We launched.  The Coot is now out of the tent workshed and moored!  We took a few local trips;  Lake Washington, Lake Union.  We took photos!  We are getting lots of accolades both from the folks who are seeing photos and those who have seen our maiden voyage.  We were accepted into the Wooden Boat Show and have applied to the Home Built Boat Show. 

Tom's brother, Ross, visited and helped with the pre-launch, launch, and maiden voyages.  It was good to have him visit! 

This blog is new and the June colors and the image of the tug on the homepage.  As always, I've added a few recipes including my much praised artichoke dressing.

I'm still working on the NARGS membership web application.  It is being used by officers (beta testing) but there are improvements and updates to be made. 

I'm working hard to find appropriate employment.  I've got two prospects right now that feel right in every way.  I hope one of them selects me. 

I'm bicycling again.  I got good handlebars on the new bicycle so now I have 2 good working bicycles. 

It has been a long time since my previous blog.  As usual, I've had plans and various stuff has come up as more urgent; taxes for example.  This year our home filing system worked!!!!  Yay!  We used to have a filing system that worked for me, but it baffled Tom and he couldn't use it efficiently.  Then we got a system that worked for Tom but not for me.  Now we finally have a filing system that works for both of us.  Unfortunately, we purchased it at the end of last year, so we hadn't been using it at the start of last year....  But it has made everything easier for going forward. 

Taxes in April, jury duty for 3 weeks in May, then the boat launch.  I've used my unemployed time to get my personal papers and projects organized, but now the big push is to get reemployed.

The winter birds are gone and the ducklings are hatched.  The tulips have bloomed and are gone.  This year the irises are giving us more blooms than ever before.  The Dame's rocket ("Hesperis entreats Thy light") is full and fragrant, as are the roses.  We have seen more goldfinches in the shade garden than ever before and there are plenty of cherries on the cherry tree.  I am hoping that the birds will leave me a few this year.  The plums do not seem as abundant as last year.  Liberty has many apple buds, but Freedom not as many, and only on the high branches.  Spartan has about double from last year which means that spartan is coming into full appletree-hood.