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Experimenting...

Emmett has a good grip on Grampa Bob's huge finger.

A little off the top, please...

The goats were sheared. I saved some of the wool and rinsed it out. It's beautiful—white, wavy, soft and long. The wool of the Angora goat and the Lincoln sheep is similar and is especially lustrous and desirable for spinning and weaving.

Sunday on Alki...

Today was incredible...clear and sunny. We sat at Starbucks for an hour reading, writing and watching the action on the beach and water. We saw ferries coming and going and the Holland-America Amsterdam pull out heading for Alaska. We love life in West Seattle...

The last of the summer peaches...

This finishes up our last batch from the Metro Market Peach-O-Rama, they are the sweetest and juiciest ever.

“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cure.”

Running through the worry scale...

Definitely not edible...

We found these apples at a store that was closing. They're made of wood, but it looks as if you could bite into one.

Seabeck scouting...

We drove to Seabeck on Friday. I wanted to see it, since it is a big part of Bob's childhood. We whipped ourselves into a frenzy of nostalgia...the swimming hole, cabins and dining hall for Bob and the general store and memories of prying little green crabs from under rocks for me. My favorite part of the day was having burgers in the diner.

My desk—the Bermuda Rectangle

Your work is to keep cranking the flywheel that turns the gears that spin the belt in the engine of belief that keeps you and your desk in midair.
—Annie Dillard

Ray & Bob

Two old gents on the lawn...
We were young yesterday— how did this happen?
We took sandwiches to the lake. The tuna in mine dropped on the ground into the goosepoop. Otherwise, a lovely day lollygagging in the sun and shooting photos with our phun photo apps.

Better than reality...

Yesterday we had a meeting downtown in a standard generic office building with absolutely no character and a pretty austere lobby. We got there early and while we waited, I played with my iPhone and latest camera app, OldPhotoPro. This is the result. This lobby is in a parallel universe I wish we could visit.

Beach Drive is the Best...

I've been walking on Alki, trying to maintain speed and aerobic benefits, but there are so many awesome things to look at that I keep hauling out my cell phone to take pictures. There's a blue bottle garden, and a couple of doors down a cement wall with a graffiti painting of a graffiti painting. Who could ask for more.

Bob's office...

Bob should get a discount on his insurance for surfing safely. His helmet even has a rear-view mirror for seeing people sneak up behind him.

Burro babies...

On Saturday, Ry & Michelle had a big party at their place. The barn trim was freshly painted, the petunias planted and the lawn mowed. Rudy and Lightning made it seem like a movie set. Everyone had a turn feeding Lightning, so she was stuffed with apple treats. Her nose is so velvety when she snuffles at your palm. The kids and their guests floated around the pool on inflatable mattresses. The food was good and to cap it off the donkeys were in the pasture across the street with their babies. We could see their ears sticking out of the tall grass.

Past & future equestrianettes...

At Ry and Michelle's barbecue, we all gathered around the horse, fed her apple treats, reminisced about our past riding experiences, and wondered if we could get in shape to do it again. Gail said she'd seen women of 70 riding, so just maybe...

Rudy is the best...

Rudy is beautiful, has a great personality, doesn't jump on me, follows instructions, and is unlike Percy & Jack, who had to place their paws on my shoulders, ate pot holders and sofa cushions and the spine off Bob's leather bound copy of Democracy in America, by Alexis de Tocqueville.

Spiffy...

Ready for the barbecue...all cleaned up, mowed, flower pots filled, greenhouse organized. Now we just need sun.

Five on the Fourth...

We had a wonderful six days with 3 dogs, four women and Bob. He was a champ. We ate well, slept well and enjoyed sun every day. Lake Quinault was beautiful, the dogs swam, the women kayaked and canoed, Bob fished, I read and we both shot a lot of pictures. This is our third year spending time at this cabin with Carol, Debbie and the pups. Carol's sister, Ruth, was a great addition this year. The cabin will be sold soon, so we'll be looking for another for next summer.

Testing, testing, one, two, three...

Fourth of July at the cabin with friends and dogs. Bob tested his waders, camp stove and new cot. They all worked..