Title?

I couldn't decide what to call this post, probably because I didn't really have a reason to post one, but I thought I should check in, so I wanted to try, and  see what happens. 

As you know, I like to post lots of photos, but I am having trouble with my iCloud photos on both of my computers. They don't want to open. I have no idea why, so I am trying to work around it. 

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Well, it is two days later, but this evening I have finally found a fix to my iCloud photo problem, and I am quite pleased with my self. It took too much time and too many failed attempts but finally the right Googling took me to the fix, uninstalling and reinstalling iCloud. 

The Cannas are beginning to bloom. 

 

There's just something special about sunflowers in blue bottles. Maybe it's the Swedish in me. 

Giant ones stay in the garden.

This hydrangia is called Pinky Winky. My sister-in- law thought that was way to gay sounding, but gay can also mean happy, as it used to. These are happy flowers. 

The lilies in the rose bed have put on an extravaganza, especially the white Casablancas. 

I picked a couple of single lilies to bring in the house. They have lasted over a week, and the fragrance is wonderful. 

And now I think I can call it an evening. I have my photo fun back. 

Rally Round the Flag

After missing all of the protest action during the month of July, we decided we'd better get back out there to support the cause of Democracy and call attention to all of the issues that we find the need to protest in the actions of the Trump administration.

Today we were back out at Big Catch Plaza in Des Moines.

 Need a poster? I didn't because I brought my own.

The crowd was much smaller today, and the cars driving by were  also much fewer, but this is a long campaign, and we will persist.

My poster reflects the sadness I feel over the cruelty of the Trump administration. People being grabbed off the street and disappeared, families broken up, jobs and services ended, career government workers fired, hunger and starvation and death increasing in third world countries, and so much more. 

The damage to our democracy and the rise of authoritarianism in our country is frightening and discouraging as well.  

We need to stay informed and involved. Our country is counting on us. 

Doin' Stuff, and Then Not Much

 

I almost  missed out on my free birthday month meal at Ivars Seafood Restaurant but we squeezed it in on July 30th. Then we went over to Seahurst Park to walk along the sound, where it was much cooler than inland.

Irene is off on a five week adventure, exploring and studying plant, animal, and indiginous peoples of the Salish Sea through her college. This week they will be canoeing on RossLake, learning about Upper Skagit Tribe salmon recovery, Huckleberry Survery, Lowland Forest Biodiversity Study, Moth survey, and bird survey. That's just the first week, all while camping and hiking and boating. 

Meanwhile Jill is doing day hikes and diving sessions, and Jake is working on a trail crew up near an alpine lake. As far as I know, Isaac is working, at Boeing.

The Blue Angels are in town for SeaFair, so it's noisy. I won't be going anymore, but Jill will probably fit it into her busy schedule.

Our big excitement was finally getting to the local Farmer's Market this morning. We bought beets, little cucumbers, corn on the cob, and a pint of "real" strawberries, since I missed the local strawberries through most of the season. 

The weather has clouded over lightly today, making it cooler. We have been eating lunch outside, and doing a few light chores. mostly in the mornings and early afternoons. Today I checked my zucchini, and found some, two in the basket and two on the bush.

I think I'll let at least one of them get big, for fried zucchini.

Why are all of my zinnias pink?

Waiting for butterflies.

Waiting for bees.

And we have lilies!

Well, now it has reached 80 degrees and it's 3:40, time to settle in my recliner and read and work puzzles. It's summer and the livin' is easy. 

Off Island

 We have been home since Sunday afternoon, our little island vacation having come to an end, but we had a great few days away.

We ended up going all over Saturday morning and into the afternoon. We started out at the Bayview Farmers Market. This is very much a counrty market with home grown produce and products. It was fun. I bought beets and beet greens and we bought some bakery goodies for Sunday's breakfast. 

Then we checked out an antique sale in a barn that we had heard about the day before.

What a fun bunch of old stuff! I did find a big ceramic plant pot for $5! Of course we looked at everything. 

Just driving these back roads on South Whidbey is fun, and next we followed signs to an art show that turned out to be in a now defunct plant nursery that we used to go to. We didn't buy anything but we enjoyed looking. 

Back at the cabin we had a late lunch, walked a bit, rested and read, and at 4:30 we struggled and finally got our "streaming" to work so we could watch the rest of the Sounders game. Then at 7:00 we went out to dinner.

On Sunday we needed to be gone by noon, so we had packing up and tidying up to do.

It was a beautiful day and I wasn't really ready to go yet, but off we went, stopping at the Chocolate Flower Farm to visit with Marie and then have a little lunch and coffee in Langley before heading home.

I guess it's a good thing to leave wanting more time. We can come back.

And now it's Tuesday already. House work and laundry got done yesterday. Raspberries got picked. We had our Tuesday Zoom meet up.  Now we can just go at a summer slow pace, at least when I'm not having appointments. 

On Island

 It was Friday morning and we were now on island time. Tom worked in the cabin garden for a while while got myself going. 

There is a Hosta nursery on South Whidbey that Tom has wanted to get to but it is only open on Fri, Sat, Sun, and we are almost never here on weekends, saving the cabin for family that still have jobs. Because we were blessed with a gap in the vacation schedule, we are here for a weekend. We have been doing some interesting weekend things.

On Friday late morning we drove island backroads to Moonstruck Gardens, a little, out of the way home nursery that features Hosta, and also lilies. 

There are a LOT of Hostas, and we looked at them all, searching for dwarf varieties that Tom is now collecting.

These little gems are our selections to purchase. 

While he was buying, I was gazing at the lilies.

In the afternoon Tom did more yard work and then took a long nap.

I went for a walk on the beach. That is not easy for me, but I stopped and rested a lot.

After our foil packet dinner, also known as hobo stew, cooked on the grill, we walked down the beach road so Tom could collect wild flower seeds, in this case, Sea Thrift.

Now, on Saturday, he's out sprinkling the seeds in our sandy beach garden. I'm going to publish this and then go sit on the deck and read.

We have a Sounders match to watch at 4:30 if we can get the TV hookup right. Without cable it's always an adventure. There will be a late dinner out tonight.