmond at the Urgent Care.  This is a new service line for them and a way to divert patients with more minor urgent medical needs away from the Emergency Department.  After eleven years in family practice I was ready for a change and I couldn't be happier.  The variety of problems from coughs and upper respiratory infections to lacerations and fractures certainly keeps things interesting.

Elizabeth came back out for yet another job interview, This time it was Swedish who brought her out to look at a family practice on Queen Ann.  While it certainly was convenient to where she would be living the hours weren't great.  In the end she opted for a job with the Veteran's Administration doing in home primary care, a new model the VA was developing.

July:  It passed rather uneventfully.  I was working a fair bit and on my off day I would ride my bike or take my kayak out.  I had found a convenient place to store it over on the ship canal just a 5 minute drive from the apartment. 

Golden Gardens at sunset

August:  Elizabeth left NH on the 5th bound for Seattle.  She had sold her house, thinned out her possessions and packed up the car.  Her two daughters Kate and Emma made the trip with her.  They arrived about 8 days later.  Kate is staying with us while she sorts out a living situation and a part time job.  She is going to be taking classes at Seattle Central Community College. 

For Elizabeth and I, we are settling into a living routine.  It has been a little while since either of us have lived with another partner.  For me, it is uncharted territory to live with a partner and an off-spring.  On a whole though it is going well and it is nice to watch Kate take on the duties of becoming an adult.

Given the generally warm, sunny weather this is one of the best months to get outside.  I did a fabulous hike up to Lake Melakwa in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.  Despite having some decent cutthroat trout I couldn't get any "fish love", but enjoyed lying out in the sun in such a beautiful place.  Plus the drive was just 45 minutes from Seattle!

Two weeks ago I joined KP and Julie and some friends of theirs on the RSVP bike ride (Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party).  The first day was 104+ miles and the second about 80+ miles.  I developed a nagging knee problem but overall it was a great ride with beautiful scenery, good friends and I completed my first century (a 100 mi ride).  Elizabeth drove up Saturday to Vancouver to meet us and on Sunday morning the 4 of us did a leisurely ride around Stanley Park and then had Falafel Plates in the park overlooking the water.

Waiting at the Canadian Border with 2000 other cyclists

Fish Tacos at the Ballard Farmers Market

Well, I think that about sums it up.  Elizabeth has started her job at the VA and Kate has registered for classes.  We are planning weekend trips and enjoying all the things to do here such as going to the Ballard Farmers Market, the restaurants and rides down the Golden Gardens Park to watch the sun set.  In fact, as I finish this entry the patio door is open and a fresh breeze is coming in while a light rain falls.  Sipping coffee and reading on a day like today is a nice way to pass time.