Before the Month Closes

Let me show you how we ushered in the jolly month of January. We actually had 2 new year's celebrations, this year!! The first celebration involved a road trip on New Year's Eve with 2 of our favourite people, in which we visited another 2 of our favourite people and one of our favourite dogs in our second favourite country. En route to Seattle, we stopped at a diner in Bellingham for lunch.

Annie actually got carded when she ordered a beverage to go with her corned beef. We were all pretty impressed. Clearly Annie was too.

Before long, we were hanging out with Paul and Lisa, and Tessie the wonder dog. It was New Year's Eve and we were feeling fine.

We decided to head out to a local dog-friendly bar, so that Tessie could be by our side as we looked back on last year.

There was a pool table at the bar. And, well, one thing led to another, and before we knew it, we were all chalking up our tips. (Um. Clearly, I know NOTHING about pool. Unlike Miss Pants below.)

I was a bit afeared of her fierceness!

However, perhaps because of our guardian angel (aka the moose), I somehow managed to actually knock a few of those balls right into the pocket!!

All that athleticism worked up an appetite, which was a good thing, because our new year's feast came from the Northlake Tavern. I swear that each of these pizzas weighed about 8 pounds!!

And then, it was time for the games. It was Scattegories all the way. Here we are in the war room now. Lisa looks pretty serious.

But Mister Man is dressed for battle!

While Annie looks a bit flummoxed by it all!

We watched the ball drop in Times Square, and then we all went to bed out of it. (New Year's doesn't hold the same "stay up all night" thrill that it once did....) Early to bed, early to rise = waking up to a glorious sky.

And what better way to start the new year? The only thing that could top the sunrise, was breakfast at The Portage Bay Cafe, followed by a visit to Mister Man's fave location of ALL time - The Science Fiction Hall of Fame and Experience Music Project.

The entrance way to the Science Fiction Museum made Mister Man's electrician's heart go pitter pat.

Oh Mister Man, you are such an uber geek!!

On our way out, we stopped for a photo shoot. If we ever release an album, I think we all know what's going on the cover:

But what should we NAME our band??? All that looking around the exhibit halls made us thirsty, so we headed to what is quickly becoming a new year's day tradition - Ivar's, where we shared appetizers and beverages and a whole host o' laughs.

While we enjoyed our appies and beverages, the sun made a glorious departure.

On the way out of Ivar's, Lara picked up one of the traditional pacific northwest paper masks they had for the kids. The mask, coupled with the ties from her winter hat, made for a fabulous juxtaposition.

The next day included a visit to Bedrock Industries, one of my all-time favourite spots. I shot this image through a glass prism and the abstract quality of it really appeals to me.... it sort of functions as a metaphor for the year to come. I don't know what's going to happen, but the future is very enticing indeed....

Fort Night

Okay. You're probably thinking the above is a typo - that I meant 'fortnight' as in 'two weeks from now'. But really, I meant Fort Night. As in a night in which children (and adults alike) get together to make forts out of blankets, so that they can share spooky stories under the cover of darkness.

It all started when Lori, Shayne, Shelley, Anthony, Mister Man and I thought we should have a weekend getaway in the new abode of Shayne and Lori. From there, Lori thought it might be fun to build forts - like we did when we were kids. And then we could crawl into those forts and tell ghost stories! So plans were put in place: a pot luck, overnighter in which forts would be built and stories would be exchanged. The potluck was amazing. Lori made cedar plank salmon. We all made dishes to appear in supporting roles.

Shelley skewered delicious morsels for the chocolate fountain.

It was an evening of laughter and friendship.

And Guitar Hero.

(Note Mister Man's "helping hand")

And then, when darkness fell, we built one heckuva fort.

And then.... And THEN, gentle reader, came the best moment of all: the moment in which we all crawled into the fort.

And frightened the POOP out of each other with spooky stories.

It was everything we thought it would be. I felt like I'd slid backwards in time to a summer's night in the 70's when scary stories were told in hushed voices by a group of kids who were huddled around a flashlight, desperately trying to frighten the life out of each other.

It was a fabulous evening, that was capped off by a wonderful morning.

Though I DID notice when I was editing photos, that Shayne's hand was reaching over to steal a slice of bacon off my breakfast plate.....

Ah, friends. You have to love 'em....

Hot from the Desert

As we slog through the January rain, and day after day of endless grey skies, I have to remind myself that, not even a month ago, I was hanging out in the desert. And it was glorious. So, I went back and picked through my photos, plucking out the ones that I thought might lift you out of the winter doldrums and catapult you into a place where things are dry, not drenched. Can't you just feel the sun beating down on you now?

We visited a ghost town that was full of nifty textures and colours.

The following message could be adopted for general use, don't you think?

Mister Man complied.

There was much to photograph.

Old mines 'n stuff.

Wildlife!!

Family in the old west....

A taste of home!

Of course Mister Man found the bar.

And, in homage to Kids in the Hall, Mister Man "squished the head" of the horizon. He's got the whole world in his hands. Indeed.

I shot this looking through the eyeball end of a telescope. It kind of reminds me of a perfect ending in an old-school western.... Giddy up.