Category: family

Northwest weekend

This past weekend, Suzi treated me to a weekend in the Sound. We stayed in Tacoma, at the same place we’d stayed a few years ago.

We got much-needed rest and explored Point Ruston and Point Defiance Park. A ferry ride to Vashon Island sounded like a good idea.1 We visited the lighthouse at Point Robinson Park and ate in Vashon.2 On the ferry ride back, we were one of eight vehicles. There’s not a lot of people headed from Vashon Island to Tacoma late Saturday night.

The next day, we decided to head to Seattle. Somehow we ended up in West Seattle, along Seacrest Park. I’m sure the view of downtown would have been spectacular if the tops of the buildings weren’t dipping into the clouds. Since we were already pretty much there, we stopped by the Alki Point Lighthouse, then headed back downtown where we caught a larger ferry to Bainbridge Island. We walked downtown, exploring a cool little bookstore, some fun little shops, and the local art museum. After eating, it was time for the drive home.

Thank you, Suzi, for a fun birthday weekend!

  1. Did you know that people just sit in their cars on ferry rides? That’s like not looking out the windows when riding an airplane. Some people… ;-) ↩
  2. After deciding not to wait 3 hours (!) for a table at May Kitchen. Seems a reservation there is a good idea. ↩

Christmas visit to Canon Beach

Any time of the year is a great time to visit Cannon Beach. In fact, we have a tradition of visiting the beach the first weekend of the new year. As our kids have grown up and moved out and away, it’s more difficult to do with everyone. This year, it would be impossible. So, rather than admit defeat, we went when everyone could — on Christmas day! After stockings and opening our presents, we loaded all of us and the dogs into a couple of cars and headed off.

Unsurprisingly, the weather was great and the company better. We skipped our normal visit to Insomnia1 and went straight to the beach. The dogs had a great time running around the beach and into the water. We walked to the Rock, took some pictures, and Jamison and Kevin flew Jamison’s drone.

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It was a merry Christmas ??

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  1. Insomnia Coffee, like everything else we like to visit in Cannon Beach, was closed2 for Christmas. ↩
  2. Except the beach itself — of course! ↩

A decorated tree

After getting the tree home yesterday, we washed it, shook it, and left it outside to dry. Then we put it in a stand in a different corner of the room than usual. Lights, ribbons, candy canes, and an angel later, we paused to take it all in.

Mmm… It’s a little taller than we’d expected. Not a bad thing.

It might be time to get some presents.

Fetching the Christmas Tree, 2018

We waited longer than usual to get our Christmas tree this year. Our preferred day is the Sunday after Thanksgiving. That didn’t work this year because of our family reunion. The next weekend we were in Salt Lake City. And Suzi worked last weekend.

So, today was the day, and it was perfect — if you like rain. Which we do. Or, it doesn’t stop us. Regardless, off we headed, to the same place we’ve gone the last two or three years. Being so late in the season, most of the tall trees were already taken. Allegedly, there were some taller trees if we walked a quarter mile in that direction, back where we’d come from. We walked and then walked around some more, looking and getting wetter. And having fun. Way more fun than going to a lot and getting a tree already found and cut and staked up as though waiting to be found by us.

Back at the tree farm, the pickin’s were slim and so is our tree. But with decorations, it will be perfect, as is every Christmas tree.

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Tree hunting in the rain?

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Photo credits. Thanks to Jamison for taking pictures this year and giving me permission to post them. Suzi also took a few, which she shared on Instagram.

Logan Family Reunion, 2018

Another couple of years, another Logan family reunion. Our reunion has changed over the years as one generation takes the place of the prior one and the age distribution changes.1

This reunion was not as well attended as some before. Some family members had other places they needed or wanted to be. We miss those who could not attend. And we were thankful that those near this year’s wildfires were able to join us.

Rain kept us indoors and together. Puzzles, games,2 and meals kept us talking. Willy continued his tradition of reviewing the prior reunion’s predictions and collecting new ones.3

On the final day, my immediate family packed up, took some pictures,4 and left.

We’re already looking forward to our next reunion.

  1. This year, another generation took over planning the next reunion. I’m looking forward to the changes and returning to some of the things that made prior reunions fun and meaningful. ↩
  2. Including Pokemon Go! Not only was the wifi much improved, but the Meadow Lodge is a Pokestop. ↩
  3. I was one for two. I wonder how my two new predictions will fare. ↩
  4. Of ourselves, and of the new deck. Looking forward to a year where it’s not so wet and we can spend some time outdoors on it. ↩