A One Day Adventure

 If you have followed along with me for a long time you will know that occasionally I like to have an adventure with my grandson. Sometimes his mom comes along and even my "live-in gardener". Most often our adventures happen in the summer. Since he didn't have school on Friday I planned an adventure for the four of us. In the first picture you will see the Portland train station. We were up early and caught the morning train, going north.

The train ride took 3 1/2 hours to arrive in Seattle. My grandson had never been to Seattle.

I loved just having time together, plus watching the view out the window.

The weather was perfect, no rain!

We arrived at lunch time and walked to the International district for lunch. Then ordered a Lyft ride to the Seattle Asian Art Museum. None of us had been there and we thoroughly enjoyed it. What a beautiful museum.

Of course you knew if I spotted a tea pot I had to take a picture.

And since grandson, D, hadn't been there before, we made a stop at the Seattle Center to see the Space Needle and do a bit of walking. By now my feet were tired, but there was more walking to be done.

Off we were to Pike Place Public Market. This is definitely a tourist draw. We paused at The Crumpet House for fresh made crumpets. Some crumpets actually came home in my bag.

Oh I should have taken a picture of the fish market, but I did capture a few flowers. The market is near the downtown area and in my daughter's words "a vibrant place". It was very active with people out enjoying the day.

What a special way to spend time with someone you love. We were home by 9:30PM with another adventure together, creating memories.

And that was one extra special adventure day for me this past week.

In the middle of two very different books this week, more later on them. I did finish reading The Perfumer's Secret by Neroli Lacey. It was pretty good, I enjoyed it OK; but not as much as the last book I read before this one.

Sending love,

Marilyn

Adventure or Not to Adventure?

Picture taken a few days ago in Port Townsend, Washington

I have an adventurers heart, my "live-in" gardener, not so much. I love it when I find a friend that likes to take adventures with me. My "live-in gardener" loves to be snuggled in his chair, reading. Now nothing wrong with that for sure, I like that too. But I do anticipate adventures from time to time.

The dictionary says an adventurer is "someone who seeks dangerous or exciting experiences: a person who looks for adventures".  Not all my adventures are dangerous for sure, but I do occasionally like a bit of a thrill.

A few years ago, as my grandson, arrived at an age that I thought he might like an adventure, I started planning one special adventure each summer. The first one was to fly to California and do a bit of swimming (even with a swimming dog). Then there was white water rafting. He was a bit terrified until he did it. Then he wanted to immediately go back and do it again. Then there was ziplining. Again "terrified" but loved it. In 2024 was a Big Foot boat excursion down the Willamette River and Columbia Rivers. This past year was a hot air balloon ride at dawn.

Those are all a bit "terrifying", but fun. This is just what my adventurers heart loves. As a young girl I would do crazy stunts on my bicycle or climb a tree and swing from the branches. This terrified our neighbors. They were sure I was going to kill myself.

There are those "terrifying" type of adventures, but some adventures are more of solitude or time spent with a friend. I consider my drives and tea times under the apple tree branches as an adventure, an adventure in friendship spent together. Or I might say "come along with me for a drive to the beach".  

Do you have an adventurers heart or would you prefer being tucked by the fireplace with a good book? A good book can be an adventure for sure. Right now, I am reading a book by Joyce Maynard, The Bird Hotel, and it has taken me to a lake by a volcano in Mexico. Oh, how even a book can whisk us away on an adventure.

Sending Love,

Marilyn

Running to Catch UP again

 Taking a breath today, a day of recuperation! I knew I had scheduled a crazy schedule the past week. It has all be fun, but then just sitting down to visit you and say hello again has not fit into my schedule. 

On Friday my "live-in gardener" celebrated another anniversary with a beautiful dinner at my favorite Spanish tapas restaurant. The picture is our starters. The egg is sitting on top a sausage and bun. The bottom starter looks like dessert, but it was banana bread with fois gras on top, sprinkled with hazelnuts and two dots of strawberry puree. Very unusual, but very delicious. 

 

  

Then early Saturday morning we picked up daughter, Jill, and grandson, Desmond, and headed to a little local airport to sail away in a hot air balloon. Now my daughter said it was a dream come true. My grandson was scared, but ended up loving it. I had a slight trepidation until I got there and saw how well it was managed.

 

Standing in that basket, 2500 feet above the ground was magical. It was so quiet, it almost felt like a spiritual experience. Even the people in the basket said very little. It almost felt like we were floating into heaven. 

