Snapshots from Julia in Milna (Click to Enlarge)

The capers growing on our wall:














Our overgrown patio:
















Slavko and Nada on their steps:

Quiltythings

Lynne shares a website she discovered with wild and wonderful quilty art:

http://pamelart2.homestead.com/quiltythings.html

Julia Writes from Milna: Made It, but Sick!

I am sick! I began with this cold or whatever it is about four days ago – but now I have a fever and really do not feel good at all...but of course was desperate to check email.

I made it here just fine – wasn’t so bad after all – yeah I was tired, but there was a bus waiting at the airport going to the bus station, and there was plenty of time to get the midnight bus. It only took 20 minutes to get from the airport to the bus station (I thought it was longer). Then there was a ferry immediately and being so early in the morning there was NO traffic, etc (5:30 am). The only minor glitch is that I missed the bus waiting in Supertar and had to wait 1.5 hrs. No big deal.

Of course now I have lots of time to work and putter around here. The place always needs a good cleaning after being left all winter – vacuum the webs, etc. I have a ton of stuff to do – I’m writing this before I’ve checked out the internet. I haven’t seen anyone yet.

The outside is completely overgrown – even more so than last fall. The fig tree is doing great and the lavender is huge. But I’ll try to weed and plant your seeds.

I fell down and knocked my glasses off and so now they are crooked and loose – did that in Spain.

Love,

Julia

Ten Years

Kyra Reports on Eason

Eason is 12 weeks now! Holy cow time has flown! This last week was a huge week for Eason, he had his first real all-out laughing session while he was getting his bath! Eliot and I were both there to share in that amazing and beautiful magic moment! He has also become much more adept and proficient at putting things in his mouth and just started the
preliminaries to rolling onto his side.



And wouldn't you know, our prodigy son learned how to read at the tender age of three months, I suppose we wouldn't expect anything less! But seriously, the day I snapped the picture of him reading, we were laying on the bed, each time I finished a book and set it down he would start to fuss, and when I started a new book he would squeal in delight and kick his feet! He stared intently at the pages and had a running commentary! Then he held the books on his own and stared at the pictures with equal fascination. We read 7 books this way until it was time for nap!

We are having so much fun and I am somewhat dreading going back to work, but I know it will be an amazing time for Eliot and Eason to bond while I am away!

Julia in Pontevedra

I talked to Spencer and he asked for some photos – here are a few. One is the church from the former monastery where we’re staying, the Santiago photos are of the huge cathedral which is the end of a pilgrimage – some people walk a couple months to reach it – a tradition from centuries ago – we walked 10 kilometers or about six miles. The bagpipes and dancers came to entertain us at the beginning of the gathering – this area in NW Spain was originally Celtic – to my surprise.

The Waters of Lethe

Update

Julia made it to Pontevedra. She said driving across 600 kilometers of Spain was easy. Now she is staying in an old monestary for 40 euro's a night.

Julia's Travels

Julia's back in the air. She left Seattle at 11:30 today and now - just two minutes ago - left Newark for Madrid, Spain. Tomorrow, Friday, at 13:00 Central European Summer Time, she will rent a car in Madrid and then drive with two other ladies 600 kilometers to Pontevedra. Pontevedra is on the Atlantic Coast near northern Portugal.

The WAHurd Boys -

Click on image for larger view.

J.P. Woodcock on "The Me that is Simply Me

J.P. Woodcock here. I have looked inside myself this week and found, to my discomfort, that I am in exile from myself. How can this be you might ask? Well I am quite sure that modern psychology should have explanations for this estrangement from myself.

How long have you felt this way J.P.? Well . . . (read more)

Milna, Brac, Croatia - 2007

Just found this old cell phone photo of Me, Almir, and Ivo at our place in Milna!

Helen Says "Hi" from Nepal

Family friend Helen Hollister says:

We are loving our time in Nepal. We are staying in a small town in the Kathmandu Valley about one and a half hours outside of the capital. We have been volunteering in monasteries and loving it. I was actually put in a boarding-school type place for young Buddhist nuns and they have been wonderful. I included some pictures from our town and one of me with the nuns. They are so fun!

Touch of Color from the PA Hurds

Julia Writes from the Heart of Amish Country, Ohio

Spring has everyone stirring
(click on image to enlarge)

Chaz: The Curious Mind of J. P. Woodcock #2

J.P. Woodcock here. I have been pondering man’s obsession with matters of life and death.

I, as a classic materialist, understand our need to acquire survival skills that include the art of staying alive. I mean, god man, we have to pay attention each day to economics, food gathering and maintaining a dry place to sleep at night. Why the state of our society depends on people just like me, J.P. Woodcock, getting up each morning and planning to spend the entire day slogging through daily living skills. . .

Read more . . .

