A Hidden Gem

We went into Everett today to pick up our new phones that we had mailed to my Mom & Dad's house. After visiting with them for awhile and taking home a bag full or books for Larry, we stopped at Half Price Books to pick up a few more to tide him over for the next week or so. We were too hungry to make it back home, so had a bite at Ivar's. It's taking Larry awhile to grow accustomed to this moist part of the country, but he has developed an affinity for a few of its features, Ivar's being one of them! He's a huge fan of the shrimp cocktail...

 and I can't get enough of those clam strips!

Larry suggested that we take Duchess down to the park at the 14th Street boat launch, being the sea-loving dog that she is. I love that place... so many memories for me.

The sky was amazing.

Things are beginning to bloom...

We found a secluded part of the pier...

Duchess did a little exploring...

Oh, the many times I stood in line here with Matt & Rachel waiting to ride over to the Jetty...

Duchess did some wading in the water...

and we decided to head for home. Larry mentioned that on one of his solo motorcycle trips around the area he had discovered Legion Park where Gabe & Jessica got married, but he hadn't seen the  arboretum, so I decided to show him. It's one of my very favorite places in Everett, a hidden away gem. We'll have to visit again in a couple of weeks when all of the Japanese Maples are in leaf.

I love these faces!

Good-bye for now, but I know this will be one of our future favorite destinations!

Oh, The Life of a Gypsy!

 

We've been hanging out here in the Angel of the Winds Casino parking lot now for three days, and we're loving it!

 I could get used to this gypsy lifestyle, although now that Spring is here, I have a hankering for putting seeds in the ground. I'll have to be content with my chicken plant holder with its pot of pansies. Bobby gave this to us when we lived in Elizabeth and had our flock of chickens. I couldn't leave it behind when we began our journey to Washington, so it traveled in the back of my car all the way. I decided to set it outside Jumbo's front door - it's the best I can do until we have a place of our own with a plot of real soil.

We paid a visit to the casino this morning for breakfast and stopped at the slot machines on the way out. Before we knew it 2 1/2 hours had gone by. Time stands still inside those places! Larry lost his money, but I came out $5 ahead. We won't count what disappeared yesterday! This is the downside of living here. It's best to stay outside of that place! Not to worry, we do have self-control, so won't make a habit of throwing our money away!

Larry's busy updating his resume. We've actually found some part-time jobs that sound interesting, but we have to get Washington State Driver's licenses first, and Larry needs to get his new glasses before that can happen. It's highly unlikely that he'd be able to pass the eye exam without those new specs. They should be here any day now, and then we can move forward as true Washingtonians!

Cruising Through the San Juans - Not in Jumbo!

We left Jumbo around 6:15 a.m. yesterday morning, headed for Anacortes and the ferry to Friday Harbor. Ben was playing a tournament game, and we didn't want to miss it!

Even the view from the ferry terminal in Anacortes was pretty amazing...

 

Once we were on board, Larry & I left Duchess in the car and went up to the passenger viewing deck, where we met up with Matt & Nora and Terry & Michelle. We walked out to the observation deck to take some photos. 

What a gorgeous place to live!

After awhile I began to feel a little queasy, so spent the last part of the trip sitting down inside. We arrived at Friday Harbor in plenty of time to find a good seat for the game.

 

Even though the boys were a little sleepy, I'm sure, they played amazingly well, winning their first game...

They had some worthy opponents for the second game, so weren't as lucky, but like they say, "It's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game," and those boys played hard!

Larry & I left before the third and final game so that we would be sure to catch a ferry back before it got too late. We parked in the ferry lane for Anacortes and walked around a bit, getting some ice cream at "The Doctor's Office"... a scoop of Salted Caramel and a scoop of Mukilteo Mud, which we combined...awesome!

We were pleased to find Terry and Michelle on the ride home and had a nice chat with them. We were super tired when we finally arrived back at Jumbo, but what a fantastic day it was!