IF I WAS A KID...

We stayed in camp yesterday, doing house chores and decided to pick more blackberries.

The berries are humongous. We try to pick only the ones that fall into your hand, no tugging. We took home enough to put some in our tiny freezer.

We took a walk around camp after dinner and the kids were loading into the hay wagon. If I was a kid, that is exactly what I'd be doing.

What I wouldn't be doing is playing with an electronic device on a hay ride. Actually, the hayride had plenty of adults on board. They took four trips to fit everyone in. The ride around the park takes about 30 minutes.

The tide was out and we could walk over to the island and sit under this stand alone tree on the point. On our visit in 2009, we got a picture of an eagle in this tree.

If I was a kid, I'd be doing just what these girls are doing. Walking the driftwood balance bar. After all that talk yesterday about age, it kind of makes you yearn for childhood days. Momentarily, anyway. I wouldn't want to relive it or go back.

On the point, the Swinomish have a co-operative where they take a salmon catch out of the bay and then they have a big feast, part religious ceremony and a division of food. Everyone gets a share. We were here and saw the salmon catch in 2009. Really interesting.

Thousand Trails leases this park from the Swinomish. And each park marker has a Swinomish painting. They are treated with great deference and respect.

At low tide, we walked to the opposite end of the park, to the adult lodge and then home. A beautiful evening after all that rain. This photo deserves a click to enlarge it. La Conner is a lovely park, quiet and woodsy.

MURPHYS, CA. TO BELLINGHAM, WA.

As I sat on my deck and read over a list of what I needed to pack for Bellingham, I caught a beautiful sunset on my last night in Murphys.  I’ve been away so long, preparation was almost as complicated as packing for my trip to Turkey.


Since it’s  over two hours to get to the airport from where I live, I’m lucky to have family I can stay with the night before my flight. My son-in-law, Cedric, drove me to the airport in the morning.


We enjoyed a glass of sangria and conversation on the patio. Since they will be moving to Australia before I return, I won’t see my daughter’s family until December, hopefully, if all goes as planned.


Owen demonstrated his most recent skill learned at Circus Camp. Its called flower toss, proof that the hand is quicker than the eye, at least the eye of the camera. He can flip the third flower stick into the air, but I’d miss it every time, his hands just a blur.


Jim picked me up at the airport and we drove to our campsite in Birch Bay. He got a recommendation for a restaurant right on the water front, called VIA BIRCHBAY.


From the windows we could watch clammers cavorting around at low tide. Most were actually digging for clams, something I’ve never had an opportunity to do. Maybe this week.


So, of course, we ordered the aioli pesto and parmesan stuffed clams. I can’t say enough how delicious they were. We ordered more toasts and slurped up every bit of the broth in the bottom of the dish.


Since the appetizer was so good, I chose another in place of an entree, Seafood Moltov with garlic in a brandied cream sauce, topped with smoked mozzarella. Yum. It had scallops, shrimp,mussels and clams. To die for. Very rich food has been off the table for me for a long time, but, we don’t do it often. We spent a leisurely afternoon, catching up, and realized with my sisters death, my trip to turkey, and family reunion, I only spent six weeks since last October in the Motor Home.


I enjoyed a Black & Jack brew, new to me. It was good beer, and the breeze was delightful coming through the open windows. I took a picture of the colorful bartender. Jim has a theory that people who dress for display, tatoos, piercings and multiple rings, want to be looked at. I enjoy colorful anything, and that includes people. I want to go back once more before we leave. Great place. If you visit Birch Bay, don’t miss VIA.

DRAYTON HARBOR DAYS

Good weather, tall ships, sail boat races, steamboat parades, amateur raft races, treasure hunts, carribean costume contest, arts fair and bark on the beach. All this and caliope music should draw you to Drayton Harbor Days in Blaine the first weekend of August. Parked two miles away, and we missed it! One tall ship was still sitting in the harbor when we arrived on Monday to visit the Peace Arch Park, but you can bet your booty we won't miss it next summer. The tall ships face off in two battle sails. In the mock battle they fire black powder (small 5 lb) cannon balls, but the sound gives an idea what it must have been like in a real seafaring war.
We drove the shoreline where tourists pour out of condos, cars, vacation rentals for clamming at low tide. Families were out in force walking their dogs, kids sluicing with boogie boards through the tide puddles. Many were pickniking at the tables lining the shore and in general having a great time.

We visited the point opposite Drayton Harbor at Semiahmoo Marina where the Historic Plover Ferry still runs as a passenger only ferry between the Marina and Drayton Harbor. On the roadside we spotted a bald eagle in a tall spar beside the road. He stopped traffic for minutes as everyone grabbed a gander.

It was serendipitous that we should find a 60 foot strip of blackberry vines next to the water with huge ripe berries just asking to be picked. We ate until we were full.
Jim calls this an abbreviated summer since we got a late start, but I'm already making plans for next year. Hope you do to. What a great place to have fun.