Family, Friends, Food, Fun and Fireworks: Celebrating Independence Day

In the morning we met up with Jill and the kids to go to the Normandy Park Children's Parade, a community event of a very casual nature.  We came early to get parking, and parked ourselves on the parade route to wait.

 People who lived on the route only needed to park their chairs.

 Some of us went walking to see if we could find the parade, or anyone we might know.  

 There was the standard fire engine and police car and then a long contingent of vintage automobiles, followed by other "entries", all full of kids.

And there were plenty of candy throwers, and candy scramblers.

 We followed the parade down to The Cove, the community center, where there were piles of free hot dogs

 and lemonade and popcorn and ice cream bars and celebration cake.

 A good time was had by all.

 We visited the duck pond

 and the beach, where we looked for shore crabs.

 We all went home by 1:00 to regroup for the next activities.

By 5:00 Tom and I arrived at his sister Jan's house for the annual food and fireworks fest, and very festive it was. 

Jill and Isaac rowed out to get a closer look at the fireworks barge.

 There was so-o-o much food, topped off by grilled pizzas, managed by master chef Jan.

 Irene likes veggies on her pizza.

Jill put on a small fireworks show while we waited for the big show.  Eating continued.  Then the kids hopped into the hot tub to view the fireworks from there while the rest of us o-o-ohed and a-awhed from our deck chairs.

 The 5th of July brings clouds, a good day to work in the garden, and begin to work off the newly added pounds from all the good eating.
Summer is launched!  Have a good one!

Seeking Natural Air Conditioning

It got hot in the city!  Very hot.  93 on Saturday, 89 on Sunday, or something like that.  I sort of forget now, but I know it was HOT!

On Saturday we worked on hedge pruning in the morning, resorted in the shade in the afternoon, and went out with our guys, Jake and Tad, for barbecue in the evening, letting someone else do the cooking.

On Sunday morning we took a field trip out into the country to visit two lovely open gardens, stopped at a strawberry farm but got no strawberries ( guess the rain last week ruined them), and made a short stop at Snoqualmie Falls.

We spent what was left of the afternoon sitting and reading, and then got busy in the evening picking raspberries, mowing the lawn and packing.

We left Monday morning for an overnight at the cabin on Whidbey Island.

 Waiting on the ferry dock.  There was a chilly wind blowing off the water.  It felt good to be almost cold.

 This made me think of the Old Man and the Sea.

Here comes our ride.

 Jan and Ann were packing up to leave when we arrived at the cabin.  This is the busy season and the place is booked up.  We were lucky to get a two day window.

Next door is a construction site.  Cousin Dean is replacing the old vintage cabin with a modern structure, much as the family did with ours eight years ago.

 We puttered around, doing some cleaning and sorting, and some sitting and reading.  We have renters coming the week after this so we need to have things ship shape.  Renting the place for a week each summer helps to pay for the expenses.

After the sun went down and the cooling breezes came up, we went for a walk.

 By 9:00 this morning we were out in the yard.  The garden is our project, and it needed lots of attention.  We whacked and weeded and trimmed and carted off lots of plant material, restoring order and getting rid of the seedy look. That took us until noon.

 Ann and her brother created this little project over the last weekend.  Apparently poetry boxes are all the rage in Portland and Spokane.  We wouldn't want to be behind the times.

 It's time for the red, white and blue.  Our flag is flying

 And Tom's deck pots echo the color scheme.

 Across the road, one of the remaining little old original cabins can always be counted on to add color to the landscape.

 Our cabin and the construction zone.

 By the time I got over to the beach the tide was in, but I still enjoyed a stroll along the shore.

 Flags fly from almost every cabin,

 Summer color abounds.

And by the Fourth of July this place will be full of holiday gatherings and fun and food and fireworks.

We'll be in another location, having our own little celebration.

Happy Fourth of July.  Celebrate your independence by doing something you really enjoy.

Packing Up the Sewing for Summer

Remember that quilted jacket I finally got finished?

 Well, I used up some of the extra fabrics and an embroidery sample and made a matching quilted hand bag.

Then I quilted more fabric and made some zippered organizer pouches for the bag.

And now I am done sewing for a while.  I have packed up all the paraphernalia, and returned the guest room to guest room status.  My sewing machine and serger are going in today for annual servicing. 

Now if it would just quit raining, I have some gardening to do, and some patio sitting to enjoy, and some walks to take.

Good Pickings

We're in a rain and shine pattern here in the Seattle area.  

It rained over night and early this morning.  Now in the middle of the afternoon It's almost clear and warming up to 72, and muggy.

I got outside for a while this morning to do some planting and grooming, including dead heading the roses.  And of course I picked a few for the kitchen table.

Just before coming in for my 1:00 lunch hour I found something else to pick.

Our strawberries are few, but all the sweeter for being precious.
The raspberries are just coming on.  I'm looking forward to a big bowl full by the Fourth of July.  Yum.

It's time to go back out and find some more snipping and grooming to do.  We have to make hay while the sun shines.  I think Tom is on a ladder somewhere, starting the hedge pruning.  That's a job we love to have finished.  But that will take some time and hard work, as we dodge showers.