Are We Walking to Alaska

Are We Walking to Alaska
Are We Walking to Alaska - A True Story

Friday, June 28, 2013

What we did last weekend

  
Saturday was consumed completely by having a yard sale at our daughter's house - complete with lunch brought in by our SIL and fun with our grandson.  It was hot and sunny - and very tiring - we just relaxed on the deck after the yard sale and ate cherries and drank iced tea.

Sunday we had to take some books back to a friend and run a few errands down near Anacortes - so we loaded up the car with the boxes of books, my camera, snacks and cold drinks.  It was cloudy when we left and began to drizzle not long after - but the air was warm and we in Washington don't really notice a little drizzle.

We saw a sign for an Estate Sale - but it turned out to be nothing but a warehouse full of multiples of everything - dozens of fans, many, many  bicycles, lots of engine parts - so off we went - driving down slow country roads. It was a good day for a leisurely drive.


If you need Pie - apparently this is the place for you - though not on Sunday or Monday or Tuesday 


They did have a lovely garden of poppies and the poppies didn't mind having their pictures taken on Sunday

My goal for the day was to find masses of wild Foxgloves.  There are masses of them growing along the freeways - but harder to find in other areas where I can stop and take photos.

We saw barns, and raindrops on Lake Erie (not THE Lake Erie - this one was much smaller.

And a Beauty bush grown as a tree - I'd only seen it as a shrub before
And  lovely barns, new and old

Another stop was at Schuh Farms - they have special events there - bunnies in the spring - Halloween pumpkin patch and of course a lovely farm stand.

We got E. WA asparagus, Bing cherries and some yellow Crook Neck Squash (which will be my dinner tonight)

The whole farm is decorated and landscaped.  The Fairy birdbath wanted to come home with me, but in the end she stayed there for someone else to find.

There were birdhouses all along the fence - and a little Sparrow sitting, waiting for us to move on so she could feed her babies in one of the birdhouses.


The blackberries are rampant this year - they are Himalaya Berries and they will cover anything that stands still for a  moment or two.

 They climb up hillsides and even up trees.  They make excellent jam and pies - but beware the thorns!


No foxglove yet - but Mullein growing alongside a farm fence - this is one of my favorite wildflowers


We saw masses of Goatsbeard - sneeze sneeze - excuse me.  Wild Ox-Eye Daisies and blooming Stinging Nettle ( pink flowers) - I think that is my second favorite wild flower.  At around 5 each evening a cloud of pollen is released into the air from the Stinging Nettle plants - it is a sight to behold.


Wild Rosed (center single pink flower), an arbor at the farm stand of red roses, and also Fairy Roses at the Farm Stand - no Foxgloves.

By now our hunt for Foxgloves had made us hungry - so we stopped at a Bakery in Edison - a little touristy town of about 300 people - but they were all out of food - out of food?  Baker better get busy, it is summer now.  So a bit farther down the road we stopped at The Edison Cafe.  It started out as a Chevron Gas Station in 1930 - and is now a wonderful old fashioned cafe.  They have a dining area out where the gas pumps used to be - so even though it was drizzly, we chose to eat outdoors - it was pleasantly warm.

The sign is on the side of the cafe - you know it is old - because Wonder Bread eventually changed their slogan to "Builds Strong Bodies 12 Ways" in the 50s.  

And now Wonderbread has that horrid ingredient Azodicarbonamide in it.  The main use for Azodicarbonamide, besides to make bread puffy and soft and cheaper to produce - is to make yoga mats and running shoes bouncier.  Check your bread -  you may be unknowingly eating an ingredient that can cause cancer and kidney damage - and you will be shocked at how many bread companies and restaurants are using bread products with Azodicarbonamide in them.

Ok - off my soap box - just thought you might like to know.

We chose burgers with French Fries or green salad (the salad was excellent) and the buns are  baked by a local Edison organic bakery.

While sitting there enjoying the birds and the great food - a Studebaker went by - Don's favorite old car - so I had to get a quick shot of that.

Planted next to the outdoor dining area was a garden of lavender.  No Foxgloves - so onward we traveled.

The background photo behind the lavender is a Ranier  Cherry tree growing across the street from the cafe.

 Next stop - a yard sale - I know I know - we just had a yard sale of our own the day before - but you might find something you need.

In the back yard there was a driftwood sculpture trellis - I just had to get some photos of that - and in the summer the lady sells Dahlias - this is her Dahlia selling stand.  She sells them for 5.00 a bouquet - I must go back.

I got some great treasures  - a wonderful chenille bedspread in white - for 5.00 (blog about that later) - a hand made quilted christmas stocking for 1.00 and some christmas tree napkin rings to paint.  Also two four foot book cases for 15.00 for the two of them.  They even delivered the book cases to our house yesterday. I am going to pain them white and use for a shelf on top of another low china cabinet - more space for dishes now. 

At last - Foxgloves - not the banks of them I was hunting for - but Foxgloves - finally.  So we headed home.

And  saw this old truck turning in front of us when we were almost home - it was a good weekend.




 



10 comments:

Buttons Thoughts said...

Wow I enjoyed all your photos and hearing about all the sales you stopped t and all the beautiful flowers you see. I can imagine how much fun that was. Awesome photos.
The rant about the chemical Azodicarbonamide kind of scared me I have never heard of it I am going to be doing some research on that thank you for the warning. I do not eat wonder bread but now you have me wondering what else it may be lurking in. Thank you. B

The Quintessential Magpie said...

What a fun day. I was going to say I loved the poppies best, but then there were so many great shots. I enjoyed the post, and it looks like you enjoyed the weekend! xoxoxo

Dena said...

I love poppies. I used to have some poppy plants in my garden but a couple of years ago they disappeared. Happens a lot around here... All of your pictures are beautiful and I loved reading about your weekend. Thanks!

Inspired By June said...

What a wonderful day you had - thanks for sharing your beautiful photos!

Gemma Wiseman said...

Colourful collages! All so enchanting! So love the driftwood trellis! Most unusual!

Mary said...

What beautiful photos and collages! It's fun to go on countryside drives to see what we can see. :)

And gorgeous flowers. I love the stinging nettle too.

Grandma Barb's This and That said...

Wow, what a colorful drive drive! The flowers are gorgeous. I think the Mullen are my favorite. I've never seen them before.

Debra at HOMESPUN: http://www.thehomespun.com said...

Such a fun post with lots of wonderful eye candy photos! So many flowers to see and enjoy....which I did! :)

Diane said...

Such fun collages and great captures of so many flowers!

Elizabeth Edwards said...

really enjoy all the blooms. the poppies are amazing! so happy you shared with FF.

have a great week. enjoy your 4th! ( :