Labor Day

Happy Labor Day! 
Saturday was Carnation Valley.  It was a gorgeous day.  We keep waiting for the rain, but so far it hasn't arrived.  This is Sikes Lake, one of my favorite places on the planet.  While we were standing on the bridge soaking it all in, a flock of geese landed.  The migration has started.  The valley is also full of swallows, eating their weight in bugs before making their trek south.

Washington used to have liquor stores.  You could buy beer and wine in the grocery stores, but not liquor.  After more than one failed attempt, an initiative passed that would close the liquor stores and allow Target, Walgreen's, Costco and etc. to sell liquor.  Also part of that initiative was another great wanging increase in the tax on liquor, so even though the state no longer foots the bill for real estate, salaries and all of that, prices did not drop significantly.  Some stores post the price on the shelf without the taxes included, and then the poor consumer receives sticker shock while checking out.  We find it amusing that the Ace hardware store in Carnation is now selling liquor.  Nail guns and whiskey, that can't be good,.

Sunday night Chris and Roseann hosted a dinner party.  It was impressive.  Chris is the master of the grill.  Note the broad expanse of counter top in the kitchen.  They remodeled awhile back, and the kitchen is just stupendous.

They have a great deck in the back.

My friend Kim made two varieties of sorbet for the cleansing of the palate between courses.  Many limes were squeezed, by hand.  Kim has an excellent sous chef.  One flavor was lime/basil and it was really good.  I had doubts about the combination of those two flavors, but I was wrong.  The red was pomegranate and was also delightful.  I like how the halogen lights make the stemware shine.

A close up of the sorbet.

The deck faces more or less east.  There was a nice false sunset as the setting sun illuminated the clouds on its way down.

Today we rode a circuit of Mercer Island.  We had planned to go farther, but my legs were just not having it.  This is the beach at Enatai.  The pale north westerners were out, working on being tan.

I hope you've had a restorative three day weekend, and that your travels, if any, were safe.