Seattle Sojourn

Last weekend I drove to Seattle ostensibly to attend a wedding of my dear, old friends, Carole and Mari (aka Pat).  It was also an opportunity for me to spend some time with my son's family.  The weather was perfect for the trip and the ferry ride was predictably gorgeous, warm enough to sit outside.  Mt. Baker and the northern Cascades were crystal clear and the springtime growth was lush and beautiful on the drive south.  

My time with the family was very enjoyable.  My grandson, Sam, was home from college for the weekend and his sister, Lily, was around too.  She'll be in college next year as well.  Sam has a life guarding job, Lily has lots of babysitting gigs so, what with work and school and socializing with their friends, they fly in and out.  We did manage to get in some time together despite their busy schedules.  

From a small park a few blocks from my son's house there are great views of Mt Rainier and the bay and city.  

Saturday was Carole and Mari's wedding, a lovely affair in their beautiful, old home with a select group of friends.  They've been together for 41yrs so figured things were working out well enough to get married.  Also, they can now be legally married.  And it's a good excuse for a party.

There was an exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum that Sam wanted to see and Sunday being the last day of the show, he and Lily and I went down there.  Interesting show and super crowded.  Mark, an old friend of mine works at the Museum and he whisked us by the long lines and up the service elevator avoiding what probably would have been a two hour wait.  The show was of works by an American artist, Kehinde Wiley: http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/wiley  Mark said that it was one of the best attended shows they've had and drew a much more diverse audience than is typical.  My opinion is that the artist's work is more about the statement than the art.  After the show, we took the newly completed leg of the light rail system to Capital Hill to meet my son and his wife.  We all wandered around that neighbourhood, a historically hip, alternative sort of community now in a state of transition as housing prices rise.  Up there is the lovely Volunteer Park with the original art museum and many big, beautiful heritage homes.

Mt Baker from the freeway

 The lightshow while waiting for the ferry at Tsawwassen