Flower World

 My daughter invited me to go on her daughters' 3rd grade field trip Tuesday to
"Flower world" in Maltby, Wa.
I found out this info. about their plants and facility from their home page -

They are one of the largest retail nurseries of its kind on the West Coast. Unlike other nurseries and garden centers Flower World does not buy its plants from other growers. They grow about ninety per cent of all the plant material they offer. Their plants are grown locally in Maltby in their own green houses and production fields. Because of that fact, you will get the freshest quality plant because you are buying directly from the growers.        

It was really interesting to see their retail plants in that large green house and then to tour the separate green houses where they do their own planting, and growing. We found out that they believe strongly in recycling within their facility. They even make their own soil that they compost themselves.                                                                                                     

Here is the info. from their "about us" page on the website - http://www.flowerworldusa.com

"Flower World, Inc. was started in 1968 by John and Marijke Postema on a four acre parcel of land. During the 1970's and the 1980's bedding plants, fuchsias and foliage plants were the main crops. These were sold to the local wholesale markets and shipped nation wide to the wholesale trade. In the early 1980's local shoppers started to stop by the greenhouses to inquire about specific plant products and that was the beginning of the retail business. Until 1994 the retail nursery was located on one of the original eight-acre sites. In the spring of that year the retail business was moved to the newly constructed display greenhouses at its current location on 196th Street SE in Maltby.

Flower World is enormous, so it is very easy, as a first time customer, to be overwhelmed. We have constructed the layout of the retail greenhouses and the display areas in such a way that it becomes very easy to find the specific sections you are looking for. You will find numerous information mailboxes filled with maps of the area layout. You will also find informational plant brochures for your convenience and your use. We are a "self-help, low-key, take-your-time and-explore" type of operation. You will not experience a hard sell technique from any of our employees. We encourage you to take your time to enjoy the displays, the flowers, the plants, the shrubs and the trees. Most of our signage is meant to inform as well as educate. The informational signs will help you choose the right plant for the right location and explain how to give it the right care. The pictures will help you visualize the blooming stages and the mature look of a plant.We recycle plastic pots and containers and we encourage you to use the drop-off bins for your convenience. We are also accepting yard waste and horse manure" 

If you look at the base of the farthest back tree in the photo below you can just see one of the mail boxes where they keep their information. Also you can see which holiday season they are getting ready for by all of the Poinsettia's being displayed!

(click to enlarge each of the photos)

 

one of the many growing rooms

Gladiolus drying

assembly room

We got to see where the assembly line area was. This is where their own composted soil is added to the bedding/growing pots. Then either the seeds or plants are added and an identification label stick is put into each pot.

Plant label room

Tomato plants

 I was so surprised to see how tall the Tomato, Cucumber, and Pepper plants were. They were actually taller than this as they snake them side ways back and forth so the plants will keep growing to their maximum. Here's a photo with some of the volunteers and children from the field trip, as you can see the plants are taller than the adults.

Cucumber plants

Pepper plants

One part of the recycled pot area

I really like this Twisted Fig tree.

Here's a panorama (click to enlarge it) of the retail green house - so nice and cozy warm.

They did have benches here and there. It would be a wonderful place to sit and read with a cup of tea.

It was a great opportunity to get to go, so glad I was invited!

The Snow geese are here!

 We went for our first birding trip of the fall. We noticed last week that the Swans were back in our area, so decided to drive to Skagit county to an area called Fir Island to look for the Snow Geese. Skagit Valley is a great area to view Swans and Snow Geese. It's fields are full of them throughout the winter months. Usually the Swans and Snow geese arrive about the same time. We saw them but, there were just a few of them in the fields - more to be coming soon!!

Our first sighting
(click to enlarge)

closer
 (click to enlarge)

as close as we could get
(click to enlarge)

 When they are all here for the season, the skies are full of birds looking for a nice field to feed on. They are very noisy, I love to watch them lock their wings for the landing.

Here's a picture I took last year of a group that had just been disturbed, they take off all together and then land all together a short distance away.

Snow Geese

 

Apple Juice and Apple Butter

I decided to do something else with our apples, we've been dehydrating them the last few weeks & we've got enough dried now I think. So I got out the juicer and made some fresh apple juice - unfiltered.

Then on to peeling, coring and slicing apples for Apple Butter, I haven't made it for ages. It turned out pretty good.

All of this apple talk reminded me of a song we used to sing with our kids when they were small "Apples and Bananas", to help them learn their vowel sounds. 

Click on the YouTube video below the hear the song - enjoy!

