Last weekend we visited Tom and Ursula in Sequim, WA.  Tom and Ursula, who used to live in Seattle and since have moved to Alexandria, Virginia, rent a quaint farmhouse in Sequim for a few weeks every year.  As always, we had a great visit with them.

It took us forever to get there because we had a long wait at the ferry terminal and traffic was thick.  We immediately forgot about the hours spent on the road when we pulled up the farm’s long driveway at dusk and saw about 25 deer grazing at the grassy fields:

We woke up the next morning to heat (was definitely in the upper 90’s)  and sunshine!  Sequim is in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains.  It is also known for its lavender  and blueberry fields!  Here is the farmhouse which has been in the Macmillan’s friend’s family for over three generations:

We walked over to the Marilyn Nelson Park at Port Williams and had a beautiful walk on the beach.  Here is a picture of handsome Tom and beautiful Ursula!!

And the walk on the beach was stunning!

I loved watching these two little girls play on this huge piece of driftwood.  The little one had a heck of a time climbing up on it, but she did it!

Later that day, Ursula and I went to a U Pick blueberry farm at Graysmarsh Farm.  Ursula helped me pick 6 lbs of blueberries!  From there we went to Michael and Susan’s Port William’s Lavender Farm where we picked bouquets of fragrant lavender:

I know, this next one looks like we are a couple at a wedding, but I just love the blue sky backdrop!  And the bouquet of lavender!

Relaxing at the lavender farm with the intoxicating scent of lavender all around us:

Back at the farm, we had a salmon cookout.  Tom and Ursula invited some friends and family members.  Tom’s sister, Joyce, lives in Sequim and it is nice to see her every year when we go to Sequim.  She came over for dinner.  We also met Ursula’s brother-in-law’s brother Monty and his wife Maureen.  I learned a new word from Maureen who is a social worker and works with the DSHS in the area of Children’s Administration.  Maureen knows all about kinship terms and I found out that Monty is Ursula’s fictive kin! I never knew there was a simple name for one’s sister’s husband’s brother!  Given my large family, I am intrigued by kinship terms. Tom and Ursula also invited Michael and Susan from the lavender farm, so I got to ask them all sorts of questions about running a lavender farm. Apparently, it is a very hard business to run.  The farm’s earnings are not enough to live on and Michael has to work at Boeing (lives part of the week in Seattle) so that they can continue to do what they love most in life: growing lavender!

Rick, Monty, and Tom barbecuing salmon:

As the sun got low in the sky, we had the most amazing sunset.  I can’t believe how beautiful Sequim is.

Part of the farm is leased for corn growing.  In the Midwest, farmers have the expression, “Knee high by the 4th of July” when talking about corn.  Since it’s August, this corn was shoulder height!  It was almost ready for harvest. In the past, we have seen great herds of Roosevelt elk munching on the corn.  Sad to report, we didn’t see them this year.

Rick and the farm silo:

Rick capturing the rosy sunset:

Crescent Moon over the Sequim Farmhouse:

My lavender bouquet back at the condo in Seattle:

All week, the relaxing luscious smell of lavender has filled every nook and cranny of the condo. And now I have this great association of lavender with Tom and Ursula. Visiting Tom and Ursula in Sequim at the farmhouse is an annual trip I look forward to each and every time.