Out of order

In October SIL now known as Breezy, and I were talking. She had never been to Winthrop.  It is a beautiful little town.  It really is in the middle of nowhere in the mountains.  It is a hub for all kinds of outdoor activities. All year long. From where I live, the prettiest highway closes in the winter.  So I told Breezy we had to go soon or wait until early Summer because not long after the first snow they gate the highway.  We could go around but it's not as pretty and takes HOURS longer. So plans were made and we were off. 

I have taken another friend there in the past and she seemed a bit disappointed.  I think if you've never been it may sound like a touristy town like Leavenworth. It isn't.  It's just a really old mining town in the middle of nowhere in the mountains.   I tried to make sure Breezy understood and was game.  All that to say I was a little nervous.  It was a beautiful day!  The drive was wonderful.  Of course, lots of talking.  

One of the reason's I love it there is they have the BEST ice cream.  Breezy is an ice cream fanatic same as me.  She was all in! The place only had commercially made flavors.  I want to say 6 different kinds. NONE of their homemade kinds.  Because it was almost Winter.  We were both SO bummed. I had really played up the ice cream.  So we shopped in all the little shops and had a wonderful lunch. It really was a good time.  

 

There is a museum there that is all about mining.  It was very interesting. I had never taken the time to go up and look at it all.  It was really cool.   

I thought I had taken some mining equipment pictures but I guess not.  

Since Breezy works very early in the morning we opted to go back home the way we came instead of down the river and making a big circle.  

I was still disappointed in the no ice cream situation.  So I stopped in Mt. Vernon at the Big Scoop. It's an old-time soda fountain type place. That really is old.

 I had the ice cream I craved and Breezy got her favorite kind.  We had a great day that ended on a great note!

I was trying to think of something profound or clever to end this with.  Nothing is coming to me right yet.  So... take care of each other. Be kind. 

Peace

 

Salty Sea Air for the Win

My sister-in-law asked me if I were interested in going to a king tide.  Salty sea air?  Of course!  I had never been to Westport before.  We always go to Ocean shores, probably out of habit more than anything else.  And it's close.  Westport isn't any farther, just a left turn when we'd normally go right. It was a king tide with huge waves predicted.  I got to Breezy's house about 9 and off we went.  The traffic was not bad at all.  High tide was at 1:00. We had plenty of time.  Oh, I forgot to say it was freezing flippen cold!  Literally!  We both had layered up.  Warm coats, leggings under our jeans, so on and so forth.   Breezy had on a beany. THAT would have been a good idea for me.  I really don't like hats though. So my head/ears were very cold.  

We started out in the lookout tower.  It really is beautiful there.  

These next pictures are where the fun really started.  We climbed on the breaker wall.  We saw the rocks were wet, but we didn't process that info well.  So... the last picture is as the waves washed over us on the breaker.  

After our soaking we went to the car to wipe up. LOL We were both worried about our camera's.  We wiped off and kept at it until the visible water was gone. We are both pretty sure salt water isn't good for cameras.   I had a dry coat to put on. Breezy did not.  She was standing and I was kneeling on the rocks so she got the worst of it.  Her whole legs were wet.  Not fun!  But we muscled through.  There were still pictures to take!  We both were a little disappointed in the waves. She was led to believe they were going to be 10 feet plus waves.  They were not.  BUT there is not a bad day at the ocean.  

As we headed up and back down the beach, we saw a dead seal.  I'll spare you the pictures.  She hadn't been there terribly long and had no sign of why she died.  It was sad.  Even if it is the nature of life.  We drove around for a bit.  We were going to go out over the jetty to the ocean side but neither of us felt too much like hiking after the soaking we had.  We were cold.   

We of course, had to have fish and chips.  It was wonderful! We sat under a heater, so it was really special.  LOL  

After lunch we had to go find the seals we'd been hearing.  I have a video of them talking but I couldn't get it to load. So just imagine it. 

No whales, but we didn't go to the ocean side.  So, a pretty sunset in our mirror as we drove home made for a wonderful day! 

