All Aboard

Last weekend we headed north to Ione, WA. Why? To ride a train of course!

The Lion’s Club offers rides from Ione to Metalline Falls to see the autumn colors

North Pend Oreille Valley Lions Club and the Pend Oreille Valley Railroad (POVA) have spent the last 31 years operating several weekend excursions rides in summer and fall along the Pend Oreille River in Northeast Washington.

The 20-mile round trip takes about an hour and a half

Along the north end of the railroad the countryside is particularly rugged. The track snakes along the cliffs that shadow the river far below. There are several tunnels and bridges along this stretch of track, ranging from low wooden trestles to the huge Box Canyon Bridge that overlooks the dam.

Towhead and Lil Moose looking out over Box Canyon dam. The train stopped on the huge trestle bridge to give us a good look at the canyon.

Riders are able to choose from three classic railroad coaches and three open-air cars converted from various rolling stock. Of course we opted for one of the open-air cars, mostly because it was less crowded. Though we may have regretted that decision a little when it began to hail on the return trip. The car was covered but the temperature dropped so drastically that we went from a sunny brisk ride to curled up under blankets watched our breath steam before our faces.

I never tire of doing these types of things. Discovering something new, pointing out the first bits of snow dusting the hills, or asking the girl what she imagines when she sees the countryside.

We have been wanting to do this ride for 5 years and have not had time in the busy hunting/Halloween/birthday season that overtakes us in October. Even though it was a bit late and many of the leaves had fallen, it was well worth the trip.

One of the best parts for the kids was when the train was robbed by the bandits from Ma Cutter’s gang in Metalline Falls. (All proceeds benefit the Cutter Theatre, a historic building in town.)

Ma Cutter and her gang were a huge highlight. What a brilliant fundraiser for this historic theatre.

Lil Moose has not stopped talking about the “choo choo open car” since.

Is that a happy boy or what?

Sing Along with Moose and Bean

This fall has been somewhat of a music exploration for us. Now, I’ve always had varied musical tastes and worked hard to pass that along to these wee ones of mine. Like many parents I boycotted the Disney soundtracks and began brainwashing them early, hoping one day we could enjoy listening to the same music (a girl can dream can’t she?). We’ve run the gamut from classical to rock, African drumming to Hawaiian jams. I never considered this anything unusual; I had plenty of friends who did the same.
However, last winter during Towhead’s kindergarten year, as they moved from project to project it seemed that I provided more than my share of musical suggestions when her teacher asked for contributions. I hardly feel like a musical buff, but I am always looking for new and varied music we can listen to. When it comes to music I think sharing enriches us all. So here is my contribution. Take what you want, forget the rest, and enjoy. That’s what the tunes are all about.

Here are a few artisits that we enjoyed prior to children that the kids now enjoy:

Beattles.
Bob Marley & the Wailers.
Barenaked Ladies.
Beethoven.
Rusted Root.
Manuchao.
Patti Griffith.
Emmy Lou Harris.
Dar Williams.
Jason Mraz.
Jackson Brown.
Billy Joel. (River of Dreams primarily)

These are some of the albums we’ve stumbled on along the way:

Barenaked Ladies. Snacktime.
Elizabeth Mitchell. Sunny Day.
Elizabeth Mitchell. You Are My Little Bird.
Putumayo. French Playground.
Putumayo. Caribbean Party.
Putumayo. Hawaiian Playground.
Putumayo. A Jazz and Blues Christmas.
Putumayo. Rock and Roll Playground.
Putumayo. One World, Many Cultures.
Pink Martini. Hang on Little Tomato.
Isreal Kamakawiwo’ole. Facing Future.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Long walk to Freedom.
They Might Be Giants. Here come the ABCs.
Various. For the Kids.
Various. cELLAbration: A Tribute to Ella Jenkins.
Keb Mo. Big Wide Grin.
Buckwheat Zydeco. Bayou Boogie.
Dan Zanes. Catch that Train.
Dan Zanes. Little Nut Tree.

And here are a few we want to check out:
Ziggy Marley. Family Time.
Putumayo. Cowboy Playground.
Dan Zanes and Friends. Family Dance.

This list seems so paltry and outdated now that I look at it. It doesn’t even begin to reflect the Pandora-eTown-Nacho Celtic Hour-Front Porch Bluegrass explosion that is our house most Sundays. Why do people ask me for musical advice again?

All I see is smoke. C’mon, add fuel to the musical fire. What are your favorite tunes to listen to with your wee ones?

The Return

We have now had 3 official days of frost here in the Northwest (it was 29 degrees last night), so I thought I would mark the occasion by returning from my summer abstention from the blogosphere. I can’t say it was an official boycott so much as a conscious decision to stay away from the computer as much as possible and get outside.

OK, that last statement is only sort of true. I wish I had been taking a stand against technology in favor of time spent outside, playing games, and having adventures with the dear people in my life. Instead it was a powerful Bermuda triangle of forces that made it extremely difficult to get little if any computer time and so I gave up. First there was Mr. A blowing out his knee in late March, which left me doing most if not all the heavy lifting until June (yes, June) when he began physical therapy. Then there was “the injury” that colonized my foot – a fungal infection that had been lingering since Lil Moose’s birth that decided to explode across my foot, making it extremely painful to walk. After those two things were reconciled the summer became a frantic attempt to salvage what warm weather was left by running and jumping and swimming and biking and hiking – all those things Mr. A and I spent not being able to do because of said injuries.

You may be thinking, all that time laid up? Why didn’t you write? Let us know what was going on? Well, here’s part of the reason:

Two sweet little ones who spent the summer without shirts running feral in the backyard and loving every _____(insert substance: pen, mud, water, food) -covered moment.

We played with friends, cornstarch slime, bubbles, and foam noodle swords. This was the summer we were forced to slow down. To revel in the ordinary and mundane. Have you ever had one of those tough or trying times in your life? One where you discover what you and those around you are made of? What did you learn?

Love. Oh my goodness, there is so much love and goodness in these people I live with. I don’t want to go through times like these to often. But I’ll take one now and then if it means discoveries like those I made this summer.

Now it’s autumn – my favorite time of year. Beyond the obvious signs like the cooler days, the sunshine colors now inhabiting the neighborhood trees, and the pumpkins at the grocery store, here are a few of the reasons I know Fall is officially here:

• the local mouse has been leaving scatty crap under my sink
• static electricity means that all of that lovely fleece I’m digging out is covered in my hair, the dog’s hair, the kid’s hair and any dust or fuzz in a 300 ft radius
• my warm weather crops looks like lettuce that was left in the too-cold crisper drawer of our malfunctioning fridge
• a green snot-producing snail has taken up residence in my son’s nose
• apples at Green Bluff and the local produce market are cheaper than the ones in the store
• I want soup . . . and crispy warm artisan bread that I just took out of my oven (speaking of which, I have to post a recipe for the tortilla soup I made the other night – glorious!)
• Lil’ Moose wants to wear the pumpkin hat (the one I was knitting three hours before he was born) all the time.