What happened to Thanksgiving?

We have a traditional Thanksgiving  every year, and this year our tradition took us to Lopez Island.  Yessi and I visited Lopez this summer.  She hung out on the island for a few days while Jacaboo and I did a kayak adventure.

Benton, World's most Handsome (Used to be Cutest) Aussie,
 with Mt. Baker in background.
Anacortes ferry terminal has some new boardwalks which are very nice,
and Benton thoroughly enjoyed running on them.

The weekend before Thanksgiving we had our yearly feast, a week before everyone else.  No ferry lines, great weather, wonderful people and the beautiful Pacific Northwest made it the perfect winter weekend.

Since then, Yessi and I have been working hard on our property, clearing brush, mostly invasives, from our 2 lots.

YessiYe on Lopez Island

We had a barbecue on the 'real Thanksgiving', official with the fire department and all.  Our barbecue pit met their approval and the captain complimented our 'to code' fire: using only cut fire wood, the soup pot simmering away perched on a couple flat rocks lining the pit, a metal ring along the top and a pale of water nearby.

Yessi and Benton, the cutest Aussie and the cutest Chinese蛇怕热多iin弹劾我热烈地。

Recycled wood fence and a Heart shaped puddle!

I felt bad for interrupting their (the volunteer firefighters) Thanksgiving and have no idea who called them.  Our lot poses some interesting challenges, but I think our biggest challenges will be fitting into the odd social dynamics within this transitional neighborhood.

There will definitely be some challenges with our neighborhood, but so far we really enjoy spending time over there and the lot is looking better and better.  We've almost completed our recycled wood fence, have done restoration planting on about 800 sf of the property, and are currently working on getting power to the site.

We also had a small gathering at our lovely cottage on Coles Road, with Fran, Ed and Benton, for one "Moore" Thanksgiving.  This was Yessi's first thanksgiving since it's not a very popular holiday in China. Fran and Yessi worked together in the kitchen and the meal was fabulous.  Somehow I escaped any preparation of food by keeping busy outside!

FrEdLeYe having one "Moore" Thanksgiving, this one in our cabin!

Yessi looking out over the lovely farm land on Lopez Island.

Worlds cutest Yessi and Aussie, side by side.

We've been busy, and now another two weeks have gone by.  Thanksgiving came and went early it seems, and Christmas is right around the corner.  It's fricking Christmas already!  How did this happen?

Yessi and I, Mt. Baker in the background.

Two years ago now I was in Auckland, opening a care package from my mom in a horrible youth hostel in Auckland.  Last year I arrived at Sea-Tac from China on Christmas day.  Now I'm living in a cabin in the woods with Yessi, working on building a house, and having lots of fun along the way.

The Thanksgiving crew, walking the trail along the top of the rock bluff.

Wow, how time flies!!