Monday, November 4, 2013

October 2013 - Seattle and Quadra

From Portland we drove north with our friend and best man from our wedding, Pete Rollossen, to a ship mate's reunion in Seattle. Buck and Pete both served on the USS Benjamin Stoddert. We had fun reconnecting with ship mates as well as friends who live in Seattle and were reminded how much we like that city.
After a lovely lunch and visit with our friend Carol Ann Jossem Johnson we took the Bremerton Ferry right into downtown Seattle. The hour long ride was free since they only collect fares at the Seattle end.

The Seattle skyline with Space Needle


Space Needle at sunset. Looks like it is leaning but it must have been me.

Sunset view from our room on the 33rd floor of the Crowne Plaza

More city view
Pike Place Market - what fun
Buck buys belt

Fruit and vegetables - beautifully displayed and looking yummy

Colorful peppers

Someone makes a statement - so Seattle

Maybe Quadra is the world's smallest car wash

Fish fun. This is the same stall where they toss fish. This monk fish is attached to a line and when someone, usually a female, gets near the fishmonger releases the line and the fish flops down and opens its mouth. It causes quite the commotion.


A touch of humor in the veggie stand too
With Alana Moore who was one of my second grade students more than a few years ago.

The gigantic ocean side Ferris Wheel and fog

Park as seen from our hotel window

In the park "flying" one of the kites
Fog - wait, where is the Space Needle?


Ah there it is coming out of the fog.
Arriving in Victoria on our way home. We took a Ferry to Bainbridge, drove across the island, over a bridge and on to Port Angeles. Our road trip included six ferry rides. We are having fun discovering ferries and ways to use them.
We arrived home to signs of fall, like maple leaves turning...

Mushrooms sprouting and ...
And the scent of burn pile smoke.
However beautiful days and signs of summer were still with us. Lovely fuchsia.

Lace cap hydrengea

The garden flourished while we were away and we now were ready to plant a lovely Japanese maple near the stone bowl.

Most successful plant in the herb garden? Parsley



More garden in the sunshine. Note the winter cover over the bowl. Hopefully it will keep rain water from filling the bowl.

Yet another sunny look at the garden.
Canadian Thanksgiving at our house - October 14. Aine and Sarah Walsh, John Frishholz, Buck and Saoirse Walsh.

Mia Frishholz and Derek Walsh with Saoirse and Aine.
Our mountain view one spectacular evening

Giving the yard an October mow

Our sunny yard view - the shed, the red maple and the yellow of the large maple leaves add great color

The yard in the morning sun - we are storing up sunny images to recall on gray, wet days

I came upon sheep being moved to another pasture and thought, for a moment, that I was in Ireland. Moments before this photo they were spread across the road.

Tide pool and clouds possibly  headed our way.

And then there was fog, lots and lots of fog. The old-timers say it was the worse they'd ever seen.

One evening the dense fog began to shrink until it was a thick band with mountains above and ocean below. Really quite stunning.
Another view - the fog has shrunk even more


Waiting for the ferry in the late afternoon we spotted the sun's rays coming through the misty forest horizontally. Really an unusual and lovely sight.
How many pumpkin pies could I make with this guy?
October 26 - Saoirse's 4th birthday party.

Colin Falck and Aine blow bubbles.

Two cute girls in their matching party dresses

On went the music and a dance party broke out

David, Sienna,Meridith Brown and Sarah Walsh

The Walsh family

Despite the sunshine and warm weather winter does continue to creep up on us. Watch this maple as its leaves slip away.

Fewer leaves..


And now almost bare. I'm already thinking of a series of photos are the leaves return.
Finally, one more beautiful evening...