Our Wonderful Weekend

  Last week I told you about the fun we had before our Anniversary - you can read about it HERE, if you missed it.  I promised I'd come back and tell you what we did with the rainy weekend after our anniversary - so I'm back.  It poured rain all weekend, big, fat raindrops - so loud sometimes on the skylights that we couldn't hear each other talk in the same room.  Wind, some thunder, a nearby neighbor lost a pretty pear tree in the wind.  It was quite the stormy  weekend.

We started out about noon on Friday - Don had an appointment in Blaine, right on the border with British Columbia - I took along my crocheting.  I am making a round tablecloth in the Pineapple design.  I have wanted a round table for years and years, and finally got one this past summer (thank you Jason, for finding it for us).  I love crocheted tablecloths and after searching and searching for this pattern, I finally found it on ebay - a pattern clipped out of an old magazine.  There are other round Pineapple tablecloth patterns - but I wanted this particular one - and I'm  so happy I waited.  When finished, it will be about 80" across - it is about half that now, and takes more than an hour to go around once.  I take it with me where ever we go and do a few stitches while waiting for Don, or waiting in line for gas, or waiting at road construction - and those minutes add up.

This picture of the tablecloth was taken while it was hanging over the screen of the laptop - I like how it shows the pattern so well - but the color is off

The crochet thread is size 20 - the hook is a steel hook size 7 - and the color is pure white.  I'm really enjoying making this for our new table.  Hopefully done in time for the holidays

It was raining while I waited for Don at his appointment and the leaves were beginning to turn, the raindrops were plentiful and beautiful.  I got these pictures while sitting in the car in the parking lot.

 Then it was time for lunch - Nicki's Diner in Blaine - all done up in 50s style - playing 50s and 60s music.  This was taken on a sunny day - it was raining and blowing when we got there this time. 

They have the most delicious food - freshly ground meat for the burgers - nothing processed - they make their own buns and salad dressings too and the fries are not greasy.  Plus they give a 20% Senior Discount.

They had the tables decorated for Autumn.  We started off at one table and moved to a different one. I glanced up and saw a coyote across the street - couldn't  get my camera out fast enough but we thought if we were at the other table near the window we might see it again - but it had gone off on its own adventure.

Next - Birch Bay - it was a very stormy and rainy day


That lowest layer of clouds is sitting atop Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.  It is still amazing to me that Vancouver Island reaches down as far south as Bellingham.  Some days we can see it clearly - on stormy days we don't see much of it.


In the distance you can see a small flock of birds on the water - farther out to the right was a much bigger flock but I couldn't get them in focus, they were too far out, but I could see what they were, and there were hundreds of them.

LOONS!  It was the biggest flock of loons I had ever seen - they are making their way back for the winter - what luck that we were there just as they came through.  We drove a little farther along the curve of the bay and I was able to zoom in this close, even though they were barely visible with just your eyes - love that camera!!



The next day we had a bit of sunshine - and headed out for a Saturday shopping and drive.  On an impulse we turned down the road we lived on before we bought this house - and all along the fences there were spider webs - with a sun angle that was perfect - so I got my spider web pictures that I've been looking for this year.

At home this happy robin was taking a bath in the top canvas shade on the swing set. 



And this Flicker stopped to watch - but the Robin would have none of it and chased it away.





On Sunday we decided to go up to Boxx Berry Farm - a local farm stand that sells produce, ice cream cones and fresh cut flowers.  The last corn we had gotten from our farm stand in Bellingham had a lot of bugs in it - so we decided to try another.  It was their last day - they didn't even grow pumpkins this year and there was no one else in the building on this rainy day.  We got our corn - and it was very good.




First thing on our ride was a visit to the friendly Clydesdales up the road - there was only one in the field this day - have no clue what happened to the other two.





And then off for an adventure - looking to find a road that we had never been on before - and that is getting harder and harder to do.

And we found a new road - and look at the name - same as my friend Linda, who used to live closer, but has moved to the Seattle area.

We had a good laugh about this road sign. Bylsma Road got narrower and turned to gravel - and then we saw this sign.  I'm not sure who put this up - but the road took a big turn on the corner to the right and then went straight for a long way - but it was a fun sign anyway.



And who did we see?  The Tin Man - driving his tractor

He seemed happy enough in the rain


He's a bit rusty but I think a new coat of paint in the spring will revive him

Then I saw it - off to the left a bit in the photo - between bales three and four - STOP THE CAR - look there!

A Bald Eagle - on the ground - I got pictures from one side of the curve in the road - and from the other side - it was raining and he seemed happy to sit on the ground - a little farther down the road we saw two other Bald Eagles on the ground too, but they were much too far away to take photos.

The seagulls didn't seemed bothered by the eagle and often walked quite close to him.

Time to head for home - what is that car up ahead?  A Studebaker Hawk - Don's all-time favorite car.  As we passed it on the freeway I was snapping photos - when we got even with the driver he waved and smiled - I guess he was used to us nuts taking photos of his pretty car.  There must have been a car show someplace nearby as we saw several other vintage cars along the way - but none with a chance for photos.

Almost home and I spotted these two trucks loaded with pumpkins. I've been looking for small white pumpkins - I'm not a fan of orange for autumn decorations - and no place has had any.  Lots of  white-ish gourds - tons of orange and green pumpkins but no white ones.  Behind these truck was a stand, with white pumpkins - all ready for me to buy.  Closed?  No - tell me you aren't closed - I need those white pumpkins for my decorations.  It is not far from home so you can be sure we will be back when it is open and I'll have my white pumpkins.

It was a wonderful weekend - and that is the story of our 49th Anniversary week.

Cottage Style Party