Rick and I took the ferry over to Vashon Island yesterday afternoon where we had a wonderful visit with our Vashon friends, Betty & Richard and Leslie & Jon!  Richard made a delicious pasta dish which was served along with a variety of vegetable dishes (all from their organic garden).  As always our visit there went much too fast.

When we first arrived,  Richard and Betty showed us around their property. They have quite a lot of land and are really into gardening.  They have some grape vines growing and rows and rows of wonderful vegetables.  They have a  pasture for lambs (17 lambs are arriving soon) and 12 chickens.  They had been busy enclosing a new area for the chickens.   Richard and Betty were horrified one day to look out the window and see an eagle flying off with one of their chickens in its talons!  Well, this new fenced in area is eagle proof, for sure!  We went out to see the chickens.  Some of the chickens are araucana hens which lay beautiful blue eggs.  Later, Betty so generously sent me home with a dozen colorful eggs.

Richard holding one of the hens:

Richard taught me how to hold a hen. When you hold them correctly, they totally go relaxed and limp in your hands!

Ok, one more hen picture.  Last one, I promise:

Rick and Betty:

A white orchid inside Betty and Richard’s artistic home:

Betty and Richard’s home reflects their time spent living in Mozambique and Brasil (see the colorful textiles and other art work!).  Richard is an excellent, inspired, and accomplished painter.  The black and white artwork above the sofa is one of Richard’s creations.

Leslie and Jon joined us at Betty and Richard’s for dinner:

Blurry as it is, I have to include this picture with my  favorite Vashon girlfriends:

After dinner, we headed out to the Maury Island Land Trust Building where we saw a presentation and exceptional slide show called  “Thailand and Cambodia Today: Images from Mainland Southeast Asia”

Professional photographer Sam Van Fleet shared images from his recent three week assignment to Thailand and Cambodia.  Sara Van Fleet, Associate Director of the Southeast Asia Center at the University of Washington, helped narrate the stories and ideas behind the photography.  I have never seen such beautiful images of Angkor Wat!

Not only were the photographs very inspiring, but the event was also a fundraiser for the Vashon Island Pet Protectors.  I was very happy to donate to the cause.  The VIPP ensures there are no homeless pets on Vashon Island,  and reunites lost domestic pets with their owners.

Right after the slide presentation,  Rick and I rushed to our car and caught the 8:50 pm ferry going back to Seattle.  We arrived home at exactly 9:30  p.m. with our prized  dozen blue eggs in hand.   How I LOVE Vashon!  It is so close to the city and yet so rural.  And it is so rural in feeling and yet such a cultural mecca. Vashon seems to offer the best of both worlds (urban and rural) and is home to some of the coolest people!