A weekend away......

After a very stressful month,

which I'd like to say did not get the best of us,

(but it totally did)

David and I stole a much needed weekend away.

We started out at the Bite of Seattle.

We had so much fun walking around

and looking at all of the food booths and vendors.

I couldn't believe how many people were there!

I love doing things like this.

Sitting out on a blanket listening to a live band play,

sampling different foods

and just watching people bustling all around me

sounds like a great Saturday afternoon to me.

David, on the other hand, had to make some concessions

for me as this is not his thing.

He loves the food but he'd rather not be where the crowd is.

Inconceiveable, I know!!

Though there was a plethora (I love that word!) of food

available for the tasting,

we each quickly found our favorites.

David went back to his southern roots

with some N'awlin's flavor in a seafood and chicken gumbo,

and I could not resist the dungeness crab cakes.

I'm a Maryland blue crab girl at heart,

but since I can't be with the one I love,

I gotta love the one I'm with, right?

It really was quite good and my favorite of the day.

We tried other things too,

like a ravioli sampler,

and these yummy dipped strawberries!

We got a great view of the space needle from where we were.

We've not been to the top of this yet.

It's on our list for this summer!

With full bellies,

we drove toward Poulsbo.

We pulled over to take these scenic shots.

That is Mt. Rainier in the distance.

Gorgeous, huh?

After a long drive,

we finally arrived in Poulsbo

where David has been staying for the past week.

He's been in school and has one week left.

He's been exploring after class

and found the cutest little strip of boutiques, eateries

antique shops and coffee shops right on the water

in downtown Poulsbo.

Knowing I'd love it,

He couldn't wait to take me there.

We found a great restaurant serving local cuisine.

It's called Mor Mor and it was delish!

I just love pretty food!

I also love quaint little alley ways

and I find myself drawn to photograph them.

I enjoy the little burst of surprise in the creative use of space.

I've got photos of alley ways in Annapolis, MD. Rockport, MA.

Boston, MA and NY.....and now Poulsbo!

Something about taking what most people ignore and

avoid and turning it into a treat to delight the eye and senses

makes me feel like I've stumbled onto the best secret

and I want to capture it to remember through the years.

Aren't the best things made out of often overlooked nothings?

Poulsbo is such a cute little town!

It's just thriving with local flair.

I loved being there.

David told me that it is often refered to as

"Little Norway".

It's Norwegian founders originally named it "Paulsbo"

but when they applied to have a post office for their little town,

the name was mispelled on the forms and

it stuck!

The Norwegian influence can easily be found everywhere.

And it's a seaside town,

so that already suggests natural beauty,

but Poulsbo has it in spades!

David and I found ourselves as excited over seeing the eagles

as we were over seeing famous people when we lived in southern California.

But just as it was in LA,

the locals didn't even notice them.

Bald eagles abound here,

but their commonality was lost on us.

We both got chills and risked brand new shoes

by venturing far out onto the sloshy beach at low tide

to get as close as we could to them!

It was worth it!

Now we've not only captured the memory of seeing these magestic birds,

but we've got the memory of gigging together

as our shoes sank farther and farther into the goopy slime

that is low tide.

It has been a while since David and I have been

away together for an overnight.

The last time was December 08 for

a Christmas party

and before that it had been since our honeymoon

almost 17 years ago!

Shame, I know, but a week turns into a month,

a month to a year

and before you know it,

it's been a decade or more since you've taken the time to rediscover

why you fell in love in the first place.

And we just can't have that!

We've been faithful to our date nights a couple times a month,

which helps us to remember that we are a couple

and not just mom and dad.

But there is just something about going away for a night or two

that helps keep the sizzle sizzlin!

There is definitely something about not being in familiar surroundings

that makes you feel like you are just a girl and a guy again.

Hopefully, now that the older kids are teenagers,

and very capable of taking care of Bren

and the house for a night,

we'll be able to do this on a more regular basis.

After all,

I want to know this guy when the kids are gone.

It's important to build our own life together

while we are helping our kids build their lives,

because their lives will ultimately take them away

from ours and we want to have something exciting left.

I left David at the hotel in Poulsbo and

headed back to Marysville via

the Edmonds ferry.

It was a beautiful clear day and I could see

Mt. Rainier pretty well.

Lots of people were out on the water

with their sailboats and kyaks.

Wouldn't you love to live in one of these houses on the water?

There's something so peaceful about a living on the water,

don't you think?

This seagull was trailing the ferry

undoubtedly hoping for a crumb to steal.

Instead, I stole a moment of his effortless flight

and will add his image to my collection of seagull photos.

It seems we take a seagull photo almost anytime we are near the water.

The ferries are one of my favorite things about

living near Seattle.

Well that and a starbucks on every corner!!!