Day 490: Island Princess

You can follow our cruise with the Island Princess webcam.

The first cruise we ever took was for our 20th anniversary. Only rich people cruised but we wanted to celebrate right for a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Except the once-in-a-lifetime trip has become a once-every-few-years trip. Our favorite cruise line is Princess and we're back with them again.

Island Princess to Alaska. Two weeks of rest and relaxation. And not just in one of the tiny inside cabins we usually book. We got a call a few days ago that we were being upgraded to a balcony cabin at no extra cost.

We feel so lucky that we're able to be here on this Independence Day. Happy 4th of July!

Day 489

I thought today I'd get an amazing picture. Remember all those windmills from Day 24? I'm kind of obsessed with those wind turbines. I've seen them being hauled down the road in pieces for years now. I've always wished I could catch one of the pieces stopped at a rest area so I could snap a picture, but they have always eluded me. But at Grouse Mountain in Vancouver, British Columbia they have a turbine tour. That tour goes into a glass viewing station at the top of the turbine!

But hubby still isn't doing much but sleeping so we didn't go. Maybe I'll get to do the wind turbine when we return.

My fear of heights might get me anyway. Just standing on the balcony of our Vancouver hotel room is enough to give me the heebie jeebies. 27 floors from the ground is plenty high.

Day 488

So I thought the excitement was beginning.

The plan was to drive to Seattle and spend the night. In the morning head to Pike Place Market with all the great fruits, veggies and flowers. Chase down a juice bar up the street. Hit a Starbucks for hubby and La Panier (my favorite french bakery) for me. Go back to the hotel for the afternoon and rest up until the evening Seattle Mariners baseball game.

That plan didn't happen.

Hubby hasn't been feeling well so we only made it as far as Yakima. He's had plenty of time to rest but now we'll be missing the Market. We will be hitting the baseball game tonight, though.

So instead of an exciting day full of pictures of flowers and fresh produce in Seattle, you get to see a picture of what I stared at for a chunk of the day yesterday. It'll have to do until I can (hopefully) take exciting pictures at tonight's game.

The texture of the ceiling in the hotel room is something I've never seen before. Bigfoot must have been the one assigned to the job.

Okay, it's post game and I do have some more pictures.

A couple of Safeco Field...

 The Mariners Moose

 See the ball in this one?

 Strike!

And of course we can't forget the guy selling hot dogs...

Day 487

July 1, the self-imposed quilt deadline. Despite all the grumblings this week about math class, work-related phone calls and e-mails, and too much chocolate, four quilts are headed out the door.

Now the excitement begins.

Day 486

I was lucky enough to see how much a mamma bird loved her baby.

Baby bird fell from the tree.

Momma bird coaxed her along in the grass until baby made it to the base of the tree.

Momma bird coaxed/pushed/encouraged baby to climb up the tree trunk.

Little baby bird clung to the tree with its little baby bird feet.

Baby bird made it to a branch. Then baby made it to the next branch and the next.

Momma kept coaxing/pushing/encouraging baby bird to keep hopping along the branch until she (I hope) made it back to her nest.