Happy New Year

Peace

Bruce

 75% of my life is in a storage unit.  Nothing in there is worth anything to anyone but me.  If I hadn't bought half the Connex it would be a ginormous waste of money to still have all this in storage.  Over 9 years.  BUT since I don't pay a monthly fee, it is working.  It is still silly but here we are.  Today Monkey and I went out to get the Christmas decorations. He is such a good sport about things.  Especially when it's really because I need his muscles.  AND I happen to really like his company.  So... We are in the storage unit.  I take a moment to look in a box.  T2 has asked me to find a certain class picture.   It wasn't where I thought it was, so I thought as long as I was there, I'd look in storage.  It wasn't, just FYI.  BUT while I was trying to maneuver the box out I bumped a stack of empty totes.  All of a sudden there was a huge hisssss then several clicking sounds. I stepped back and stared at it.  I asked Monkey to come here. I bumped it again and the hissssing started and then the clicking sounds.  He stepped back.  We but just stared at the stack of totes.  I asked if he heard it too, just checking to be sure.  YES!  He heard it.  So I jiggled the stack again and it did it again.  It sounded a lot like a punctured can of something air, gas or something. He moved a few things trying to get his eyes on it too.  NADA.  I grabbed the stack of totes in the front and drug them outside and jostled it around.  Nothing.  So I had him do it to the other stack and whatever IT was, it was in there and not happy. We both were thinking a snake.  But... So, I grabbed the stack and drug it outside.  I stopped for a second and the noise stopped.  I flipped it over on its side. The hissing was back.  I grabbed the stack of lids in it and pulled them out.  I saw it!  I screamed LIKE A GIRL!  Oh, that's right, I am a girl!   I jumped way back.  Monkey came and looked.  It was moving and shaking and fluttering.  But what was IT?  We had no idea, but knew we weren't getting close enough to really study it!  It looked like a leaf type of something.  Then I had an AHA moment.  It was a bat!  SHUDDER!  How it got in there, how it got in the tote. all the things, NO CLUE!  Monkey moved the tote away from where we were.  We finished putting the totes in the car.  Then we both felt bad for him.  He was cold, probably very hungry.  We had no way of knowing how long he'd been in there.  Monkey took the tote way away from where we were and put the tote up on it's side and under cover but so if he could, he was free to go.  Monkey felt sorry for him as it is cold outside.  So he was looking for something to put on him so he could maybe get warm.  Nothing to be found, but I have a box of kleenex in my car.  (I've turned into my grandma) So Monkey took a few and made a little blanket for Bruce.  Get it??   He was out of the storage, he could get out of the tote if he was able, and he had a little bit of something to help him warm up if he needed to.  When Monkey and I went back for the next load, about a hour and a half later. we checked on Bruce.  Monkey very carefully moved the kleenex.  We expected to see him dead.  He was gone!  Hopefully he made his way to a warm place up high.  Found a snack and was ready to go.  Thats what I'm thinking anyway.  

Any way Bruce is out of my storage connex and hopefully fine and dandy.  If you don't get the reference, Bruce = Batman = Bruce Wayne.  Anyway, Monkey got it and thought it was funny.  DH did not.  So that was our day.  Now to decorate so the totes can go back so they are out of my way. 

Peace

Sometimes being sweet matters

 

I hope Thanksgiving gave everyone a moment to ponder what they are grateful for.  I know I have much to be thankful for.  My family of course.  We all have a place to call home.  We all have enough food to eat.  Those who want them, have cars that get them to work and home.  We have power in our homes to heat it, have hot water, and ect ect ect.  I am thankful we are all healthy.  Much to be grateful for. 

My daughter in Law hosted dinner this year.  We all helped and brought part of dinner.  One of my requirements was to bring the pies.  Always.  So I brought 5.  2 Pumpkin, apple and raspberry.  Also a Butterscotch.  That one is kind of a silly one, a family joke that has hung on for years and years.  Now it's a tradition.  Dinner was consumed.  VERY yummy of course.  It came time for the pie.  I was cutting pieces and handed one to Monkey.  He ate it.  Looked at me oddly.  We shrugged and went on.  Bugs who is my BIGGEST pie fan had his piece.  He looked at me and said "this tastes odd.  Almost like nothing.  I can taste the pumpkin but it's just blah..." I was hmmmmm, retracing my steps in my mind.   Then I had an AHA moment.  I didn't add any sugar to the pumpkin.  NONE.  Eggs and spices and milk.  No sugar.  SEE! Sweetness matters.  LOL I just threw it all away.  There wasn't enough whipped cream to make it palatable.   No one was going to eat it.  So we had the other kinds and called it a good day! 

