Yesterday evening, Rick and I walked over to Carol’s new home, a beautiful barge floating on Lake Union alongside neighboring houseboats. The walk there was incredibly beautiful and invigorating.

Boats on Lake Union

Boats and Reflections

Last day of May

View of downtown

Once we got to Carol’s,  I led a Barge Housewarming Yoga session.

Vase of Tulips

There were 7 of us gathered for the event!  It was such a picturesque day with fluffy clouds, bursts of sunshine, and interesting light.  The light danced off the water and onto the interior of the  barge. Some of us were indoors for the yoga, but Mary and Christine opened the doors leading to the deck and did the yoga session on the deck.  They had the best of distractions. They got to see downtown Seattle, sailboats, kayaks, geese, tugboats, and barges from an upside down perspective while in downward facing dog!

i took this photo of downtown through Christine's downward dog legs!

Twisty view of downtown

Revolved Triangle

Shavasana on the Barge House

Our post-yoga pre-dinner group shot!

Glowing Sailboat

View of downtown through my dog

Yoga on the Barge! (Mary took this photo!)

We had a great yoga session and then Carol delighted us with her amazing cooking/baking skills.  Carol has a way of making everything look effortless, when, in fact, I can only imagine the hours she put into the meal she served up.  It was divine and very gourmet!  Carol made homemade bread, hummus, an Italian rice dish, zucchini and spinach gratin, Turkish grated beets with dill and Greek yogurt, feta and cottage cheese egg souffle wrapped in phyllo dough, and a rhubarb pie!  (Carol, did I get the descriptions right??)  All I know for sure is that the food was out-of-this-world delicious and that I ate too fast and too much.

Carol's homemade bread, still warm from the oven!

Mary represents all of us in her excitement! Carol seems to modestly say, "Oh, t'was nothing." (Christine's photo)

Carol's rhubarb pie!

Reflections from the dinner table (Christine's photo)

Carol had this vision of living on a barge.  The interior is beautiful with poured-concrete heated floors, and french doors that open up to various decks.  Light pours in and the house lulls its visitors to a deep place of comfort. Carol’s friend, Knox, photographed the entire journey of moving Carol’s barge into its new home on Lake Union near Gasworks Park. He described the journey like this:

“(the barge was) towed down the Duwamish, across Elliot Bay, around Magnolia, through Ballard Locks, and to its new home on the far side of Gasworks Park.”

If you are interested, you can read more about the barge and how it made its way to where it is now:

http://www.knoxgardner.com/2011/moving-carols-house/

Rick and Jerry upstairs on the barge