Mis-adventures of a Letterboxer-Errant

"A letterboxer errant without trail entanglements would be
like a tree without leaves or fruit, or a body without a soul"

(dvn2r ckr c. 2005)

Oh the places we will go! Dr Seuss

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Location: Pacific Northwest, VA, United States

a little kernel of a chaos manager for three children & a small amoeba of the US govt

Saturday, December 31, 2005

Eagle Hunt 2005!

Bald Eagle Hunt 2005

Skagit River & North Cascades National Park, WA

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Several years ago we happened upon a Bald Eagle Festival in Concrete, WA. Concrete? Yep, Concrete is one of those small towns that enjoyed its heyday when the Grand Coulee Dam was being constructed near Wenatchee, WA. Concrete wasn't always named Concrete. In fact, it used to be Cement! Somewhere along the way the residents wanted a more solid name. ;) Just kidding, they decided to merge two tiny towns--Cement and Baker into one more 'formidable' town which is now Concrete. It's definitely a small town, though. We followed the 'city center' sign from Hwy 20 to Concrete's 'rocking & rolling' downtown and after about 13 buildings, we'd experienced everything it had to offer. The neatest thing in Concrete's downtown is a giant wood Bear statue called "The Bear." It was carved in 1980 by a resident who came upon a giant Douglas Fir stump. It towers some 15' and stands guard over the 'crazy' city streets. Oh, Concrete is also known for one of its one-time residents, Tobias Wolff, who wrote an autobiography "This Boy's Life" that was eventually made into a DeNiro/Dicaprio movie in 1993.

If you're ever interested in visiting Concrete definitely visit sometime between mid-December to mid-February, as that is when the Bald Eagles swoop down from Alaska seeking out salmon feasts. That, indeed, is the reason why we decided to spend a few cold, rainy and overcast winter days along the banks of the Skagit River. If you want to experience the 'festival' side of the Bald Eagles, come enjoy the Upper Skagit Bald Eagle Festival from 4-5 Feb 06. Don't forget to visit the Bald Eagle Interpretive Center and the Concrete High School Salmon Bake held annually during the festival on Saturday night. Great meal and the monies raised go to a great cause!

There are several Bald Eagles scattered about this photo. Three in the trees to the left and two on the gravel part in the bottom right. Sorry that I don't have more 'detailed' photos--I haven't been able to decide on a new SLR camera for a couple of years and until I can get my act together before I spend some $$$ I'm stuck with my very limited P&S. :(

We saw some 60 Bald Eagles during our couple day visit to the area. Awesome! Many of the eagles were perched in trees, more standing on gravel bars tearing apart salmon carcasses and even more were soaring high overhead. It was an incredible experience! What I learned during this outing is that the eagles have 'preferred' perch sites high in the trees. The juveniles will try to 'oust' the more mature birds from these perches but it usually doesn't last very long. We also saw lots of pintails ducks, great blue heron and other interesting birds. It was odd that the eagles didn't swoop down and attempt to 'dine' on these other birds they're known for 'enjoying'. We presume these eagles are 'so' focused on the salmon that they could care less for the other 'meals' just casually lingering around them. Speaking of meals for eagles...

Bunnies, bunnies, everywhere!
trkr really enjoyed feeding the 200+ bunnies living around the resort where we stayed.
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We stayed at Clark's Skagit River Resort. This is a little 'cabin' type operation that is smack dab between Rockport and Marblemount--about 10 miles East of Concrete. It's probably most known for its 100s of bunnies that reside around the resort but perhaps even more well known for its 91-year old owner Tootsie! She's a fireball. She runs the restaurant on the grounds "The Eatery" and has been featured in Sunset Magazine!!! She's known around these parts as the person who 'reopens' the Cascade Highway each spring after it's plowed--she crosses it first each year bearing her famous cinnamon rolls to the highway workers to pick up wine for her restaurant from a neat winery in Mazama--a town on the other side of the pass, north of Lake Chelan. If you ever get a chance to dine at The Eatery, be sure to try the squash soup. It's incredible! Her onion rings are great as is her chicken pot pie. Mmmm...mmmmmm!!! Also, ask Tootsie to tell you some stories about growing up in the area. It was so cool to hear about life back then from somebody who really experienced it. She told us all about how folks travelled up and down river--in some cases waiting for days until another 'river run' could take them further upstream. Eventually they used the flat deck ferries to cross the numerous rivers. One of these flat deck ferries is on display in a nearby park where my Bald Eagle Letterbox 'used' to be hidden. By the way, this letterbox is, indeed, missing and since we're soon departing the area, I've decided to retire it. I've noticed that several other letterboxes have 'appeared' in the area (although we weren't able to look for any of them) so this region no longer 'needs' my 'seed' letterbox.
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If you have kids in tow, be sure to check out the shelves of bread behind the restaurant specifically for the bunnies. Anybody can grab a loaf or two of bread and feed the bunnies. I found it a bit meditative in a way--quite relaxing!
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Each day we would explore the various 'viewing' spots along the bends of the Skagit River. However, yesterday we drove further Northeast toward North Cascades National Park. We knew we were heading 'away' from the eagles as they had started to head further down river in search of the salmon. Nonetheless, we trekked out to Newhalem to enjoy a hike along the Skagit and to check out the beautiful gorge further up river. What a delight! It was overcast and a bit warm for the time of the year. The snows were melting causing the river to swell much sooner than usual. The Skagit's waters were rushing quite quickly discouraging the eagles from lingering around the area--instead they went downriver in search of less 'difficult' hunting grounds. We enjoyed a hike along the river and even saw several Bald Eagles on this outing--a few flying overhead and several more perched in their 'prized' perching branches.