A Curious Thought

It’s odd to awake each morning as the same J. P. Woodcock. Sleep and dreams are such exotic affairs you might think that on just one of these mornings J. P. (that would be me)
would awaken to a whole new sense of sensibilities. I might awaken as a Sultan for just one morning or maybe a high wire acrobat. I would find myself in such new circumstances I might be able to lose my old crusty personality for at least one day and see the world as a ship captain or as a guy who changes tires . . .

Read more

Time for an Eason Update!

Lynne Reports: Tim's Great Hurrah!

Tim had a rather surreal ending to his day yesterday:

They bussed the groups to the cave of Champagne, made from Roman chalk caves.

100 feet under ground they toured the champagne making process and then had a 6 course feast in the hall of Bacchus, still underground.

He said he never thought that he would have that experience.

In Paris, he just entered the Louvre through the IM Pei pyramid, he said it is pouring down rain and he cut in line because he was not going to stand outside in that mess.No wonder Americans are not liked.

He is going to try the one and a half hour self-guided masterpiece tour.

He is staying at the quaint little Emeraude Hotel Louvre Montana tonight, and getting up early for his flight home tomorrow.

After hanging out for a while in the Cafe de Philosophers, that is.

Lynne

Eliot, Tim, John, Spencer, Byron, Eason: Wail and Gnash Your Teeth

or...heredity, what ya gonna do?







G-G-G-Great Grandad Wm. Mahan



His brother, John Milton Mahan






And, on G'ma Joyce's side,
G-G-Grandpa Wm. Kollenborn

'nuff said.

Tim Texts from Reims, France

it is all it is cracked up to be - a gem of medieval architecture to be sure.

more stained glass than I imagined and extremely "lofty"

was severely damaged in WWII and is still being restored but they don't think the towers will ever be restored, a shame

Tim Smokes a Cigar at a Paris Cafe

Congratulations, Spencer!

Graphic designer: we are so proud of you and your new, exciting job!

See his work at: designhurd.com

Tim Sez: Amsterdam is Fine on a Sunday Morning!

Eliot Hurd, "Football All Star"

Wow!!

Google "Eliot Hurd" and you'll find that Eliot is listed on the Burlington-Edison Tiger's website 'All-Time Hall of Fame" as Defensive Tackle: #5, Most Solo Tackles in a Game; #8, Most Solo Tackles in a Season, # 5, Most Solo Tackles in a Career; #9, Most Tackle Assists in a Game; and #6, Most Tackle Assists in a Career!!!

Way to go, Champ! :-)

http://www.be.wednet.edu/OurSchools/Hs/staff/hlehman/lehmanweb/pages/football.htm

Charles Has a Dream

Last night I dreamt an alternative ending to Spencer's finsih at Western. As the dream progressed Spencer had stopped going to school and was painting wooden commercial buildings (such as the Edison Eye) built in the 1920's and earlier all around Skagit County.

He was living in a Basement apartment and you had asked me to visit with Spencer and convince him to go back to school. As Spencer was showing me around the apartment you and I started to realize that these paintings were incredible and that Spencer was a much more talented painter than designer.

All the while the song "Jeepers Creepers Where'd You Get Those Peepers" was playing loudly as a soundtrack to the dream... it was a classic 1920's Broadway version of the song. I believe there were dancing girls doing the Charleston in Spencer's apartment.

Slavko Says: SOL

All congratulations to Julia and John for becoming grandparents, must
be a good feeling!!!

Here are a few pictures of  . . . sewage system in Milna. They made some progress
with it, but now ran out the $$$..

Almir Says: Ask Sarajevo

I hope that you have a grandson who is sweet and healthy, what means that you have a big reason
to celebrate.

Baby Eason

2:17 a.m. 8 pounds, 14 ounces

Skagit Birding 2009

Thursday, Feb. 12, we went birding with Paul Woodcock,
Audubon Master Birder. The area around Edison was
especially rich . . . another world with the Skagit flats,
big sky, snowy mountains in the background, and eagles,
hawks, herons, falcons, ducks, swans . . .












Two eagles with their nest . . .
(We saw many, many eagles of all ages)

Likewise, quite a number of blue heron
















Trumpeter swans, of course . . .












And a huge whirring cloud of widgin . . .











. . . flocks of snow geese, teal, and Harrier hawks, kestrel falcons, spooner ducks, Mallard ducks, ruff legged hawks . . .

Lori Ann "Bullrageous" Rides

Lori Ann cleaned up last Friday and Saturday nights at Monroe Washington's “Bullrageous” bull riding and barrel racing competition. From release after the event: 'Lori Hurd swept both days, winning $$$$ and a beautiful necklace, earring and bracelet set. She is a tough competitor and a gracious winner. Congratulations Lori!'

Croatia: 5th Annual Anarchist Book Fair!

Lake padden

Baby Shower

And were they ever! Falling from the skies . . .