Day 3-Farm life starts early.

First.. yes this is a farm.. with chickens.. and roosters and sheep. Young ones that seem to feel at the slightest lightening of the sky, they needed to wake everyone up with a pathetic crowing. I didn't mind though, because I could go back to sleep and didn't have to worry about going to work or catch a bus anywhere.
So, the dogs of course having a short memory didn't remember we were upstairs and being a house with wood floors.. it creaks. As soon as any noise was made, Scout barked downstairs then Ted would follow suit. I waited until Miki was up and in the kitchen before going downstairs.
Not that I thought the dogs would attack me, just wanted her to be there first.
Let's see what was for breakfast that morning... gosh I knew I should have logged this at the time! Eggs I think, fresh from the hens, with sausage bits mixed in. After breakfast, on with the morning chores.
All the kitchen scraps either get fed to the chickens, the other animals or the compost pile. But they don't recycle bottles or cans. Go figure. Well it IS an island, Miki said maybe a city on the mainland does that but not there.
Off we went outside, I checked out the chickens having a fascination with feathers myself and I got to hold one of them named Hawkeye.

We puttered around the garden, Miki showed us the forest the previous day but we explored a little more. The island farm market was advertising iris to plant and fresh fruits, and since it was part of the historical farm, we went to go check it out. Bought two varieties of iris, some plums I think and then took a tour through the visitor center and looked at all the vintage and antique items from the families of the original residents.  There was also the community farm where residents that didn't have the area for a vegetable plot could use the farm. Like any other community farm there was a waiting list but Miki had her own plot. Most of the beds were bursting at the frames with veggies and flowers! They were even growing hops! The flower in the second picture is a variety of Clerodendron that I have seen occasionally at the nursery but not in a while. I was surprised to see it growing next to one of the historical houses as I thought it was a semi tropical plant.

Anderson Island Community Farm

This is actually a plant I recognized!

A doe just wandering through someone's yard.

 In our touring around she was trying to find a house she had seen and in the process we startled a doe ambling through the yard. We finally made our way back to the house and had a snack before realizing we had to go do some money finagling at the bank for the rental car.
My other friend Hwyl had paid for it for one day short of our stay there so Miki graciously offered the extra money to pay for extending it. That required going to Lakewood where both our banks were located. Devon stayed a the ranch and 'dog sat' for her so we could get out together.
On the ferry ride over she took a picture of me with Mt. Rainier behind me, for the life of me I can't find that picture on her page so here's just a shot she took a different time of the mountain.

If I had to see that view of the mountain every day, I don't think I would mind. The Steilacoom ferry landing is to the right I believe.
We got into town, and through blondheadedness on our part after finding out the money wouldn't be available until Tuesday, simply transferred cash from one account to another and then to another. Sigh. Won't be happening that way again for sure.
Miki told me about a quilt/bead/yarn shop, but it had moved and when we finally found it they didn't have much in the way of beads and no yarn but boy was it a wonderful quilt shop! Shibori Dragon Quilts I think is the name of it. (Not sure on the Quilts part but the other is right).
We had lunch at Subway, generic I know but even then it was different than Subways I've been to in San Diego. As we sat and ate our sandwiches, Miki looked at me and said, 'We're having lunch together!' I added 'Without the boys!'  It made her smile and look so pleased I realized how much she needed someone else to help her out.
You see, her two dogs Ted and Scout are adorable, wonderful romping Rottweilers but they are a bit like three year olds with a bit of separation anxiety. She is training them to be therapy dogs and brings them to work with her at her clinic so they are used to being with her 24/7. If she goes anywhere they go too or she doesn't go.  So being able to get away from them was like taking a new mom of twins out without the kids.  She really needed it and needs it on a more permanent basis. I want to do that for her in some way. (love you sis!)
We finished lunch and headed back to the ferry, we had an hour to wait for the next ferry so we got out and picked blackberries and I took pictures of the plants. There was one bush that looked familiar but I couldn't place it so took a picture for future reference and showing to coworkers at the nursery. (and now can't find that picture).
It was a weekend of a 'Super Moon' and since we were in the middle of the country, it was going to be a great place to observe it.
That is a whole other fun adventure in itself! Nothing like getting lost on an island!
Dinner and night time adventures next time!