Gorge Overlook at Ross Lake
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Where did God find the colors for this water??? Incredible!!!
Waterfall at Ross Lake Gorge
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I took this photo from atop a really scary bridge. The type of bridge where you can't breathe at all and your heart pounds triple time while you're negotiating the 'see through' steel mesh on the walkway. It swayed as vehicles drove over it and the thunderous noise from the rushing waterfall seemed to cause a vibration in the bridge, too. Exhilerating and scary for those with a fears of heights. Yep, I'm one of 'em, too. I just sort of 'deal with it' as I don't want to miss out on the experience and the natural beauty of the area. Standing over the one I-beam along the bridge and grasping a perfect death grip on the railing seems to be my preferred way of dealing with it. ;)
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I remember reading a display at the NP Visitor's Center that talked about how North Cascades NP has many all-year waterfalls that are fed by springs and natural collections of water. What I wonder now is if the park itself is named after these waterfalls and not just the Cascade mountain range like I had presumed. I guess I have more investigative work in store for me for this area. ;)


rnrB & trkr enjoy playing in an old 'Thuja plicata' at North Cascades NP, Newhalem, WA
Looking 'up' the gorge at Ross Lake

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Again, I love the brilliant colors in this view. The bright green of the moss on the boulder in the foreground and then the deep dark evergreen of the trees to the rear. Always love clouds or mist that is 'below' me (must be a swimmer thing) and snowcapped peaks above. Just seemed to add 'depth' to the image.

It turned out to be a great trip!

Happy New Year everybody!

dvn2r ckr

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Tacoma's Trains

Spent the day in Tacoma (yes, Tacoma) on a mission to...
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find still, blue waters...

public art at Thea Foss Waterway

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visions of sugar-plums...
(rather monster-sized rock candy)

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dazzling treasures beneath the sea...

Chihuly's Venetian Glass Bridge ceiling
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on our way to a little boy's dream world of...

I normally don't like to take 'fuzzy' pictures convoluted with reflections but this one included Chihuly's Bridge of Glass, the two spires of 'rock candy?' and the Tacoma Glass Museum's 'Hot Shop' funnel. I just couldn't resist!
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The model train festival occurs at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma annually each Dec 26-2 Jan. The train displays are awesome but the museum itself is even more incredible. If you're a history buff (from geologic all the way to modern industrial age), then this is a place for you. It's geared towards both children and adults and is a great way to spend several hours learning about the region. Lots of interesting interactive displays.
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Look out world!

trkr's in charge now, "All Aboard!"
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and capped it all off with a treat for mom!
Love, love, love the Art Deco theater!!!
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AND it wouldn't be the Northwest without Starbuck$!
Here's a tiny Starbuck$ Cafe complete with coffee cups and take out counter--fully built on the inside!
One of the clients even has a 'latte' mustache! Notice the ATM machine to the left?
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The Lego train was awesome! The main section of it measured 15'x20'!!!
There were four different sections!!!
In many ways, I was more impressed with this train display than I was with Legoland in Billund, Denmark (except the Legoland Youth Hostel is the BEST in the WORLD if you ever get the chance to visit!).
This display was very interactive. Top notch on the coolness scale!
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We've visited the train festival for the past several years.
Each year the Lego train set is the highlight of the trip.
The display is always unique from previous years. What a collection!
It even included the Schoolhouse Rock Conjunction Junction trains (but, and, if, not...)!
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rock candy after dark

By the time we left, the sun had set and we spent a nice evening on the town.

