A Trip to Victoria and More

At last, I've gotten around to narrating a recent visit from Honey and Poppy Davis, who were here for a week last month. Since it was spring break at Seattle University, we all took the opportunity to hit the road for a few days. Actually, we hit the channel waters, namely, the Juan de Fuca Strait, which divides Washington State from British Columbia, Canada. Our trip began with a drive to Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula, from which the MV Coho ferry leaves twice a day. It was a beautiful day with a clear view of the Olympic Mountains, as we left the port.

The ferry definitely had more side-to-side movement than we're used to, and it took a while to get our sea legs. Michael had a little fall (strait trippin') but nothing too bad. Soon enough we were looking around the boat, and Poppy took some time to enjoy the on-board entertainment.

After a 90 minute ride, we arrived in Victoria, where the harbor (or as they say harbour) was busy with boats and seaplanes coming and going.

From the harbour, you can see the two architectural jewels of Victoria. Here are Honey, Poppy and Michael, standing in front of the Empress Hotel, as we prepared to disembark.

The other jewel is the Parliament Building, which was designed by the same architect, Francis Rattenbury. (Later that afternoon we took a self-guided tour of the buildings.)

Right in front of the Parliament is a statue of the city's namesake, Queen Victoria. Vivat Regina.

Besides regina, Victoria was also called imperatrix, or empress, which is where the Fairmont Hotel took its name. The hotel's claim to fame is its afternoon tea, which we had heard is one of the things you have to do if you're visiting Victoria. Naturally, we made reservations and, soon after disembarking the ferry, found ourselves relishing tea and pastries in the Empress's elegant dining room. After his initial faux pas of trying to add his own sugar cubes to his tea (you should have the waiter do it for you), Poppy settled in to his cup of Empress Blend. Honey and I were quite fortunate that the Empress has "Celiac offerings," which closely approximated the regular menu. Here is the tray that Emily and Poppy shared.

Yes, it was delicious, but poor Michael, who had a cold for almost the whole trip, was a little out of sorts. It's times like these that my habit of eating fast really pays off; I think I set an Empress record for inhaling the pastry tray and then took Michael into the lobby where he fell asleep with some rocking. An unexpected side effect of the pastries and my rapid consumption of them was an intense sugar high. Emily and I have both given up sweets for Lent but gave ourselves a "traveler's dispensation" (that's legit, right?) for our trip to Victoria. Those tea pastries hit us hard, and the high was followed by a serious crash at the hotel, as we watched the NCAA tournament.

But before heading back to our own wonderful hotel (the Marriott, of course), we took a walk around the shops near the Inner Harbour. Here is the entrance to Chinatown.

And here is Michael not enjoying one of the stores we dropped in. Initially, I thought this chair might be a nice upgrade for the rocker in Michael's room, but he made his feelings pretty clear.

Once back at the Marriott, Michael and Honey resumed one of their favorite activities during the trip: watching the cars, buses and trucks drive in front of the hotel. The highlight of the next day was a bus tour of Victoria and the surrounding neighborhoods. (Or is it neighbourhoods?) Michael was into the tour at first...

...but in short time his interest waned and he slept for most of the ride. He looked so content sleeping, that I was also inspired to close my eyes for part of the tour. We saw lots of the city and agreed that we'd bring our van next trip, so that we can explore some of the outlying neighbourhoods. We also put off the Butchart Gardens till the next trip, because there weren't many blooms out in early March, and it would have been expensive to get their without our own vehicle.

Our two days in Victoria flew by and soon we were walking to the MV Coho for the ride back to Port Angeles.

Here's a picture of me and Poppy on the ride back, with Poppy sporting his new Hollywood-producer glasses.

Once again Michael found a comfortable seat and snoozed. He was such a trooper on the trip, even with his cold. Such a sweet boy, as always.

Okay, maybe not always sweet; well sweet but messy. Here is one of the few pictures I took after our trip to Victoria. Once Michael got going with his rice dinner, it went from messy to messier. This was a straight-from-the-high-chair-to-the-bathtub kind of night.

Here are a few pictures that Poppy took during their visit. Here is one of Michael wearing a hat that was purchased at the USS North Carolina last summer. Whenever he wears it, we like to tell him that his Uncle B used to have one just like it.

And sleeping again. Looks like he was having some sweet dreams.

And lastly, a shot of Michael and Honey looking out over the Puget Sound to the Seattle skyline.

Baltimore Visitors

Here on Bainbridge Island we have just wrapped up a fortnight full of wonderful visitors. Just yesterday my parents left after a week's visit, which included a trip to Victoria, B.C., but we'll save that visit for a post later this week (or next). Before them, we had some friends from Baltimore fly out to visit. In fact, our first visitors from Baltimore were Anne and Kent who came last January for a long weekend.

Anne and Emily worked together at Loyola in Balto, and we had fun catching up on the news from the school and the city. It also helped that the Ravens were still in the playoffs during their visit, so we could root for them against the Chiefs, and their visit also coincided with the Seahawks' improbable win against the New Orleans Saints. It was a memorable weekend, indeed.

