"cheese"

Posing in front of  Table Mountain (but not the Table Mountain)

Mount Shuksan

Mount Shuksan from Washington State Highway 542 with an interesting altocumulus forming above.

Mountains

We made up for me being in the UK while friends from the UK were here in the US with a little weekend trip to the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

Fay, Molly, Fin and Harvey made it to the top of Artists Point, with Mount Shuksan (9,127 feet or 2,782 metres) behind.  

That is snow on the ground in July; the road up had only been cleared and opened the previous day.

Evening Sky

Evening sky over Millhead Road, Honiton.

Honiton Market Celebration

The charter for the market in Honiton is 750 years old this year — hence people doing odd things like dancing in the street and throwing penny coins about.

Amelie

Baby Amelie at near enough one month old; exhausted after a stroll along the promenade at Sidmouth.

More on flickr.

Getting About

Getting about was easy thanks to Hilton's Private Car Service (thanks Paul) and the odd train or two.

Travel Again

It's been a year (over a year) since I last traveled for work!

So to celebrate, compare and contrast the towels of Cambridge (above) and Boise.

Good behavior means...

...that's not all day Friday, Saturday & Sunday.

I thought it rather odd to see a six year old leaving notes for himself; I still send myself emails.

Harvey

Finn

"Where's my robot long sleever?"

Weekend Away

A great weekend away at the North Cascades Institute Learning Center at Diablo Lake in the North Cascades National Park.

Diablo lake is formed by Diablo Dam, part of the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project and is surrounded by the odd mountain or two.

The boys (+James & Robert) had their hiking feet on again

and added another waterfall to the bag!

Much thanks to the crew: Jeff, Jeff, Cara, Adam, Ranger Paula, Ranger Lilly & the rest...

More on flickr.

Long hours = tired kids

Last Friday was 'bring your kids to work day'. H & F suffered that, the "store", and a quick scoot into REI for supplies for the weekend on the way home.

Priceless moment while checking them in at reception:

Dad, pointing to illuminated Internet Explorer 'e' sign above the entrance: "do you know what that is?"

H: "No"

Dad: "What to do you use when you go to the cbeebies site?"

H: "Firefox"

Much laughter from people various gathered in reception :-)

Golden

So, while some of us sat in meetings in 10/2269, kids+chums hit the beach at Golden Gardens park.

That's _almost_ the pacific in the background!

Independence Day

Under-cover dessert police checking out the suitably decorated cheese cake at Wednesday's independence day bar-b.

US Star

Here comes the fourth of July...

...enjoy independence day.

Bug protection

Not to be outdone by Victoria, Fay was prepared for a quick nap outdoors, safe in the knowledge that no mossie was going to give her West Nile virus.

jump rope

Getting in some practice for Wednesday!

Fay set the record: 32.

Barby

BBQ'd home made burgers and chicken for tea.

looks like we did something similar last year only Aunty is tightening up on the stuff that's available to expats overseas :-(

urban water scape

Peace and quiet beneath 520.

Canoeing

Kayaking is out with a 6 and 3 year old, and grade 4 white water is definitely a no go. So, after the rafting trip, our next water adventure was a little paddle on Lake Washington, in around union bay by the Arboretum.

Very relaxing, in fact too relaxing. Guess who had a little sleep in the bottom of the boat?

If you're visiting, boat hire was from the University of Washington's water activities center.

More for family and friends on flickr.

Summer is here

The summer evening sun streams into the family room

Sometimes it gets so sunny that F has to wear his shades.