I went for a four mile run this morning before I got started in the kitchen. Our friend the northeast wind is back & the first Swans flew over today - all the way from Siberia! I love that they fly over our house! I actually enjoyed putting on layers, gloves and a hat. All of my aches and pains are gone from my marathon run a few weeks ago. I ran about 6 1/2 miles last Saturday with my husband on the North lake Whatcom trail, just finished that one before a wind and rain deluge hit!

Grand opening of the North end of the Snohomish Co. Centennial trail!

Yay, the Centennial trail from Bryant north is now finished. I've blogged before about our bike ride from Bryant south, here's the link to that post -
http://hearsdifferentdrummer.blogspot.com/2012/04/biking-northen-section-of-centennial.html and my unofficial/official Inaugural Centennial Trail Marathon, here's the link to that post -
 http://hearsdifferentdrummer.blogspot.com/2012/10/inaugural-centennial-trail-marathon.html  the route is from Dubuque north (13.1 out & back).
I copy and pasted this from the Centennial Trail Coalition of Snohomish County's blog, so you could see for yourself!

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Grand Opening Announced for North Trailhead 

Snohomish County Parks has announced the opening ceremony for the north end of the Centennial Trail: 

Grand opening 10.00am, Nov. 3, 2012 at the Nakashima Barn/Northend Trailhead. 32328 State Route 9, Arlington

The location is trailhead #1:

Come and join the celebration for this long anticipated opening north of Bryant.  We will post more details about the event as they are made available.

- Here's the link to the "Centennial Trail Coalition of Snohomish County's" blog where I read the announcement - 

 http://ctc-of-sc.blogspot.com/2012/10/grand-opening-announced-for-north.html

Inaugural Centennial Trail Marathon

Yes, I did it - I finished my marathon!
8 hours 25 minutes and 10 seconds. I averaged 19:17 min. miles.
I've been training for 6 months with Bellingham fit's marathon training program. I had originally planned on running the Humboldt Redwoods marathon in October, but realized that I wouldn't even come close to finishing in their 5 hour cutoff time. My pace is so slow that I wouldn't even make an early walker start cutoff time in an official marathon event. Most of the Bellingham fit members were going to be running or walking the Bellingham Bay marathon September 30. So we decided to do an alternative course that same day. My husband came up with a great course. We had biked the northern section of Snohomish county's Centennial trail and really enjoyed it, so he figured out an out & back course that would start near Snohomish and cover the southern section that we hadn't been on before. The course would be fairly flat with a gradual incline hill section from mile 14 to 17.

(if you want to see anything in larger detail just click on the photos)

 

I wanted it to be as official as possible, so I made an official race finisher certificate. Hence the unofficial/official Inaugural Centennial Trail Marathon was created!

My husband rode his bike and carried all the extra water and food I would need. He was such a great help and support to me. By the time we got everything organized it was 8:20 am. Here I am at the start at Dubuque and Machias near the town of Snohomish. Dick had even put a white tape line for me to start at, very official! I used my endomondo gps tracking app during my run. It was pretty consistent with Dick's bike odometer and the course I had drawn up on the endomondo website.

Besides being my support crew, Dick was also the official race director and course photographer. He did a great job of documenting the day.

Mile 6

mile 10 - headed toward the hwy 9 overpass

mile 12 and feeling really good

mile 13.1 I had just gone past the turn around. Just past Otter road.

& coming up the last section of the 3 mile incline (around mile 16) with Dick

Dick getting me food and more water

The above picture was taken at about the 17 mile mark. I had just finish running up the 3 mile incline, and as you can see it was starting to take it's toll on me. I was very tired when I reached the flat part of the trail again. It was such a welcome sight to see that I had made my way up it. Another welcome sight was that my dad had driven all the way from Sequim that morning and had caught up with me. (from miles 10 through 17 there is limited access to the trail) I finally had some on course cheers & another photographer! My mom had suggested he bring chalk and draw pics and encouraging words on the trail. Awesome idea. Thanks mom!
By the time I reached mile 18 I had recovered a bit and was feeling better, although the hill had taken alot out of me. I started trying to run 15 minutes and walk 2 minutes for the rest of the way.

