Roman is in the Choir

Tuesday evening, October 29th, Bonita and I went to see Roman sing in his middle school choir. It seemed extraordinary to me to see a ten year old wear a tie. Most men in my church won't wear a tie on Sunday morning!
We don't attend many events in the lives of our grandchildren and we were surprised to see what seemed to be a beehive of activity going on into the evening, long after what I thought were normal school hours.

Roman told us he was the captain of his choir. He spoke in front of the crowd and told us what we would be hearing next.

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Mount Walker

Thursday Al, Stan and I made a late Fall trip to Mt Walker. This is a splendid exercise hike and gives a workout that is just about right. We picked a good day. It was 49 degrees and foggy/cloudy when we started out from the car but half way up the trail we got above the clouds and were met with golden sunshine. This photo is a panorama taken using the new feature of my iPhone.

Fall is the season for mushrooms and we saw quite a few this day. Most of them were not much to look at but this one was really unusual. Stan called it a Coral Mushroom. Click on the photo for a larger view.

Click on the link to see all eleven photos in my Flickr gallery.

Blackberry Festival

Saturday, August 31st, Bonita and I went to the Blackberry Festival on the Bremerton waterfront with Don, Darlene and Sid. The weather was superb and it was another splendid opportunity to blow our diet. We always look forward to the blackberry pie and ice cream that the Bremerton Kiwanis sells there - yum!

The Blackberry Festival booths are lined up in the relatively confined area of the Bremerton Boardwalk so it easily becomes congested. Most people don't seem to mind even though some bring their dogs and others push huge baby carriages.

Click on any photo for larger versions.

This is the area where the entertainment takes place. It is nice to sit down while chowing down. We happened to catch an airshow overhead which, apparently, is now part of the festival. Later, we decided to go to the upper level just outside the Sub Shop where we found shade, a nice breeze and a table to sit around, away from all the noise, where we had pleasant conversation.

Part of the Blackberry Festival was a fly-in, airshow and old car show at the Bremerton airport. We walked around the tarmac and saw some interesting and unusual airplanes, designated "experimental." Don and I got to look inside this private, 7 seat jet. Then we had a late lunch at the Airport Diner. Their fish and chips are some of the best.

Destruction Derby

After 21 years of marriage I have discovered something new about my sweetie - she is absolutely thrilled with the destruction derby! Who knew?

We went with Don, Darlene and Sid. This was a day all of us were off our diets!

Wednesday through Saturday the Kitsap County Fair has a rodeo but Sunday is the destruction derby, where a bunch a crazy guys smash up old cars until the last one still running is the winner. Civilization at its best? No. But so much fun!

See all 5 photos on Flickr.

Kitsap County Fair

Friday, August 23rd, we went to the Kitsap County Fair. We have made some considerable sacrifices to loose weight in recent months so we ate a big lunch just before leaving the house because those curly fries taste so incredibly good! We managed to tour the grounds and main exhibit hall without succumbing to the multitude of tempting foods.

I did give the lady at the Democrat Party booth a little jazz but we mainly just people-watched and then stayed for the Wenatchee Youth Circus, a new venue this year. They were pretty good for just a bunch of kids! A highlight is the tandem high-wire walkers with a third youngster walking the beam between them. Pretty good!

See all 16 photos on Flickr.

Seattle Waterfront Tour

Monday, August 12th, Bonita and I parked our car in downtown Bremerton and boarded the ferry for Seattle. We had originally planned this trip for Bonita's birthday "month" but other things came up. She was hungry so we hurried to Ivar's at Pier 54 for lunch.
Here is Bonita in Ye Old Curiosity Shop. Nice smile!

Here is Bonita "hanging out" with some of the local "stoners" smoking their "weed." The huge waterfront Ferris wheel can be seen in the background.

Remember to click on each photo to see it larger.

We hiked up to the Pike Place Market and walked through. I hadn't been to the Market in years and it has expanded throughout a number of the old buildings nearby. There were plenty of people for a Monday afternoon. I wonder what it's like on the weekends?

See all 16 photos on my Flickr gallery.

Taste of Hood Canal

Saturday, August 10th, Bonita and I went to the Taste of Hood Canal in Belfair. Every second Saturday in August the North Mason Rotary puts on a rather ambitious street fair which usurps the entirety of Clifton Lane, right in the middle of Belfair. I suppose it inconveniences some motorists but by the attendance of vendors and visitors it seems to remain a successful event.

It had been perhaps five years since last attending and it was overcast when we arrived at noon but before long it was getting plenty warm. Although I joined NM Rotary in its first year and helped put on the very first "Taste" I didn't recognize anyone in the crew that I knew. It seems these organizations will thrive when you get the right venue!

Click on each photo for a larger version.

Golden Gate Trail Hike at Mount Rainier

Friday, August 9th, Al and I couldn't resist going right back up to Mt Rainier. This time the route was slightly different - the Golden Gate Trail, which includes part of the Skyline Trail.

The wild flowers were more at their summer peak this day than they were just four days earlier.

See all 31 photos on my Flickr gallery.

The photos this day were taken with a new camera phone and not all came out as well as I would have liked. Perhaps operator error?

