It has been yet another busy week! We had BEAUTIFUL weather at the end of last week and spent lots of afternoons and evenings working in the yard and spending time outside with the dog on the beach. On our walks with the dog it is not unusual to see multiple Bald Eagles, deer, seals, and sometimes even whales. Jim began mowing the yard this week and we have our fingers crossed that it isn't going to be a constant chore that we started early with all the rain we tend to get. We also planted Peonies, Gladiolas, Daisies, and Coneflowers along with the already present strawberries. I can't wait to see all the flowers blooming together in the weeks to come. In the greenhouse we added garlic, cilantro, basil, and thyme. Our greenhouse stays pretty warm even with the last couple nights of cooler weather, so we hope all our new plantings do well! We also added an American and Alaskan flag to our front porch. I also purchased a used bike from a neighbor in hopes that I will be biking to work on nice days.

Inside work has continued as well - in preparation for our first out of town guest next week!!! My dad arrives this Wednesday! I finished painting, trimming and arranging the guest room. With Jim's much needed help, the room now has a new baseboard and light fixtures too. Beatrice approves. 

The big news from last week is that Jim caught his first King Salmon while only being on the water for 15 minutes! Ironically, he was fishing at the correct depth and with appropriate bait for Halibut, but we have no complaints about a King. It was a small King Salmon (10.5 lbs) but he is saving the big catch for the Salmon Derby coming up next week. :) 

           

Crab cakes continue to be a weekly meal at the house - and I have perfected the recipe! 

1 box of Zatarain's Crab Cake Mix
2/3 cup Mayo
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp lemon juice
3 crabs

Mix ingredients and form into 8-10 cakes. Place on lightly greased baking pan and bake for 30 minutes at 350, flipping for last 10 minutes.

My weekly "God thing":

In preparation of my dad's arrival, Jim and I  have been anxiously planning so that he can experience as many fresh seafood dishes as possible. Lord knows we have beyond enough crab and shrimp in our freezer. The BIG DEAL in seafood here is either the King Crab of King Salmon and we had neither in our possession. Jim had been considering asking friends for salmon so that we could treat my dad to at least one salmon dish. 

Jim went fishing this weekend for Halibut with our friend Aaron. For reasons beyond what I understand related to fishing depth and bait, and whatever else is involved it was very unlikely for Jim to catch a salmon, much less a King. The Lord always provides and now we have over 6 lbs of King Salmon in our freezer to share with our future guests.