More recently, our friends Brendan and Abby used a free Southwest flight to fly out here with their beautiful daughter, Mary. Brendan, Abby and I were all Jesuit Volunteers in the Bay Area -- they were in San Francisco, but I was keeping it real in Oakland -- and by good fortune we all wound up in Baltimore. Equally fortuitous was the news that Emily and Abby, besides both working at Loyola, had the same due date for Michael and Mary! The parallel pregnancies were a blessing for everyone: Abby and Emily compared notes, while Brendan and I compared our bewilderment. After they were born, we got to work planning their wedding twenty or so years from now.

With that backstory, you can imagine Michael's nervous anticipation as we prepared for their visit. Naturally, he wanted to shower up before their date, and like a gentleman, he gave Mary the tub, while he settled for the sink.

The date itself took place at Battle Point Park. From the beginning, Michael wanted to show that he was tough and rugged; he went straight for the dump truck placard.
Little did he know that Mary was actually an expert on the digger!
Next they made their way to the sandbox and the big rock that is painted like a frog.

And finally, back to the cottage for an elegant dinner for two. For the most part, it was a quiet dinner, but a couple of times they passed food back and forth to each other.
After dinner, the sweet little ones got into their sleepers and prepared for bed. Would there be a good night kiss?
Who knows? The next morning both babies stonewalled our questions!

All in all, it was a great long weekend with Brendan, Abby and Mary. We look forward to seeing you all in Balto sometime this summer!

Game Day!

Michael woke up this morning and said he had a good feeling about the Tar Heels tonight. Fortunately, he had just the outfit for their game against Duke. Go Heels!

Wildlife and Whiskey

One feature of Bainbridge Island that we have yet to report on is its wonderful wildlife. In particular, the island is home to numerous bald eagles, and some of them live right here near our cottage. In fact, the property owners mentioned to us that they had to postpone some construction on one of the cottages because it was nesting season for the eagles, and they could not be disturbed. Eagles, we have learned, have a very distinct call; it was first described to us as "other-worldly," and once we heard them we realized that it is an apt description.

They are especially active in the early morning; at least three or four times a week their call pierces the morning stillness, but this is the hardest time to see them because it is dark and we are still in bed. (Or one of us is in bed, and the other is rocking Michael!) Neither of us had actually seen the eagles until a few weeks ago when Emily caught sight of one flying overhead during the day. Then one Saturday during Gramma and Papa Rauer and Uncle Tim's visit we were loading into the car around 11 am, when we all heard them call. We looked up and saw two eagles flying low overheard, and then they turned around and flew back. It was exhilarating to look up and see their white heads and broad wingspan. On that occasion and in sightings since, they never seem to flap their wings, so their flight has a poise and dignity that is so beautiful to watch.

Then just last week on President's Day I was taking Michael for a walk around the property at dusk while Emily got his dinner ready. We heard an eagle call, and when we looked up we saw one fly up to a perch in a tree beside our cottage. He perched there for half an hour, which gave us enough time to grab the camera for a picture:

Alas, the light was fading, so you can only just make out his size and his white head. He looked stately as ever on his perch, and as you watch them, it is easy to see why it was chosen as a national symbol. On this topic, here's some trivia I just learned: Benjamin Franklin did not want the bald eagle to be our national symbol because of its "bad moral character" (not sure how he arrived at this opinion) and favored the turkey instead. Now that I've had a chance to observe both birds, I can say that I am glad Franklin's preference did not carry the day. (Emily just informed that she already knew about Franklin and the turkey. Am I the only one who didn't know this story?)

Our most recent encounter with the local wildlife occurred just this morning when we looked out our kitchen window and saw this four-legged friend:

Of course, it didn't take long for the deer to notice us and give us that deer-in-headlights look:
What we did not expect was how quickly Michael would be able to imitate the look:

A final encounter with the northwest wildlife took place last week while I was riding the ferry to work. About halfway through the trip the captain came on the PA system and announced that there were two whales swimming off the south side of the boat. Amazingly, not everyone jumped at this chance to see some whale tails. I sure did and so did the woman across from me, who was so excited she knocked over her ceramic coffee mug. (Who commutes with a ceramic mug? It's a ferry, not a diner.) After helping her pick up the pieces, I hustled over to starboard where sure enough, two orca whales were swimming along us. They bobbed up and down about four times and then went under for good. The scene looked something like this:
The only difference is that this is a picture of Michael's bath toy. The whales I saw were real, and they were in the Puget Sound. Another difference: the whales I saw were not chewed and then "beached" on the bathroom floor, which is the nightly fate of the toy whale.
Now the "whiskey" part of this blog posting refers to a new distillery that has opened on Bainbridge Island, called Bainbridge Organic Distillers (http://www.bainbridgedistillers.com/). As you may know, my Celiac disease has meant that for the last few years my occasional beer has been replaced by an occasional glass of whiskey. So you can imagine my delight when I discovered that there was a distillery right here on the island (in the same plaza as our pediatrician, no less). It is one example of micro-distilleries that are popping up around Washington State, and the Bainbridge Distillers use wheat grown organically on the nearby Olympic Peninsula and processed right here on the island. (The gluten is lost in the distillation, making it a Celiac-friendly beverage.)

