Wicked good dinah in Portland

Knowing full well that it was going to be a long, hungry flight home, we decided to fill up at a much touted local diner for “dinna”, Becky’s on Hobsons Wharf.














The five to ten minute walk “downt” to the “wawahf” – depending on how long it took to negotiate the “cahs” in four lanes of traffic (with no crosswalk) on Commercial Street – was worth every sweaty step.

Bottomless cups of New England java, an oversized prominent “countah”, a real clothesline for orders, convivial waitresses, guilty-sized portions and the  blueberry pancakes...wicked awesome.

The walk back uphill was a “pissah”, but the carbo-load for the flight home was memorable.

Blazing a new trail

A right turn instead of left and we found ourselves deep in the woods, off-trail.

Not to worry, this way out. I...think. 

Or was it, this way?

Meet Brody - Portland Peace Dog

A side trip of 4 days to Portland, Maine for a Veterans For Peace Conference meant that we needed a proxy Peace Dog for Casey, home with Marsha, who he was likely to be working non-stop.

With temperatures pushing 90 degrees on Sunday, an aging contingency of peace activists labored through a spirited march through town, just like the good old days.

 

That's when we found our stand-in.  Meet Brody, 120 pounds of Mastiff-Black Lab mix, and all nonviolent resistence...at least resistence to moving another step.

Sometimes words are just not enough

This is just one pooped Border Collie.

Full bay press, wake or no wake

If it’s summer, and Tuesday, it must be time for kayak polo on Bellingham Bay. For two or three hours each week, eight kayak athletes compete in a sport that’s only been around for around 25 years. Often called canoe polo in other countries, these competitors wield paddles in choppy waters, on the verge of sheer exhaustion, to score goals or baskets until the sun sinks behind the San Juans.

For the rest of us dry slackers, it's really very entertaining.

Distant BC grandeur

The view from Marine Park of the Canadian Coastal Range, running northwest to southeast along the west coast of British Columbia, at twilight…memorable.

Good friends on the town in Fairhaven

Skylark's Hidden Cafe seemed like a good call to put a cap on a weather-perfect day on the town. Marsha, Vic, and I had hardly sat down before Casey attracted two other Border Collie "parents" that he worked for head rubs until the food came.

Finishing up at Marine Park at sunset in a front row seat - but it's obvious Casey's ready to go home.

Don't ask

Well, tonight we've established one thing for sure.  Night snapshots are not our thing, even with an incredible full moon. 

But Casey saw no reason for not having a Frisbee toss.  We did indulge him a few catches, and you know what, he didn't do so

 bad in the moonlight. 

Enough already, let's go inside kid.

Photo of the weekend

I just love this picture!  Just what's going through Casey's mind do you think?  Or what did he spot?  Whatever...like most Border Collies, he's a complex little guy. 

Fall just on the horizon

Bellingham Bay and northern San Juan Islands

With a weak frontal system and isolated rain showers moving into the area for the rest of the weekend, vistas like this are typical and will eventually be ushering in our Indian summer.

And no complaints from Casey.  Nothing like this back on the farm.

Late night tug o' war

Sometimes you just need a good towel tug, but at 10 o'clock at night?  

Is that so much to ask...really?

And just maybe he'll sleep in.

Now what?

Well, what do you know, the pinot noir grapes on the deck lattice survived terrible soil and an even worse winter.  Now what?

A backyard varietal leading to 750 ml of red table wine anytime soon?  Not likely.  But vines crawling over the awning eventually? 

Vintage shade at least.     

The last lavender holdout

A lonely front yard bumble bee seems to be "hanging in there" on

a raggedy lavender at sunset.

  

A really late start?  Or maybe just a obsessive compulsive forager?

Twilight toss

When it comes to being on the receiving end of a Frisbee, Casey is an all-weather, 24/7 interceptor, and that comes in handy around here. 

Mr. Intensity

And chasing that slobbery disc at sunset...a piece o' cake. 

Co-Op vigil

A quick stop in the Food Co-Op -a bottle of wine, milk, some fruit - but it probably seemed like  hours (10 minutes actually) to Casey .

Our favorite grocery store, the Bellingham Community Food Co-Op has been around for over 40 years.

The Co-Op specializes in mostly organic, locally produced or manufactured grocery items.  Can't go wrong, but Border Collies, no clerk or patron would ever take them for service dogs.

One head rub after another from passers-by, after the doors would magically open and close again and again (go figure), and eventually Vic appears with the goods.    

50% off stakeout

It won't be long now...whadda ya think?

Couldn't she have changed her clothes

at home?

She sees me. She's coming! 

But she's wearing the same clothes!?

I don't get it...but I think we're outta here anyway.

Genus alcea or ET

Day of the Triffids (1962)

We have no idea if our hollyhocks are shills for triffids, but they're huge, one at least 11 feet high.  Is that normal??

If these guys uproot and start shuffling around on three appendages by Labor Day, we're outta here.  The sweet gum tree will be on its own. 

Bellingham by the bay

When the thermometer’s pegged at 90 degrees all weekend, one way to beat the heat is to hang out at Boulevard Park.


It was the perfect late afternoon refuge on what seemed like Saturday’s last gasp of summer.

And the draw for most of the regulars... just a hint, a tease really, of sea breeze.

And these are all I need

I got nuthin' left.  Are we turning in or what?

Reaching double digits

Even with all that's been going on this week, Vic's had time to crank out another really quality quilt for  the county hospice quilting project -                          Number 10!

And Stella and Casey always seem to insist on being part of the action when we're archiving the handiwork. 

All of a sudden they've got nothing better to

do...and no where else to do it.