Favorite Time of the Year...

My family love to take a drive around the area we live in.  We're lucky.  We live in this wonderful area where there is the ocean, mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, streams, and lots of trees.  And, at this time of the year, everything seems to be more alive.  It is a feast for the senses.  Colors are more vibrant; temperatures are crisper; every smells clean; and everything seems to generally feel alive.

This is one of our favorite drives.  It is a back country road that leads us through sparsely populated forests, over one lane bridges, and over streams with fallen trees covered in moss.  It is a paradise.

And on certain mornings, a cool autumn fog settles into the treetops and makes the world feel cozy and inviting.

Happy Monday!

Lunch with the Fam...

The family decided it would be a good idea to have lunch, so we drove out to a little town called La Conner.  The town is more like a village, filled with all sorts of art galleries and little shops and sits along a channel that leads out to the Pacific.  Our restaurant of choice was the Calico Cupboard which has turned into Mum's go-to place for lunch.

We decided to sit outside - on the back deck - where we had fabulous views of the channel, bald eagles gliding about, and plenty of boats cruising the waters.

This was just one of the views from our place on the deck.  Love those gorgeous blue skies.

 And here is one of those boats I was telling you about earlier.  When the boats weren't fishing boats - they were pleasure cruisers - enjoying the sunshine and mild weather.

Across the channel sits the Swinomish Indian Reservation.  A great little place that built these fabulous cedar hat gazebos.  Aren't they amazing?

We sipped on our lemonade, while we watched the views, had great conversation, and waited for our food.

 When our food arrived at our table - it was pure fabulousness.  Mum ordered the fish tacos (cod this time, but she did have the salmon fish tacos a few weeks earlier), while Dawn and I ordered quesadillas.  Dawn ordered the mushroom and spinach, while I ordered the black bean.  To give everyone the opportunity to try each other's dishes, we divided them in three parts - each getting a part of the two others.

While all three were good, I have to say mine was the best.  Fresh sour cream and quacamole, chunky salsa, and black olives added to the taste extravaganza.

And of course, a blog posting wouldn't be the same without the big smiles.  Here are Mum and Dawn posing for the camera.

While Dawn and I had to do the same.

So, if you get the chance to drive through the picturesque little village of La Conner, Washington - stop by the Calico Cupboard.  While the fish taco and mushroom/spinach quesadilla are good - definitely go for the black bean quesadilla.  You won't regret it.

Happy Monday!

A Spontaneous Picnic...

Over the last few days, we've had some really interesting weather.  It would rain, then sunshine.  Sunshine would disappear and hail would pound the world; however, that pounding would last only minutes before the sunshine would return again.  Oddly enough, the interesting weather inspired us to have a spontaneous picnic.

Who doesn't love picnics?!?!?! And these little daisies in the green grass where we had our picnic was just another welcoming sign of spring.

We stopped by the local grocery and purchase a few salads from the deli, thickly sliced turkey, and smokey provolone cheese along with the necessary paper plates, cups, and paper towels.  We even stopped off at a local gas station to purchase a giant cup full of ice, so our drinks would be cold.
 

We even bought these fabulous croissants.  They were huge, buttery, and fabulously flaky.  They were a perfect match with the cheese and turkey.

And this was our view.  San Juan Islands, cool Pacific waters, and blue skies with fluffy white clouds.  Fabulous.

Finally, there was the amazing bald eagles (this one was a teenager) who sat in the trees surrounding the park we picnicked at... When they weren't watching everything from their evergreen perches, they were surfing the wind - occasionally screeching out to others within hearing distance.

It was such a fun, relaxing day.  A wonderful chunk of time to spend with the family.  What about you? Do you picnic? What is your favorite bit of picnic nosh?

Walking Weather

The weather in my little part of the world hasn't been the greatest weather for walks.  Sure, if you don't mind walking in a down-pour then this weather is for you.  However, doing so on a regular basis will result in an inevitable chill that builds into a sneeze and results in a cold.  However, lately we've been having some amazing weather.  Blue skies, with a few fluffy clouds, and a mild breeze.  So, we decided to take advantage.

Not too far from where we live is a spit of land that has walking trails, beach, Pacific views, and a resort at one end.  We took in the sunshine and stretched our legs on the walkway.

We weren't the only ones enjoying the weather... Amazing views!

This giant water tower is a favorite subject for many photographers, including me.  I love the colors - rustic yet welcoming.  It is a beacon of sorts... ushering people toward the end of the spit.

And watching those out and enjoying the weather was the bald eagle... Playing King of the Tree, while eyeballing anyone who came within 20 yards of said tree.

