The Real Summer

I posted about the cool June a few months ago.  Now, let me fill you in on the gorgeous summer that came afterwards.  One week of discomfort from 90 degree weather with no AC, but other than that we had over 40 days of no rain and more sun in two months than we had seen the whole year combined!  I now see why people stick it through the months of endless gloom.  Let me yell it for all to hear, SEATTLE SUMMER (when it eventually got here) WAS BEAUTIFUL!  It's been too long since my last post to fill you in on every detail that has happened, so I will share it in summary and picture form. 

We enjoyed the summer in Seattle by hiking, floating down the Snoqualmie River in tubes, checking out neighborhoods I hadn't yet visited, trying stand-up paddle boarding, cooking a lot, trying new restaurants, me volunteering at MDA camp, and attempting to grow a little potted garden on a patio that barely fits our grill even with one of the arms taken off.  We also traveled to LA area for Caitlin and Jason's wedding (my first time to California).

"Who is this___?" At Madame Tussauds in Hollywood, CA

Santa Monica Pier

Griffith Observatory while Tom was with the wedding party the day of the wedding

Risotto balls and carafe of wine sitting in the best table in the house at Bizzarro's

Hike at Coal Creek Trail

My first accident...just a fender bender with no injuries and not my fault!

Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle...Tom and I's first real zoo visit together

Lake Serene Hike I did with coworkers

New couch/ottoman added to cozy up our place

Mt. Rainier foothills

On the Burroughs Mountains with Mt. Rainier in the background!

Visit to Ballard Locks and Fish Ladder

Fresh flowers all summer :)

My daytime visit to Gasworks park to eat lunch, read, and watch the planes take off from the lake

What a great summer, 2012.  Can't wait to have visitors next summer to show Seattle off! *coughcoughi'mtalkingtoyoucoughcough* 


My change to day shift was relatively smooth.  I'm feeling better and finally getting full days off vs. on night shift when I had to sleep through a lot of the time off.  Work itself is quite crazy during the day, but I am willing to face it when I can actually have a normal life otherwise. Tom has been on his own at work for several months now and enjoying the challenge.  He has still been brewing beer, the last batch being a s'more beer (can't wait to try it in a week!).  A couple months ago he made a berry wheat beer with fresh berries from the market in his ingredient list.  Our little garden has yielded lots of basil (the last harvest soon to be pesto), exactly 11 red cherry tomatoes and more green ones growing, green Oregon Spring tomatoes that never turned, about 8 poblano peppers still growing, and herbs that may be either thyme or oregano, we haven't figured it out for sure.  Not too bad for growing them all from seeds and in pots set out on a patio measuring about 4'x3' without direct sunlight, though we will probably start with seedlings next year.

We are looking forward to visiting the Midwest in a month for Tom's sister Kristen's wedding!  After the wedding in Utica, IL, we will take a trip down to visit my family and then to Memphis to see his parent's new house. 

Now that I've given you picture proof of a great summer, go northWEST YOUNG PEOPLE (and young people at heart)! Finally a payoff for the gloom washINgton!