Dinner at Harmon's Brewery across the street.

(Go for the halibut sandwich with brie & roasted peppers & the Stout)

By the way, we checked on Team Catnip's resident Tall Ships letterbox & it's alive & well!!!

Next time you're in Seattle, might want to spend some time in Tacoma, too--it's a whole 'nother adventure!

We're off to look for Bald Eagles wintering along the Skagit River over the next several days.

Wish us luck as we spy on raptors!

Monday, December 26, 2005

Boxing Day & Before

Waughop Lake Enshrouded in Mist
**Christmas Eve**
2005

Waughhop Lake, Lakewood, WA

It's been raining like crazy but we were spared a few hours of the deluge on Christmas Eve. We decided to take the kids out to squeeze in as much physical exercise we could possibly squeeze in between the raindrops before we headed to our 'double-header' Christmas Eve service later in the evening. That turned out to be 6 miles of walking for the kids (8 for me as I'd already gone on a 2-mile run earlier in the day)!!! Awesome! We also checked up on a lot of our (& others') letterboxes during our outing.
When we started our walk, the lake was clear and the air crisp. An hour into it, a layer of mist developed above the water and created this heavenly atmosphere. Beautiful!



Lost in Thought

Caught this gull pondering life at Waughop Lake. Loved how the cottonwoods in the background reflected from the lake.
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** Boxing Day 2005 **
Wild Waves

rnrB enjoying the waves at the Lake Washington Ship Canal Locks in Ballard, WA.

I have a feeling this image appears in lots of movies/tourist flyers for Seattle.

I presume it was also part of the Amazing Race a few years back.



Different angles of the locks. Loved the power of the water and the various colors. The sound of the water spilling over the causeway was thunderous!!! I've never seen the water this high at the locks! AND I visit a LOT--spend a lot of lunch hours here watching the activity and enjoying fish & chips! Didn't see any salmon or seal activity today. Also, there had been Snowy Owl sightings in the area earlier in the day/week so our eyes were peeled but, alas, we never saw any. Bummer because they typically don't come down this far south--apparently this is a unique year in Snowy Owl circles.

The locks connect the waters of Puget Sound with Lake Washington (by way of Lake Union and the Lake Washington Ship Canal). Here's a picture of a sailboat entering the lock on its way to Lake Washington. It's always a very fascinating operation to observe. The locks were built in 1912 and operate daily. As we departed the area several hours later (we were there attending a party) a giant yacht Lu Lu Lou of Valdez, Alaska, was in the locks heading into the lake. Many boats portage over the winter down in this area as the winters are quite moderate here as compared to the frigid northern waters. Our 'snowbirders' of sorts... ;) I kept thinking that these folks' yachts cost as much as or in many cases way more than our home!

Wow, what a life... Guess I can dream about it... ;)

We capped off the day with dinner at Chinook's in Fisherman's Terminal. Had the greatest Dungeness Crabcakes--EVER! With a plum sauce and brown butter sauce--excellent! If you visit Seattle, definitely come during Dungeness Season and you MUST visit either Chinook's or Anthony's to experience them. Also, fell in love with some artwork by Bellingham, WA artist Brett Varney. If you like Van Gogh, you'll like his work. He painted the poster for this year's Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Incredible!!! I didn't buy anything--tonight. Only because I couldn't decide between several different prints. It's such a difficult decision that I may just save up for a couple of them. His work is THAT powerful!

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Winter Hope




Seattle Winters blast us with rain.

It's often one of those non-stop drizzles that lasts for months. And months. And months.

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Well, it seems that 'blast' has now hit us.

It's been raining for days and who knows how long it will continue?

I caught this complete rainbow early this morning. Hope this is a sign for this winter!

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Have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah or whatever holiday you may celebrate this season!

Here's to a New Year full of love, happiness and many letterbox discoveries along the way!!!

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And the movies continue...

Today, Ladies in Lavender and Napoleon Dynamite!

Yesterday, March of the Penguins.

The streak of good movies continues.

