A Little Music, Good Food and Great Friends

View to the SE, with Mt. Slesse in the distance. This is directly north of Mt. Baker in the states. We love to visit Fred and Edith here at their new place! (Todd and I took a little trip up to B.C. to visit our friends and a chance for me to play music with Fred at their community festival. We left the kids with my parents for one night. Almost two by the time we got home on Saturday night! There was road construction in Everett with only one lane open. It took us nearly an hour to go about 3 miles! ARGGGH!)

Hollyhocks along the deck add to this bucolic place!


View of "Slesse Alm" looking west over the existing house. Fred and Edith are doing an addition to the other guest quarters and garage, creating a new home, studio and massage room for Edith's clients.



Charlie, the patient Belgian, who was "volunteered" for the job of having his feet shod for the demonstration. With all the questions and demonstrations and explanations of the process, the whole thing took nearly two hours to do two shoes! Charlie was a retired draft horse who used to pull tourists through Stanley Park. He was about 22 years old and had arthritis in one leg.

By a strange coincidence, the horse shoeing exhibit was performed by the world reigning champion farrier from Switzerland! He had just competed in the Calgary Stampede blacksmith and farrier competition and he and his wife were touring Canada before they went home. He was friends with the farrier from Ryder Lake. It was fascinating to watch them work. I learned a lot!


Annie,Fred and I had fun playing swing tunes, waltzes, accompanying Edith on hammer dulcimer and an original piece by Fred.


Our little ensemble played at the first ever, Ryder Lake Community Festival! Whoo hoo! It was very fun with several artisans showing their pieces and a really interesting farrier/blacksmithing exhibition.


Edith made an amazing supper for us before we headed for home: herb chicken burgers, with sides of garlic mushrooms, grilled fennel, peppers and onions and basil, tomatoes and some kind of cheese like mozzarella, only better! Oh yes, and new potatoes. For dessert, our friend Marilyn, brought tira misu and chocolate mousse cake!