After the storm - time to clear up the driveway. We were really lucky that we didn't have any trees come down - just the normal tree-fluff. Cory tossed the larger limbs, and I used the lawn rake to clean up the rest. It's still a bit breezy, but I'm guessing that anything that was going to come down, already has! We did get a lot of rain, which was very welcome, too.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2015

Well, we had a massive wind storm, which knocked out power for most of the day. Thankfully ours came on by evening, but many areas will be out for a couple of days, it sounds like!

So, it was a good time to finish my pine needle basket from Basket Day last weekend! Apollo is helping model the basket for me! Our class learned how to create stitching around the stone, so that the pine needles could be sewn to it for the base. The teacher supplied these beautiful stone slabs - this one is a lace agate. It is my first pine needle basket, and it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. I'm very happy with how it turned out!

 I had to be down in this area for a client, so I stopped at the Maxwelton Beach. I haven't been there for years, and was a bit surprised that the beach is cut off during high tide - there is this lagoon-y thing, and you'd have to wade across to get to the beach. It's always surprising how the beaches change so quickly!

 But the clouds were so cool - actually, they were the forerunners for the huge wind-storm we had the next day! But at this point, they were trailing little rainfalls, and breaking to let the sun through. I watched this bird fish for a while - it was most likely an osprey.

Here it is lifting off after diving into the water for dinner, but it didn't grab anything. Hunting was tough today!

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 2015

Stopped by one of my house plans that is being built, on Penn Cove. This is the view from the top of the bluff,

 and this is from the other side of the yard.

 Here you can see the entry side of the house, and beyond it to the Cove, so you can see what a great view they have!

 Inside, this is the great room - I'm standing in the kitchen looking at the dining and living area, with a den at the far end. Ralph is walking into the entry area. Behind the wall on my right is the master bedroom and bath area. For a compact home, it has a nice open feeling. Can't wait to see it with the walls finished!

 That evening Cathi and I went to see a Shakespeare play, The Tempest, performed by our local Shakespeare players.

 They had these great backdrops around the tent, depicting the storm and the sea scenes. We didn't really figure out what they're made of - the blue is silk sheets, and I think the white cutouts might be tyvek or something. They looked great.

The stage. It's all very informal, but we had a wonderful time, and the actors were awesome! Meant to get some photos of them, but got too entranced!

 I thought it might be a nice sunset, so I hiked up the road to an open field. The moon was up,

 and I sat among the tall grasses and played with some photos.

 After a pleasant while, it looked like nothing much would be happening, so I headed back.

Suddenly, the whole sky had colored while I had my back turned!

It was indeed a nice sunset!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2015

 On my way to Basket Day. The sun is still red several hours after sunrise, tinted by smoke from wildfires in Eastern Washington.

 The class I took at Basket Day was learning how to attach a stone, or other object, to a pine needle basket. We got to choose from some lovely stones, and I learned a couple of new skills.

 Our teacher, Barbara, is on the right, showing one of the other students what to do.

One of the other classes at Basket Day was making miniature basket earrings. They were all having a good time!

And of course we had loads of great food at our pot-luck - basket makers sure know how to eat well!

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

 This is the time of year that the madrona trees peel their bark and reveal the chartreuse wood underneath. Add some sunlight and leaf shadows!

Apollo loves to climb around the horizontal branches, but wasn't too sure about how to get down!

FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2015

 My book group had an outing in Seattle, the Ballard neighborhood. We just bopped around, shopping and eating and enjoying a rainy day! Our last stop was at the fish ladder at the Ballard Locks.

 It was late evening, just before they closed for the night, and suddenly the lights popped on at the administration building, as Cathi started over the lock bridge.

 The crewman was motioning a boat into place in the lock, while some of the group rushed for the bridge before it was closed.

 Under the fish ladders, there are viewing windows where you can watch the salmon struggle upstream. It was pretty dark under water, so my photo is kind of moody. You can see our reflections in the glass of the viewing window.

Above the fish ladders is this wave sculpture, even more interesting with the lights and shadows! It was a fun day!

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2015

 This weekend was the Island County Fair!

 Kids having fun . . .

 goats . . .

 And my friend Jamie won a lovely fluffy ribbon for her watercolor painting of a horse, based on a photo I took a few years ago. She did an awesome job!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 2015

 There were some cool-looking clouds, so I stopped by the Mutiny Bay boat ramp to watch the sunset. The waves weren't too large, but occasionally had some nice action.

 Turning around, I watched my shadow watch a rainbow.

 The sun sank lower and lower, limning the clouds.

 A beachcomber came by.

Such a lovely sight.

 Cory and Rachel. Out to dinner on her last night with us.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2015

 My vegetable garden this year - 3 tomatoes in the big pot, silver cucumber, zuchini, and another cucumber. The smaller pots are up on the chairs to keep away from slugs, and the chairs are there to keep the deer at bay. Things are getting ripe!