We have reached the half-way point in our stay here in Seattle and it is hard to reconcile how fast the time has gone! A lot of our activities have revolved around time with the family which is, of course, the point of our stay in this area. We have dined out together, enjoyed cook-outs, had sleepovers, visited an amusement park AND the zoo, and last but certainly not least, celebrated our granddaughter’s 8th birthday! Phew!



The excursions we have made on our own have been pretty dull in comparison. We walked two beaches looking for rocks to paint and the perfect specimen of driftwood for my sister’s yard, we wandered through the quaint little town of Snohomish before heading to a Walmart to stock up on supplies, and for even more excitement, drove 25 miles up the road to try our hands at the slot machines (a first for all of us) in Tulalip Casino. Let me just say here that we spent more time driving to and from said casino than in it as our $20 per person cap didn’t last too long…



The weather has turned noticeably cooler in the second week with rain in the forecast each day. Very fall-like. The precipitation has pretty much been a non-event, but the coolness is definitely felt by our southern bones! It is supposed to clear up next week with higher temps and no rain so hopefully, we can head out and enjoy some of our planned activities: ferry to Bainbridge Island to enjoy Bloedel Reserve, Locks Cruise on Lake Union, a visit to the Space Needle which we have never done and maybe even a ride around Alki Beach on a bicycle made for 6! I will keep you posted!
In closing, I am enjoying the flowers that grow so lavishly here even in the waning days of summer. Here are a few I’ve seen in our wanderings…
“Happiness held is the seed; happiness shared is the flower.” John Harrigan