So far they've developed a vodka and a whiskey and they have a gin in the works. They only make small batches, so when I received an email that their second batch of whiskey was out, we scooted over and bought a bottle.

It is rare to buy anything these days that's produced locally from beginning to end, but here's an example of just such a product. I am eager to try it, but with a few special visitors on their way in March, I'm saving my first glass till they arrive. I don't claim to have a great palate for spirits, but I'll pass on my thumbs-up or thumbs-down after it's been tested. In the meantime, check out their website and and check back here for new tales from the wild (north)west.

Birthday Visitors

As noted in the previous entry, Michael's birthday celebration included a visit from his Gramma and Papa Rauer and his Uncle Tim! Their trip out here was delayed by a day due to the winter weather that shut down the Detroit airport. Once they arrived though, Michael was thrilled to see them, and all the extra attention left him feeling super, as expressed by the shirt he received from Uncle Tim. (The birthday gift came with a Batman shirt also!)

This picture pretty much sums up how Michael felt about his birthday visit from Gramma, Papa and Tim.

Adventures during the visit included numerous ferry rides, of which Michael never tires, especially when they involve snacking on a Mum-Mum (seen in the foreground).

We think Mum-Mum was Michael's first word. At first we thought he was saying "Mama," but as he spoke he would reach toward the cabinet. I'm just glad he likes the taste of rice crackers, because if he's got Celiac like his dad, he's going to be eating a good many rice crackers over the years.

Michael's favorite activities on the ferry include: (1) staring at other passengers; (2) continuing to stare at other passengers; (3) having his diaper changed in the ferry bathroom (women's bathroom, that is; too bad for me there's no changing station in the men's room...or is there?); (4) eating Mum-Mums (see above); (5) staring out the window for birds, airplanes, boats, birds, driftwood, etc. Here is a picture of Activity #5 with help from Uncle Tim.

One adventure was a visit to the Seattle Aquarium, which houses all sorts of sea creatures that live in the sound. The main attraction is the octopus, which you can see in this picture I pulled from the Internet. Similar to a Hypercolor shirt, the octopus changes color according to its activity level: active = red; inactive = gray. As you can see, he's quite active in the picture (and so was the girl apparently).

Michael missed the all-red memo and showed only moderate activity with his orange sleeves. He did love the fish and enjoyed facing up to the glass for a closer look.

Another afternoon was spent at Battle Point Park on Bainbridge Island. I've blogged about this park before, but as Michael gets older, there's more and more fun to be had there. For example, green rocks:

The slide:
And the gravel!

One of our final excursions was to visit the Science Center where the Harry Potter exhibit was wrapping up. Without mentioning any names, two of us have read the books multiple times and were very eager for the exhibit:

I thought it was a great show, too, and I've only read the first four of the books. There were superfans aplenty at the show, relishing the formal wear that Harry, Ron and Hermione wore to the Yule Ball at the Triwizard Tournament! Michael stayed interested as long as he could, taking breaks occasionally with me and his Papa.
But ultimately the Harry Potter exhibit cast a pretty serious sleeping spell on him.

First Birthday!

Well this past Friday marked Michael's first year with us. The whole week we've been remembering the days leading up to his birth. For example, on Thursday night at 11 pm (= 2 am East Coast time) Emily recalled: "At this time last year I was having contractions and you had fallen asleep." That sounded kind of familiar; I replied that I was probably conserving my strength so I could be as supportive as possible the next day.

The birthday boy began Friday with a long look in the mirror. No crowsfeet yet, but he is starting to show his age.

Next on the agenda was his favorite pre-breakfast activity: trucks. Loading the dumptruck, dumping the dumptruck, loading the dumptruck...I think you get the picture.

Going to the kitchen for breakfast, Michael was surprised to find a new friend waiting for him: Buzzy Bee. I think this was the first clue for him that it was a special day.

We saved the cake for the afternoon, 3:30 to be precise which is the time he was born last year (6:32 EST). He was interested in the cupcake we had bought him and struck the following pose. (We're grooming him for a future boy band.)

The interest continued as Em and I sang "Happy Birthday" and brought him the cupcake with the candle lit. He made a wish (we think), and Em helped him blow out the candle.

That was about the extent of his interest. The first clue was when he flipped the cupcake upside down. He tried a bite of the cake.
But that was about it. Soon he was picking it apart and handing bites to me and Em. Even when we tried to feed him the cake or the icing, he didn't care much for it.
This picture pretty much sums up what Michael thought of the cupcake. Amazingly, he shows no sign of his mom and dad's sweet tooth, but there's still time for this dominant gene to surface.

Fortunately for Michael, whose Italian gene is quite strong, there was a pasta dinner later in the evening. Em made some delicious meat sauce that Michael totally pounded -- buon appetito!
After Michael was in bed for the night, Em's parents and brother arrived, so stay tuned for pictures from their visit.