I just wanted to report that one flower is growing in our guerrilla garden venture along the entrance ramp to I-5. Well, it’s a flower plant to be precise and well, it doesn’t look like a weed anyway, which isn’t very precise. It doesn’t look like California Poppy but must be the other flower which is Calendula. Anyway, I watered it this morning as I past it which is tricky.

Maybe, Jennifer would be happy about that since she was in on the hatching of the idea to beautify that little part of the urban world. She has been in hospice, the dear. Prayers of peace for her.

I had a choice this AM of trying to photograph or water the new plant. So, I hit it with a bottled water. A big white truck waited behind me while I tended the little guy.

So, this is Thursday and I am back at the ranch. I have learned that Our Jennifer passed away Tuesday evening. Bill, one our regular walkers, was with her about an hour before and I got the word from him. She almost made it to the Fourth of July. We had this thing about the Fourth. I remember we were all down on the beach in the dark watching the fireworks last year and she was happy to have been able to make it so that far. So, we had almost another year to blow bubbles, plant flowers and sneak wine into the hospital.

Peace to you Jennifer. You are in our prayers. You are in our thoughts. Drink a glass of the heavenly wine for us and our travels. And we will drink a toast to you when we gather for tapas.

So, that’s the way it is today. We will regroup and go on having learned by the experience. Off to work, love you, Felipe.x

Yup, it is my every other Wednesday treatment, number seventy two. Have to gather myself up and make this happen. Somehow have to find that way to make it fun for myself and those around me. That’s the mission.

The film marches on. In Palm Springs right now. A friend is going to see it there this morning and then call me at the hospital afterward. Nice to see that it is getting out and around. This weekend it will be in Washington DC and Nantucket and maybe elsewhere.

But to keep up with the latest news you have to get on FaceBook and check in with “philscamino”. This is the absolute latest which is written up by Annie O’Neil herself daily. Important news is coming out all the time. Then share that great stuff with your friends.

Also don’t forget the website: www.philscamino.com . This has introductions to me and the film crew and the production staff. It also has a trailer. This is good for newcomers to bring them up to speed.

OK, have to pack a little lunch and make the drive to the ferry and beyond. The best to you, love, Felipe.x

Last night and this AM I went through the Phil’s Camino logbooks and came up with two hundred people that have walked here and in Spain with me. Isn’t that amazing? Very powerful to see all your names in one place at one time.

We will try and contact you all at some point in the near future. We are working on an artist project which involves you. Interesting, right? But I really can’t give it away at the moment.

There was a big thunder and lightning storm last night here, which very rarely happens in this area. It used to happen all the time in the summer in New York when I was a kid or so I remember. It was always heart stopping and as close as we get to Old Testament these days. But it is calm this AM, like it never happened.

Am thinking about you all how have wailed here and in Spain with me. You are all very special and somehow together we made something happen, something bigger than us individually. It’s been fun, let’s keep it going for as long as possible, hey?

OK, off to work on the firewood pile, am finishing up today. The best to you, love, Felipe.x

Yesterday we reached Marsilla de las Mulas and Leon is in the distance. The trail is beautiful, come walk with us.

Monday 0900-1000
Tuesday 1600-1700
Thursday 0900-1000
Sunday 1600-1700

Alperfect, Felipe.x

It’s 0744 and have one hour before our morning walk, time to blog and read blogs. Just got a comment in from Darling Producer Annie talking about “limoncello, a gift from the gods”. I just Googled that and learned that this highly liqueur is made from the zest of lemons in Southern Italy down to the Maltese island of Gozo. Yea, pretty exciting. Annie is talking about recreated a drink that she had down at the South by Southwest Film Festival that involved limoncello and Tito’s Vodka. We will have to work on this, we need an official drink called Phil’s Camino, maybe this is it.

Well, that is a refreshing change in topics from the recent rash of rodents. Oh, by the way My Rebecca has prodded me to print a correction about that Mountain Beaver infestation in Puyallup. Yea, as it turns out the broccoli is safe, thank heavens, wouldn’t want to loose one of those vegetables that my mother made me eat. It was some kind of berry bushes that they attacked, blueberries maybe. You can see how I got confused: broccoli, berry bushes, blueberries, too many B’s in one place.

On a more serious note I will be saying a rosary for Orlando this morning. There was a serious two hour vigil here on Vashon last night. Searching for meaning with this.

Will be here walking if you want to join us. Always and in all ways searching for healing. Yours, love, Felipe.

