Spring time has arrived

Music is in the air as spring time finally arrives in the northwest.

The Crumpet celebrated by, well, running around in the yard, what else?

VIDEO here

Spring also means Salmon/Halibut season and farmers market.

Went to the opening of the Capital Hills farmers' market yesterday. Selections still pretty meager but should get better. Met a guy who grows his own ''popiano mushrooms'' that should be fun. Been cooking salmon & halibut as often as I can. Experimenting with various techniques & sauces. More on this later.

Crumpet does Dog Show

Baby Crumpet took us to the Seattle Kennel Club Dog Show.

Comparisons to Christopher Guest's movie BEST IN SHOW is a cliche but so true nonetheless. Teams of ''handlers'' pamper over 100 breeds of pooche.

Highlight was the ''agility competition'' where fuzz butts slalom through an obstacle course. The show had to be postponed at one point because one contestant got stage fright and, hm, peed on the cross-bridge. Video here.

My other favorite ammenitiy was the doggie bathroom - which were fenced in areas filled with hay lined around the walls of the convention center where anxious handlers tries to coax their beloved (and expensive) poodles and pugs to relieve themselves before and after the competitions. Best in show indeed!

Crumpet news round-up

It's been almost 4 weeks since I posted any news - so here is a round-up

First, proof that Crumpet DOES have nice cloth (the beautiful dress is a gift from Kaoru)

BIG NEWS - this week we started SERIOUSLY potty-training. Meaning the Crumpet is now wearing little-girl underwear as opposed to diapers. Adventures ahead...

Big A recently went to NY by herself (!) to visit friends and left me alone with Ms Crumpet. We spent our time at coffee shops and went to a Seattle nightclub (during the day) with Gracie, Nathan & Jim in something called Kids Love Disco - a nationwide program with DJs spinning toons for kids & family at hot spots. Ms Crumpet was a little shy and miffed why no boys asked her to dance

Crumpet & her mom are going down to Oakland this weekend to visit family while I'm off to Atlanta for work (Fat Matt's Rib Shack here I come!)

We didn't make it to the Tulips Festival this year because, well, it snowed & HAILED in Seattle early this month. Good news is our tulips are doing just fine in the backyard.

Our quest to get Crumpet a kitten continues....