Life has been very hectic since our last post, with obligations, socializing and lots of travel.
When we were finally back home and slumped into our Barcelona chairs, our view out over Puget Sound comforted
us with a welcoming I'm-still-here-for-you sunset. For all the joys and thrills of travelling,
the last stop is always the best.
Kingston WA And Its Ferry Dock, Six Miles Across Puget Sound
News & Notes
Agreeing with the Parkland teens, we joined the March for Our Lives. There was a strong turnout covering the distance from Cal Anderson Park to the Space Needle. Because it's Seattle, it sometimes got a little nerdy. Also, because it's Seattle, a group of Native Americans brought drums, to the delight of the marchers. With so many young people, the crowd was reminiscent of the Vietnam War protest marches of the '60s, and in keeping with that period, one person reprised the flowers in the gun barrels image.
An elderly woman comments at the March for Our Lives
We've visited Vancouver BC several times, recently, including a weekend rendezvous with Ken and Shelley. One highlight was Vancouver Art Gallery's Murakami Exhibit. Haruki Murakami's a guy whose paintings seem to be either ridiculously ' up' or depressingly 'down'. More relatable is a glass-fronted swimming pool on a new building near our condo. We're looking forward to the summer swimming season.
A Nearby Building's Fifth Floor Swimming Pool
Our trip to Denmark was split between a week in Copenhagen and a week touring the countryside. Everyone we met was warm and friendly, and they seemed to be very happy. It's hard to decide if we prefer the city, the country, or the little towns in between. All three have their own fascination. See representative examples among our Danish eCards.
Which Is Best: City, Country or the Towns In Between?
One Danish sight that blew us away was Egtved Girl. She was laid to rest in a hollowed log coffin with a cremated child, and covered by a burial mound in 1370 BC. Though little remains, scientists know not only her age (16-18), but where she was born (Black Forest DE), that she'd been to Denmark multiple times in her last two years of life, was occasionally short on protein, had only just arrived in Egtved when she died in late summer. etc. These facts are inferred using (mostly) strontium dating of her hair, nails and clothing, plus her burial goods. This amazing research is reported in an easy-to-read Nature article. Egtved Girl's mobility changes our idea of Bronze Age people hunched in caves; this girl traveled so much she might've had a Eurorail Pass!
Immediately after returning from Denmark, we dashed off to Libby MT to help Jim man the Yaak Summit rest stop for STOKR, the Scenic Tour of Kootenai River. It's a fund raiser for the Libby Habitat for Humanity Charity, and it's always a fun time. This year 274 cyclists came by, most stopping to enjoy our hospitality.
Yaak Summit Rest Stop - Yes, That's Snow In The Background
