The first thing we saw, upon stepping out the door of our RV, was a spectacular view of Mt. Baker. We didn't even know it was there the days prior, because of the cloud cover. And all of a sudden, it broke through in all its glory!
Lee and I really enjoyed Bellingham. It is on the northern coast of Washington, a city built on hills that overlook the Pacific Ocean. The population is 40,000, much smaller than Seattle, but large enough to have shopping malls, a university campus, and ferry docks. It has many neighborhoods, each very different from the last. We are told that Bellingham has a few more sunny days than Seattle, certainly a positive. To the east of the city is a broad valley filled with orchards and farms, with a back drop of Mt. Baker.
Mt. Baker is the third highest mountain in Washington, and the fifth highest in the Cascade Mountains, at 10,781 feet. It is heavily glaciated, and is the second most-active volcano after Mt. Saint Helens.
Our first stop was the workshop of Vernon Leibrant, a woodturner. Behind his workshop were Washington apples, almost ripe.
Leibrant creates very large bowls using equipment he built himself. He is an older man, very friendly, and told us he would be in Philadelphia to sell his wares at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show in November. If you go, tell him we sent you!
We watched him work for a long time, since Lee is interested in woodturning. He starts off with a big chunk of wood which he fastens to his lathe. In this photo he has already started to create the bowl:
Once he creates the shape he wants, he uses a chain saw to cut off the unwanted wood:
He continues to work, refining as he goes:
He turns the bowl in-side-out then shapes and sands on the inside:
The bowls below are curing for six to eight weeks, and will then be sanded again and then polished:
Lee and I visited three furniture makers, a potter, a glass blower, and an artist who created beautiful stained glass and marquetry. I did not feel comfortable photographing their work, so have none to share.
On Monday morning, we left Anacortes for Bothell, just outside Seattle. Nerd that I am, the first thing I wanted to see was the Microsoft campus just 12 miles south. Microsoft has over 100 buildings on 300 acres, and 40,000 employees. The photos below were taken through a dirty car window:
Microsoft even has its own shuttle buses!
This is what I have learned so far about Seattle weather. Between September and May, 6 out of every 7 days are cloudy, although not necessarily wet. The rain here is mostly drizzle rather than hard down pours, and thunderstorms are extremely rare. This is why the mountains, which are not too far away, are so rarely seen! I have yet to see the Olympic Mountains or Mount Rainier, but hope to before we leave.
I find the clouds here to be beautiful and unusual. There are light clouds, dark clouds, small and large clouds, and everything in between all at once. I have never seen so many different kinds of clouds all at the same time and place.
More on Seattle to come in future installments.