Skyline Trail Hike at Mount Rainier

Monday, August 5th, Al, Stan, new friend Steve and I went hiking on the Skyline Trail above Paradise at Mount Rainier. It was a spectacular day, perfect weather, not too hot or cold, and it is the peak of the wildflower season there. The Paradise parking area is 5000 feet elevation and I suppose we walked up another 1500 feet or so.

Some of the rock formations are fascinating and it is obvious that Mount Rainier has had volcanic eruptions in the past.

And, of course there are photos of the wildflowers! Here is Heather in full, bright bloom.

See all 55 photos from this day in my Flickr gallery.

Mom in Accident!

My mother was involved in a car accident Saturday, July 27th. Thank God for modern automotive technology! She had a few bruises and a nasty abrasion on her arm but was released from the hospital ER the same day. She mourns the passing of her 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee - totaled! I spent a few days taking care of her and moving dad from the hospital to physical therapy.

Mount Walker Again

Al, Stan and I intended to hike up Hurricane Ridge toward Mount Angeles but Stan got a weather report saying the area would be fogged in for most of the day. So, we went back to our old standby, Mt Walker. It almost always seems to be pleasant with just the right amount of uphill effort required.

You could just drive to the top of Mt Walker, which plenty of people do. But just look at all these people needing exercise!










Just four photos this time. See them in my Flickr gallery.

Lavender Festival

Friday, July 19th, Bonita and I went to the yearly Lavender Festival in Sequim with Don, Darlene and Sid. It was a pleasant day with pleasant company and good weather. This festival is always more interesting to the gals but us guys enjoyed tagging along. We saw aging hippies, artsy-craftsy folks and got to pet some nice dogs.

Hot dogs were 5 bucks - Yum! View the whole photo set on my Flickr gallery.

Hike at Stan's

Thursday, July 18th, Al and I were invited to Hike at Stan's place in Gig Harbor. Stan has an exercise walk around his property and some of the surrounding neighborhood that gives him 3.7 miles. Here we are standing in front of one of the two small ponds on his property.

Stan knows his plants and says this is an Onion Plant in bloom. The stalks must have been four feet high.

This is a huge Maple tree. Stan says it is the biggest tree on his property. I think it would have taken all three of us with our arms extended to reach all the way around this monster! Some of the branches seemed larger than most Maple trees as well.




Look for the whole set of photos on my Flickr gallery.

Hurricane Ridge with the Suttons

Saturday, July 13th, I went with the Suttons and two of their church members, John and Robert, to Hurricane Ridge. To my surprise the whole crew wanted to climb to the top of Hurricane Hill.

These pretty things are called Flox and are prolific in the area. They appear in purple color as well as white.

We saw a three-point buck, several two-point and a doe. This is a great place to take kids since the deer can be seen close-up.

We came, we saw, we conquered! The views from atop 5757 ft Hurricane Hill are spectacular. We could see Port Angeles, Victoria and all the northern Olympic Mountain range.



My gallery on Flickr contains 41 photos and 3 videos.

Mount Walker Day Hike

Thursday, July 11th, I went again with Al and Stan to Mount Walker. We agree Mount Walker is the ideal hike for us. It is just south of Quilcene only about an hour away by car, two miles to the summit on a good trail with a constant grade. We use it as a fitness test - how long did it take to summit this time? Views, flowers, Grey Jays always make it interesting. And in the time spent together we solve all the world's problems - if only the powers that be would listen to us the problems would soon be resolved, right?

Here is a portion of the Rhododendron forest we walk through. The Rhodies are typically 15 feet high.

This is a Rhododendron "tree" - again about 15 feet high. I have never seen trunks this big on a wild Rhodie.

Stan calls this a "Star Flower." My camera overexposed the bright white flower.












You can see all the photos I took at Mount Walker on my Flickr gallery.

Day Trip to Hurricane Ridge

Tuesday, July 9th, we went to Hurricane Ridge, stopping for breakfast in Poulsbo and lunch in Port Angeles. We stopped in a couple of thrift stores along the way. We really beat the heat! Instead of 80 degrees in Bremerton it was a comfortable 70 degrees on the ridge - and spectacular views.Port Angeles is in the distance with the Straight of Juan de Fuca covered in fog. Above the fog is Victoria on Vancouver Island. Click on the photos for a larger view.

This panorama photo only shows a quarter of the Olympic Mountains view (or less!)

This a zoomed-in photo of Mount Olympus from the Hurricane Ridge parking lot.

Deer in the parking lot is great for tourists, especially the kids. We saw two this day and they came within a few feet of us.


See my Flickr gallery.

Hiking at Mount Walker

Al Lind and I went Thursday to Mt Walker just south of Quilcene. It's an excellent two mile exercise walk in tall Fir forest. The wild natural rhododendrons are just beginning to show blooms and the next few weeks should be spectacular. Many of the rhodies are older have trunks the size of small trees!

At the top - viewpoint you can see Mt Baker and the local Grey Jays always come out to mooch food.

I can stand like a tree branch and hold a peanut half in my fingers and the jays will perch on my fingers! Fun stuff.

There were quite a few Trilliums showing near the trail this year.

The little bluish flower on the right is a wild orchid. It was only about four inches tall.


Click on any photo and it will display full size. In addition, you can make your browser display full screen and then press the F11 key and the images will fill the screen. Enjoy!