Downtown Snohomish

I love this shot from Main Street looking out over the Snohomish River, with the red geraniums and the bridge in the background.  I love where I live.  I've dreamed of living here since around 1992, when I first really explored the area. That dream came true in 2001, when we found our Maltby home.  Over twelve years later, we can truly call this place home.

A Girl and Her Dog

Today was the 31st day without rain in the Seattle area, and we are truly having a summer this year.  Nala the Dog was very patient today, waiting for me to finish all of my errands, so I took her to Maltby Park this evening.  We did a complete loop around the park, and she was exhausted but happy. I love the way she looks up when a picture is being taken!

A Midsummer Night

The day's end came gently today, with filtered gold sunlight, a light and fragrant breeze.  Summer imbues a sense of well-being, and of extending our world to the out-of-doors.  One can almost imagine no Fall or Winter, just warmth and ease and being one with the earth and all its bounty.  Flowers have invaded barren spaces, the birds have doubled their singing.  As the words to the song go, "Summertime, and "the livin' is easy".

The darkness is not so dark in summer, and all living things seem to rise toward the sun, day and night.  My last glance at the outside world tonight was of this lovely backyard scene, a place filled with memories of sharing coffee and conversation, meals with friends and family, and a place to call my own.

A Summer Window Box

This charming cottage window next door to our beach house reminds me of a window you'd find in the French countryside.  The cerulean blue of the shutters sets off the lovely profusion of petunias, which seem to be thriving in spite of the ocean air.

Last Day at the Beach

Today was overcast and very warm, and we spent the day riding  Beach Cruiser Bicycles, reading, napping and walking on the beach.  There was no wind this evening as we walked from Roosevelt Beach in the direction of the Sandpiper Resort.  Nala loved chasing the birds and running into the surf.  She's very tired this evening, and is now fast asleep.

The water was beautiful tonight, with the clouds overhead and the sun getting ready to set.

Dorothy Anderson Cabin at Seabrook Completed

The historic Dorothy Anderson cabin was recently completed at Starbucks.  See my post earlier this year to read the history of this woman and the dwelling she built. 

http://slowlifeinmaltby.blogspot.com/2013/05/dorothy-anderson-cabin-at-seabrook.html

Here are pictures of the exterior now, and pictures of what the original cabin interior looked like.  The original wood stove was salvaged and installed in the new cabin.

 

 

 

 

The True Meaning of Vacation

 A vacation is a day when you can do the following:

• Wake up "naturally"--this means 9 a.m. instead of 5 a.m.!
• Don't get dressed until noon
• Eat breakfast without any notion of what time it is
• Have no plans for the day--just do what you want
• Skip lunch and have an early dinner
• Eat dessert at 8 p.m.
• Put your manicured feet up and relax
• Throw away your watch
• Watch marathon TV episodes of your favorite series
• And finally, grind fresh coffee beans, inhale the aroma while the coffee brews, and savor each sip

Repeat above until the last day of vacation.  :)

Porches of Summer at Seabrook

Don't these two homes have a welcoming exterior and porches that make you stop and want to sit a while?  I love the formal look of the first home, and the long row of Adirondack chairs and hammock in the second picture.

 

 

The Homes of Seabrook

The homes of Seabrook range from small one-bedroom cottages to large, three story, five-bedroom mansions.  It's a lovely and diverse town, still growing, and today there are 290 completed homes, cottages and cabins.  There is still a lot of growth for the future, and new homes are being sold and built constantly.

Here is a sample of this elegant town, so take the tour with me.  You can stop at Mill 109 Pub for lunch or dinner, and eat inside or outside.  Friday and Saturday nights you can find live music after 7 p.m.  On weekends, they serve wonderful breakfasts. 

The next picture is the long and winding road up the hill as you enter Seabrook.  The grassy knoll overlooks the ocean and the long stairway down to the beach.

The third picture features a classic turn-of-the-century Craftsman Bungalow home, complete with a second story and a large front porch.

 

 

 

 

Sit, Stay

I bought this hooked rug pillow at the Salty Dog Boutique at Seabrook on our first day of vacation.  It will look great in our Music Room, and will remind me (and Nala) of our summer week at the beach this year.

There was a second pillow with the command "Stay", but I left it at the store for someone else to enjoy.

The Surf House at Pacific Beach

Less than a mile down the road from Seabrook is a new coffee shop serving Seattle's Best Coffee (owned by Starbucks)  and Tazo Tea (also Starbucks).  First thing in the morning, I drive down for our beverages of choice, and either some home-made Harvest Bars or fresh cinnamon rolls.  It has Wi-Fi, comfy furniture, and a nice ambience.  It's just a few blocks from the beach.

Step inside, smell the coffee brewing, and rest a while before hitting the beach!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Produce Market at Copalis Crossing

About five miles before you reach Seabrook, there is a new produce market at Copalis Crossing on Powell Road.  We noticed it the last time we visited Seabrook, but didn't stop.  Yesterday, on Sunday, we drove the five miles back to the market to check it out.  We were also in the market for fresh vegetables for a large salad to last our stay here at Koa Surf and Board.

