Skagit barn

Our air was so bad recently it was considered unsafe to venture outdoors. So I browsed through archives. This is a barn that I found some years back in the Skagit Valley, an agricultural region north of Seattle. I like the colorful touch of the quilt pattern that dresses up the building.

Thankfully, our air has returned to the safe, breathable range again.

Revisiting Chihuly

I was reminded recently that I have many photos I took of the Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle when I was there some years back. And I was hungry for color after many days of smoke filled skies.

The Chihuly is located in the Seattle Center, steps from other iconic attractions. There are indoor exhibits like I’ve shown in the first photo and an outdoor garden where glass sculptures are mixed with plants, shrubs and trees.

Seattle’s iconic Space Needle towers over the garden.

Indoors and out there is a vast array of Chihuly glass art.

Saturday Critter: Timmy

Have you ever gotten to know a chinchilla?

This is Timmy, a chinchilla that belongs to a neighbor. A couple of years ago I had the pleasure to “chinchilla sit” while my neighbors were out of town.

Timmy is a little larger than a hamster with the thickest, softest fur imaginable. He got comfortable with me pretty quickly once he realized that I was the person providing his daily rations (including bits of dried fruit, a favorite), tiny apple tree branches to chew, and the distraction of a human entering his lair. I enjoyed getting to know him.

Sharing with Saturday Critters. Click here to see other critters from around the world.

Flipper Drive In

I found this old sign months ago at the Sequim Museum and Arts Center.

I showed you the old Flippers restaurant here in 2017. It’s been closed for years now.

It’s hard to read the prices on the menu above but these days you’re not likely to find a four piece chicken dinner with salad, egg roll, and JoJo potatoes for $1.75. Nor a piece of pie a la mode for $.45.

The overlook

There is a very pretty overlook above the John Wayne Marina with spots for picnics and a sidewalk that opens up to views of the marina and Sequim Bay.

Benches allow wanderers to stop and take in the scenery. In the foreground here is Sequim Bay. In the longer distance is the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

The trees here are glorious in autumn They’re just beginning to turn color now.

Near the breakwater

There was a perfect day late last month when getting out on the water seemed just the thing to do. We went to the John Wayne Marina to have a look.

Sailboats were outside the breakwater in Sequim Bay.

Inside the breakwater other boats were coming and going, many of them returning from a day of fishing.

And, if you’re wondering, yes, the marina is named after that John Wayne. He spent summers boating here and eventually donated the property named after him that became our marina. His family still owns property around the marina.