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Hula Returns to Sequim

Honored Elder & Dance Teacher, Mokihana Melendez on the right OMG! So excited that like last year, a Hawaiian group graced Sequim with i...

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Baltimore by the Sea

The historic El Galeón
Today Kirk drove Dolores Bea and me to a suburban light rail station. We took the light rail to a stop, not to far from the Baltimore Harbor.

Dolores, Bea & Kirk as we hoof it to the harbor
Lunch was first on our afternoon agenda.  We had wonderful seafood for our lunches as well as a great view of the harbor & even the water taxi.

The replica ship, El Galeón was in harbor & open for touring. Bea and I decided to risk being shanghaied, and went aboard for look-see.

Bea bravely waves bye-bye
My new paper tattoo

Landbubbers Kirk & Dolores stayed on dry ground













There were some schinanagins when Bea and I had to leave the ship for a sec,  to get stickers that allowed us to board the ship.On board we discovered the historic El Galeón is a replica of the 16th - 17th century galleon that sailed out of Spain. The ship has sailed around the world and if you're adventurous enough, you can even apply to earn your sea legs on board as the ship continues to navigate the globe.
Aboard the main deck
Captain's Quarters
The red Round Building 
 Dolores and Bea had an interest in seeing the recently opened Sagamore Pendry Hotel, which I think the current 'spot to be seen' so to speak. So we decided to risk a high seas adventure and we boarded a water taxi on the Yellow Route,
A Yellow Route Water Taxi
Ready to go on the Aquatic Boat Share
Shoreside attraction
The famous National Aquarium 
Lovely Flags of Baltimore
Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park
 The trip over to the Fell's Point dock was refreshing, and we were soon scrambling ashore.

Approaching Fell's Point
The Brick facade of the Sagamore Pendry
Looking up at the Sagamore
 The Sagamore has an amazing interior with facinating artwork.

The scary Halloween-ish entrywalkway
 The long hall had interesting artwork lining it, that ran the gamut from

...having barfed up Oxford's dictionary, to...

Op-art that moved & put you spot onto the Twilight Zone. 
Ought to have video taped that last one - so cool.

Stroll through the atrium
The unnamed Sagamore Horsie statue
At the end of this inner garden is a tiny hall with another wonderful bit of op-art, and this time I filmed it. This is NOT me hoovering over a swimmer, this is on a wall as I face it.


Pendry's Pool, for guests of course, is probably the 9th wonder of the world. Myself, I'd only only have the nerve to swim in it under cover of darkness.

NOT my photo... forgive me Internet guardians
Enjoyed our tour of the Pendry Sagamore.
Some of us had a little sit down after our hotel walking 
We headed back to Fell's Landing but before boarding the Water Taxi, and a walk back to the Light Rail station. The Fell's Point Creamery is there, and solely in an effort to support local business we had ice cream. Not that our day could have been any sweeter.

Dolores handles the toughest question
 of our day - vanilla or butter pecan?

Orioles are Orioles

Claire, Bea, Kirk and James-Allen
When I visit Baltimore, I always squeeze in some birding, even for a short visit. Knowing that, I was so tickled when Kirk told me I was in for a treat, a visit to Birdland! 
Yay, Orioles!

We arrived at a huge facility, Kirk told me was called Oriole Park at Camden Yards. OMG, with a name like that, I knew I was in for some fantastic birding.




Oriole Park at Camden Yards
To enter the park we had to go through a security shake down. Never did that on a birding adventure before.  Then we were in the park. below you can see concessionaires in the pink building on the left, with the ball park to the right. I looked around and spotted the ubiquitous house sparrows, but hope springs eternal, where were the Orioles? Kirk & Bea suggested begin with dinner at Dempsey's Brew Pub & Restaurant . Well, no birds in there, but OK. 


