Anacortes

Another wonderful place in Washington discovered (for me) this past weekend. Simone and I drove up to Anacortes, where we stayed with friends Janet and Steve. Like so many others, I have been to Anacortes before because it is the point where we catch ferries to Lopez Island, Orcas, and San Juan Island. However, I have never taken time to explore Anacortes.

Beautiful Anacortes

The town is named after Anna Curtis, wife of an early settler named Amos Brown. And all this time I thought the name of the town sounded very Spanish, but it’s not! We were there for the Shipwreck Festival, which is basically rows and rows of tables set up on the streets where vendors sell just about anything from used clothing to garage sale type items to crafts and furniture. Every vendor is ready to make a bargain and, though I had no intention of buying anything, I got some good deals (amongst them a cute sunhat and a set of 6 blue water glasses). Read on to see the weekend through many photos and captions! I think this blog post is a record for number of photos posted! I just can’t trim down to any fewer photos! Enjoy..

We ate delicious meals. Ingredients could not have been any fresher: vegetables straight from Janet and Steve’s garden and from the Farmers Market. Janet and Steve are fabulous cooks!

Dahlias!

Loki the Cat and more from the garden…with all this heat, peaches are ripening early this year!

Anacortes Farmers Market

Heirloom tomatoes at the market. Janet bought some for our Caprese Salad.

Beautiful Carrots and Roots

Janet gets down to the business of buying purslane. The market vendor told us how purslane is really good for the lungs. Here is what I found out about delicious purslane: "Purslane is a nutritious weed increasingly used in agriculture and cooking recipes. This herb is high in vitamin C and metabolism-regulating Omega-3 fatty acids. " I even read that it has more Omega-3 fatty acids than most fish oils! I think I will add it to my herb garden.

Janet gets down to the business of buying purslane. The market vendor told us how purslane is really good for the lungs. Here is what else I found out about delicious purslane: “Purslane is a nutritious weed increasingly used in agriculture and cooking recipes. This herb is high in vitamin C and metabolism-regulating Omega-3 fatty acids. ” I even read that it has more Omega-3 fatty acids than most fish oils! I think I will add it to my herb garden.

Squash and Yellow Zucchini

It’s Dahlia season!

Summer bouquets at the market

Seen earlier in the day at the Shipwreck Festival: doggies in a baby carriage!

Back at Janet and Steve’s house, Steve reads to me from his novel in progress!

Postprandial Walk along the beautiful Guemes Channel Trail (brand new walking and cycling trail that replaced some old overgrown rail road tracks).

View along the trail

Since Janet and Simone were admiring this enormous drift log, I thought I’d capture it on film. The light was divine.

Pugalicious! A very sweet 14 year-old pug resting on a bench along the trail.

Sunset coming on. Hot summer days and gorgeous sunsets is how I will always remember this summer. It has been and continues to be amazing.

Heron hunting as sunset comes on. Hot summer days with gorgeous sunsets is how I will always remember this summer.

Sunset in Anacortes, along the Guemes Trail. Does it get any better than this?

Sunset in Anacortes. We were on our way home and I asked Janet to pull over to the side of the road so I could photograph this sunset! Does it get any better than this?

Sunset in Anacortes

And today’s hike through a Madrona Forest! Madronas are perhaps one of my favorite trees! Madronas are native to the Western Coastal areas of North America. “They are broadleaved evergreen trees, distinguished by its smooth trunk and orange-red deciduous bark.”