WHATZ UP??? Overdue Blogging.

Catching up:

• Happy Easter!!!
• Tulips  (A LOT OF THEM)
• Brandon visits Seattle
• Up date on Toni

Toni and I spent a couple of days in La Conner, Washington.   Every year there is a tulip festival. The city of La Conner and Skagit County produce more bulbs (flowers) than any other county in the US. We went about a week early trying to avoid the peak crowds. The city is like 850 people... and 100,000+ will visit the city in the next few weeks. We spent a wonderful evening at a terrific place called the Skagit Bay Hideaway : http://www.skagitbay.com/. 

Toni on the deck of the guest house at Skagit Bay.

The tulips did not disappoint.   The northwest has had unseasonably warm weather.  And the flowers are blooming early.  Too much to capture in one picture.

So... just a few daffodils in this field.

Rows of tulips with Mount Baker in the background.

A lone white tulip in a sea of red.

 

As we were leaving La Conner we turned down a road in an attempt to avoid the crowds in the "downtown" area.  As we crested the hill, this (above) is what we saw.   Toni (number 1 lover of wildlife) yells out "DUCKIES!!!) Her remark so stunned me... it wasn't until after we enjoyed a few moments with the "TURKEYS" that I had to tell her what she said.   A warm hilarious moment. Apparently this group of turkeys is quite famous in La Conner.   Toni finally had to shepard them so we could drive down the street.   Wish I could have captured that moment, but she had the camera.

Toni and one of the La Conner Tulips at the Calico Cupboard bistro. 

A wonderful lunch and the pastries are to die for.

We also visited the Quilt and Textile Museum. http://www.laconnerquilts.com/.  This house has its own unique history and was nearly destroyed by fire.   But now it displays some of the most contemporary quilts ever made.   Seeing is believing.   These quilts are made up of digital images and ingenious hand craftsmanship.  I know very little of quilting and now I am a fan.  The work of Laura Schwartz Smith is featured below.

This one reminds me of Toni's daily routine of making her bun.

Brandon came up to visit with us during his spring break.  We toured the city, including a rare visit to the Space Needle on a somewhat clear day.   He toured the Genie Industries and Boeing plants where Toni and I work.   The pictures below are from the Warbird museum.  Most of the aircraft fly each year.   Awesome.

This aircraft was flown by (then) Soviet women pilots at night.   They would carry a couple of bombs in the cockpits; they would turn off the engine, swoop in above the Nazi army, and throw out the bombs.   And they would do this several times a night, regardless of how cold it was. Most impressive.  

Two of the aircraft in the museum are noted to be the last of their kind in flyable condition... the one above and the P40 below (with the shark teeth).  

So, are you wondering how these aircraft could possibly be maintained.  Well, Paul Allen is the major investor of the Flying Heritage Museum.   Yes... that Paul Allen... co founder of Microsoft, current owner of the Seattle Seahawks, Portland Trailblazers, and the Seattle Sounder soccer team.   And if you need more about Mr. Allen... just "Google" him.   Brandon, who is quite the musician, got to experience Paul Allen's other contributions to Seattle including the Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum.

Toni is progressing along with her Tamoxifan therapy.   She still has issues with lymphedema and as of late has wound up with a nerve problem in her neck/back/left arm, which makes her quite uncomfortable.  And she has a cold.   Next Monday she visits with her oncologist to get an update on some of the benchmarking imagery they did a few weeks ago.   She is just quite the strong person... and still is as radiant as ever.