Back on the Rock

Aaargh.  The weather is changing.  That translates to it's raining..... 
Yesterday we had dinner with the couple who bought May's house.  They have very strong design and construction skills and are fans of mid-century modern.  It's good to know the house is in good hands.
A ferry trip across on the Friday of Labor Day Weekend can be nightmarish.  We decided to go early, rather than get into the two boat wait cycle.  With ferries it's often a question of where do you want to wait.

Once on the island, we went by the Japanese Exclusion Memorial.  The Japanese on Bainbridge were the first to be removed from their homes after the start of WWII.  The curving structure on the right symbolizes the path they took to the ferry which would take them from their homes and farms.  The families' names are written on the wall.

Mrs. Hayashida was at the opening of the memorial.  We think she's close to 100 years old.  Post update - Jim checked on the internet, as of January she was 103.  Go here and read an article about her life.

Bainbridge was the exception in that many of the neighbors took custody of the farms and houses and returned them to the families when they were allowed to come home.  There were also many large Japanese farms in Bellevue and the Kent Valley.  Those properties migrated into the hands of local developers, especially the Freeman family; local movers and shakers who own the much of the retail core in Bellevue.  Bellevue Square stands on land which used to be strawberry farms.  How title transferred from the farmers to the Freeman family is somewhat murky.  You can read more about it here if you're interested.

We walked around Poulsbo for a bit.  It's an old small town which used to be a functioning downtown.  Big box stores and spreading development forced the city to reinvent itself as a tourist trap.

It's very cute, with a Scandanavian vibe.

This is my favorite view off the deck of the house.  Eventually the clouds cleared and the afternoon sunshine lit up the house on the spit.  It's really pretty there.  When the sun is out we have a pang about leaving the house and not living there.  However, then we think about September through June and the incessant gray and the rain and we return to our senses.

Dinner was delightful, really good food and beautifully presented.  I do not have the design eye.  The new owners do.  It's very interesting how people with the eye can make stuff look good.  If we ever have a stick frame house again, I may call them in for a consult.  Unfortunately, the ferry schedule made us do the abrupt departure that those who live behind a ferry are familiar with.  You'll be mid-conversation, really enjoying yourself, and then you leap up and say "gotta go."