Casting Off!

We're off to the land of Starbucks on every corner, Pike Place Market, Bill Gates' stompin' grounds, Elliot Bay Book Company, FRESH seafood, and Dr. McDreamy. (Yes, I know he's not a real person, but I can still fantasize about bumping into him on a ferry, can't I?)

Actually, we'll only be in Seattle for about 24 hours before we head out to the San Juan Islands and then over to the Canadian Gulf Islands. We'll spend time in Edmonds, Anacortes, Friday Harbour (a personal favorite of mine), Reid Harbour on Stewart Island, Roche Harbour, Sidney (another favorite), Cowichan, Brentwood Bay and Victoria. We've been looking forward to this trip for just about a year, but we've left all the planning to my dad & June. They've made this trip several times and know all the great spots for crabbing, whale-watching, and taking in gorgeous sunsets.

Our home for the next two weeks!

Dad & June's liveaboard boat (Lake Union, Washington)

Our Skipper and First Mate

Possible stowaway?

And what books do I plan to take, you ask? Well, I'm desperately trying to pack light. And, I know I won't read as much as I think I will. However, we do have a couple of long flights, so here's the list:

Pastries: A Novel of Desserts and Discoveries by Bharti Kirchner - I chose it because it's set in Seattle and has been on my shelves forever.

Loud & Clear by Anna Quindlen - Essays are always a good choice for reading in sips & gulps.

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson - Just because, although it might seem a bit odd to read about hiking the Appalachian Trail while cruising islands in the Pacific Northwest...

The Sunday Wife by Cassandra King - The beachy cover caught my eye. Plus, it's another that's been lurking on my shelves far too long. BTW, the author is Pat Conroy's wife.

On Rue Tatin by Susan Herrmann Loomis - A little French travel read that's on my Armchair Traveler Challenge list.

Mademoiselle Benoir by Christine Conrad - An impulse purchase yesterday at work. The gorgeous cover caught my eye and I knew I had to buy it!

Sorry. No time to upload and post cover art. But take a minute and look at the cover for Mademoiselle Benoir (click on the title). Isn't it gorgeous?!

Rod has a couple of Lee Child books in his bag (Tripwire and Without Fail), so if I happen to run out of reading material, I can always borrow one of these. Jack Reacher is no Lucas Davenport, but he'll do in a pinch. ;)

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Yes, I've been a bit lazy absent lately. This is where I've been, in case anyone's missed me! Thanks, Heidi and Dave, for sharing your gorgeous pool with me and Rod. It's perfect for swimming laps, floating with a book, floating with a cocktail, and cooling off during these hot summer afternoons!

Catching Up...

First off, I want to thank everyone for all the comments this past week. I have finally responded to each and every one and hope that you'll all go back to the various blog entries and see my answers. I don't know about the rest of you, but not only do I make an effort to respond to all the comments, but I usually check back on the blogs I've commented on to see if the blogger has responded with a question for me. No wonder I'm falling further and further behind!

To answer everyone's question about Item #2 on the recent meme... PK stands for "preacher's kid". Bellezza was the closest. Both my dad and his dad are/were Episcopalian priests. So there you have it!

Hmmm, what else. So far only Booklogged has inquired about the free copy of The Birth House. Unless I hear from someone else by Friday afternoon, it looks like it'll be hers.

I commented somewhere (Bookfool or Bellezza's blog) about a recent new toy and finally have some pictures to share. I can't tell you how excited I am about this. My husband has a new motorcycle...

and I have...

A kayak!! It's 9 1/2 feet long and weighs about 38 lbs.

Great upper-body workout!

My wonderful husband helped me load it on top of the XTerra, packed up his fishing gear, and off we went. I paddled around Holmes Lake for about 1 1/2 hours while he fished and read his motorcycle cruising magazine. It couldn't have been a more lovely day. The sun was shining, the fish were jumping, ducks were hanging out in the inlets, and I saw a gorgeous blue heron fly right past my bow. Definitely need to take the camera next time out!

Here's to a beautiful summer!

*Click on the pictures for full-size views.