under the bridge
Deception Pass, WA
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Everyone gets there. Some with personal loss, a brush with tragedy,
or an actual face to face with destiny.
But I'm thinking that you can also get there with time spent surrounded by nature.
I know that the overwhelming beauty of nature makes me feel like the tiniest player. And the grandness of the scenery, let alone the ages of the trees, the rivers, the rocks........
We are but a tiny blip in the timeline.
Life goes on.
POD at rest - Ellen and Bob's
Banks, OR
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So - on this leg of the trip we are visiting family and friends. Most of them with many years in between the last visits. We arrived at Tim's sister Ellen's house in Banks, OR. in the afternoon. The clouds and mist that we found in the mountains followed us into the valley. This is the first time rain has occurred during the day for us this entire trip.
I had not seen Ellen in over 15 years - thus never having met her husband of 14 years, Bob. I believe Tim had last seen his sister 13 years ago.
It was time to get reacquainted.
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The rain kept us in for most of the two days we were there, save for a brief break in the clouds when we attempted a short walk and were surprised by a sudden shower of hail! However, the weather provided the perfect backdrop for quiet conversation, lots of catching up, lots of questions and delicious meals shared around the table.
Curry soup, smoked game hens and Marionberry cobbler!
This was my introduction to the Marionberry, an Oregon cultivar of a blackberry which is known as the "cabernet of blackberries". Their flavor is deep, rich and intense in flavor and yummy as can be.
Ellen has quite a prolific garden and these berries had been frozen from last years crop.
She was so gracious and even gave us a bag of them as we left to carry to our next hosts!
Connecting with family: Larry, me & Tim, Emmie,
Tim & Ellen, Dana preparing breakfast.
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We next headed up to La Conner, WA to visit with Tim's cousin Dana, and her husband, Larry. We had last seen Dana..... maybe 2001? Once again ..... time to reconnect.
Dana and Larry had moved to this pristine spot 12 years ago. The view from their home was peacefully idyllic and yet in constant motion: tides rising and falling, birds passing by or swooping in for a catch, boats passing in the distance, the sun and moon on their daily journey across the sky.
And amid this landscape we talked, reminisced, and.... yes, of course, made and shared meals together. Perfect.
View from the deck - Dana and Larry's
La Conner, WA
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The weather was beautiful in WA - and it allowed for a small excursion to Deception Pass and up to the top of a mountain (who's name I cannot for the life of me remember or find on a map......)
with a spectacular view of the many islands and bays that make up Puget Sound.
Deception Pass, WA
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It was both comforting and inspirational to get together with each family member and share time again. We are all older, and I do think we are all better for it.
In both company and place we were surrounded by beauty and goodness.
Marionberries from Ellen's garden and tulips in Dana's,
Dungeness crab for dinner, and a herd of deer in the rain.
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Life is short.
We cannot waste a moment of it.
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