Halperin & Christ

sunset at port townsend

gnomes at rv camp in port townsend

we are finally connected wirelessly, as opposed to by data card and can actually enter a full post without constant interruption of service……to be expected in the northwest.

it’s beautiful here, even in the rain. we are sitting looking out at west beach, near the town of east sound on orcas island.¬† there are land masses surrounding us, it is hard to tell where one island stops and the other starts. orcas is a kind of horseshoe shape so you are always looking at part of the island from practically wherever you are.

we have been frequenting the local farmer’s market, yesterday in downtown eastsound. all organic fruits and veggies, mostly smaller than what we get in california but equally delicious.¬† we have also been having our fair share of clams, they are small and delicious and plentiful!

not too much yet in the way of interesting new building techniques or green architecture, though admittedly we have been doing more kicking back than seeking much out……mostly we have been fascinated with the whole rv culture……see attached photos.

eric is golfing at the port ludlow golf course and i am enjoying the sun as i blog….

just met a very friendly gentleman, tom rice, from sausalito (!) who works for port ludlow property sales. see his attached website.¬† this is rather a planned community with design review and all that. not too much of a town but beautiful vistas and a marina. apparently many californians have settled here, it definitely has somewhat of a california feel to it. tom was a big fan of eichlers but wasn’t sure the design review board would support that style of house. (sound all too familiar????) port townsend on the other hand is a real town with old victorian buildings still intact, never having burned down.¬† we stayed in a rv campground……a rather bizarre experience. our neighbors had gnomes set out on their campsite…..i guess to make them feel more at home……maybe they saw amelie and appreciated the travelling gnomes…..who knows…..the weather has been spectacular, even though weather.com predicted days of rain i am sitting in full sunshine as i blog. we are headed to the last wednesday port townsend farmer’s market for the year and then off to the san juan islands tomorrow.

lake crescent, view from hank

steel fence in front of experience music museum by frank gehry

hurricane hill

bathroom floor at pike’s market

It has been requested by certain individuals that we give more description to what we are actually doing….fair enough….here goes…

At this particular moment we are sitting on the edge of lake crescent on the Olympic peninsula in

Yesterday we camped in the heart o’the hills at the base of the Olympic national forest. We hiked in the rain forest where mushrooms, fungus and ferns abound.  The description of the old growth forest “ that has a vibrancy hard to find anywhere else” was quite apt.

This last weekend we spent in seattle, seeing the locks, checking out frank gehry’s experience music museum and rem koolhaas’s new public library (both very interesting on the inside, one less so on the exterior) and visiting with an old friend of eric’s, john howe, and his lovely wife jeri. He runs a recycling business in seattle and she is a therapeutic harpist (a thanatologist) working at providence

Traveling is wonderful….we finally have our camping routine down, and as far as we are concerned, hank is the best. He has made several friends along the way. Now that he has new curtains across the front and the sleep chamber is complete he is looking quite well dressed. No one can believe he is 24 years old!

salmon pig

pepper stand at pike’s market in seattle

rem koolhaas public library in seattle

91907-hank-riding-vashon-ferry.pdf

hank’s first ferry ride was smooth, short and successful.

the beginning of travels with hank

ruben-and-beth-2.jpg

barb-david.jpg

thanks to our wonderful friends & family, barb and david, ruben and beth, who joined us this weekend to kick off our journey. much pinot tasting occurred and we enjoyed the environs of the mcmenamins at the hotel oregon (see link). worth checking out wherever possible, these are two brothers that refurbish wonderful old buildings and bring them back to life with art and whimsy.