Lord of the Rings

Several weeks ago B lost his wedding ring - probably kayaking and definitely not at some country and western bar - honest. Today W, our 3 year old grandson, sent me a ring that he found to replace it. Plus, a pretty accurate drawing of how N and B look to a 3 year old. We aren't too sure what the 'talking rainbow' is in the upper right.~B

Hangin' out in Wyoming

They do it a little differently here in eastern Wyoming - I'm not sure why they hang up dead racoons by the side of the road . . . ~N

Ramon and Gypsy

Deep under the city, in an empty garage, silent, alone and patient, Ramon's car waits as he struggles through the night in a small cubicle to raise the funds Gypsy demands to pursue her reckless wanderings. ~B

Mountain Lite

I left Libby, Montana early this morning. It was chilly in the 40's with mist and fog hiding in the trees just waiting for the early sun to brighten things up. ~N

Ramon

High on a hill overlooking Mission Valley, N's new pool boy (toy) Ramon carefully cleans the walls of their 'love puddle'. ~B

The Briar Patch, Washington

I stopped this morning by the side of the road, for breakfast. I picked this whole cup of wild blackberries hardly moving to a second bush. ~N

Huh?????????????

Tucked in an alcove at the SeaTac airport is a ??????? No plaque, no explanation, no nuthin'! ~B

Stuffed Staff

Sadly we checked out of the awesome Desolation Resort (near Lund, BC Canada) this morning. Two stuffed black bears from the local woods, stand guard behind the registration desk - "Shot by the owner", added the clerk with a frown on her face. ~N

Morning on Okeover Arm, BC

As the fog crept up the Arm, it intruded between the sun and the dock. ~B

Lund, B.C. Canada

They stand at attention - leaning, old, rusty and dated, like WWII troops . . . rural mailboxes waiting for the daily mail truck to swing and squeak their hinges. ~N

The Watchers

Residing on the dock at Desolation Resort are a number of critters guarding the premises from those who arrive by sea. ~B

Oyster Sea Farms in B.C. Canada

Today near Desolation Sound we paddled through oyster sea farms out in the middle of the bay.

On the shores nearby are huge garbage piles (20 ft+) of empty oyster shells. ~N

Desolation Resort, British Columbia

In the broad Desolation Sound area, on the Okeover Arm, we stumbled across the small, unheralded Desolation Resort. With 9 pristine chalets scattered in the woods along the shore, it's among the best we've ever found. Here is the view from our deck. This evening we paddled on the glassy water along the wild shore. ~B

It's Your Perspective

B.C. Canada - start or end, the thin narrow road through the woods (Hiway #101) goes no farther. ~N

Oh Canada!

Even with Canada's celebrated social support systems, some still fall through the cracks. Even in the small coastal town of Gibson's Landing in British Columbia, some needs aren't being met. ~B

Flag Day

Driving through Blaine, Washington today, someone has made a unique flag holder on their lawn overlooking the bay. An hour later we crossed the border and drove into Canada. ~N

Public Art in Bellingham

On a building wall near the Whatcom Museum in Bellingham, we found a mural celebrating the culture of the native americans who first lived is this area. ~B

Orion on Top

Like Powell's Books in Portland and Tattered Cover in Denver, Village Books in Bellingham, WA is an incredible bookstore spread over 3 floors of a 100 yr old brick building in the historic area.


Nice to see Orion magazine gets one of the top eye level spots in the "Travel, Environment, Earth Sciences" carousel. ~N

Reflections

At Squalicum Marina in Bellingham reflections danced on the smooth oily waters. ~B

Lopez Island Spiders

Walking at dawn we found a field of spider webs. ~N

Dockside

On a small commercial dock in Anacortes, amid a jumble of broken down equipment, rusty hulks and heaps of deteriorating dock lines, through the rotted window of an old boat, silhouettes of cranes and masts are outlined against the evening sky. ~B

Lopez Island, WA

We walked along the beach as we waited in Anacortes WA for the ferry to Lopez Island - we almost stepped on this huge jelly fish.

All the kayaks! We may never leave Lopez Island! ~N

Cascades National Park

Hiking the Jackita Trail we walked alongside Canyon Creek. As the sun came through the trees, it struck the rushing water creating an impressionist view. ~B

Lake Chelan, WA

We drove into the small Washington town of Chelan last night - it hugs the edge of a huge lake on the eastern side of the Cascade mountains. The breeze was slight, the light was low and this old dock was rotten and falling down. ~N

Leavenworth, WA

A dying town decided to re-brand itself and Leavenworth WA became a bit of Bavaria in the Cascades. As one writer put it - "It's Bavaria without the airfare". But beyond the yodeling and oompah muzak, a touch of the old Leavenworth remains. ~B

Near Mt. Ranier in Washington

Today we hiked near Mt. Ranier, above the valley where the National Park's Visitor Center is located. ~N

Shaniko

In north central Oregon is the small, dying town of Shaniko. The hotel and cafe are closed and up for sale. The RV resort - a dilapidated building a few hundred yards from the center of town - is for sale. Buildings are shuttered and businesses are closed. Currently there are 27 inhabitants, but that's expected to drop to 11 and, perhaps, not rise again. One of two active businesses is a lonely trailer offering espressos. It's run by an elderly man with few teeth and the feeling that his town is dying around him. ~B

Bend, Oregon

Caitlin Skypes with Jason. ~N