I love Cebu, but it's nice walking here again. Missing out (not!) on the gray, drizzly NW winter weather is a factor. Whether it's the early morning or the late afternoon, the low angle of the sun gives us some nice colors and wonderful shadows. This was yesterday afternoon when we did a zig zag route through the business area, and then a loop walk on the Sammamish River Trail. 

This photo was taken by my brother Pat, of "Easy Does It", from when I lived on Lopez Island. Karin, the "Goat Lady", lived in a small cabin in the woods behind me, and I let her keep her goats in a small fenced-in pasture I had in exchange for goats milk. "Easy Does It" was the Head goat, and you always had to lock him in to a feeding thing before the other goats because he would be butting them and getting in your way if you didn't let him eat first!

The last I heard about Karin, a few years after I left Lopez, was that she was riding a horse in Canada, headed North...

This photo is from the hike post I made a few days ago, from either Trout Lake or Copper Lake, up in the Cascades. It was in my FB Memories folder this morning.

One of my last hikes was 6 years ago with my brother Mike, up to the Trout and Copper Lakes in the Cascades. Hard work, but rewarding. I climbed another mountain on our way back home the next day: the 'Big Chief' breakfast at the Mountain View Diner? In Gold Bar. Biscuits, Sausage, Eggs, etc, smothered in country gravy.

We got out to St Edwards Park in Kenmore yesterday morning, and we walked the North Trail down to the beach. From there, we walked back up to "the Lodge" on the Seminary Trail. St Edwards is still a State Park, but the St Edwards Seminary was sold and it reopened awhile back as "The Lodge at St Edward Park". I just peeked at their reservations, and rooms are between $271 and $421 a night, a little out of our price range...

We visited the Solea Resort on Mactan Island before we went to Tambuli at the end of May. Tambuli is still my favorite, but I did like the grove of coconut/palm trees out by Solea's beachfront area. Still not sure of the difference, but Google tells me that "Coconut trees are a type of palm trees that have many similarities, but not all palm trees produce coconuts. The main difference is in the leaves. Palm trees have fan-shaped leaves while coconut trees have wide leaves. In addition, coconut trees produce coconuts while palm trees produce palm oil." So, what are these?

I always smile when I walk by the life size paintings of notable Bothelites in downtown Bothell. I have to stop by City Hall someday and ask about the artist. Googling the butcher character, I discovered that his family is the Keener family. They have one of the more famous Christmas house and yard decorations in this area.

We drove up to Charlie's Cup on the Transcentral Highway going NW out of Cebu, "a roadside cafe along the cliffs of Balamban". The best Churros in Cebu someone told us. When we were eating and enjoying the view, I pointed out a lake on the distant horizon, and a little later someone said "let's go to Lakeview". I followed my sister-in-law out of Charlie's Cup, and I turned left to where our car was parked. I said "the car's down here" as she continued walking up the hill. What? The "Lakeview" Le Jardin Cafe and Restaurant was right next door. The many gardens, greenery and flowers were magnificent, but I got distracted before we even reached them. Wonderfully crafted mosaics and the rock pathways and terraces were everywhere...

Tambuli Resort #2: Being a craftsperson, I love utilitarian objects made out of traditional materials. Filipino basketry etc., using both rattan and bamboo, is beautiful. Tambuli had rattan chandeliers throughout the resort, and they turned on the lanterns out by the beach overlook when the sun was setting...

Tambuli Resort #1: I just found my Canon's SD card from our last few weeks in Cebu. We went on several excursions with the family during that time, and one of my favorites was the Tambuli Resort on Mactan Island. These first shots were in the main entrance/lobby area, and looking out towards the water...