At Dempsey's we enjoyed scrumptious meals. Kirk ordered a round of Bacon on a Stick for the table - and to show me how freakn' cool the appetizers are - and the are! Big thick hunks of Hungarian bacon drizzled with Old Bay maple glaze (you drooling yet?) on sticks stuck in bottles, stuck in a six-pack. Eat enough of them and lose your six pack I say! I tasted one, but now being bereft of a gall bladder, I thought I'd better skip the yummy bacon or I'd later be skipping any birding in favor of hoovering over a toilet. Let's just leave all that here, OK?
Niece Bea and Great Neph James-Allen and Bad-Ass Bacon
After a good meal we headed to the Ball Park next door. I figured we'd be high up in the stadium, so all the better for me to see some birds. Then Bea said, ironically enough, the teams today were the Baltimore Orioles vs. the New York Yankees, you know, 'the bums'. First up, I wondered if Kirk had misunderstood my need to see some birds, thinking I'd said I needed to see something named after a bird. Also, I wondered if there were some unresolved issues concerning our origins, as Bea, Kirk; all of us - save James-Allen - were all born in NYC. That didn't preclude finding out that the whole of my Baltimore family are die-hard Orioles fans. I kept my NYC bred mouth shut and concluded I may have understood Kirk's offer to 'go see the Orioles play'. Silly me.

That's Yankee Chase Headley at bat, and yes, I had to look that info up on-line
because I don't know a Yankee uniform or player from a hole in the ground
The Oriole Bird, the official Orioles Mascot. Hum... looks more like a Raven to me


Bea, Kirk & James-Allen kept their baseball dunce of an Aunt up on what happened in the Ball field and on the cool, digital thingmajig scoreboard. I bet the last time I was at a game they used chalk on a blackboard to keep score. What were the two giant birds on the top of the scoreboard... hum. Massive Orioles.



We didn't stay for the entire game, for one thing, James-Allen has to get up for school in the morning. Ah, bless kids for giving adults a reason to leave early - that is 'moi' as I'm sure Bea & Kirk wouldn't have minded staying on. Before we left, they wanted me to take a tour of Camden Park.





The first thing I noted was this sign... not standard American Birding Association or Sibley stuff.






James-Allen risks posing quite close to a bat wielding crow.... um, Oriole
There is a whole playground for kids in the stadium
 Aside from the playground, Camden Yards has an area set aside with huge bronze statues in homage to great Oriole players of the past. Cool.




So as the sun set, I had to admit, no one had fibbed to me - I did, after all, see Baltimore Orioles.



You know, I normally visit Baltimore in the Fall. If my niece Ain offers to take me to see her beloved Ravens, I go. You know I won't turn down the chance to watch Ravens at play.

Sunday, May 28, 2017

We're All Mad Here...

At Ain's Birthday Alice Tea Party
She ought to have known better. I mean really.  April I got an e-invite to my niece Ain's birthday party. The part had an Alice in Wonderland Tea Party Theme. Now, Ain lives in Baltimore on that other coast but know what? I get so few invites to east coast 'doings' there was no way I was not going to accept the invite and attend Ain's 35th birthday soiree.


The party was fun! It was held at Bea and Avon's condo (my niece & her hubby). Being a huge Alice in Wonderland fan myself, I was so tickled that Ain too loves all things Alice.

Sweet Alice, I mean, Sweet Ain, styling as the Red Queen
We arrived at Bea & Avon's before the party began, hugs all around.

Bea and Dolores
Bea & London working in the kitchen
The teapot erupting cards
Lots of family and friends filled the home, but you know me, I was mostly taken and impressed by Ain's home made party decorations and favors.


They Painted the Roses Red










Bright eyed flowers - ready to chat up party guests






What's a Tea Party without Cake? We'll never know
Soon the guests arrived. All were encouraged to put on their Tea Party birthday hats. Some did so eagerly - after all, we're all mad here.

Ladies in the alcove, who take their tea parties seriously
Birthday Girl, a true Millennial, on her phone
On the left, Beegee & Dolores, freinds since they were teens
Hogwarts alum Sydney on the left
Happy Birthday your Majesty!