Merry Christmas

And a very special Happy Birthday to Francis, who inspires me more than he knows!

Peace!

Giving Thanks

I am truly a blessed man to have in my life great friends, loving family and a wonderful, beautiful missus!

Ryan Elizabeth is the latest addition to what matters most in my world. She has very caring, loving, (and tired), parents who are starting early with their collection of photographs with which to embarrass her with when she starts dating. Go Broncos!

Happy Thanksgiving and Peace my friends!

Maple Leafs

We went for a walk in the arboretum. A bit foggy, the leaves are falling, and the cold, damp air is here. Finally. A few pics to brighten your day:

The colors are striking!

Huge maple leaves abound.

Sun was trying to break through the fog, but wasn't able to complete the job.

Peace my friends!

Mt. Baker Walkabout

We drove up the Mt. Baker highway to see how far up the road we could get. We heard that the road was closed for the season close to Artist Point (the terminus of the road). After Mt. Rainier, Mt. Baker is the most heavily glaciated of the Cascade Range volcanoes. The volume of snow and ice on Mt. Baker is greater than that of all the other Cascades volcanoes (except Rainier) combined. It is also one of the snowiest places in the world; in 1999, Mt. Baker Ski Area set the world record for recorded snowfall in a single season—95 feet!
We were able to drive until about 2.5 miles from Artist Point (5,100 feet), so we took a stroll the rest of the way. Some snow farther up the trail, but a still bit early in the season.

 Heading up to Artist point, not much snow here.

Looking down into an alpine meadow.

 View of Mt. Baker (10,781 feet), from Artist point.

Looking northeast from Artist Point to Mt. Shuksan (9,131 feet).

 Coming back down. We were expecting colder temperatures, but it was about 73 up here! 20 degrees cooler about a mile further down.

 Cool rock formation.

Stream running down into the Nooksack River (starts on Mt. Shuksan).

Peace my friends!

Kirsty and Ryan

A smile as wide as the Mississippi. Ryan does not like her arms swaddled inside the blanket!

Peace my friends!

Pops and Ryan

Holding Ryan for the first time. Doesn't get any better than this! Jamie gave me his new-dad's advice: don't drop her. So I didn't. . .

Peace my friends!

Ryan and Sunflowers

I took a walk this morning to capture the last of the sunflowers in the neighborhood, and to reflect on the birth of our first grandchild, Ryan Elizabeth. While the sunflowers were amazing with their fall colors blazing, they paled in comparison to Ryan's beauty.

Welcome to this world Ryan Elizabeth. You are loved already by so many (including your admittedly biased grandpa Patrick and granny Kirsty)!

Peace my friends!

Whatcom Falls Park Walkabout

We went to Whatcom Park to check out the fall changes. Not much to speak of yet, but found it to be a nice place for a stroll.

 Sap on a huge spruce tree. It was running down the tree from about ten feet up to a pool on the ground.

 Very cool sandstone bridge across the river.

 There used to be a railroad line through the park.

Love the water and stone!

Looking forward to the changing of the leaves in the next few weeks.

Peace my friends!

Fall Is. . .

Almost upon us! Seems like it's been a year of summer, and we are most definitely ready for a change.

Liquid diamonds.

I've misplaced my photo mojo since coming to Bellingham. Hoping the colors of Fall brings it back.

Peace my friends!

Summer

Happy Summer my friends and a big high-five to the Z-clan in Tennessee!

Wanda, We Bid You Adieu

The time has come for us to say a teary goodbye to our Wanda. She has been our wonderful traveling companion in California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska and Hawaii. We are going to miss her very much, but she is in the hands of a couple who will give her the attention she deserves and will take her on many a camping adventure.

Some will say she is just a van, but to us, she is Wanda the Westy! Those who have had a Westy will surely understand.

Frieden my friends!

Shakshuka

There is nothing like a little shakshuka in the morning! The Tunisians do know how to roll for breakfast. A tip of the paddy cap to Yotam Ottolenghi's "Jeruslaem" cookbook for his take on the shakshuka.

A dollop of olive oil, then harissa, cumin, garlic, tomato paste, tomatoes, peppers, and eggs. Add a little yogurt on top for a delicious breakfast for two!

Peace my friends!

A Bit More O'Bellingham

I took a walk around Bellingham this morning to take a few pictures to share with my many thousands of followers:

 The backways and alleys draw my eye with the contrast in colors and the fading away of the old.

 I think Clark Kent works here.

 This is a tree by a yarn store that is decorated with knitted works of art.

 Many, many trees downtown produce many, many leaves. Fall should be a blast!

 The new is here and there. Fortunately not too much here.

 One of the ugliest parking garages I have ever seen. East-German designer perhaps!

 Plenty of red brick here!

 Tracks to nowhere. Trains run all day and night here down at the bay, but they have moved on from this part of town.

I work out here at the YMCA. The Y was first in Bellingham in 1889, and moved to this building in 1942.

Soaking up the sun this morning.

Peace my friends and a Happy 4th!