This 'n That

We've taken it kind of slow the last couple of days but have a lot planned for the rest of this final week: a ferry ride from Anacortes to Sidney, BC - overnight there with friends and the day after our return we will drive down to Portland for a reunion with nieces and two of John's sisters.  We'll have a day to pack and tidy up here and then we will have the long, not so fun trip home.

We are so glad to have chosen Seattle for our home exchange.  It is a beautiful, interesting and clean city.  I love the view of Puget Sound as we come "home" from our excursions and the mountains.   I'm really looking forward to the ferry ride to Sidney going through the San Juan Islands as well as the drive down to Portland..

I can't imagine a better way to visit an area than a home exchange.  Once you are settled in, it's just like being in your own home.  You can cook as little or as much as you wish.  You can run around trying to do everything or you can just relax at home.  Usually, you can invite another couple to visit, as we did on this trip.  On some of our exchanges, we met neighbors and friends of our exchangers which always makes it more interesting.  This time we did not meet any neighbors but we were able to get together with people we know from San Miguel and my college roommate and family in Portland.  That always makes the trip special.

I have to say that one of the wonderful things about Seattle for ua is the availability of fresh fish and seafood.  We don't really have that at home - too far from the ocean.  I don't know if I can ever bring myself to eat frozen salmon again - especially the farmed type.  The memory of fresh wild King salmon makes my mouth water and anything less will be a disappointment 

Seattle is not cheap but then everything everywhere outside of Mexico seems more expensive to us - we are spoiled that way.

The weather:  I have to say that the weather is better than I expected.  The cloudy factor has been high but the rain has been minimal.  The sun peeks out regularly - just enough to keep you hoping that there will be more.  The weather forecasts that I read on the Internet were not at all accurate so it's best just to ignore them and look out the window.

Seeing the shades of green everywhere you look has been eye candy along with the spring blooms of rhododendron bushes at nearly every house in the neighborhood.  It's been such a contrast with our high dessert cactus landscape at home.

I would certainly return to Seattle in a heartbeat except that there are many other places that we have not seen so probably we will not get back - but who knows?  Unfortunately, we are not getting any younger so we have to work on the bucket list.