9/52: Winter Walks

It was a beautiful late winter weekend in Seattle.  Cold and windy, but blue skies for day!

We took two long walks through Lincoln Park and enjoyed epic views of the snow capped Olympic Mountains and the sunlight glistening off the Puget Sound.

Took some time to remember our gratitude and our journey on this planet and how fortunate we are.

Enjoy!

Stacy

2/52: Relaxing January Weekend

Heading into last weekend with so much energy, drive and momentum.

Rode the train for the first time in 2019 on a beautiful winter afternoon with a great book and my new Commit 2019 Journal.

Lots of energy for walks through Lincoln Park and time to prepare great meals.

Relaxed with a 50 minute massage on Saturday and a couple of power naps.

This weekend physically and mentally prepared me for the challenges of the new week ahead!

Enjoy!
Stacy

8/52: Saying goodbye to February

Let's all say goodbye to the ice and snow, shall we.

Goodbye February!

Run of the mill weekend.  Some great food, a nice wine and two walks through Lincoln Park.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Ham and Gruyere Waffle Hash Browns

Seared Sea Scallops with Bacon and Wine Pan Sauce

7/52: Back to Seattle

I finally made it back to Seattle last Friday night...but just barely.  Had it not been for Brian and I driving back from Portland, I'm not sure how I would have gotten home.  With all the torrential rains this past week, a mudslide between Portland and Seattle halted Amtrak trains for 48 hours. Friday trains were cancelled with no alternate transportation.

Then, to make matters worse, the traffic northbound on I-5 Friday night was horrendous. We decided to take a little detour and ended up at Red Wind Casino east of Olympia.  We let the traffic die down, ate an amazing dinner and came home with lots of money in our pockets.  For a spur of the moment side-trip...we had one of the best Friday night date night adventures....EVER!

The rest of the weekend was spent quietly at home. We took a 3 mile walk on Saturday morning and I planted some spring flowers on Sunday, despite the fact that Seattle had 6 inches of snow less than a week ago....I felt that it is time to release Spring!

Enjoy!
Stacy

3/52: Can Winter just be over?!

Old man winter is brutal this year.  He started even before winter did...in November, with a chill in the air and snow.  December was bitterly cold and January started off with a snow and ice storm in Portland.  

I love the seasons, and grow weary of the rain so I am trying to stay positive and enjoy what mother nature brings our way.  Another ice storm on the way today on top of what is left of last week's snow.  

Just a few pretty pictures this week.  

Enjoy!
Stacy

52/52: 2015 Holiday Wrap-Up!

We had the most amazing Christmas week!  Although the days were short, we packed fun adventures into each one!

One of our favorite days was our day in downtown Seattle.  We did a bit of shopping at Macy's and Old Navy, then Brian surprised me with a trip to Ann Taylor where he picked out a beautiful top for me.

We had a wonderful Christmas Day morning at home, followed by an afternoon of more presents and family time with my Mom and Kenny.

How was your Christmas?  It went by super fast, but the good news is that I will be back in Seattle on Wednesday night for the New Year!

Enjoy!
Stacy

9/52: Harbor Seal Sighting in West Seattle

What an amazing treat to finally see a baby seal pup resting on the beach at Lincoln Park.  Seal pup birthing season is June through September (but they can be born as early as April).  This little guy is probably 5 or 6 months old, born last fall we suspect.

Harbor seal pups haul themselves out of the water to rest and enjoy the sunshine.  Brian was walking on the beach about 100 yards away from him when a passerby asked him to move off the beach.

There is a network of "Seal Sitters" who comb the beach regularly to assist in protecting these delicate creatures.  Only 50% of harbor seals survive their first year.  If you come across a seal, you are asked to call the seal sitters immediately.  Several people on the beach were already calling the sitters when we arrived.

It's a law that you must never touch a seal and dogs are strictly forbidden on the beach in this area.

It was amazing to just watch this little guy and snap a few pictures.

It was another beautiful and unseasonable weekend in the Pacific Northwest. On Thursday it was announced that we had our warmest winter ever on record.

We enjoyed the blue skies by walking through Lincoln Park both Saturday and Sunday for a total of over 5 miles combined.

As you can see by the video below, Saturday was a bit breezy resulting in some pounding waves.

Enjoy!
Stacy

3/52: Discovering Volunteer Park/The Canterbury Ale House

Last Saturday, Brian and I headed into the downtown area of Seattle to explore Volunteer Park, a 48.4 acres park in the Capital Hill neighborhood.

The park was acquired by the city of Seattle in 1876 for $2,000.  In 1885 it was designed a cemetery, but two years later it was named "Lake View Park" and the cemetery was developed on an adjacent plot.  In 1901 it was officially renamed "Volunteer Park" to honor the volunteers who served in the Spanish-American War.

The park includes a conservatory which was completed in 1912, a water tower with an observation deck, built in 1906 and the dramatic Art Deco building of the Seattle Asian Art Museum.  

A statue of William Henry Seward, and a sculpture, Black Sun by Isamu Noguchi are found in the park. There are incredible views of the Seattle skyline that prominently include the space needle.

The Water Tower, built by the water department in 1906, has 107 steps to the top of the observation deck.  The site honors, L.B. Youngs, the first superintendent of the water department from 1895-1923.

We paid the $4 admission per person into the Volunteer Park Conservatory, which houses a botanical garden.  It's made up of 3,426 glass panes.  

The Victorian-style greenhouse is modeled on London's Crystal Palace. Inside, the conservatory is divided into five display houses: bromeliads, ferns, palms, seasonal and cacti and succulents.

After a brief stroll through the rest of the park, we headed off down the street to the Canterbury Ale House, a cute neighborhood pub with 30 beers on tap, pools tables, shuffle board and darts.

I ordered a variation of a Moscow Mule made with spiced rum and we took a French Dip with Gruyere cheese home for dinner.

Enjoy!
Stacy

8/52

Sometime there are wonderful silver linings to things, including this awesome sunset last Friday night that I would have missed had my train left on time.  We were 1 hour late leaving the station and I was rewarded with this beautiful sight.

We had a wonderful adventure at Schooner Exact last Saturday including a $15 Tasting menu paired exceptionally well with three fabulous beers.  I am not much of a beer drinker, but the sample that I had was phenomenal.  It was an unexpected treat on a wet and cool day.
 

Cheese with brown cherries, crispy duck with dates and chocolate pudding.  Just a perfect size for a Saturday lunch!

 

Finally, Brian's had his eye on this BBQ for 6 months and finally decided to buy it before the new models hit the store.  Not bad for $99 and I know we will get our use out of it this spring and summer! 

Enjoy,

Stacy

A reminder, this is my weekly wrap up of the 8th week (out of 52 weeks in a year).  Here are weeks 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7