Pretty Things

Some days I wish I had no pets and that the kids were living elsewhere. And here's why:
Yup, a cat or a goofy kid could transform a thousand dollars of elegant art glass into a small pile of pot shards in a matter of seconds. So even though we visited the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, we didn't buy stuff at their lovely, if a bit overpriced gift shop.
Instead, we watched a guest artist, Josie Gluck, create a glass watering can,


then walked across the Dale Chihuly Bridge of Glass.


Photos don't shatter, and they're free!

The Bluest Skies You've Ever Seen

Mike and I are hanging out near Seattle today. We drove through Mount Rainier National Park where the skies really are blue and beautiful, except over the mountain where clouds form nearly every day. We went to see a friend from the army band yesterday evening. He lives in Gig Harbor so we crossed over the Tacoma Narrows bridge. You may have heard of the bridge before. Back in 1940 it did a very creative wind dance before shattering into the sea below. The locals call it Galloping Gertie.
The bridge's gyrations inspired a young inventor to create a new way to utilize wind power to create electricity which you can see here: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4224763.html
Even the worst disaster can have positive consequences. Lucky for us it wasn't windy the evening we crossed the bridge.

Just Another Sunny Day in Paradise

It's 92 degrees in the shade according to my digital thermometer - 72 in here, 79 in Salem and partly cloudy. Ahhhhh. I really loved the rainy weather this spring and early summer. I guess Oregon will be a good choice for people like us who don't mind dark skies and damp sidewalks. We'll see. Meanwhile, Anna just wrecked her little car - no one hurt but the car's a goner. Andrew was promoted at work and is thrilled, at least now, before the real work begins. And I have applied for a different job. I am not particularly likely to get it, but it's teaching science to sixth graders all day, every day. What a lovely thought. Again, we'll see. That's the news and weather from Welfyville. Happy Day, People!