Tomatoes

This is my weekly top shot - the sweet yellow pear tomatoes that I grew on our deck this summer.  This is the first time to actually get tomatoes.  A warm sunny summer here in the Pacific Northwest helped - my first tomatoes!!!!  There are dozens more on the plants - I eat them as fast as they get ripe. 

Weekly Top Shot  

Saturday's Critters

I just couldn't resist - we were driving down the street and there they were - just waiting for me to take their picture.  So I did - and now you can see them too.

 A flock of flamingos in the Pacific Northwest

Saturday's Critters  

August Scavenger Hunt

August Scavenger Hunt - let's have some fun

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W is for

Weathered old truck

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5pm

At 5 p.m. the Amtrak Passenger train arrives at the border crossing between British Columbia, Canada and Washington state.  It stops for inspection - the border agent gets on at this stop - the train pulls forward as the agent walks to the back of the train - then the train stops - the last car still in Canada, and the agent gets off.

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Everyday

I think about our son and grandson Donnie, in WV.  I think  about our daughter-in-law Jamie, too - she took this photo  and sent it to us.  They are napping under a Country Roads Quilt I made for Donnie.  Sometimes the ordinary everyday things are the sweetest.

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Centered

If you don't stay centered in the skiff you will tip over.  These two ladies were rowing on the bay.  It looks like they came right from work to the  bay.

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Peace

Peace Arch - in a park on the border between Canada and the U.S.

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Ball

A gold ball on the lid of my London Tea Pot

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Luggage

I couldn't come up with any luggage this month - so I thought you would enjoy these colorful mailboxes in Birch Bay.  

Under

Two Canada Geese with their heads under water.

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On your shelf

My Grandmother's Desert Rose dishes

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Something you do everyday

Every day I see deer in or near our yard.

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Glitter

The glitter of sunlight on water as the Sandpipers dip into the water to find dinner 

Sunglass

My niece Amanda.    They were visiting us on our 25th anniversary.  Almost everyone there had glasses and Amanda wanted some - so our youngest daughter took her shopping at the mall and they found some glasses with clear glass in them.  The sun is shining off the glass.  This was 25 years ago -  Amanda is now the wonderful mother of three amazing little boys.  Our family still talks about that great visit and our sweet niece (and her brothers).

 Our grandson Ben also wanted some faux glasses - just two years ago - here he is, doing a silly pose for me - the sun reflecting off his glasses too

And some real sunglasses - our nephew Buddy (now called Bud) wearing silly sunglasses and riding his new tricycle.  This was almost 50 years ago - time flies when you're having fun!  Bud lives in Alaska and has twins who just started first grade - Sullivan and Frankie - a darling boy and sweet little girl.

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And that's my scavenger hunt for August - almost all the photos are current - but I just couldn't resist the glasses photos.

Scavenger Hunt  

Luncheon with Friends

About a week or so ago I had friends come for a luncheon - one was a classmate from elementary school in Sitka, AK another was a friend down from Ketchikan, AK and her lovely granddaughter, who will be a senior in high school this year.  It was a very warm summer day - perfect for a summery luncheon.

Starting to set the table.  I'm using MacBeth Evans dishes, in assorted summer colors. The tablecloth is had crocheted (over a solid mint green cloth), from the 50s - I found it on  ebay a few years ago.

The flatware is Inspiration by Rogers Bros., from 1933.  I found an almost complete set at a thrift store for 9.00. I love how dainty it is - not clunky like so much of the modern flatware. 

I used the flower pot napkin rings that I painted last summer.  A different color napkin ring for each place setting.  The napkins are yellow check and green check. 

You can see one of my newly painted dining room chairs in this photo. 

Are those the cutest little salt and pepper?  Avon - from a yard sale a week before - perfect for this summer table.

The glasses are different colors - a set from the 1950s 

 Here they are in a different table setting earlier in the year 

 Complete with the wonderful  caddy - this may be one of my favorite sets of glasses

 Time for food - olives, open face sandwiches and fruit salad

 Wonderful summer fruits.  I was able to find a watermelon with seeds - they taste so much better than the bland seedless ones.  They are crisp, bright red and sweet and so much juicer.  The blackberries I picked at Birch Bay State Park

 Luncheon is served

 The two-tiered aluminum server has cranberry/pecan shortbread, peanut butter cookies and banana bread - I spent a fun day earlier in the week baking for the luncheon

  

The flowers were a thoughtful hostess gift - thank you Lynn.

Cottage Style Party  

Zoom In - Zoom Out

Last night was a perfect night - warm sunshine - breezy and just the kind of night for dinner on the deck overlooking the harbor at Nicki's Bella Marina.

This was the view from our outdoor table.  A whale watching boat was getting ready to cast off 

It is the working harbor - boats lined up ready for their next trip. 

And right next to the working harbor - the yacht harbor

The seagulls flew about - hoping for a bite to eat from those eating dinner on the deck 

They danced 

And sang - but no one fed them 

The whale watching tour is full - and they start out of the harbor 

It looked like a tight squeeze, but the captain handled it perfectly 

There they go - dinner and whale watching 

Zoom in on the people and the decorations on the boat

Zoom In Zoom Out  

Mosaic Monday - Summer

We are having one of the most glorious summers we've had since moving to Washington 13 years ago - it is warm and sunny almost every day

A summer of boats and water 

 Shady yards and swings in the trees

 Chickens in the barnyard

 A summer of farms and ponds

A visit to West Virginia - and pretty birds

 Poppies

 And roses

 Clouds

 And Great Blue Herons

 Fields of flowers

 And fields of hay

 Dandelions and wishes

A summer of horses 

 Wild Sweet Peas alongside the roads

 And poppies

It is a summer of memories - and more summer to come

Mosaic Monday