We arrived at the market, and the produce stand is located in the former garage of the home there. The owner is a contractor and farmer, and he and his wife bought an old barn-type building that has had many iterations since the mid-1800's.  Most recently, it was the building that housed the train depot for Pacific Beach.

This couple bought the structure and moved it to their existing five acres, and started the renovation.  Today, they've added three other small outbuildings, and a walkway between the home and the produce/garage area.  The display cabinets are very nicely done, as is the entire homestead.  There are several large gardens filled with kale, lettuces, and many other heirloom vegetables.

Quite a bit later, we left with two large bags of salad ingredients and fruit, and a lot of information about the history of Pacific Beach and this little roadside stand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Washington Coast

We love the Washington coast, with wide sandy beaches, driftwood, and shells.  It's virtually deserted all times of the year, making for relaxing hikes and walks that can extend for miles.  It's also a great way to tire out a very lively 11-year-old dog such as Nala!

Here are pictures of our outing on Sunday.  We enjoyed bright blue skies and very little wind.  Temperatures were in the mid-sixties. 

 

 

Koa Surf and Board

We splurged this year, and rented this lovely home in the middle of summer!

Here are some pictures of the house and amenities.  The Hawaiian theme is carried out throughout the house, and it's very charming and upbeat.  There are two decks, and rocking chairs on the deck off the living room. Below the decks is an area with two Adirondack chairs with a fire pit for evenings spent visiting, listening to the ocean, and cooking S'Mores.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My 45th High School Reunion

Well, it finally arrived on June 29--Ingraham High School's Class of 1968 45th Reunion!  We started planning this one after the 40th Reunion at Shilshole in 2008--we had enough money left in our account to pay for quite a bit of this festive occasion!

We had 70 classmates attend, and it was at Estefe Winery in Woodinville.  It was a small, but very elegant venue, and it was my favorite reunion to date.  There was no loud music, no dancing, just talking,and laughing to some soft 60's hits playing in the background.  We had great savory food to go with the wine, and lots of fresh fruit and appetizers, which were all prepared in the large brick stove and serving area in the main room.  We had slides of classmates on the big screen TV (so much fun to watch!), and many scanned pages from our yearbook.

Here's me with Skip Tucker, our class comedian, former DJ and weather copter guy from Los Angeles, now a motivational speaker who travels the world in any given year.  Skip is also one of my best friend Liz's friends.

It was a wonderful evening.  My Reunion Committee is already thinking about our 50th, which will be back at Shilshole Bay in Seattle.

 

 

 

 

 

Snohomish Garden Club Friendship Tour 2013

The Snohomish Garden Club Friendship tour kicked off in late June, and each Sunday for the rest of the summer, club members will open their gardens to other members from noon-5 p.m.  It's a great time to get better acquainted with other gardeners in the area, and much knowledge is shared from the various experts who have been gardening in this climate for years.

Yesterday, we hosted an afternoon of garden sharing, refreshments and conversation for the Snohomish Garden Club members, and their friends and family.  It was a perfect Summer day, and our first visitors arrived around 12:30 p.m.  For the rest of the afternoon (right up to 5 p.m.!), we hosted 87 people at our home and garden.  It was an unforgettable experience!

Here is a sample of pictures from our three areas of our Maltby property--our pasture, our back yard, and our front yard with its new 240-foot white picket fence.

Firewood Is Curing

While we are busy with summer gardening, the firewood in the solar woodshed is quietly soaking up the sun and preparing for winter fires.  This batch of wood is now going on two years old, and will be moved to the front of the shed for easy pickup for fall and winter fires in the woodstove.  The new wood we buy at the end of summer will go in the back of the shed, giving it a couple of seasons to cure and dry.

I thought the light playing on this stack of wood in the shed had artistic value, so I snapped a photo.

Scarlet Runner Beans

My heirloom Scarlet Runner Beans are quickly climbing the north side of the solar wood shed.  They were only a few inches tall a couple of weeks ago, and they are now over five feet high.  The red blossoms are starting to appear now, and soon the whole group of vines will have scarlet punctuation!

Fairy Lights for the Back Yard

All of the houses at Seabrook have these wonderful lights on their covered porches, so I decided I needed some in the back yard.  These look beautiful at sunset and all night long, and set the mood for long, warm summer nights.

The Fourth of July

The weather was cool and overcast today, but the sun came out in the early afternoon.  We went for a ride today, and here's me and Nala in a green, tree-lined park in Snohomish.  She had a good time walking grassy fields and gravel pathways, and she always enjoys her ride and a walk.

More Photos of the Yard and Garden

Here are a few pictures of the vegetable garden, with heirloom beans, peas, rutabagas, carrots, zucchini, squash, and rhubarb.

Final Preparations for the Garden Club Tour Sunday

I'm in final preparations for the garden tour Sunday from noon-5 p.m.  The gardeners came yesterday to finish mowing the lawns and prepping the flower beds and mulch.  It looks beautiful!  Here's a sample of some of the areas of the property.

 

 

Garden Sheds and Structures

Here are a couple of examples of creative sheds and garden structures at the Dutch Hill property during the Snohomish Garden Club tour.  The purple clematis made a lovely accent in the corner of the vegetable garden.