Sunday, July 31, 2011

That About Covers It...


After spending all day yesterday painting our patio roof,,,,,,,,,,,:) leftovers didn't sound too appealing for dinner so we loaded the kids in the car and drove to the North Fork Brewery and Pizzeria, a unique establishment on the highway to Mt. Baker. We downed a couple "Son of Frog" English ales while waiting for some of the best pizza I've ever had. If you're ever in the area don't pass by without giving this place a try.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Meet Jasmine

My brother and his family live in eastern Colorado, so we don't get the chance to see them often but we managed to meet up in eastern Washington this summer for a week. Back home they have a mini-ranch with dogs, cats, goats, pigs, chickens and probably a few other things I've forgotten (Oh yeah...three kids). Since they don't seem to have enough to take care of they also foster rescued Grate Danes and whatever else crosses their path. On our way to the cabin our girls wanted to know if their aunt and uncle would bring the dogs. I told them I didn't think so since they had such a long drive to make but I was wrong. They stuffed themselves, three kids, three dogs and a rescued Quaker Parakeet named Jasmine into their car for the trip.
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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-Jig

From sand and surf and solitude...

To slugs and smiles and "Don't touch that!"

You know what? Solitude is nice and all, but I'll take that smile any day.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Weekend Reflections: Stadium Piece


Windows from Academic Instructional West at Western Washington University reflect "Stadium Piece," a sculpture by Bruce Nauman.

Expect to see more WWU campus photos this year. I'm a student once more! You know, parenting, writing a novel, training for a half marathon, and daily photo blogging wasn't keeping me busy enough.

We're off yet again-- this time to backpack the Washington coast for a few days. (Sans kids-- wheeee!) I hope your weekend is as lovely as ours is going to be!

Click to see the rules and to take a badge for yourself.

Skywatch Friday: White Birds in a Cloudless Sky...

...keep an eye on that photographer guy.

Skywatch Friday

Thursday, July 21, 2011

The Sunnyland Stomp

Every year our neighborhood has a celebration of art and community when we turn our backyards into art galleries and invite everyone in the city. Normally called the Sunnyland Stomp, this year someone dubbed it the Sunnyland Slosh because of the wet weather. Did we let that stop us? Heck, no! It was still an evening packed with music, amazing food, dancing, new friends, and, of course, some really great art. Here's a sampling of the event.

The perpetually popular Artisan Revival II gallery. A big draw for the beer from Grant St. Brewing and amazing food by chef Brian Pahl. By the time I got there our window of clear weather had passed, so I missed out on photographer Lauren McClanahan's work because the photos couldn't get wet.


An artist doing her thing at Artisan Revival II. I'm guessing it's Maryann Schmitt, who did the painting below.



Gorgeous cupcakes at the Color Pot gallery. I believe they were gluten free, too!

Holly Swanson performs at the Color Pot gallery.

Record art at the Ravenwood gallery.

Silk-screening t-shirts at Iron Street Printing.

The official sign for this year's Sunnyland Stomp was made by Fishboy, aka Randy Clark. All the gallery hosts got posters, and Iron Street Printing did t-shirts too.

And in my very own backyard gallery, The Crow's Nest, oil on glass by Chris Murphy...

...and art by Dani Compain.

Mother Nature couldn't resist reminding everyone who the ultimate artist is.


Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Beesiness is Good at the Sunnyland Stomp

Despite a torrential rainstorm, wind and an occasional thunder clap, the Sunnyland Stomp, our neighborhood's yard art show, was a huge success. Over 2o galleries participated raising tarps, tents and canopies to beat the weather. These bees kept busy at the Backyard Bees gallery where several varieties of local honey were available for tasting. Sweet!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Aperture


This view to green is through the portals in Nancy Holt's sculpture, the very literally named "Stone Enclosure: Rock Rings" on the Western Washington University campus. The sculpture itself recalls something along the lines of Stonehenge or other monuments-as-celestial-maps. I may have to visit again on one of the Solstices to see if I can spot a Druid.

We are out of town until July 15, roughing it backwoods-style near Tonasket, Washington. If you already know where Tonasket is without cheating and googling it, you should win some sort of prize, since it's pretty much in the middle of nowhere. We will return with mosquito bites, sticky kids, lots of empty beer bottles, and hopefully some groovy memories and photos to share.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Skywatch Friday: Point Wilson Lighthouse


Although the light is now automated (less romantic than the image of a grizzled, lonely lighthouse keeper struggling to light a match in a storm, but undoubtedly much more convenient) it still shines every night from the lighthouse at Point Wilson, where the Strait of Juan de Fuca turns into Admiralty Inlet.

Skywatch Friday

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Killdeer


It's a good thing I've learned to take my camera with me everywhere. Lots of times I'll find I've hauled it around all day for no reason. But then I'll find a shot in the most random of places-- like this killdeer in the parking lot of the Jumparound Fun Zone, where I was taking the kids for some bouncy-house fun.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

The Bagelry


You'll find Bellingham's best bagels at The Bagelry
I break out in a cold sweat whenever the supply in my freezer is running low...
they're that good.


Here's a little video of what goes on behind the scenes at the Bagelry. 
It's got quite a nice little jazzy soundtrack.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Weekend Reflections: Waiting for the Keystone Ferry


I'm not sure what exactly this is for-- it looks like the ferry officials have repurposed pilings as a sort of watchtower, or maybe a monitoring station of some kind. The seagulls have repurposed the grass growing on top of the pilings to be their nests. So this collection of pilings is not only rather pretty, reflected in the still water off Whidbey Island, but apparently useful too.

Click to see the rules and to take a badge for yourself.