ARTS AND CRAFTS IN ANACORTES

We spent an hour or so walking around Anacortes when we were there. The town is old, and pretty, in part because of the Anacortes Mural Project which I’ll blog about tomorrow.


A lot of fun shops, crafts, artwork, antiques, found stuff;  just the kind of eclectic stuff to make you happy and stir your own creative juices. Since I’ve done metal art, the license plate artists intrigue me. Where do they get those old license plates anyway I wonder?

Both pictures taken through the window, with a lot of annoying reflection. This guitar can actually be played.



It is fun to walk the downtown streets and find a full-sized character standing in a doorway.


As in real life, even the dog has his place. Don’t you just love it?


And who knows? Maybe the Bill Mitchell Mural inspired the city to get artistic with their real hydrants.  Adding a public drinking fountain, and some color. Why not?


The perfect mural for a saloon window.


And this brewer is right next to his brewery.


I’d like to take this crab home with me…


…and the chicken too. Just to see what my chickens might think of a bird this size. I cannot buy because stuff doesn’t fit in the motor home, so I just peek at all the fun stuff.


I was way overdue for an art fix. I stopped by AnchorArt Space, a gallery featuring the work of Sarah Denby and Andrea Joyce Heimer. The painting above is entitled “Windy, ain’t it? By Denby.


I’m a words and story person.  Heimer’s painting above had a story that went partly like this:  Laura falls in love with undeserving men…  You will have to visit to read the rest of the story which is written in pencil directly on the wall.


Cocktail hour by Denby.


“The donnybrook of 1989 took place in the community garden project…”  so goes the story with this painting by Heimer. I really liked the stories with each painting.


Vacation 1  by Denby.  There is a similarity to the two women’s work, to my eye. And, Denby can get very abstract. I liked her work with the least abstract best, but to all a different taste. Both women have websites if you are interested.

The Business, (since 1878) has a sculptured arch around the doorway. Just a walk around town is an art fix for me. Great place to visit.

RESORT LIVING FOR RVers

Moving to a new location, getting oriented to where the laundry is, the trails, the lodge, and so on. We had pancake breakfast in the lodge, and a Luau dinner at night. Most Thousand Trails Parks have activities for families all summer long which makes them affordable vacation places for young people with kids. A surprising number of grandparents take their grandkids on vacation, as well.
At La Connor, the lodge is spacious, the park offers over 300 sites and the Saturday night entertainment was well done.
During the day, the kids get to make homemade ice cream, various crafts, use the water slide (when staffed), play pool, pickle ball, horseshoes, miniature golf, volley ball, tennis, hot tub, plus enjoy the sand, water and the typical playground with swings, slides and climbing equipment. What's not to like?
There is much to offer for singles, seniors and kids.
We will explore the area of La Connor, Anacortes, Mt. Vernon and Burlington in the coming days.

LAUGHTER IS HEALING

I have to admire my friend, Bill Foster, an avid golfer, world traveler, former pilot and insurance expert faced with a deadly disease. He's had to give up all such pursuits. He is quite confined to his house at Greenhorn Creek and watches the golfers strolling by and kitbitzes their strokes. On cold days he works on making rugs that he gives to friends and family or places around the house. He opens his home to others for neighborhood social events and keeps in touch with family and friends. What I value about Bill's acceptance of his situation is that he retains his sense of humor. He never fails to make me laugh. He told me recently he had a couple of blind dates but they were deaf, too.
His prescription: laughter can keep you alive. Making rugs helps, too. Laughter travels.