More Blogger Trouble

Now I can't download photos to my post.  Yesterday Blogger was working fine.  Now it's not.

I posted this problem on the Help page, only to find many others having the same problem.

Anyway, I had Part II ready to go, but now will have to wait and then start all over again. 

Grrrrr.  Technology is great, except when it doesn't work.

Solstice Celebration

Irene and I made up songs and she danced around the fire to welcome summer and celebrate the longest day of the year. 

And what a lovely day it was.  We all enjoyed sitting outside long into the evening.  And we had another opportunity to eat s'mores !

Summer at last!

Celebrate Solstice!

It's the first day of summer and the longest day of the year!  Celebrate!  We are.

We have a sunshiny day.  It will reach the 70's! 

I know some of you are sweltering in the heat and are not celebrating for that reason, but celebrate the light, and remember how it feels in December.

Jill and the kids are off to the zoo with friends today, and Tom and I are doing a bit of house and yard work before we head to town for appointments.  But this evening we'll all be back here for a cook out and a "bon fire" in the fire pit to celebrate the solstice.  There might even be some dancing, in the tradition of our Nordic ancestors.

Here comes summer!

Running Away To the Sea - Part I

Wednesday was dreary and drippy in Seattle, but we packed up and were on our way to the Oregon Coast, to stay at the little red cabin on Rockaway Beach.


The weather gradually improved.  We made coffee and potty stops.  In Astoria, we stopped to check on the resident sea lions at the docks. 

This one was in good voice.

 The weather wasn't bad when we arrived, and we soon hit the beach.

 You can't keep Irene out of the surf, and Isaac is a willing companion.

That lasted until Irene  fell in.  Then it was time for a hot bath and a warm dinner cooked by Grandma.  After dinner we went for a walk.

Thursday morning began at the bakery in Garibaldi, as it does every morning for Jill when she is at the beach.

 This morning she stopped at three items. She usually has four.

 We all enjoyed a goody.

Then to walk it off, it was time for a field trip.  We headed to Cape Meares State Park, to find two special trees and a lighthouse.

 There, up ahead, is the champion spruce tree.

The other special tree, also a spruce, but deformed early in it's life, is the Octopus Tree.

 Isaac found 'wild 'life'.

 The views here on the cape are wonderful.

 Off to the lighthouse.

And then it was time to head back to the cabin for lunch, and then out on the beach.

 Back in the surf!

 Mom keeps an eye on the wave jumpers.

 That evening we had a beach fire and made s'mores, of course.

 The sunset wasn't spectacular,

 but the moon rise was!

And that was just the first day and a half!

Checking In

We had two and a half wonderful days on the Oregon Coast, then woke to rain this morning.  But we made the most of the good weather we had.  More detailed reports will come in a few days.


Tonight we are at a Best Western in Woodburn, OR, in the Willamette Valley, so I am connected, thanks the the hotel WiFi.  Tomorrow we will visit and spend time with my mother before heading back to Seattle in the evening.


It may be late Monday before I get any photos posted.  I'll also try to catch up with more of you and your comings and goings in the last week.  Jill and the kids are with us one more week, so time will be precious.

Seattle Day: Irene and Isaac Explore the City.

Each June when Jill and the kids visit, we spend at least one day exploring the city of Seattle.   They've been a lot of places, so we needed some new ideas.  That's where this book comes in.  I ordered it and it was delivered last weekend, so we were ready to make our list.  We eliminated some of the places we had already been, and made a list of the new ones.

Of course the Public Market is never eliminated, and that's where we started.

 Our annual photo with the market pig.

Then we went to find Hammering Man.  He's a new find for the kids, located at the Seattle Art Museum, just down the street from the market.

Our next destination was one that was not in the book, and none of us had seen before, but we had heard about it and seen it on TV.  It took a bit of looking to find the southern end of Post Alley, and the Gum Wall.

Yes, it really is a wall covered with deposits of chewing gum.  Irene added her mint gum, being careful to touch only her own gum.

 Isaac wanted his own space to leave his mark.  He found virgin territory.

Then we headed down the hill climb to the waterfront, another place we must return to each year.  Elliot Otter gives warm hugs.

Of course we had fish and chips for lunch at Ivar's on the waterfront, where the seagulls await handouts of french fries.

 While Ivar himself is long gone, he lives on in spirit and in this statue.

 More fun at Waterfront Park.

Then we headed back up to the car to find the rest of our list of places.  This sculpture at Kerry Park on Queen Anne Hill is on the cover of the book,

 The view from here is amazing.

 This painter was doing a great job of capturing it.

Now we are off to Fremont to find the Troll.  He lives under the north approach to the Aurora Bridge. Unfortunately he was vandalized with spray paint the night before.

We heard on the news this evening that a local crew of volunteers had most of the paint removed already.  Trolls don't have broad smiles.  Note that this one has captured a VW Bug.

Also on the list, and also in Fremont, is the statue "Waiting For the Interurban", which the locals like to dress up.

 A few more are now waiting for the trolley.

Lastly, we walked down to the canal, under the bridge, where it opens into Lake Union.  There we found the Lake Union Houseboats, also in the book.  We all agreed that green one would be a good choice.  Irene liked the idea of commuting by boat instead of car.

We were back home by 4:00, ahead of the traffic, and with our check list complete.

Tomorrow we head for Rockaway Beach on the Oregon Coast, for a four day stay at the little red cabin by the sea.