Monday, April 30, 2012

Dodge


I wish I could tell you the year of this old retired Dodge truck, but I'm not very good at that sort of thing.  Maybe Eli would have an idea.



Sunday, April 29, 2012

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Buskers


Last Saturday we decided to ignore all the household chores screaming for our attention and take advantage of the beautiful weather with our first trip to the farmer's market this season.  We walked around a bit and had some lunch, but the girls kept being drawn back to these two performers and their groundbreaking mix of Ukulele, comedy and juggling.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Skywatch Friday: Blue


Expecting friends of ours invited us to the park for the announcement of their baby's gender.  We lugged a gift wrapped box to the center of the field for the grand announcement and stood around as they cut the top off. As you can see it's a boy...Congratulations!

Skywatch Friday

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Rhody Time


I love this time of year when all the Rhododendron bushes are blooming.  They are Washington State's official state flower and they seem to be everywhere for everyone to enjoy.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Hidden Victorian


I've parked along North Forest Street in downtown all fall, winter and spring to bring my girls to the Play Cafe nearby.  Though last week was the first time I noticed this gate leading up to a beautiful old Victorian house.  The house has been well cared for and has secretly (well to me anyways) existed amongst the parking meters and busy pedestrians for a long time.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Low Tide


The mud flats of Birch Bay on a lovely evening.  My girls loved digging in the sand and splashing through the salt water ponds.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Rural Stop


The tables at Tweets in the small town of Edison were a very inviting place to enjoy a yummy snack.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Weekend Reflections: Riverwalk


Under the bridge in Astoria there was a great little park we let the kids run around in to stretch their legs.  The hotel in the reflection was right on the riverfront boardwalk and had bicycles out front that guests could hop on and ride the trail.

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

Friday, April 20, 2012

Skywatch Friday: Manzanita


This past weekend, the kids and I traveled to the Oregon coast with my friend Chad and his son. After spending a good part of the day in the car, we rolled in to Manzanita with just enough time for a pizza dinner and a quick walk down to the beach to catch the sunset. 

Check out Chads's photo blog HERE
(Sorry Chad, I picked out this picture before I saw you posted a very similar one!)

Skywatch Friday

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Circles


Last week I took the kids to campus while Lizzi was in class so we could walk around campus and explore the trails. To my surprise they were more interested in the sculptures than hiking so we spent the morning touring the best sculptures for climbing. Nancy Holt's "Rock Rings" were a big hit until I made the kids pose for this photo. Apparently  there was bird poo in the rings which they weren't happy about sitting next to!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Butterfly Gate


We took the scenic route back from the Skagit Valley up to Bellingham.  It took us through the tiny town of Edison, WA.  This fantastic gate was made with such creativity and fun!

Monday, April 16, 2012

Tulip Time



Of course I can't just share one image from the beautiful tulip fields in the Skagit Valley.  We had a glorious afternoon to roam the fields and enjoy the bright colors and fantastic scents.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Copper Hog


The fully stocked bar at the soccer friendly Copper Hog Restaurant and Bar.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Children and Cherry Trees


The girls and I regularly enjoy story time at the Bellingham Public Library. This last week, story time was extra special-- Bellingham's sister city since 1958, Tateyama, Japan, sent a couple books from their library to ours. The kids got to hear the stories in Japanese and English, and then made cherry tree art to send back to Tateyama along with a couple books from our library.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Retired


We saw this sitting in a field on the way to Cloud Mountain Farm.  I didn't get close enough to tell for sure but it looks it might have been an old hay bailer.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Three Frogs?


I was told once that these rail switches are called "frogs". If there are any railroad enthusiasts reading this, I would love to hear an explanation for how they came to have this name (or if I'm completely wrong about this).

This photo was taken from a pedestrian overpass in downtown Wenatchee.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Spring Music


This lively trio captivated the crowd at Saturday's Farmers Market opening.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Monday, April 9, 2012

Opening Day


A tractor procession down Railraod Avenue kicked off the 2012 start of the Bellingham Farmers Market this weekend.  We had a fabulous sunny day for it and the market was very crowded with lots of excited people checking out the vendors, performers and food.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

That Way


I followed its suggestion, but all I found was an empty parking lot. Perhaps this is the sign it's  time to leave?



Thursday, April 5, 2012

Skywatch Friday: Larrabee


She traces  a last trail in the sand
before we head home.

Skywatch Friday

Nelson's Market


In college, the bus I rode would stop at Nelson's Market to pick up the students in the neighborhood.  I always liked the old fashioned feel of the place, but never made time go in until this past weekend when my brother and sister-in-law called and asked us to join them for breakfast. It's in the middle of a residential neighborhood so it's got a quiet, homey feel...and the breakfast is great!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Geneva Elementary


Sun shines on this wet playground.  Will we ever get enough to dry all the way out?  I sure hope so soon.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Contrasts


I liked the stark opposites here.  The weathered natural wood of the fence and the bright robin's egg blue of the address sign.