Summer In Seattle 2017 Part 5

Summer in Seattle

2017 Part 5

Local events and happenings

Everything grows uncontrollably up here in the Pacific North West.   Even when there is very little summer rain !   The back yard of the house has many growing things, some of which Kristianne is taking out and replacing with “eatable” growth.   One item in the yard is the extension arms of blackberry bushes from the neighbor’s yard.   Before we trim these back we wait for the blackberries to get ripe, then we cut the vines and harvest the blackberries.   Kristianne made a pie with our latest harvest and it was delicious !!!

Kristianne and I get together on Monday evening and go to dinner at a new and interesting place each week.   One of the places we go is a local pizza place that we can walk to from the house and then next door is a pub where we get our drinks.  Kristianne has a salad and a drink; I have pizza, salad, and a drink.   This local pub is a unique place.  The bartender has his dog with him at the place and the dog sits on the barstool just like a customer !   He is very friendly and has become known as “the bar dog”.   He does not partake of the local drinks; he has his own water dish !  Other customers bring their dogs to the pub so it is a mixture of people and animals.  Our neighborhood is very interesting.   If we venture farther then walking distance we take our bicycles.   You do have to watch out for routes with steep hills !

The local church that I attend here is Fairview Ministries (Church Of God).  It is in an old school building with lots of space and has a Christian school from preschool to grade 8.   With all the space they have they let local people use the space for events, gatherings, and musical recitals.  I attended one of the cello recitals and it was very good.  The local cello teacher had his students play individually and then as a group.  Again, I live in a very interesting neighborhood !

Next Kristianne and I got together with her friend Web and David and Michelle Kaspar for an outing.  The Sea Fair was in progress in Seattle, very crowded and busy, once you have seen it once that will be enough.   We took off in the opposite direction and went out to Snoqualmie for the day.   It was a Sunday so there were a lot of people around, but not crowded or hectic.   We went to one of the Kaspar’s wine tasting places and had lunch + wine.  It was very nice sitting on the patio.   Web is the one in the striped shirt. I am the big guy in the right front, bad camera angle; I am really not that big !!!

Then we took a walk through town going to the local park next to the Snoqualmie River.  We passed by a very unique hardware store.  This is a place just like Hewitt Hardware in Templeton.   They have everything you could possibly think of + more in a little tiny store.   Their prices were higher than Lowe’s or Home Depot, but you could get anything you needed here.   Including a loom for weaving (bottom right corner of the inside picture).  Not too many places like this any more.

 We finally got to the park and enjoyed the beautiful afternoon.  Some of the group did a lot more than enjoy the park !    The river was very inviting !   You don’t want to go to far out in the river or you will get caught up in the current and go over the falls !!!  Web and I enjoyed the view and took pictures !

 Then we went to the famous Snoqualmie River Falls.   The Salish Lodge and Spa at the falls was used in the TV series Twin Peaks.  It was called “The Great Northern”.   Good TV series, up to the middle of the 2nd season, then it got weird.   The falls are still impressive.   I will be going back again some day to take a tour of the power generating facility. 

When the projects around the house get to be too much I get on my bicycle (with electric motor drive !) and tour around the neighborhood.   One of the places is called Green Lake and is a very popular place for the local community.  Lots of space to be in the park around the lake or go out on the lake.    The ducks are very happy here !   I actually bicycled all the way around the lake.  They have a very nice biking / walking path around the lake.  They have the path separated into walking and biking.  Some people follow the rule, some don’t, but it is all good.

 Another special event here in the Seattle area is the Olympic Music Festival.   They have famous artists come and perform in a historic theater in historic Fort Worden, Port Townsend, WA.   They perform different musical venues every weekend during the summer months.  Kristianne, Web, and I went to a performance of Gershwin music plus other unique music done by “The Musicians From Garden Music” a very unique chamber music group.  

 

  

Unfortunately the Fort Worden museums were closed when we got out of the theater.  I will have to make another visit when there is time to see the fort sites, lots of history !

But I did get a picture of a really unique tree that grows sideways !  It was propped up with 4 X 4’s !  We had dinner at a local place in Port Townsend, prime rib dinner with clam chowder !!!

Then there was the Ferry ride form Edmonds to Kingston in the morning and Kingston to Edmonds in the evening.   We did not anticipate a big delay – wrong !!!   About 2 ½ hour wait going in the morning and about 1 hour wait going back.   Will plan better next time.  We did get the chance to visit Edmonds and Kingston; coffee shops, ice cream shops, and wine tasting.  It was a good day filled with unexpected adventure !!!

 

 

Look for Summer In Seattle 2017  part 6       More projects at the house !