And, of course, there were the two best walking partners a gal could have joining her.  I had to make them stop for a pose... Mum with her yellow flower, while Dawn spent a good deal of time giggling.

Since the weather promises to be sunshine and warmth, I have a feeling more of these walks are in store.

Happy Wednesday!

The Start of Festival and Fair Time...

One of the great things about spring is the start of festival and fair season.  Spring into summer... Summer into autumn... Weekends become filled with all sorts of festivals, farmers' markets, and arts and crafts fairs.  Where I live, the start of this season is the Tulip Festival.  For the entire month of April, the focus is on daffodils, tulips, and all things spring.

To close out this festival, the small town of Mt. Vernon (which hosts the Tulip Festival) puts on a street fair.  So, over the weekend - we attended.

At the mouth of main street starts the fair... White tents and food vendors fill several blocks of main street - hawking their wares and edibles. Most of the wares are handmade - artisans and crafters - though there were a few mass produced items that had slipped through the cracks.

Dawn made herself busy trying on homemade hats. Red and tartan are definitely a good look for her.

Mum zeroed in on one of the vendors who made handmade leather bags.  Purple is her color, so Dawn and I decided to make this purchase as an early Mum's Day gift.  She had to put it to use immediately.

One of the great things about small towns... These old town clocks.  And it still works!

There was even live music.  These gents were amazing, so we had to contribute to the tips box.

As you can see... Even when it was closing time - there were still plenty of people out - perusing the wares and noshing on cotton candy, kettle popcorn, and corn dogs.

And a clown on the corner made sure the kids walked away with their own balloon animal.

While we, of course, had to sample the cupcakes.  They were a bit smooshed by the time we got them home, but that didn't stop us from having our own little cupcake party.

Happy Tuesday!

Going to the Pumpkin Patch

'Tis the season, and I love this season.  Like many families, this one decided to take a trip to the pumpkin fields.  And we had a blast!

 

I love how the owners of this pumpkin patch were incredibly creative with their place.  In this one, they used a hollowed out pumpkin as a plant for tulips.  How wonderful is that?!?!

And look at this giant jack 'o lantern sculpture made from willow reeds! The kids that were visiting the pumpkin patch when we were there were running around it, crawling into the center of the sculpture through the mouth, while gleefully going "boo!" to their parents while inside.

 

And there were all sorts of creative props to display their pumpkins.  It wasn't just hay bales and barrel buckets, but old horse carriages, wagons, and antique chairs.

And, of course, we had our own wheel barrel full of pumpkins.  Mum played wheel barrel driver, while Dawn browsed, and I snapped photographs.

And when the time came to make our final purchases, we brought our wheel barrel up to the scales and weigh out and leave.  I thought this classic scale was just fabulous.  It reminds me of the scales used in those old general stores.

With the sun shining, orange popping out all over, and a slight chill in the air (though not enough to wear a jacket or sweater), it was the perfect day to be out.  How about you? Do you have any pumpkin patch fun to share?  Let me know!

She's Telling Me Something...

  

One of the fun things I like to do with Dawn is visit the bookstore.  Once a month, she and I head to the bookstore and she gets to pick out a book or couple of magazines that catch her eye.  While there, we often lay claim on a couple of chairs and talk.  It's more bonding than shopping, and we always walk away with smiles on our face.

Yesterday was our bookstore day, and this time she and I both decided we would look at magazines instead of books.  The magazines above are the ones I picked out.  They're typically magazines that I read, along with a few others.  But these were the magazines I found the most interesting - without hesitation.

Dawn? Well, these were the magazines she picked out.  She had no hesitation, and when I tried to encourage her to get at least one magazine that was different - she insisted on these two.  I think she's telling me something.

Happy Thursday!

Deception Pass

 

The other day I took Mum and Dawn on a little drive and we ended up at Deception Pass.  Have you ever been?  It's a bridge that connects Whidbey Island (Washington) to the mainland.  It's beautiful there, and the family loves going there just to goof around.  We often stop to get ice cream and then head down to the beach to watch the cold Pacific water.

On the mainland, before you cross the bridge, there are areas designed for people to pull their vehicles over and enjoy the view.  Usually it is packed with snap happy Canadians.  On this day, it was snap happy Americans.
 

Here is the area to pull over.  Even the pull-over area is beautiful.

This is the view going over the bridge from one side.

This is the view from the other side.

This is the view of me and my little family posing near Deception Pass.   Thank goodness I have long arms because I didn't bring the correct lens for my DSLR.  Otherwise, I would never have gotten this photograph (because I also didn't have my tripod). 

Happy Friday!