CATCHING UP

Time to catch up the blog since our last post from Anacortes.  Since then we had a great dinner with special friends David and Colleen in Oak Harbor.  The next day we moved back to Lake Pleasant RV Park in Bothell where we are currently.  We will be here one more week, leaving on the 11th for Ellensburg, WA and points east and then south.  We will be starting our trek back using I-90 and I-15 with stops and side trips along the way.  We expect to arrive back in Las Vegas on October 1st.

Our time here in Bothell has been a mixture of reconnecting with friends and working on cleaning up our stuff stored here.  We have especially enjoyed the fellowship of reconnecting and regret we have not been able to do more of that while here.  It has been raining now, hard at times, for two days.  We were already getting restless so we know it is time to get back on the road soon.

Our  good Oak Harbor friends David and Colleen

Amanda and her kids with Grandparents For A Day.

The plan for the route back to Las Vegas, our winter quarters.

ANACORTES OUTINGS

The place we are staying is about at the "O" in Fedalgo Island.

We have been enjoying our stay in Anacortes.  On Thursday we made a trip to Camping World to pick up a few things and then had lunch with very good and long time friends Tom and Lynn at their home in Sedro Woolley.

On Friday we walked on the San Juan Island ferry to Friday Harbor for a nostalgic ride.  We have taken this ferry ride many, many times over the years.  More recently we have been one of those sailboats that folks on the ferry wave to.  We have seen the ferry as both a pleasant ride and something to avoid - as in big time avoid.  Nothing like crossing the ferry lanes in the fog hoping not to encounter one.  In later years when we could afford radar it was much easier to stay out of the way even in fog.  The day was about as perfect as we could ask for.  The ferry was crowded as expected.

Last evening we carted our camping chairs down to the beach.  The first picture below was the main view.  Talk about a contrast!

Today, Sunday, is our last day here before heading to Seattle.  Promises to be another very nice day including a trip to Oak Harbor.

The contrast of the Tesoro Refinery with Mount  Baker.

Waiting for the ferry.  Mount Baker in the background again.

This used to be us......

This lady keeps popping up in my photos.

Busy day for ferry traffic.  This is the north end of Lopez Island.

Friday Harbor

Waiting to reboard for return trip to Anacortes.

Good Friends Tom and Lynn.

ANACORTES ARRIVAL

Looking out towards Guemes Island, part of the San Juans

A short and easy drive from Ferndale to Anacortes today.  We even had to kill some time in a rest stop so we did not get here too early.  And what more could we ask for but a nice view out the windshield and a sailboat race too!

DINNER OUT AT LAKE WHATCOM

On Thursday we had the opportunity to visit with my "first cousin once removed", Norm and his wife Karen at their home near Bellingham.  We had a delightful dinner on the balcony followed by a boat ride on Lake Whatcom in their vintage motor boat then dessert by a blazing campfire.  Had a great time and loved the boat ride even if I did have to take out my hearing aids at one point to keep them dry.

These cell phone photos don't really to the evening justice, especially in the lower evening light, but you can see the tree house nature of where Norm and Karen live not to mention the lake access.

The house. Note location of the hot tub.

Norm and the boat house in the background - where the motorboat lives.

More of the boat house and diving platforms.

The docks with vintage motorboat on the left plus other water toys.  Don't know the lady in the foreground.

Ready to ride.

Too bad you can't hear the rumble of the engine warming up.

Sunset as we approach the boat house on return to shore.

TRACTOR AND MACHINERY SHOW

Today we went to the 45th annual Tractor and Machinery Show in Lynden, WA.  Not that either of knows much of anything about tractors - especially steam operated steam tractors that are much older than we are!  There were tractors from modern day units to units from the early 1900's.  Many of the older units had been restored and were working while on display.  Sadly, these still photos do not give you the flavor of the putting and hissing sounds most of these older units were emitting.  I did get video footage but the best one is much too big to upload here using our WIFI internet.  Still, an enjoyable little outing and another nice day to appreciate more small town america.

This unit actually had steam pressure up and was running.

The "and machinery" part of the show included a number of very old washing machines.  I have video of the one on the right actually running.

Two Maytag washers.  One electric and one operated by a gas engine (on the right)

SMALL TOWN AMERICA

One of the treats we have taken advantage of on this trip is to enjoy "small town america" whenever possible.  Today we went to the parade and other festivities sponsored by the Old Settlers Association here in Ferndale, Washington.  It looked to me that just about anybody who wanted to be in the parade could be.  Partly we wanted to see our friend Sheryl with the big draft horses but we got there too late for that.  We were able to catch up with her later and snap a photo.  

It was a perfect day for a parade.

Lots of horses.

Lots of Tractors.  These were 1940 John Deer's.

This is an Olive Harvester.  It would periodically raise itself up to about twice this height.

The downtown crowd.  This is not Seafair.

We walked through the car show at the high school after the parade.

A 1930 Pheaton by Packard.

Arlyene and Sheryl.   She and her horses were pulling a wagon that was giving free rides.

I did not see any Clinton signs.  I wonder why?  Guess we are too far from Seattle.

A SURPRISE VISIT

We have made our way to Ferndale, WA where we just wrapped up a few days with friends.  It was a great time and we really enjoyed ourselves.  Today the last of them left and we were on our own.  Every time we are here I like to drive out to the home my parents built and retired to that overlooks the San Juan Islands.  They bought the property in the mid 1960's and when they did their good friends and neighbors bought the lot next to them.  One of their kids, Colin, and I were the same age.  We attended the same schools from Kindergarten through High School.  Although my parents sold their lot and moved back to Seattle, I suspected that Colin's family still owned their lot so every time we do the drive by I try to see if anyone is there.  Up to today I had no luck with that and had not been successful in contacting Colin in other ways.  We pretty much lost contact over the years and were busy with our own families and careers.  Today was different, we almost ran into each other as Colin drove out his driveway on the way to the hardware store.  We greeted each other as I blocked the road and then we went on and did the hike we had planned nearby while Colin did his errand and later we had a delightful visit with Colin and his wife Leah while we enjoyed the view and the great weather.  It was a great day for us.  Here is a composite of Colin and me with what is most likely our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, probably about 1952 or 53 and then today - 63 or so years later.