Point No Point

North of the Kingston ferry terminal, at the northern end of the portion of the Olympic peninsula just across from Edmonds is the village of Hansville and the Point No Point lighthouse.

Seamus' First Photoshoot

We started with a sleepy boy nestled in in blankets, resting between nursing sessions. You can tell he's happy: this is the closest thing to a smile I've seen from him.

Eagles and Gulls

Down the beach a bit from the house is a spot where there is a fairly wide beach. This morning I noticed that there were Bald Eagles outside our place and when I found them down the road, I went back to try to get a photo or two.

An Impression out the Rear Window

Some of you may be shocked to learn that it was a soft day today and we had rain. After a bit it did stop. But it started again. And again. So I thought I'd do the best I could with this foggy, featureless scene and go impressionistic.

The Boys at the Beach

So, we finally got some sun in the morning and I thought it a good time to grab a few shots of Barkis and Lenny (above).

Poulsbo

Today we took a break from grandparenting to see a little of our surroundings. We drove over to Poulsbo, a town settled by Norwegians. It's a great little town across the bridge from Bainbridge Island on the Olympic peninsula.

Life on Bainbridge Island

I our current assignment, we have two charges: Barkis and Lenny. Barkis seems to like to block out the light when he goes to bed and pulls a blanket over his face.

Seamus' Birthday

Yesterday was a special day for many people. We gathered at the hospital to support Anna (and Seth) in the final stages of Seamus' birth. After some 62 hours, Seamus was born by C-section.

It is Time!

The blog has slowed to a crawl now because Anna is in the hospital working to give birth. Seamus is on his way! Slowly. Sometime later today he's going to be born one way or the other. More info when we have it.

From the Backyard

We are taking care a couple dogs at a house sittle on the shore of Bainbridge Island. There's a doberman and chihuahua, an odd couple to be sure, but they are really affectionate.

Across the way to the near shore is a quiet little neighborhood. But in other directions, there are mosre interesting things to see.

The Edmonds-to-Kingston Ferry

Today we took the ferry to Kingston and drove south across the short bridge to Bainbridge Island for our first house sit. In the distance, you see the Olympic Mountains on the Olympic Peninsula in the distance beyond the low island just across the sound. See, there is really is sunshine here once in a while.

Going Mobile!

We have wheels! Through a process slightly less complicated than the Treaty of Versailles, we are now driving a car given to Paul and Tawnya by their neighbor. Too expensive to sell it to us (taxes) and we aren't residents, so we can't register it. Nevertheless, we are legally driving a Toyota Camry for the duration of our stay here.

In case you can't tell, it is wet out there. Most days are, off and on, the sorts of day the English would call soft days with just a light slow rain falling. Not enough water to need an umbrella or even really a raincoat for limited ventures. For me a hat is nearly enough.

Puget Sound

This afternoon there seemed to be a few minutes between preparing and emptying Seth and Anna's pod with all their stuff in it, so we headed to see Puget Sound at Edmonds.

Spring Is On the Way

We are settling into the pace of life here in Seattle and noticing that it rains a lot. I know this is a shock to all of you, but it really does rain pretty regularly...like everyday! I have seen that the sky is blue in spots but cannot attest personally to the probability that the entire sky is all blue at once.

In Seattle

We've arrived in Seattle and have mostly gotten ourselves in the right time zone for being awake. This morning we were a bit fuzzy headed and grumpy, but this afternoon, things smoothed out and we did fine. Even going to bed at a proper hour, not the middle of the afternoon or night or something crazy like that.

No photos to relay today. You'll be shocked to know that it is raining. On the radio this morning, we heard that the fog was lifting to reveal...clouds. Looks like we'll get rain for most of the next two weeks if not longer. But this makes things green and lush and that's not a bad thing.

We've spent most of our time talking and getting caught up on what we've missed during our travels in Australia.  There are some crocus starting to poke their heads out in the front, so maybe I'll aim for a few photos tomorrow. Looks like tomorrow or Saturday we'll get sorted with our "loaner" car from the neighbor. He's going to sell us the car for a dollar and we'll sell it back to him when we are done. Seems like a good deal. All we need to supply is gasoline and insurance. I'm still unclear on registering a car as a non-resident of Washington, but we'll sort it out.

A Little Bit of Hollywood

After arriving at LAX this morning, we took the shuttle to the hotel and, of course, 10 AM is too early to check in. So, we stored our luggage and caught a cab to Hollywood. Decided to see tinseltown so we can say we've been there.

A Day in Melbourne

Our day out started a bit soft with some light drizzle. We took the bus to the train station in Broadmeadows and hopped on the train into town. One of our first excursions off the street when we got to town was in an arcade where we found a pyramid of macaroons.

Preparing to Fly

We have finished our house sit and are in a motel near the Melbourne Airport. We are considering a visit to the CBD but we need to spend some time finalizing our packing.

We've stored all the stuff we aren't taking with us (3 suitcases full +) in the back of the ute. Our hosts from our last sit graciously agreed to park the ute in their drive while we are gone, so we get to store our vehicle for free. This means, of course, that we are now without transportation. So tomorrow we will take the bus to the train station and the train downtown. Tonight we walked to a restaurant and we brought some food with us to cover a meal or two.

We will take the shuttle to the airport Tuesday and be on our way. We leave here about 11:15 AM and Arrive at 6:15 AM on the same day. Kinda makes you want to just stand there and watch the plane take off, eh!

We're headed home with 3 suitcases and our backpacks (mine is full of camera stuff, of course). We are ready to be back with family and friends and explore the city that will be our new home: Seattle.

A Few Thoughts

On 7 March we return to the US. As the first segment of our travels in Australia nears an end, it seems appropriate to reflect a little on what we've learned about this country and the gracious people that live here.

Ballarat

We took the drive about 1.5 hours west to Ballarat. This is a town that was built with gold. In 1851, gold was discovered near here and it boomed. The remnants of the money that flooded in are still seen in the many grand buildings.

Kyneton and Woodend

A drive through the country took us to the towns of Kyneton and Woodend. Here are few of the smaller details we found along the way. Above is a decoration on an air vent along the street in Kyneton(one of those near the sidewalk).