There and Back Again, Part Two (Very Long!)

Here are some of the other fun things I did on my recent sojourn to the Puget Sound region:

Introduced Pippin to Tina's new rescue dog, Dobby -- they got along fine and even played a bit from time to time....

Went sketching with Nicole at a small park:

Went to Golden Gardens Park with Michelle and Winston:
 

Took the Hounds on the 2.8 mile walk around Green Lake:

Went to the Zoo to see the two new rhinos, among other delights, such as the new giraffe youngster:
   

And the Australian Kookoburra:

But mostly, I just wanted to see rhinos....

 So amazing!

Also went sketching with Tina and Nicole at the Chinese Garden in West Seattle:

And at the Everett Cemetery:

Where we found a rather ostentatious tomb....

Of course I went birding more than once at the Montlake Fill:

I miss Pied-billed Grebes...they do turn up in the Tri-Cities area but it's a bit of a drive to see them and they don't come anywhere near as close to the shore as they do at the Fill.

New to the Fill this year was a pair of nesting Purple Martins:

We also had a lovely visit from a juvenile Peregrine Falcon:

A major highlight of the visit was a trip with Nicole and Tina to Whidbey Island via the Mukilteo ferry...this is the Mukilteo lighthouse:

It was Pippin's very first ferry ride.  He seemed to enjoy himself.

We stopped in the small town of Langley for some walking and sketching:

Then we stopped at Greenbank Farm for more sketching (and lunch):
 

Our final sketch outing of the visit was to Kubota Gardens, a wonderful Japanese garden that is part of the Seattle Parks system.

Here is Truman seconds before he decided to jump into the pond...I don't think he realized how deep it was, for he was quite surprised when he went completely under.  He's been a little wary of ponds ever since, poor guy!

After a month away from home, we were tired and ready to return.  The Hounds were very happy to see their own home and yard again -- they had no idea that I hadn't permanently moved them to the rental unit we had up there, which had a crappy weed-infested, unfenced yard!  They were delighted to be able to run free again. 

And I am delighted to be back in the land of wide open spaces!