lucktraveler57 2.0

My sister in law and niece drove us back to Kelso to catch the train which would return us to Seattle. The 40 or so minute drive, is, as I've mentioned before, beautiful. The road follows the shore line of the Columbia river. Virgin forest rises up mountain sides on one bank, the other is a scattering of bushes and trees which dazzled us with the colors of fall. Seals ply the river following the smelt that enter through it's mouth on the Pacific ocean. The tiny train station is manned by a volunteer. The board with the photos of the other volunteers show them all to be seniors, I suppose looking for something to do to get themselves out of the house in retirement. The responsibilities of the position are non demanding and low key. A jigsaw puzzle sits, partially finished, on a table in the middle of the waiting room to help occupy the time of the passengers waiting for the trains. My husband mischievously suggests stealing a piece of it.  The trains both ways were 100% sold out...

 My niece and her husband both took the day before Thanksgiving off. My brother is retired and my sister in law only worked till noon so we had two full days to celebrate family and be thankful for the love of those dear, yet not necessarily always near, to us.  I love to cook. Cooking with those I love makes it all the more enjoyable. My sister in law, niece and I made desserts and prepped food for the big meal the next day before all of us shared a dinner at the small town's Mexican restaurant. We sent my niece's husband out for white wine to sip on as we worked. We taste tested, debated on the consistencies of pie and dessert fillings and had, in general, a wonderful time.  We shared stories and enjoyed the antics of the 17 month old addition to our family. We laughed, we drank, more than I usually do, my brother and I being a bad influence on each other, as well as my niece's husband and relished time spent with each other.  The next day a parade played on t.v wh...

 My brother lives in a rural area of Washington. I get up, the house is quiet, turn on the coffee and sit at the table gazing out the door at the forest that lies just beyond his deck. The sun is a smear of light in the sky as it tries to break through a shield of gray. The rays that do come through make the morning dew shimmer. A tiny bird flits by as bare, moss covered branches share space with the scant remains of fall color.

 The next couple of days were a feast of food, drink and family. Besides my brother and sister in law, whose home we stayed in, there was also my niece, her husband and a 17 month old grand nephew, who, after some exposure, warmed up to my husband and me. They live about a mile from one another. Over time my siblings and I, due to employment, aspirations and life in general, scattered ourselves across the country. One result of this is that, outside of short, day long visits, I wasn't able to experience my niece and nephews as they grew up. We had to discover one another as adults. However, in a conversation with my niece the day before Thanksgiving She said that in spite of the years long absence it still felt like family. Our last visit was for her wedding ceremony 2 years prior. At that time I was suffering from a severe medical issue and extreme pain. I was not at my best. Sometimes we create families, those friends with whom we form bonds that become as strong as blood. Someti...

 We took the train from Seattle to Kelso, about a 40 minute wooded drive along the bank of the Columbia river from my brother's home. The Seattle train station, like many historic train stations in the U.S., harkens back to a time of gracious travel. Spacious, white spaces sporting beautiful architectural details. make waiting a pleasurable experience. It is about as far from the uncomfortable chairs and sea of humanity you encounter at most airports as you can get. Shopping is better at the airports however.  Industry and nature share space outside the train windows. Nearer to Seattle you pass the backside of the stadiums and a plant with a parking lot full of cars. As you move away from the city trees fill the landscape, their branches heavy laden with moss due to the uber moist nature of this part of the country. Small rippling creeks and rivers flow through the dusty fall colors. As we pull into it's station Tacoma crawls up a hillside looking defiant and proud of it's ...

 We had lunch, soup and a sandwich, perfect for the wet, chilly clime, at the restaurant attached to the Chihuly Garden. In a spasm of whimsy the tables are shadowboxes, each housing a different collection. Ours was filled with small, vintage figurines of china dogs, including a couple of examples I possess which came from my great grandmother's home. Others showcase collections of among others, vintage shaving brushes, wooden doll house furniture, fishing lures, one contains souvenir, Mexican, silver toned sombrero ashtrays. The effect is delightful, charming and adds extra spice to the meal. 

 Near the Space Needle in the former fairgrounds is the Chihuly Garden. Chihuly is an artist known for his fanciful glass sculptures. I've been fortunate enough to have seen 2 site specific exhibitions of his work, One in Chicago and the other in Arizona, but the Garden is something special.  The first part of the collection is housed indoors. As you enter you encounter an enormous, glistening white piece, suggesting ice and snowflakes, which was commissioned by the upscale retail emporium Barneys New York for a Christmas window in 2015. After this visual appetizer the next gallery is focused on what he draws his inspiration from. Smaller examples of his work are displayed among largely Native American textiles and objects such as baskets to illustrate the connections between these and his artworks. The second gallery shows his process. Sketches and drawings are hung on the walls next to the finished sculptures. This gallery features pieces that are largely marine oriented. Fi...

 Some cities that have hosted a world's fair have a symbol of it remaining afterwards. The Eiffel Tower, the Sunsphere in Knoxville, the Atomium in Brussels, the Geosphere in Montreal, originally the U.S pavilion at the fair. Some become institutions, Chicago's Field museum and the St. Louis Art Museum are 2 examples, buildings that where used for different purposes after the expositions closed. Seattle has the Space Needle, which has become an icon of the city, remaining from the world's fair in 1962.  We boarded the monorail, also from the world's fair, built to ferry visitors from downtown to the fairgrounds and rode the short distance to the tower.  As you wind your way to the elevators which take you to the top of the structure displays on the walls provide visitors with a history of it's construction. From the 2 decks atop the tower one is afforded expansive views of the city and Puget Sound. We were told during our walking tour the day before that, despite th...