When Monkey and I went through the storage unit this summer and got rid of so much stuff, one of the things I couldn't' part with was my china and crystal. I was talking with DIL and I told her how much I missed using china for special gatherings.  She said bring it for Christmas.   I cried it made me so happy.  I put them away where they were easily reached.  I brought them home Tuesday and washed them all and then took them to DIL/Drummers house.  She set a beautiful table for our dinner.  She is so very sweet and is sensitive to me.  I love her for all that she does for me/us.  I loved using them again.  I know that "good" dishes is sort of on the way out.  I LOVE mine.  I love using them. The day felt very special.  I'm getting used to things being different.  Things cannot always stay the same.  Some of us were there and some not.  There is always something or someone to miss.  I am grateful for everyone that could be there.  A good day was had! 

I hope you had a good day!

Peace

Loud

 My family is very opinionated.  The boys are very passionate about different things.  When we have family dinners it can get quite loud.  Sometimes I just go outside and let them do their thing. I've tried to tell them it's not a " The loudest one wins" thing.  They all have different political direction. We have always told them to think for themselves.  And they have, sometimes much to my dismay.  We are loud because we are a large group.  It isn't always in debate or frustration. 

I heard something the other day that has really stuck with me.  "A debate is not a conversation".  That is a huge statement to me.  It falls in line with The loudest one does not win.  There is no winning in a debate/argument.  Trust me I know we all want to be "right".  Whatever that looks like. Instead of getting louder and louder, where everyone stops listening and just starts thinking of their next thought, not listening to what is being said to them. I think we should start asking each other, What would it take to change your mind?  We all have those things that we won't change our minds no matter what.  Those hills are the ones you choose to die on.  However, I do think that we all have things that we should listen to the other side/person and maybe, just maybe they have a point that we should consider.  No one is right all the time.  Are they?  Not in my world anyways. I just don't know whose mind you are changing when you are yelling at them.

How about we just lead with kindness when we are talking to each other.

Peace

Merry Christmas to us

For Christmas last year our older kids got us a weekend away in one of my favorite places.                 Friday Harbor.   I simply just love it there.  It feels like you are far away from reality.  To me anyways.  We left early Friday morning so we could beat some of the weekend traffic on the ferry.  It was so beautiful out. The wind always blows on the island so that wasn't a surprise.  

When you take the direct ferry, one that doesn't stop at the little islands, it's faster, but still a bit of a trip on the ferry.  It's a beautiful ride.  We of course, walked it end to end.  We did sit and people watch for a while, but it's nicer standing outside and taking it all in.  No whales spotted.  

Someday I will stay at this hotel.  It is stunning there. There was a farmer's market/craft fair going on.  There was a beautiful necklace there.  I've regretted not buying it since.  It was expensive for me.  BUT worth it, it was handmade by the artist.  Totally worth what she wanted.  I just couldn't justify it for me. 

San Juan county park.  We almost always see whales here.  The ranger said they hadn't been by in several weeks. 

We couldn't check into your motel until later in the day.  We wondered all over the island.  English camp to the British camp.  There was a pig war.  A lot of history there.  I love the lighthouse there.  We've seen whales there many times.  NONE this day.  Infact, spoiler alert, NO whales whatsoever.  I was so disappointed, BUT we had a blast nonetheless.  Salty sea air and the sound of waves.  What isn't to like. 

Day 2

I finally made one work!

Back at the county park to wait for the whales to show up. 

Dh took my camera. 

HORRIBLE picture, BUT...  it was just at dusk, so lighting was awful.  It is a fox eating a roadkill dear.  We stopped and watched for a long time.  In part because another car was watching too, and we really didn't want to interrupt his dinner.  He was beautiful.

You can't tell but he has a big chuck in his mouth. 

Ahhh the hot tub. 

Not shown was our massages and time in the spa.  It was so relaxing. 

Day 3, headed home. 

We went to the coffee shop to get coffee and tea and a donut while we waited for our ferry.  This guy was sharing our table.  I don't remember his name, but he was funny.  He wanted to have a bite of our donuts.  He had his own.  I guess it is their Sunday tradition.   

I think this would be fun to travel, or just ride in/on.  I've never been on a sailboat. 

As we are leaving.  

Headed home.  

People are lonelier than they have ever been.  We are also more connected than ever.  But we tend to talk less.  Just texts and emoji's.  No emotional connection.  

It meant the world to us to just escape, the 2 of us. To shut most of the world out.  It was just what we needed. 

Peace