mile 18

mile 21

Shortly after this picture my daughter Melissa and her 3 girls found me. It was so nice to see them and hear their words of encouragement for me. They walked along and talked to me for a bit and then the first of my bonking episodes started. Melissa and the girls got in the car so they could drive to the next trail access location. Dick started a serious "get more fuel in Kim" routine. I had heard that salty baked potatoes were a good thing to eat on long events.  So I had packed a couple for the day. The info. was correct, they really hit the spot. So between them and my Gu's/Margarita shot bloks and Nuun electrolyte in my water, I was hoping I had enough in me to complete the distance. In my previous training runs I had cramped up badly on the 18 mile run. Felt great on the next 20 mile run, but couldn't complete the 22 mile training run because I cramped up again at the 18 mile mark. We have been having a long dry and warm spell for us here in the Pacific Northwest and I have found that I don't do so well when the temps get into the upper 70's.  I had no experience in my training runs past 20 miles, so the next 6 were a little scary for me think about as the day was getting warmer (it eventually got to about 75 degrees that day) and I was getting tireder. I just kept thinking please don't cramp up. I figured I would walk or crawl if I had to but, I WAS going to finish no matter how long it took me. It had been 26 years since I had last run a marathon (Seaside Trails End, Feb.1986) & I am now about 35 pounds heavier. I had torn my left calf a little over a year and a half ago and that was nagging at the back of my brain as well. Would my mind and my body be tough enough to get me through the last few miles?

mile 24

At about mile 23 1/2 I realized I didn't have the energy to run anymore. I had another episode where I felt like I was bonking again, so really concentrated on eating and drinking. All along the trail my dad and grand daughters had been writing hearts and cheers on the paved trail, so wonderful! My great husband got off his bike and walked beside me most of the way to the finish from here on and occasionally we would hold hands. It seemed at times that I really was getting and energy boost just from that simple gesture. I never felt like I was going to quit, I just really wanted my body to be there for me and either not faint (as I felt like I might do off & on) or just cramp up, so I could continue. My brain was doing the hard work! Finally at about 3/4 of a mile it suddenly sunk in that I was truly going to finish. I just felt a sweet peacefulness sweep over me. I had a few moments of pure relaxation and gratitude as I felt the sun warm on my face and I really enjoyed the view of the trail before me.

Smiling and a bit teary as I get near the finish,

because this is what is waiting in front of me!

my dear grand daughters!

My grand daughters had made a finish banner for me to run through!

hugs all around, I had done it!

my dad in the background still being course photographer

My awesome support crew! (Thanks to my son in law Brion for taking this picture)
& here's one - below - with Brion in it! (Thanks Dad for taking this picture) -

and the best finish a grandma could ask for - her grand daughters sharing their "I love you's" with me! Then my dad gave me my last sentimental tears of the day. He went to his car and played from a CD, Louis Armstrong singing "What a Wonderful World".
Now that's the way to wrap up the day.
Thanks Dad, I love you.

Here's a breakdown of my mile & overall times -
(click to enlarge)

 

 Here's the link to the post I wrote about the Marathon's I've run in the past -

 To read the post, click on this: Seaside and Emerald City Marathons

Deming Homestead Eagle park - Eagle sanctuary

 We've driven by this park many times, but last weekend as my husband and I were on a drive we decided to stop and check it out. I'm so glad we did. The park has many great large wooden picnic tables & benches interspersed in the trees along the trail.
If you are traveling on Mt. Baker hwy, the park is located on Truck rd.
(just south of the old Carol's coffee cup restaurant)

(click on the pictures to enlarge them)

 This is a Whatcom county park  -
(http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/parks/deming/index.jsp). 

If you take a left turn on the trail it leads down to a brushy river path -

We saw our first real fall colors in the dry river bed area -

The trail led to the river's edge and it would be a perfect place for Eagle viewing -

If you took a right from the parking lot the trail leads down a 

wide gravel path with benches placed here & there. 

In the next picture you can just see a bench peeking out of the trees -

All of the benches and tables were "skookum" as my husband says! 

That means strong & solid - according to him ;-)

 I'm never quite prepared for the first signs of this particular season change. 

It seems the older I get the harder it is for me to see summer leave. Thinking of the days ahead, where the ability to do outdoor activities in the daylight will be shortened by the onset of earlier darkness seems to be a hard transition for me. 

Thank goodness I live in Washington, land of "great" coffee, with our drive through stands sprinkled every few blocks where ever we go. A good strong caffeinated latte and a good magazine/book are a great way to get through the dark days ahead. 

I read somewhere once that the highest population of avid readers and book buyers live in the Pacific Northwest. We do know how to hunker down
and get the most out of a gray rainy day - not to mention,
we don't necessarily stay home just because it's raining outside.  

Oh well, enough of the proud I'm a Washingtonian talk!

(hmmm....you can tell I'm trying to buck up my attitude for the
impending dark, wet, gray days) 

 More signs of fall - leaves on the ground.

As the trail continues it leads to a little bridge that opens up to a great field.

Too bad it took us 10 years to take the time to explore this wonderful park right in our own backyard.