Interlude

Monday morning felt like the last day of summer camp, with some cars going to Vancouver Island, some to the city of Vancouver, and some crossing the border to the US. Everyone packed and contributed to preparing the house to check out, identifying what needed to be done and doing it without a fuss. And, like the last day of summer camp, lots of hugs, and the various cars left at slightly different times. Unlike the last day of summer camp, most of us will see each other again Thursday in Seattle, though we have different accommodations with some in airbnbs, some staying with friends, and some staying in hotels. Cheers, Prost, and Sante! 

David and I did make an important stop in Canada before crossing the border, as we needed to pick up our farewell Timbits which some might refer to as donut holes. I wholeheartedly recommend the chocolate ones which have spoiled me so much that any future holidays that might typically be celebrated with donut holes will now need either a trip to Canada or (more likely) actual donuts. We did taste other flavors, and even bieberbits….and again, recommend the chocolate. 

We returned to the US quickly and uneventfully at the Sumas crossing. It took a grand total of 8 minutes from the time we reached the line until we were on our way. We are already missing the street signs that alert drivers to their speed, flashing if it’s too fast followed by a sad face, not flashing if it’s within the speed limit followed by a smiley face. What a great innovation, and one we would both like to see again soon. 

The drive to Leavenworth was long and hot. We spent a bit of time in Bellingham driving around Western Washington University where I had my first “real” job after finishing school, having a picnic lunch overlooking Bellingham Bay, visiting Village Books, and (I hope you’re sitting down for this) finding a few caches. After Bellingham and excluding caching, my favorite stop was the fruit stand where we bought some overpriced Bing and Rainier cherries that we enjoyed snacking on. By the time we finally arrived at our B&B at about 6, David was exhausted, so I took the car and bought us a picnic supper which we enjoyed on our patio which overlooks the mountains. From here we can see quail and other birds, many pine and cedar trees, chipmunks, and the tiniest squirrel I’ve ever seen. The squirrel seems quite scared. We haven’t yet seen deer or other large mammals, though we’ve been told we’re in their habitat. We concluded our meal with the last of the chocolate we bought in Victoria, and were too tired to stargaze. 

Today we mostly took it easy. We dined al fresco for all of our meals, breakfast and lunch on our patio, dinner in Adirondack chairs near the B&B’s hot tub that we don’t want to use tonight since it’s still almost 80F/27C after 8pm as I type this on the patio. We followed Sue G’s advice (3MudDogs for our caching friends) to visit the 911 memorial in Cashmere, a nearby town and were glad we did. We also did a quick walk in the tourist area of Leavenworth, but it was too hot to want to stay longer. Sunset here is stunning, even without the clouds that are what I usually think of when I think about a spectacular sunset. As I started writing this evening, there were still a few sunny patches on outcroppings and mountaintops, now the greens are looking grayer as the sky slowly changes from vibrant blue to lighter blue to pink. The temperature dropped noticeably once sun set, and will drop by about 30F/16C overnight before heating up again tomorrow. 

I’m going to stop now both because the pint of Ben & Jerry’s fudge brownie we bought to share for dessert is calling to me and because the mosquitoes are getting way too interested in me. I’m hopeful we will be able to see some amazing stars and planets tonight before tomorrow’s adventure tubing down the Wenatchee river. 

We are very pleased with our choice to relax here to unwind after a fantastic, intense and exhausting week in Canada with friends, and get ready for more of the same in Seattle starting Thursday.