Whidbey Island...Return of the Jedi

On Saturday afternoon, Nanny and Colin took me to Fort Casey. Fort Casey was one of three strategic forts in Puget Sound inhabited in the 1940s that was built to protect Puget Sound. The US military began to build in 1897 and the fort became active in 1901. They used bits and piece of the fort in World War II, but it eventually was decommissioned and turned into a State Park.


All the bunkers are still intact, which is really cool because they have a maze of them open to the public to explore.


We had a picnic lunch when we arrived, and then walked down a trail towards the fort and the water. On the way down the path...Nanny and Colin picked some huckleberries....just like they did when Colin was little. Let's just say it was a weekend full of nostalgia (that's an understatement).


The picture above is of Colin and his Nanny at Fort Casey with Puget Sound in the background. It was an absolutely gorgeous day...we couldn't have asked for more.


Nanny even braved her lack of technological-skill to take a picture for Colin and I. Haha...she did a pretty damn good job for not being able to see at all, don't ya think? I think she was hustling us.


SO, eventually we got to the part that Colin was waiting for the whole weekend. We went into the old buildings, which are essentially a maze of underground rooms, corridors, and creepy stairs. Don't be tricked by the pictures though....the flash made it look like it was bright....thus was not the case.


So Colin took joy in sticking his head into open crevasses and scaring little kids. And I must say, he did a fine job at it. Old habits die hard.



We wandered through the halls and into REALLY creepy, dark rooms for a long time. It was wicked cool...and I can see why Colin and Evan loved coming here when they were little. It was basically a HUGE underground playground.


When we were walking to a more remote area of the Fort, we spotted a little fawn on the side of the trail. He didn't really run away....he just kinda stared at us as we walked by. I think we were on his terf. I imagine this being the deer that beat Bambi up in the school playground....this little guy wasn't afraid of anything.


We had a great time walking around and playing in the Fort. Nanny was a trooper....she has a bum knee...but that didn't stop her from walking all around and having fun with us.


As you can see, there were even bunkers that you could climb up into. Colin was looking for Charlie...but I don't think he spotted any (...and by "Charlie", I mean "ladies").

Whidbey Island...The Empire Strikes Back

On Saturday morning, I woke up at Colin's Nannys house in Coupeville on Whidbey Island. It was a beautiful morning, and you can see the ocean right from her living room...it was great. Since it was still early, I got to sit and talk to her awhile while we waited for Colin to wake up (he needs his beauty sleep). She's a talker, but I didn't mind...because (1) she tells interesting stories and (2) she has an english accent.....JACKPOT!


After Colin woke up, we went spent the morning driving around to all her old houses where Colin spent time as a wee one. She lived right on the water many years back before she moved to Coupeville. The picture above shows Nanny's old neighborhood from the beach!

So we walked along the beach for awhile, and they showed me where Colin used to play. It was a lot of fun...and I think the two of them had a good time catching up and sharing memories of the good old days.


I couldn't resist putting schmoopie pictures of them up....sorry. My goal is to get everyone to go: 'awwww' when they see these pictures....is it working?


The beach was really beautiful. There was a lot of drift wood that you could tell had been there for years. In fact, I spent so much time enjoying the scenery, that I failed to notice my feet were sinking into a pile of what I'm convinced was crab shit. Colin and Nanny said they were worm holes.....I can't tell which is worse. Either way...it was in my face.

Whidbey Island...A New Hope

Over the weekend, Colin and I went to visit his grandmother (heretofore referred to as 'Nanny'). She lives on Whidbey Island, which is just a 20 minute ferry ride from Mukilteo, Washington.


The ferry takes you into Clinton, which is on the southeastern end of the island. The island is home to over 58,000 people and is one of the longest islands in the contiguous US....go Whidbey! Alright...enough statistics...let's get down to the good stuff.


So, Colin and I lucked-out big time...because we successfully caught the ferry on a beautiful Friday afternoon from Mukilteo and only had to wait about 30 minutes to drive aboard. Typically, the wait time is about 90 minutes....and sometimes even up to 2 hours during peak times! Yikes.


But we hopped on the ferry in my trusty Hyundai in no time...it was awesome. I've never been on a big ferry like this before. The only ferry I'd ever ridden on was a small 5-car ferry across the Yukon River...hah. I digress.


Like I had mentioned, the ride was only about 20 minutes. Just enough to get out of your car...walk up to the top deck...take a couple pictures, and go back down. It was a gorgeous day...and perhaps a little TOO sunny as you can see from Colin's face.


I made Colin take a picture of me, since I'm usually behind the camera. So consider yourself lucky that you got to see me in all of my awesomeness...(yea...I don't know what I'm talking about).


Nanny has lived on the island for more than 30 years and has moved around a lot. She's had houses on the water, and one right on a cliff that overlooked the sound....they were amazing places!

So we arrived at Nanny's house in Coupeville (right in the center of the island) sometime around 7:30ish I believe...which isn't too bad for having to get out of Seattle and crossing an ocean. After having a bite to eat, Nanny walked us down to the wharf on the water. The sunset was really beautiful.



Many thanks to my awesome camera for capturing the picture above...probably one of the best pictures I've taken on my camera....not just because of the sunset, or the lighting, but because Colin and his Nanny were so happy.

Time for another round of good-idea/bad-idea

One of the great things about Seattle is all the parks and recreational areas in and around the city. However, there is one exception that I think should be brought attention to my avid readers (all zero of you).

Gas Works Park is a 19 acre public park in Seattle on the site of the former Seattle Gas Light Company gasification plant. And believe it or not, it gets worse...."Because it is built on a former industrial site, the soil and groundwater on the site was contaminated. The 1971 Master Plan called for "cleaning and greening" the site through bio-phyto-remediation." The city claims there are no known sites of contamination....but the patchs of dead grass on the park that seem a little suspect to me.

But enough of my soapboxing....I went to check it out with Colin. And I have to admit...it has one of the best views of Seattle...


Haha...ok, this picture doesn't really convey the great views....but it certainly conveys the whole "power plant" theme. Oddly enough, there were 3 wedding processions the day we were there. I don't know about you....but getting married on a mound of cancerous, contaminated soil doesn't exactly scream long-lasting love to me.


As you can see, the grass was vibrant. In a land of some of the greenest plants and trees, I'm not listening to any lame explanations about the dry summer making the grass die. I'm not buying it, Seattle.


As you can see, the park is right on Lake Union and overlooks the Seattle Skyline. It's an awesome view.


As you can see, Colin was taking in the cancer rays on many fronts. But how can you not with that breath-taking view?! Shameful, I know....but this is America.

The birth of my favorite

Colin turned 23 years young on July 7 2009...so of course, we had to celebrate the anniversary of his birth with a parade, dancing monkeys, opera singers, and the largest cake known to man.

Ok, that's a lie....but we took him out for dinner and drinks.


I got a hold of a bunch of his buddies around Seattle and we all went out to eat at the Cheesecake Factory....land of the morbidly obese.


So, to stay true to form...we ate to our hearts content and embarrassed Colin with a public rendition of "Happy Birthday". It was a lot of fun, and it was nice for all the guys to come into the city to spend the day with him and say Happy Birthday...he's got some good friends.