Vonnie and I had a great time with Linda and Ken during the last week of June, after the cruise was over and they were returned to Seattle. The best thing, of course, was simply seeing them and sharing family and new stories, and having them here in our home. The highlights were a foot ferry trip out through the San Juan Islands which left from Anacortes and included the Whale Museum (history and tracking of Orcas and their pods) on Friday Harbor and including a ferry picnic, a jaunt over to Deception Pass on Whidby Island (very tall bridges with beaches below) where Vonnie and Linda walked some of the trails to see the bridge structures from below, the Wednesday Market in Fairhaven as well as a light dinner at the Colophon there, and a beautiful drive up as far as we could be to Mount Rainier after picnicking at Silver Lake, up near the Canadian border, on the way to the Mountain. Ken was quite taken with the snowbank (about 4 feet deep) that ended the trip before we reached the final viewpoint. But we did see two other views and two of the snow covered mountains from closer that sea level, Mt. Shuskan, and the Twin Sisters' range. We had a couple of barbecues in our yard under the grape and honeysuckle gazebo, one with Northwest CopperRiver salmon and the other with spareribs (baby ones, compared to those that we had in Oklahoma while guests of James David and Brandi, but very yummy). Our cat Mithril Boy and our duck Wanda WakWak were entertaining when they cornered a mole in the yard right by the gazebo. And Linda even found an airplane exhibit for Ken to see which he was quite impressed by. It had been on our list, but Linda got it all happening. So, many pictures and experiences later, the trip was wonderful, and we really appreciated it. Love, Llew.