Bellingham Dinner Cruise

I survived Monday to enjoy Wednesday.  My husband's company treated it's executives to a fabulous dinner cruise on Bellingham Bay.

The food was great, the wine was great and the people were great.  I was able to catch up with some old friends and made a new one.

We motored out of Bellingham and headed South along Chuckunut. 

Our path gets a little fuzzy for me after that.  Those islands tend to look a lot alike.

I know we didn't go this far.

As we headed back the sun began to set.  It was beautiful. 

We were also treated to the Coast Guard practicing some maneuvers.

 What a special treat to see this side of Bellingham Bay.

When it Rains it Pours...

Looking out my back porch.

Yesterday was one of those days.
It started out pleasant enough and I had consumed most of my coffee before the days events started compounding on each other like a line of dominoes set in motion.

First I heard the sound of a dog heaving.  I ran to get her outside and thought I had gotten by with just a small bit of dog barf on the tile floor.  Oh, how wrong I was.  So very, very wrong.  She had come from my bedroom so I went in to inspect.  She had hit the big 8'x10' rug we use on the wood floor.  It stretches under our bed and about 2 feet all around it.  Ya know, so we can step on something soft in the morning and not a cold, wood floor.

Then I checked under the bed.  That's when I knew this rug was a goner.  She had emptied the entire contents of her stomach multiple times under there.  All I could do was get to work rolling up this huge rug from under our bed and get it outside.

I spent the next hour washing the wood floor and washing the bedding too, including the bed skirt.  It didn't get hit but I was so grossed out I was going to clean everything!   And I did.  I eventually got the whole bedroom put back together.

Now the other dog we have is a little mini Schnauzer and she has had a bad skin irritation on her back all weekend.  It's driving her crazy!  She had it about a month ago and we had to get some antibiotics for her and it cleared up, we thought. We waited it out over the weekend to see if she would get any better but she just got worse and would hardly come out of her bed.  When she did all she could do was whip her head around and try to bite her back.

She doesn't have fleas or anything like that just super sensitive skin.  It's partially genetic to the bread and could also be allergies to the area. So I called the vet and made an appointment for her at the end of the day. 

It's now1:00pm and I'm about to get the boys in the van so we can do a few errands.  As I go to put the mini Schnauzer in her kennel, which is in my bedroom, I see a big wet spot on the floor.  I actually felt it first, I accidentally put my hand in it!  Ewwww!  That's just how this day is going.  It's a fairly clear puddle and I think "why did my dog pee on the floor?"  But that's not what it is.  It's a stream of water stomach barf that is coming from UNDER MY BED.  Some how the big dog got under there AGAIN and emptied what little was left in her stomach.

So cursing up a storm in German and throwing in a couple English "bloody hells"  I set off to clean up again.  Finally, we go on the errands ~ we get back in time to put the groceries away and get the little dog to the vet.  Out we go again right on time ~ this time.

I pull up to the Vet building to find it is under construction and the waiting room has shrunk to a 1/3 its normal size.  I can see right way my 3 boys are not going to do well in this space.  I send them back to the car with my keys so they can listen to "Hank the Cowdog."  Yes, I feel safe doing this.

Forty five minutes later I've got an arsenal of meds and anti itch stuff for my dog.  I'm checking out and one of my boys runs in saying the little one has a bloody nose.  I grab some tissue, hand it to him and tell him to go take care of it.  Little one's nose bleeds are fairly common so I'm not even phased.

My arsenal of meds for the dogs itchy back.

I pay the bill, grab the bag of medication and head out to the car.  I'm tired, wore out, and defeated by the day.  Time to go home.

Ummmm, nope.  45 minutes of Hank the Cowdog has caused a dead battery.  We're stuck.  It's time to cry and I have to pee.  This is one of those events that happens when you say to yourself "could this day get any worse?" 

Thankfully, Papa is on his way home from work and can head over to give the van a jump.  Yay for cell phones.
It's 6:30pm now, I home, hungry and done with this day.

Thank goodness tomorrow is a new one.

The Fare at the Fair is not fair...

What I'm trying to say is that I could have lit a 140 dollars on fire here at my house and had just as much fun.  In hind sight I should have prepared more and gone during the day not in the evening.  I should have purchased the  $60 family pass with 2 arm bands for unlimited rides.  If we go again next year I'll be more prepared and I'll get to look at everything like I want to.

Paper Plate Fish...

I really enjoy this blog called MADE. (click on the word MADE) The other day she had an easy craft with colorful paper plates.  Today I put out some small paper plates I had on hand and some markers.  I made a quick fish as an example and let the kids play around.  The oldest spent quite a bit of time on his.  Below is his Angler Fish.

The Green Barn...

Here's one of my favorite things.  The Green Barn in Lynden. 

I love this place because most of the time they have taste tests of many of their fruits.  

More often than not if I taste it I'm buying it.  

The family that runs this business knows good fruits and vegetables. 

I also like that it's a small business.  I never worry that my kids are going to get lost in here.

Hoping for some dried apricots.

Anyone ever heard of a Pinova Apple?

Playtime at Lake Padden...

Papa's company picnic was a great day of fun.  In years past it has been at Hovander Park but this year it was at Lake Padden.  

The Jumpy place...

Playing ball with Papa...

 

Stomp rockets...

Bubbles...

Pure Joy...

Tug-o-war...

A Hula-Hoop competition...

Good Times!

Storming the Beach...

I was so thankful for my friend Shirley who called and invited us to join them at the beach today.  Life is better with friends.

For a Friend...

Flowers for my friend Anna and her family.  

Rest in peace Grandad.

I Saw Two Ships...

One was named the Lady Washington and the other the

Hawaiian Chieftain.

This is Lady Washington

This is Hawaiian Chieftain

They are currently docked in Blaine, Washington and open for public tour.

These are very cool ships to explore but the little one got tired.

 This thing really works.

A beautiful day in the Pacific Northwest.

Berry Good Bars...

I was able to save a few berries from being gobbled up.  I turned them into Raspberry Breakfast Bars.

Simmering Raspberries

Raspberry Breakfast Bars
***Filling***
2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries or raspberries
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
***Base***
1 cup flour
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup margarine or butter melted
 PREPARATION:

Filling: in a medium saucepan combine berries, sugar, water, lemon juice and cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for about 8 minutes or till slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Base: In a mixing bowl stir together flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and baking soda. Stir in melted margarine or butter till thoroughly combined. Set aside 1 cup of the oat mixture for topping. Press remaining oat mixture into an ungreased 9x9 pan.
Bake at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully spread filling on top of baked crust. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture. Lightly press oat mixture into filling. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes more or till topping is set. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.
NUTRITION:  280 calories, 12g fat, 40g carbohydrates, 4g protein per serving.

Base is in and ready to bake.

All the layers baking together.

 Cooled and ready to eat.

I'd like to try making these gluten free and with less sugar.  All suggestions are welcome.