Sure Didn't Look Like Kansas

Well, here we are, Home Alone again.

We felt so sad as the plane sped away from our middle child and her small family. Savannah made the trip back to Seattle with us. She had visited here for about three weeks. We will miss her

The week was full of things to do. The house the Millers live in is situated on a hillside with a grand view of Puget Sound. The air cleared enough at times that we could see some of the snow capped Olympic Mountains. We mad a trip to Hurricane Ridge on Mt. Olympus. Unfortunately, as Traci drove through clouds, the clouds were rising. When we topped the ridge, we got a glimpse of the snow-capped peaks, and then the clouds closed them off.

There were several snow fields remaining from the winter and as we tramped through them. We couldn’t resist having snow ball fights…in June! Lots of deer wandering around munching the new spring buds. Some came as close as 20 feet.

We should have gone up the ridge before we had lunch, but that too turned out good. We happened on a burger joint (with the help of Carmen, the English speaking GPS device) that was clean with great burgers and hotdogs. The grandma loved the hotdog. Said it was to die for.

All the day trips tend to be a little long. Several involved the use of the ferry from Edmonds to Kingston. The ride is smooth and just a half hour long. As we were hurrying back to the car, a boat hitch left in the bumper of a pickup truck snagged me. I went down, taking Sophie with me. She was unhurt, but I took a large piece pf skin off the side of my hand. It was bloody and painful. I couldn’t believe how people can leave those things, unused, on the hitch.

We visited the Seattle Aquarium, a nice place along the waterfront.

After the visit, we took a two and a half hour tour of Puget Sound. The tour included locking through the locks separating the lake and the Sound. The lake is fresh water; the Sound is salt and is affected by the tides, thus the purpose of the locks.

An interesting feature along the Lake was the number of houses actually built and floating on the lake. We saw the house where Tom Hanks lived as the character in Sleepless in Seattle.

On Sunday, Jim, Shane and I went to a Seattle Mariners game. Nice stadium and Jim had gotten very good seats in the second deck.

The weather was good, so we spent an afternoon on the beach at low tide. The kids love to explore what the departing water leaves behind. We saw many jellyfish, starfish, sea anemones, and buried crabs. The kids love it and we also enjoyed the experience.

Another side Trip was touring a Navy destroyer, USS Turner Joy, which is on permanent display in Bremerton Washington. It is maintained in excellent condition and most areas of the ship are accessible to visitors.

The mothball fleet used to be there in Bremerton but all that is left are three decommissioned attack carriers, They have outlived their service time and will be eventually be disposed of by the wreckers and salvage people or, perhaps as was done with USS Oriskany, be sunk for artificial reefs and scuba touring.

This was a wonderful trip but too short.

I leave for Missoula, Montana tomorrow for some training. Unfortunately, my sister Kathy and some family got into St. Louis tonight. They will leave next Wednesday so I won’t get to visit with them.

Darn.

That’s all from Home Alone