I think I am pretty close to wrapping up all this wildlife news that I have been putting out lately. We have the Mountain Beavers wrapped up but need to update you on the Mountain Lion news. Last spring there was a lion sighting right here on Phil’s Camino. And not my me but by someone reputable but maybe not an expert really. In my mind I totally believe her and it’s totally possible. But the argument hinges on do these kiddies swim? And guess what we have a pic that just came in. Check it out:

So, there you have it for a Saturday here at Phil’s Camino. Have made vast progress on the firewood. Wiley will be over tomorrow to help me finish up. That’s what I want for Father’s Day, to do a project with my son. Maybe it’s not too dark to take a pic. See you Sunday, Love, Felipe.x

Well, OK, maybe a little more. Steve-O, our long lost buddy has actually seen the “quiet and ubiquitous” Mountain Beaver. Wow! See his comment on yesterday’s post for details.

I have tracked down (tracked down is the kind of language used by flinty guys like Steve-O that grew up outdoors in the Pacific Northwest before computers) the source of all this and it started with My Rebecca. Yea, she was missing several plants in her garden which is inside a deer fence. There was no evidence of the culprit. So she goes to Kathy who owns the local plant nursery and asks her. What could that be?

So Kathy goes of on a huge thing about Mountain Beavers and how there was an infestation in Puyallup. Yea. Like little lumberjacks they chopped down all the broccoli there which could be a good thing depending on your view of that veggie. And apparently there was an expert that came to Vashon at that time and proclaimed our island free from the “quiet and ubiquitous” rodent. Yea, but did he look under each and every bush? Did he look under my kitchen sink?

You know, when I tell you we are up to our armpits in Nature around here you have to believe me. And hopefully we are done with this particular topic so we can get on to more serious matters. OK, off to split and stack next years firewood. Wish you were here to help. Love you guys, Felipe.x

Yea, mountain beavers got in our conversation when Catalina was here a few weekends ago. You probably never heard of them and actually no one that I know of has ever seen one. They are like little brothers to to Bigfoot in that regard. Anyway the point is that the rat that invaded our house could very well be a mountain beaver.

This was Catalina’s comment late last night after My Rebecca and I had the most beautiful dinner in the whole world.
“Felipe, it wasn’t a rat. It was a mountain beaver!” I cracked up, right? It was a great note to fall asleep on.

Wikipedia says that it has a range from British Columbia to California. I don’t know how they figure that out if no one has ever seen one. And the pic is there which is even more mysterious. They also call it the “mountain boomer” whatever that means. It’s not going to do that under my kitchen sink, is it?

Yea, here it is, life in the country, wild kingdom around every bend. Later if I survive, love, Felipe.x

Yea, My Rebecca was all stressed out after a long day of substitute teaching but it was such a beautiful evening that I’m pretty sure she is out of her tailspin.  A little wine, me cooking dinner and a gorgeous sunset helped.

Late in the afternoon today I ran out of energy and came in out of the sun and did some cooking. Yesterday I had bought a bunch of chicken thighs and five pounds of burger meat. So, I got two meat loaves cranked out and some really yummy sage and lemon roast chicken. So, My Rebecca says, “Are you going to blog about dinner?”

So here I am blogging about the chicken dinner, right? And you see the pic. But she goes on to say to make sure to tell them that I did sockeye salmon two nights ago for Wiley and Hanna and then last night did pork medallions with baked potatoes, so you are just sort of playing catch up. Isn’t she cute.

I told her that we were having the most beautiful dinner of anybody in the whole world, which we were. Well you know, how could I leave and check everywhere to find out so I just went with it. We rose to the occasion.

OK, I don’t hardly ever blog in the evening but here I am. Walking tomorrow at 0900 if you not doing anything. Nighty night, love, Felipe.x

 

Time is flying, isn’t it? Crazy fast these days. In a couple of weeks we will be watching the fireworks again, one year gone by. I better be very grateful right, living on the edge as I do.

A couple of items came up that are worth mentioning. And if you have been around here for a while you will appreciate them more maybe. One I just found out yesterday was that one of my archery students from years ago was one of the pitchers on our championship baseball team. That’s our high school team that won State this year. Hurrah! So did I help him early on with my mentoring on accuracy? I’d like to think so.

And two, remember the guy from the opening minute of Phil’s Camino. He is the guy that was sitting by the side of the road drinking a beer and I came along and gave him the bit of information that the place where he was was a great place for hunting mushrooms. Well, he has been showing up again. He lives here someplace probably where there isn’t much sunshine so he comes out to enjoy it. Yea, maybe if I can catch up with him I can tell him he’s famous!
Hehe.

Well, it’s wild kingdom here again just when I am trying to write my blog. Just spotted a rat under the sink in the kitchen. That’s embarrassing! Just when I don’t need something extra to do, off to town for a handful of traps. That’s probably more than you want to know but it’s life in the country, continually beating the jungle back.

Well, time to get in gear. Hope your day goes well. Pray for strength. Love, Felipe.x.