Peripathetic Playground: July 2008

Raspberries

Last night, as Traci and I walked around Bellingham, we devised a brilliant plan of touring Lynden's Raspberry festival.

This morning, it came to fruition. Our first stop was the all-you-can-eat raspberry pancake breakfast. We were both hungry and excited.

Traci had to excuse herself a few times during the meal:

(for details go to www.cleaningthecolon.blogspot.com) Luckily, there was a woman who lived in Rwanda for a while to converse with.

Afterwards we looked at old cars polished up new.

We took advantage of a bus that brought us out to this small winery where we went on a walking tour of 10 meters. We tasted a hazlenut wine that we later put our names on a waiting list to buy--it was surprisingly good.

And to the berry farm, where we

saw a picking machine

resisted the temptation of a pulled pork sandwhich by fleeing into the fields

and gorged ourselves on raspberries

Opon our arrival back in Lynden, we promptly ate raspberry smothered ice cream.

A fruitful day it was.

On Wednesday we played in boats.

Jeff lost his shirt in a boating mishap. Here he shows off the consequences.

Nice Form

Cousin Steven readies himself for a flip.

I can't remember if I landed this one

Cousin Steven and Uncle Wray did some snorkeling

Today, Dad and I visited the Spiegal Grove.

We made our safety stop like good divers

Sunday, we got 4 dives in--two on wrecks. Afterwards, we were wrecked. Due to Jeff's lack of Mac skills, the photo's are currently unavailable. They're spectacular.

We got home and

Jeff shaved his head.

And the next day, after my long day of rescue diver classes, we went fishing. We bought 3 dozen shrimp (36, according to the sign on the door; if it wasn't for the sign showing the muliples of 12 from 1 to 20, I don't think I would have been able to figure out 3 dozen) put a bunch of beer in a cooler and packed some cheap nasty cigars down to the dock.

Lots of little bites. And then I pulled this guy up.

and kissed it.

Fish on!

Drats! The manatee let go.

Jeff caught this badboy

As we exhausted our supply of beer, cigars and shrimp, we lost interest in the camera and stopped documenting our catch. Unfortunately, the sharks, stingrays and manatees we caught and released never got photographed.

Kicked off the dive boat by NOAA and customers, Jeff, Dad and I drove up to the the Everglades to drive around. Quickly, I became friends with a lubber grasshopper. After assuring Jeff it wouldn't bite me, it bit me; startled, I shook my hand causing it to forever walk in counterclockwise circles.

We saw a few turtles

and lots of holes that looked just like this. Some had alligators in them. One alligator hissed at me because I got real close to take a crappy photo.

We drove down a road that looked like this for a while through the Fakahatchee swamp (The Orchid Thief, I swear they shot Adaptation here)

Feeling somewhat triumphant for some reason

then running from the mosquitoes that left blood all over the car, our clothes, and our appendages.

Dad and I watch Jeff scout some airplants from the car, having learned our lesson over the last few stops.

The 4th of July, diving the Duane. No current, which is unusual. Jeff thinks he's superman.

I think I'm an underwater gangsta

Kendall's got a good narc going

A school of grunts

Coral

We headed north to Fort Lauderdale to spend the afternoon with the fam. We tried to pick up fireworks along the way, but the line was alarmingly long, intimidating us up the road.