Washington (9 & 10): Last Day(s)

Our last day(s) in Washington is kind of a big beautiful blur. It was part morning on the island, part whirlwind couple of hours in Seattle to introduce Lou & the girls to the heart of the city, part good-byes to good friends and part red-eye flight home (like board after 11PM and wake up in Cincinnati when it's actually early the next day).

Here are the highlights from the crazy, hazy last 24 hours in the PNW.

We finally saw the a seal - a baby seal in a roped off area being watched 24 hours by some brand of coastline volunteer squad that protects wildlife. It was sleeping sweetly. So camouflaged. So cute.

There were some big sea rocks to explore and in our 'last day of vacation' bliss, we let the girls do a little rock climbing that, looking back probably wasn't the best parenting judgment we've ever exercised.

A thumbs-up from a precariously-dangling Josie

"I did it!"

From sea stuff..

To Seattle...

See this - it's my fake smile. Because I was terrified. See Bea's face? That's sort of a more accurate reflection of what was really going on.

Josie loved it. (Of course Josie loved it.)

Space Needle Sighting.

Washington (8): Tides, Clams & Sand

Our last full day on Fidalgo & Whidbey Islands was spent much like the others - exploring.  It's a part of the country so different from home, and so fulfilling for all four of us to experience new things at every turn.

We spent a good chunk of this particular day getting to know the tides. The little boat made the perfect marker to explain the tides to the girls. They were so tickled to hang out and pretend like they were sailing across the sea as it sat  there in the mud, when it was bobbing up and down in the water out of reach the evening before. We added more and more treasures to our baskets and dug up clams. We drove to the highest point on the island and looked out over a big blue world in all directions.  We pulled driftwood from the water and made an obstacle course. We frolicked. We basked. We discovered. We soaked it all in.

Here are the highlights.

"Skipping rocks" by the handful 

Perfect form. 

Someone was apparently 'over it' by this point

Seagull Photo Bomb

Josie's sea turtle sculpture

Home base / Porch fort

Equinoxing

So, even though there are still dozens of summer photos that haven't (yet?) made there way up here on the blog, it is officially Autumn.

Pool evenings have been replaced by cool evenings, and the hall closet is filled with hooded sweatshirts instead of hooded towels.

I love the summer, I really do. But I really love autumn - especially the onset of it.

Here's why:

Permission to slow down? 

Thank you Mother Nature.