Quiet and beauty

First of all, if you live in Washington State, have you voted yet?  Is your ballot in the mail?  If you've already mailed it, have you verified that it's been counted?  Because, you know, sometimes they get lost or there's a glitch.  Always best to check!

If you don't know where to go to check, here's the link:  https://info.kingcounty.gov/elections/mailballottracking.aspx

If you haven't mailed in your ballot, please do.  If you have, thank you!  And if you would, please be sure your friends and family have voted.  There's only a 20% turnout so far, so every vote is important!

Thus ends today's PSA.

I hope you had a wonderful Halloween and a fabulous first of November.  We did.

Lillian took herself on a bike ride while I held down the fort here doing laundry.  Today was the perfect day for a bike ride, and I should have gone along, but there ya go, I'm a slacker.

But it was one of those days we here in the Pacific Northwest don't tell others about because then you'll just want to move up here and it's crowded enough as it is!  Heh.

Seriously, though, it was a picture-perfect autumn day.  Lots of trees still have green leaves, but most are blazing colors, and there are plenty on the sidewalks and tossing around the streets.  The sky was a clear and bright blue, but the sun stretched shadows out so that it was obvious winter's on the way.

We spent some time running around, once Lillian got back from her ride and I came to a stopping place in the laundry cycle.

We went to a restaurant, met a lovely gay guy who gave us exceptional service and some great advice along with burgers that we'd been craving.  It's so great when you get exactly the taste you've been looking for, isn't it?

And congenial company doesn't hurt.  Ever!

Later on we went shoe shopping with Ryan, but of course it was Sunday and everything was pretty much closed, although I did get a magnificent new umbrella - a HUGE rainbow one.  Trust me, you'll see me three blocks away.  Well, provided there's no wind.  If it's windy, I'll either lose the umbrella or I'll end up over on one of the islands.  Yeah, it's big enough to parasail, I bet!

But I love it!

And then, final treat, was the full moon over Mt. Ranier.  It's been cold enough so that she's covered with snow, and the setting sun turned the snow a beautiful pink.  With the full moon hovering over it, well, it would take a truly hard heart not to have your breath taken away.

 

And I hope that your day went as smoothly and well.  Have a great Monday!

Comments

[charlie]

I'm not moving to the Northwest Fran. Not anytime soon. Too much rain...but I did love Mt. Rainier and the people I met backpacking years ago.

Let's hope tomorrow will score a few points, if any for gay marriage. I know you press for a vote in Washington State, but believe it or not the state of Maine is more important right now because IF the voters approve gay marriage, which I hope they will, (Maine is the backbone of New England and the state where outsiders are considered to be threats to self-governance) it will be a victory greater than existing federal law.

Tomorrow, Maine is the key for the next turn in our road.

Vote tomorrow in Washington and hope the residents of Caribou and Holten in Maine vote for our right to marry one another.

I hope they do.
My friend died pruning an apple tree at the age of 42 in South Portland, Maine from a heart attack.

Life is filled with hurt and love.

Death is not to be feared. We challenge it every day.

Thank's Fran,

You taught me how to deal with me.

[Fran]

Ah Charlie, you're a New York boy through and through. I know that!

I do know how vital Maine is, and I'll be watching that return seriously closely. Maine could be the first State to vote FOR gay marriage, and that, my friend, will be the turning point.

Oh yes, gay marriage is coming, of that I have no doubts. But to see the people vote for it is going to be a joy to behold. And I think Phillip Spooner deserves a huge vote of thanks for that, honestly.