Mirror, Mirror on the BUS!

Nothing prepares for you this: to be in a car on your own, following your own face on the back of a bus.

Motion capture (whilst driving)...

Round 2...

 Snow, walk in the park, French Toast...what a Tuesday Morning

Toast was even smothered with Samoan honey. La la la....

Weather Rant...

Bare with me on this post. I'm a bit obsessed with the weather conditions...

My impatient nature was seriously tested yesterday - waiting for the snow that I missed out on in July.  This was the view from our porch yesterday 11ish.  Not a snow cloud in sight.  Maybe the weather guys got it wrong - and it would pass us by...

By the afternoon the Southerly had arrived (in whirling and theatrical style) quickly followed by hail...but no snow.

And then at 8.30pm last night we FINALLY saw our first flakes (whilst the rest of the South Island and Wellington had already been well dusted)!  And I woke this morning to squeaky, dry, light as light snow. And its still snowing hard out.  And may do so for few days.  

 This is the current state of play at our place...

'Moccasin City'

These BEAUTIES are handmade and come from Ontario Canada.  They are the most comfortable 'shoes' (if you can call them that), ever donned.  I got the boot for my pal, and picked up a pair of the classic slipper for myself. I am a little envious of the boot tassells. You should see them move with every foot action...

40 Years!

My parents celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary today. They got married on Friday the 13th! And are still going strong.  A great sparky marriage seems to be the key. I am in awe and in love with them and their ways... Congratulations!

Seattle and Surrounds...

Seattle.  I saw a bit of it - and what I saw I liked.  To me it was completely unique - full of an old salty dog influence - old ship yards, marine industry, the ever-present logging within the Nor West, and a never ending pattern of bays, harbours and islands. Water was everywhere.  And houses, tucked into nooks and crannies and special spots. Looks like a nice place to live.

These old ship cast iron moulds greeted us on entry to an amazing Oyster Bar - The Walrus and the Carpenter (too cool and intimate to photograph inside the restaurant if you know what I mean).

The tourist trap was best seen at night - with fishermen hosing it down.  Pretty. And Iconic.

Wild flowers (bliss) as part of the SAM Sculpture Park on the foreshore downtown (with that crazy space needle behind).

Evidence of all that wood coming through the city. And impressive cone-like mountains in the distance with snow on them. 

Seattle Art Museum. 

This is part of the SAM Sculpture Park, and when visiting (and sitting pretty much IN a fountain to cool off) we listened to a guy play his trumpet. He wasn't busking. He looked like an 'office worker' who biked down to play at lunch times.  Pretty generous and memorable.

A swamp seen on a 2 hour walk only minutes off a city highway (where you would have no idea the highway was there).  A recreational heaven.

And my amazing hosts took me to their cabin and hour out of the city - where we parked up on these banana loungers that had been raised so we could see over the grill - to get the 'perfect' view of complete serenity and calm.  This view is common of the whole area. Just beautiful bays of water with trees growing densely down to the edge.