Washington State Wildfires, waiting to happen

The video below is not the best, but I think you can see what I mean when I explain. (play video at 1/4 speed) On Tuesday, we drove down to Mount Rainier, and we drove through miles of National Forest. Literally everywhere we drove, the forest floor was littered with downed trees, fragments of trees, …

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Perhaps not the best day to drive to Mount Rainier…Smoke on the water, in the sky, in the trees…

Well, the winds have finally brought the Eastern Washington wildfire smoke to Western Washington. We had already made plans to drive down to Mount Rainier, so we just decided to go anyway. The sky was already smoky when we left home, and this was the freeway on I-405 going southbound. Smoky Skies, I-405 South The …

Continue reading Perhaps not the best day to drive to Mount Rainier…Smoke on the water, in the sky, in the trees…

A day at the arts and crafts fair

Last week was the Bellevue Arts Fair, and we went on Saturday. As usual, the main fair was laid out in the parking garage, and along the street outside. It was a very pleasant day, and we saw some beautiful works. And some cute ones! This booth was from a sculptor. She works in large …

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Whoa! What a Day for the Birds!

I am still having a hard time believing what just went down in my backyard. I took my book, my can of Coke, and my phone and sat in my chaise, and watched the birds. Boy, did they put on a show! I had a big flock of Bushtits, at least three Red-Breasted Nuthatches, three …

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Too hot to sit at the computer. Photos of water to help me and my readers cool off.

I think the high temperature here today was 94F. Pretty hot for the Pacific Northwest. So I thought I’d post some photos of local water features. Our closest body of water is Silver Lake. Paddlers on Silver Lake On my way to lunch with a friend today, I noticed lots of boats out. Silver Lake …

Continue reading Too hot to sit at the computer. Photos of water to help me and my readers cool off.

Stiff as a board. Light as a cloud. Soft as a mink. R.I.P., The Lady Kikyo. 2009-2026.

Our little black cat, The Lady Kikyo, died this weekend. (the header description is how her little body felt to me) She joined our household, and made us a Family, in July of 2010, adopted from The NOAH Center, a shelter in Stanwood, Washington. In 2024, Kikyo was diagnosed with late-stage kidney disease, and we …

Continue reading Stiff as a board. Light as a cloud. Soft as a mink. R.I.P., The Lady Kikyo. 2009-2026.

Late again, but this might be worth waiting for. July 4 Fireworks from Bellevue, WA

Again this year, we packed up the picnic gear and headed over to Bellevue Downtown Park for the fireworks show. They set off the fireworks literally right over your heads, across the street from the roof of the Bellevue Square parking garage. This year, it was especially crowded, due to the celebration of America's 250th …

Continue reading Late again, but this might be worth waiting for. July 4 Fireworks from Bellevue, WA

I heard a cacophony of birds in the back yard… But then, the Mob came by

Around 11:30 this morning, I was sitting out in my backyard, listening to the birdsong. It was one of those days that everybody was calling, in the yard across the south fence, and in the green space to the west, but nobody was in my yard. (I could hear them, but not see them) Then, …

Continue reading I heard a cacophony of birds in the back yard… But then, the Mob came by

Leavenworth-the Rest of the Story

First, some unusual vehicles we spotted this year. The first one was parked in front of our hotel, and is owned by them. We got a big laugh at the comment painted on the passenger side rear panel. It's an old Mercedes vehicle, last licensed in 2023. Since then, the State has hugely increased the …

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Willkommen in Leavenworth

Welcome to Washington’s Bavarian Village (well…not exactly, but close enough if you don’t look too far under the facades of the buildings). We are here again, in the Eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountains, for the International Accordion Celebration. The weather has been as perfect as we can remember for the end of June (partly …

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