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Ladies in Lavender (Judi Dench/Maggie Smith): Definitely a chick flick! Bonus that it involves gorgeous scenery and captivating music! I kept wondering where the letterboxes were hidden and whether the villagers of Cornwall were keen on letterboxing. I'm a bit perplexed, though, never did catch the 'lavender' bit--unless the flowers he presented to the women included lavender? None of the ladies' dresses was lavender. Also, I've never seen that much sun there (except in April). Must've been a unique time, weather-wise, to enjoy so much sun over so many months... ;)

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Napoleon Dynamite: I have to admit, the only reason I even selected this movie is because Preston, Idaho, recently made the news. I remember faint 'discussion' about it way back around the Sundance festival but nothing more. It just didn't 'catch my attention' enough, I suppose. Well, when Preston made the 'big news' (i.e. AP news wire) recently about their politicians resigning because of 'dirty politics' then it caught my attention again. Before this, Preston was known as a small town without a scandal. Unfortunately, that's changed now. :(

So, I went and saw the film. Interesting! A mixture of flashbacks (good? bad? still can't say--just glad high school is over!), feeling sorry for the nerds in life (hey, Bill Gates is proof enough nerds have the potential to go far!) and celebration of the individual. The characters were unique! This film was an experience--I'm glad I saw it--it was entertaining but in a slow, vanilla, quiet sort of way. Loaded with lots of dry, almost hidden humor. Funny to think the 'bone' that grandma broke would be something only a Lamaze instructor or a midwife would know anything about. How on earth did she break that & not break her collar bone? ;) Great music! Caught myself singing many of the songs--it's great if only for the music!

Idaho is a gorgeous state and I kept trying to compare the scenery to different parts of the region we've visited over the years. The mountains reminded me a bit of Boise, the rolling grass-covered hills reminded me of the Steptoe Butte area near Spokane and the flat areas could be most anyplace. Definitely harkens one back to a slower-paced lifestyle; exile from the rat-race!

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March of the Penguins: I admit--this movie was used mostly as a 'built-in' babysitter in a pinch. Who knew that it would strike terror in the heart of a Star Wars engrossed, Lego-maniac, war-flick hardened 4-year old? My fault--I should have 'previewed' it. :( trkr may never go swimming in the Sound again! Or lake. Or bathtub for that matter. Got too attached to the birds. A trip to the zoo may trigger hysterics. Ugh! Prompted a quick review of the 'food chain' but otherwise another great film.

Common thread between these 3 movies: You may not think these 3 movies have anything in common but, indeed, they do! How, you may ask, do movies of such different genre share similarities? Here goes... The penguins that march live in the ocean. The man spared by the ladies in lavender was retrieved from the sea. He finds refuge in the ladies' quaint seaside cottage in which a 'tall-ship' is displayed quite prominently on a shelf. Napoleon's Uncle Rico throws in a 'tall-ship' as the bonus for purchasing his 24-piece set of happy-to-glad ware. Napoleon's classmates wore tuxedos to the school dance and the penguins don tuxedos permanently. Napoleon dances a 'jig' of sorts during the school assembly and the villagers of Cornwall dance their own 'jig' in the village pub. So, you see--all these films are related in their own, unique little way. ;)

3 movies left...

Master & Commander, Cinderella Man, & Catch Me If You Can

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Winter in the Northwest


hangin' out with the drift wood



Who could resist?
rnrB sure couldn't!

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Puget Sound 'log rolling'
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-- bear sighting --


An 'ursaien' experience while hunting letterboxes at Priest Point Park in Olympia. We saw two of 'em this afternoon.








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Extreme Tide!

Usually there are several meters of sandy and rocky beach here. RnrB's trying her hardest to avoid the waves (that aren't so apparent in this photo). Her footprints kept washing away right behind her as she sprinted down the little bit of sandy beach we could find that day.

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4:30 pm, 10 Dec 05
4:32 pm, 10 Dec 05
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Life in the Northwest is different. Especially Winter! We have to squeeze in every possible opportunity to spend time outdoors in a few short hours of sunlight just to keep our sanity. It's not uncommon for folks who go to work early in the morning and return home late in the afternoon/early evening to never see the sun from November to February!!!

Here we took a stroll down to the beach around 3:00pm. Upon returning home around 4:30pm, the sun had set and the moon was already shining brightly. This sequence of photos shows how quickly the sun sets on a Winter afternoon. Can you imagine what life in Northern Alaska would be like right now??? Interesting, I bet...
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"Mama always said, "Don't touch the jellyfish!"."
Mama's not always right. We just had to touch this moon jelly. ;)
OW!!! ;)
Just joking! These guys don't sting!
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As for 'what to do?' during the longer evenings, this is how we've spent our time:
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We're catching up on our long 'missed' movie queue this week.