 

 

Then that afternoon my "live-in gardener" and I were out on the street for No Kings Day. My picture doesn't do justice or show how many people were there.

 

 

 

Sunday was Father's Day where we enjoyed fish and chips at a local British pub.

 

Monday I celebrated a friends birthday with pedicures for both of us.

 

 

Tuesday was time spent with a cousin and his wife.

 

And yesterday I got invited to a Bachlorette party. Have you ever gone to a Bachlorette party? It was fun to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of a friend. I had never been invited to a gathering to celebrate an upcoming wedding before. 

 

Since I was early to the party I had a few moments to stop at a favorite rose garden and enjoy some silence in the day. 

 

 

So today I am staying home and taking a breath. Here is the view from my patio at home. Oh! I still call my husband my "live-in gardener". I mean he hasn't quite been able to surrender to no gardening at all, as you can see on our patio there are about 25 pots of plants to tend and bird seed and water to put out for the birds.

 

 

And in between times I keep sipping tea. You know me, there is always a cup of tea.

 

Hope your week of transition from Spring to Summer is terrific.

 

Sending love,

Marilyn 

Spooky Daze

“Gather ye witches young and old for a cup of tea and a story to be told!"  Unknown

Because I am downsizing, I don't go to the antique mall to shop. I go for the smiles, I go to snap pictures, and I just go to surround myself with festive love. The Monticello mall here in Portland has the most wonderful seasonal events and I don't miss one of them. It's my own secret adventure. Don't tell anyone, it's my secret and I am sharing it with you.

I love the whimsy and silliness of Halloween.

Do you like to play a little bit?

I have a doll head very similar to the one tucked behind the skull. It scared my grandson so much, I had to hide it.

Do you think a woman US president could use this necklace?

Welcome to Autumn, dear friends!

 Sending love and spooky adventures!

Marilyn

This Week

Once a week I plan an adventure because if I don't my "live-in gardener"  and I get caught up with what needs to be done around the house and life becomes rather boring. Adventures are what make me happy. So last week I found a tearoom I hadn't been to and off we went. I had a bag of left over magazines from the tea festival to give them for their customers. So we had a treat of some yummy tea food and they got magazines.

 

And then on the home front I am diligently watching for ripe plums. Not quite ripe, but I am beginning to see a few with a purple blush appearing. I am so excited for fresh plums, my dehydrator is waiting in anticipation. 

 

And then, each summer I plan a special adventure for my grandson. Yesterday was the day!!

It was a Big Foot Excursion on a jet boat starting in downtown Portland, going along the Willamette River, then joining the Columbia River and east to Multnomah Falls. It was rather cold when we started, but as the day went along it became quite pleasant.

It is fun to play tourist for a few hours in our own city and to see the city and surroundings from a different view. There is a lot more shipping going on then I realized. This boat with the red cross is a floating Naval hospital. It is in dry dock being cleaned and serviced.

Here are some larger tour boats in downtown Portland. The bridge above is a walking bridge and for mass transit, but not for cars.

 I have seen Love along the river, but never at this angle.

And under a bridge we went. I think we went under about 10 bridges.

Another tour boat on the river. This one is often used for special events and weddings.

One of the docks we rode past with a restaurant that our tour guide recommended. The Columbia River actually divides Washington and Oregon states; so this was on the Washington side of the river. I will be checking the restaurant soon.

There was a lot of activity on the river.

Beautiful views everywhere too.

Not a great picture, but the mound on the top is called Crown Point. There are beautiful views from there, but rather windy standing out on that point.

All along the way we heard stories of Big Foot. Do you believe in them? After listening to stories for 3 hours I think there must be something to it. Hummmm?

And then we arrived at the half way point of the tour, Multnomah Falls. It was fun to see it from the river.

I would love living here and watching the river flow by each day.

All the large rocks and boulders have been formed from volcano eruptions in the past. In fact, the Columbia River was formed by volcanic flows through this gorge.

Here is another home tucked in the trees. I can dream, can't I?

A tug boat! Many years ago we had a friend that had stories of being the cook on such a tug boat. Up and down the river they go, usually pushing a barge.

I think my "live-in gardener" enjoyed the adventure.

Back in Portland. I could also imagine living here to watch the river's flow.

And under the bridges again.

And past downtown Portland.

My daughter holding the mold of Big Foots foot.

My grandson measuring his hand against a mold of Big Foot's hand.

 And home again to watch the Olympics.

Are you watching?

Wasn't the opening ceremony wonderful?

 

Have a terrific weekend, dear friends.

Sending love,

Marilyn