Full Days in the Pacific Northwest

We spent two shellfish and family packed days in Bellingham, WA, where we went to a hang gliding take-off point, a beach through the woods, and all around town (especially Mallard's Ice Cream). We stayed late on Friday to have dinner with Yuri and Emily, and then went to Redmond with John's mother, Isabel.

From here we took Saturday to visit with niherlas and crimini, Sunday to visit Eastgate Congregational UCC and blackwingedboy and Jo in Ballard and meet with a bunch of Synarians at the Pellerin's for dinner. On Monday we took Isabel to the Great Wheel on the waterfront and Pike's Place Market, and then today we spent getting all kinds of stuff from Frye's, Ballard Bees (two medium supers!), and Trader Joe's.

It's been kind of busy.

It's also been kind of amazing realizing that I've been friends with Jim for more than 26 years, William for more than 16 years, and I'm not even going to be able to count years with all the people from Synario.

Best of all, there's news from the folks in Butte that while the head warped when the Eurovan ran out of coolant, it and the engine block didn't crack. So they're waiting on a head gasket, but have the machining to take care of most of it, so we'll hope. No chickens while the eggs are still round and smooth, but it's looking more hopeful for us to actually be able to *get* home in the Eurovan.

( Okay... now for the long form, with pictures... )