Racing with the Rusens

Alison’s dad Al owns a sailing boat that is, I hesitate to say it, even more beautiful and less crash-damaged than the Ulithi, although perhaps equally temperamental. This year, Alison earned her captain’s wings and has organised Team Loon – a ragtag collection of misfits to crew the boat and drink mulled wine.

First race day was last Saturday. Well, actually the very first race day was in November but engine trouble stranded us at the marina. The engine problem recurred but we prevailed, with Al (in yellow) defty sailing us from the dock by wind power alone.

Sadly, there was virtually no wind at all. See the glassy Sound unruffled by the faintest breeze. Which at least meant we could enjoy our mulled Black Beret wine (Brian), cheesy nibbles (Trika) and spicy carrot soup (me) in relative peace.

Not as peaceful as these sealions, though, which we passed serenely in reverse as the light winds failed the battle the ever-so-slightly less light current.

Eventually, Al called it a day, fiddled around below decks with a pliers to literally spark the engine into life and we retreated to Shilshole. But Team Loon shall return!

Bellevue’s Garden of D’Lights

Here’s an hallucinogenic kick-start to the holiday season. Bellevue’s Botanical Gardens dressed up in half a million fairy lights. Ann and Ted took us here after a slap-up Italian dinner on Monday.

The place really has to be seen to be believed. It’s folk art with a serious bank roll – all done by volunteers.

At times, it feels like you’re floating through an 1980s pixellated video game. Tron – anyone?

At other times, it’s just incredibly cheesy, but always strangely beautiful, whimsical and even a little charming.

Uh oh, Ted’s getting some ideas for next year…

Snowshoeing at Mt Rainier - Carter Falls

A sunny morning, Mount Rainier towering over the city. Grab snowshoes, make yesterday’s baguette into sarnies, pack the peanut butter cups and hit the road. A speedy two hours to Mount Rainier National Park and park up at a Wonderland Trailhead just up from Longmire.

Of course, mountain weather being what it is, this is the last time we saw Rainier all day!

However, we do see a bunch of snow, a million ghostly trees and not another soul. Which occasionally makes finding the trail, buried under three feet of snow, a little challenging. Brave faces all round!

Bridges are a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it means we are definitely on the trail. But drifting snow makes them especially hard work – even following in footprints as big as mine…

We follow our ears as much as our eyes to Carter and Madcap Falls in the end. Shimmering streams of water and a delicate shroud of “ice sickles” (grrr).

When I see this face, I know it’s time to turn around.

Back to the car with plenty of daylight. Unclip. Swap socks. Freewheel downhill to Eatonville for a mug of tea and a slab of cake. This is the life.

A new trail for Hartstene

A rainy weekend in November. What more perfect time than to do something we’d been thinking about for a while – blaze a new trail through the woods?

We started from Karen’s bench up above Ann and Ted’s and just headed off in the brush. A couple of hours later we had the pretty good bones of a trail laid out.

Of course, we discovered some dreaded holly along the way. Here’s Karen and Raleigh wrenching up some roots. If you’re heading down to the island, please walk the trail – it’s an easy 1/2-mile loop and it needs some feet to keep it alive!

Oh, and it was a particularly lovely weekend for a walk along the shore, too…

Mark’s Movember

Hey, I just realised that I didn’t post anything up here about my Movember effort. It’s part of a global campaign to raise awareness of prostate cancer, and hopefully raise a few quid, too. Here’s my facial fungus after one week:

And here’s how it looked after a fortnight. Trust me, the digital effects are only a good thing.

Watch this space for more Movember updates – and if you’d like to chip in, or just a leave a comment, my Movember page is here:

http://us.movember.com/mospace/927808/

It’s really easy to donate (in $ or £) and every little helps!

Snowpocolypse 2010

Just when we thought winter was still a month off, Seattle was hit by a humdinger of a blizzard yesterday.

Whiteout conditions through the night but we woke this morning to a glacial, blue-skied dawn. It could only mean one thing – snow day!

Karen and I wandered down to Gasworks Park to watch the kids sledding and chill our fingers to the point we could justify holing up in Irwins Bakery to thaw out.

It’s hard to believe it’s not even Thanksgiving yet – despite seeing autumn colours with a foot of snow… Do we have four months of this to come?

A little work at home, then out again to lunch at Green Lake with Bill and Christy. Here are some super-cooled ‘upsicles’ from the shore.

Trolloween – the Fremont troll turns 20

After a little light trick or treat sweet dispersal, Karen and I threw on our rather low-effort costumes (Venetian courtiers!) and headed down to the troll under Aurora Bridge.

Apparently, the troll celebrates his birthday on October 31 and this year he turns a very dignified 20.

We watched some undead belly dancers and then a couple of zombies showed up…

Then it was downhill all the way for a rocking, glam-ed up parade through Fremont…

Finishing up in a drumming micro-rave under the Fremont Bridge. With skeletons, naturally.

Pumpkins ahoy!

Sorry for the delay getting stuff up on the blog – no excuses, except that I’m really very lazy. So, zooming way back to Halloween, we started with a fun pumpkin carving party at Jen’s – including some squash the size of small cars.

Here’s Karen elbow deep in seeds and yellow gunk.

But the results were worthwhile I think! That’s Karen’s Mr Pringle in the foreground and my angry Space Invader second from top.

DC Day 3, Georgetown

This was a nice finale to our Washington trip, moseying around the old(ish) streets of Georgetown – and enjoying a surprise trip on a mule-drawn canal boat on the Cheasapeake and Ohio Canal.

Action shot!

Crazy houses!

Then some very sad goodbyes on the Metro into town. Missing Mum and Dad lots already!

DC day 2, the Capitol

A slightly more relaxed pace today, thankfully! We took a cab to the National Archives, gawked at the Constitution and Declaration of Independence and strolled next door to the wonderful sculpture garden.

Then over to the National Botanic Gardens – probably the only time I’ve been into a palm house where it’s *less* humid than outside.

No time to waste. Hiked up to the Executive Building to my  Congressman’s office for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the US Capitol. Here are the secret tunnels so pols don’t have to get sweaty walking over to vote…

Stunning interiors included the old Senate chambers…

The old House of Representatives

And of course the majestic Rotunda

Here we are in a shaft of sunlight…

We wrapped the day up with a trip up the Old Post Office tower. Sorry George, much better views than from the Washington Monument.

DC day 1, part 2

Phew. We were busy. Lunch at the National Museum of the American Indian in their Native Foods café. Like the whole place, the idea was better than the execution. Then off to the National Art Gallery for some Vermeer, Impressionists, early Italian and much more.

Sadly, not our B&B but a great spot in the National Art Gallery to take five.

In the evening, we headed out to a famous beer pub for a couple of pints with Kate, Caleb, Lauren, Brit and Janine. Great fun (and great cask beers) but I could see Mum and Dad were getting a bit tired.

The Harris family peeled off, grabbed a bit to eat, and crashed out.

A slow to train to DC

The day after the wedding, Mum, Dad and I braved a mightily delayed Amtrak to head down to Washington DC. We stayed at a lovely, ultra-gay B&B up by Logan Circle – and hiked out immediately to see if we could see if the Obamas were at home.

The next morning we basically did everything. Washington Monument? Straight after breakfast.

WW2? A little bombastic but breaks up the walk to Vietnam War and on to…

… the spine-tingling Lincoln monument. OK, this may not have been his most inspiring speech.

I like this picture!

 

No rest! Hike on over to FDR. Really interesting design and some wonderful statuary. Quotes are the best bit though, of course.

Jefferson – probably my favourite. Gorgeous open architecture, lots of words!