Sunny Days

Western Washington summers usually begin after July 5th. Before that you can count on sweatshirts and soup. Well not this year! This past week has been filled with 80+ degree days and everyone has been out enjoying the sun. It's truly an amazing place to live, especially when everything is in full bloom and alive with activity. Here are a few pictures (taken by me) to give you a glimpse.

View of Seattle from the ferry

 

One of our seasonal residents near Anacortes

Snoqualmie Falls

 

Totem pole at Beaver Lake 

On a clear day "the mountain" (Mt. Rainier) reveals itself. Usually it's veiled by cloud cover. Sometimes when it's really clear, and if you're in the right spot, you can see both Mt. Rainer and Mt. Baker at the same time. Two sleeping giants, blanketed by snow, trees, meadows, and animals. Magnificent.

This was taken during one of our spring trips to Mt. Rainier. Seattle is very close to both the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges.

 This sign about sums it up!

I mentioned in an earlier post that I'm a member of the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution). This weekend is our State Conference and that's where I am right now. Once a year we all gather together so the chapters can give updates to the State Society on what we've been up to all year. It's also a time to honor special people who are making a difference in their local communities. At the various meals we sometimes have speakers, demonstrations, or hear music. One of my favorite memories was when the dancers from the Chemawa Indian School came up from Oregon to dance for us. They are so talented and it was an honor to meet them. Chemawa is just one of the schools supported by the DAR. http://www.chemawa.bie.edu/

Since I'm busy at State Conference, this will be a quick update. Here's the skinny on where we are in our preparations for the trip:

- I've been busy boxing up dishes, books, quilts, and more for storage. After realizing how many books I've packed, I can officially declare myself a bibliophile.

- Since the original person we spoke with about renting our house hasn't signed on the dotted line, our house has reverted back to showcase mode for house hunters.

- We've been going from one appointment to another to make sure everyone is current on their dental/physical/eye/vet check ups. We'll be gone for more than a year, after all.

- The camping fabric has been turned into pillowcases for the trailer. One more week until we pick it up!!

We'd love to hear from seasoned RVers about things we should know. Should we join an RV club? What should we avoid? Any tips in general? Let us know! We'd appreciate it! Only 63 days to go....

Now I'm off to give my Junior Membership State Report.... busy, busy!  Have a great weekend!

- Jen