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Goodbye! Lenin
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Mr. 3000
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Polar Express
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A Very Long Engagement
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Spanglish
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Lost in Translation
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Wow, all very excellent movies!!!
As usual, I'm a year or two behind...
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Goodbye! Lenin hits close to home as I used to live in the city before the Wall came down. The entire movie brought back some incredibly fond memories of our lives there albeit a bit 'contorted' through the bizarre lens of this movie. I found it personally quite amusing but it's because the underlying nuanced humor makes sense to me. Not sure if that will translate with folks who aren't familiar with life as it was in East Germany before 1989. At times in this movie, I was laughing hysterically--the things such as the wallpaper, the clothing and the labels on the pickle jars would send me into fits of laughter. I wonder if this translates to folks who weren't there in that area during that era?
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Mr 3000 was just one of those 'feel good' laugh movies I needed at the time. Cliched, though!
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Polar Express harkened back to my childhood and the wishful longing for Santa's visit.
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A Very Long Engagement was beautiful! I'd rarely say that for a 'war movie' but the story that accompanies the vivid combat scenes is interesting and refreshing. There exist some unique twists and turns along the way which I enjoy in a movie. I'm tired of 'cliches' in entertainment and this movie truly avoided the 'typical' Hollywood lens. I also adore Audrey Tautoo--there's just something so comfortingly innocent about her! I'm on a personal journey to see every movie she's made.
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Spanglish is another movie I thoroughly enjoyed! It just rang so true. I absolutely loved Paz Vega. She's adorable and gifted. I never thought I'd really enjoy an 'Adam Spangler' movie but I really did. I loved the slant of the movie captured through the lens of the daughter. I've lived along the southern US border off and on over my life and it really rekindled some memories I figured I'd suppressed over the years (it's been 5 years since we left West Texas).
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I LOVED Lost in Translation!!! Again it brought home many memories I have from Asia. I don't have much experience in Japan (beyond a couple 12-hour stints stuck at Narita) but it definitely triggered that memory of many visits to Asia (Korea & China) where I often felt like an outsider sort of 'feeling my way' through a new and very different culture. Loved the sense of 'smallness' the characters felt in the big city. Sort of felt the same way in Beijing. It really is a humbling experience, certain to forever change a person. It's not typical to occur when I travel through the US--it's something about being dumped into another culture and it's either 'sink or swim' to survive.
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Anyways, it seems I've been on a roll regarding my movie picks. I hope it continues. I've got a few left in the queue and then it's back to my not-so-self-imposed entertainment abstension.
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Am I crazy in that I've watched many of these movies with French subtitles running? It was really interesting for Spanglish and Lost in Translation. Funny, though, for LiT it actually helped me better read the letters/faxes highlighted in the movie. I couldn't read the handwriting because of the lighting situation but I could read the subtitles. Just had to mentally translate them before they disappeared. ;)
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Next up in the queue include: March of the Penguins, Ladies in Lavender, Napoleon Dynamite, Cinderella Man, Master and Commander & Catch Me If You Can...whaddya think? Will my streak continue?All in all--refreshing entertainment!

Winter at the Beach

Late for dinner? Can you see him?

salmon's last run at sunnyside

This fella missed the salmon run at Chambers Bay by about 2 months! We caught him gasping his last few gulps of water on his way to fish heaven. He was pretty big--about 3' long!

RnrB spends a lot of time afloat!

She launches herself about 8 feet into the air--for fun!

anything can be a teeter-totter

McNeil & Fox Islands in the background.

Educational Interlude: We're studying Ancient History in our home-studies.

rnrB & trkr model their new 'pharoah crowns'.

Hmmm? Upper or Lower Eypt? I suppose the white means they're from Lower Egypt...

Couldn't find any red waxed paper.

Early snow, among other things



sound snow

Nothing like snow, water and mountains all in one view!

lorikeet landed whilst seeking treasure at Portland's Zoo (Oregon)

This gingerbread house lasted all of 3 days!

rnrB, trkr & Ole Vet started the demolition.

I admit, I helped. ;)

See the purple blur?

That's rnrB in her first recital!

She did well for only dancing for a few short months!

The best part she says is all the fun she's had along the way!

Pinot Noir, anyone?

Working off Tday dinner in Oregon's Wine Country.

-- Mt Rainier birthday cake --

Well, we thought trkr wanted a train cake.

30 minutes before folks arrived he begged for Mt Rainier.

This was my best attempt!

It looked a lot better in person than this photo conveys. Sort of looks like a blob here but in reality you could really see the glaciers--especially the Nisqually Glacier (our favorite). Yeah, right...

With kids, you gotta get creative!

Unfortunately, that's a gene I lack in my DNA.

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