Garden Thriving, Broccoli Failing

The garden, for the most part, is incredible. We've been eating lettuce for quite some time now. And we had our first zucchini the other day. Our tomato plants are just huge and the tomatoes look like they'll turn red soon. I ate peas straight from the pod the other day - my first time! We've got a variety of herbs in bloom in the flower box on our front porch (I love my cilantro!) We've also got spaghetti squash, cucumbers, bell peppers, eggplant, onions, and potatoes in the works. Our failure is the broccoli. In fact, I think we're going to dig it out. We just can't get it harvested in time before it flowers. But at least we tried. Taking the broccoli out will make sure there's more room for the spaghetti squash to move. Everything looks like it's on the cusp of becoming a real live vegetable (of course, not counting the vegetables that we're already eating - those are obviously real.) Soon we will have more veggies than we will know what to do with.

Federal Way Fireworks

I'm behind again in the blogosphere. This week I'll attempt to catch up.

So on the 4th of July, after I rode the ducks, Robb and I decided to hit up the Federal Way fireworks. The hoopla surrounding the fireworks wasn't great. It looked like a decent place to bring a family; there was a teen dance floor and kiddie games. But there were only a couple of food vendors and some fairly poor entertainment. We found a place for our blanket on a hill, which seemed like a great spot. (However, the hill was so steep we kept sliding down and had to re-adjust.) The fireworks were actually pretty darn good for being in a "small" town in the midst of a recession. I think it may have been the only time Robb and I have spent an Independence Day together. Normally he works at night, so it was nice to experience some fireworks together!

Riding the Ducks

On the 4th of July I met a friend and her family in Seattle to "Ride the Ducks." This Seattle tourist attraction takes you on a tour of the city in amphibious vehicles, you know those military trucks that go from the road, to the water, to the road again. While I expected a seriously corny ride, the level of cheese that our particular tour guide entailed was astronomical. If he would have toned it down a little, my ride would have been a lot more enjoyable. At any rate, I did learn a few items I hadn't heard before, so it was a successful trip. Did you know the Space Needle used to be orange? Seattle was the first American city that used cops on bike patrol. And the Elephant car wash was the first automatic car wash in America. Elvis had his car washed here and President Kennedy's limo was washed here as well, requiring a special Presidential clearance.

If you look closely on the right hand side of the picture, you can see Mt. Rainier in the background. It's directly to the left of the skyscraper.

On the 4th of July the Seattle fireworks are lit from Lake Union. The big viewing area for the city fireworks are at Gas Works Park; we got a unique view from the water. You can see the hill on the left has a blow-up head of the Statue of Liberty and hundreds of people already staking out space for the show later that night.

Fremont Fest 2009

My grandfather and his wife, Kim, were in town to visit in mid-June. Robb entertained them the first couple of days of their visit, while I went to work. Robb took the family to Pike Place Market and Olympia. And on Saturday, we took them to the Fremont Summer Solstice Fair. Last year Robb and I went to the Fair on a Sunday and had a fantastic time; but we were bummed because we missed the Saturday parade, preceded by the naked-painted bicyclist exhibition. So, this year, we were bound and determined to make it to the parade -- even with grandparents in tow. The bicyclist parade was everything I imagined and hoped it to be. Hundreds of people had painted their bodies and rode down the streets displaying themselves for the very excited crowds. The paint jobs were extremely creative. Only in Seattle!
After the bicycles made it on their merry way, the actual parade finally made it down the street. It was a really colorful parade, complete with music, hand-powered floats, drag queens, and not a written word or advertisement in sight.

The rest of the afternoon was spent walking around the festival to see the booths and sights. (Check out this car dirt art!) We bought some crafts, ate fair food, and got sunburned. I would highly recommend anyone planning on visiting Seattle to coincide their trip with the summer solstice, so as not to miss out on TRUE Seattle culture.