We are spending the weekend at Lake Cushman, playing on the lake and tent camping. Fran and Art’s property is fringed with daisies – Mom’s favorite. Nice.
Category: Family
Good brew.
We hit Gig Harbor tonight with Fran and Art. Nice burg. Nice brews!
One fine day.
Today we set out for a day of crabbing. What a beautiful day! Sky was blue. Sun was out. We got our fill of crab – both dungeoness and rock crab. We boiled them up at home and were treated to an exceptional dinner.
At one point during the day, a bald eagle circled right above us for a while, riding the thermals. This was the best I could capture. Pretty bird.
Clematis.
A pretty purple vine growing on Noreen’s back yard arbor: 
Seventh inning stretch.
We hopped on the ferry tonight to watch the Mariners play the Angels. A group of ten of us sat together in King Felix’s court, rooting for the Ms. As the sun was setting I popped up to the 300 level to get a peek over the Port of Seattle towards Elliot Bay. The haze is still thick. The sun was like a pink ball glowing in the sky.
And we won!
Beergarden view.
We met Fran and Art for a beer after work yesterday. This is the view from the outdoor beer garden. The air is hazy from the smoke of nearby fires. That is Vashon Island in the background. Last fall I posted about a guy living in a shed on a floating raft anchored off this point. Well, his shed burned down since then, and now he’s got a teepee on the raft. A gaggle of geese are crossing in front of it.
Sláinte.
Today we celebrated my mom, and said goodbye. What an emotional day. It was a beautiful ceremony. Lots of family and friends shared the day with us.
We sent her off with a graveside parting glass.
I’m a little exhausted. A little sad. And very happy to have an angel of mom’s calibre in my corner.
I’ll leave you with a picture from my sister’s garden, and the Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem version of The Parting Glass.
Sad on the inside, with beauty all around.
I flew back home, again, yesterday. But this time, my Mom is not here. God took her back. It is the sad, but inevitable, end to a wonderful lifetime. I am proud and oh so happy to be her daughter. Today we say goodbye and celebrate her life. ‘Til we meet again, Mom… I love you.
As we approached Seattle, I was treated to beautiful views of the Cascades. Fires are again raging in Washington, both east and west of the mountains, so the view was a bit hazy. In this one looking south, Mount Rainier is in the front, center. Mount Saint Helens is slightly above and to the right of Rainier; the gray, hazy, low peak with no snowcap. The leftmost peak is Mount Adams. And between Adams and Rainier, in the distance, you can faintly see Mount Hood.
A fanfare ending to a family reunion extravaganza.
For the last week and a half, Monte and I hosted his family’s bi-annual reunion. We started out with a big 3-day weekend, enjoying reconnecting and having fun at the house and in the backyard with 21 of our relatives that came from pretty much every corner of the country. Then, for the next week, ten of the family that could stay longer came to stay with us at the house. We packed it with as much food and fun as we could. It was really a special, wonderful time. Sailing, floating, grilling, cornhole, homemade pasta, bimini ring game, barbeque, card games, homemade pizza, geocaching, karaoke, low-country boil, gardening, sno-cones, sightseeing, even taking part in our neighborhood’s 4th of July parade. Over the last few days, our party dwindled until it was just four of us yesterday. We set out for the lake and sailed to Starnes Island to anchor up and watch the fireworks show. It didn’t disappoint. We squeezed every bit of fun out of the time spent with everyone.
Today we said goodbye to the last two revellers. It’s just our flock now. The house is quiet.
I leave you with two shots from the fireworks last night — here’s to family!
Afternoon excursion.
We dashed out to Mayfield Park today to see the peacocks and the pretty grounds, found a geocache, and then climbed atop Mount Bonnell to enjoy the view.
A nice day, indeed.
Another foodie post.
I can’t help it. Perfectly grilled leg of lamb. Roasted butternut squash risotto. Steamed broccoli. A lovely cab. Monte did all the work. And it was delicious. 
Good for what ails you.
I brought a head cold back with me from Seattle. For dinner tonight Monte suggested chicken soup, and it was just the ticket! We already had 1 1/2 quarts of homemade chicken broth in the fridge. And a grilled chicken breast leftover from last night. I just had to add a cup each of chopped onion, celery & carrots; a sprinkle of salt & pepper. At the end I threw in a few ounces of pasta. And voila!
Delicious! I feel better already.
Home.
Found today on a walk through the woods.
“May you always have walls for the winds, a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire, laughter to cheer you, those you love near you, and all your heart might desire.” — Irish blessing
Be happy.
Today is the International Day of Happiness. Get out there and make a happy moment. 🙂 Here are a few happy moments from my day.
Friday! Nuff said.
It’s raining over the lake.
The vernal equinox will occur at 5:45 PM in Austin today.
Julie is coming back to Austin tonight for a visit. It’ll be nice to catch up with her at dinner.
Aaaaaand we’re going to make pizza!
Sheila365 