Our dear friend Tomoko stopped by for a few days' visit on her way home from Japan. She had some Seattle sights she wanted to see, but mostly we spent time catching up, hearing about her Japan trip, and relaxing. It was a ton of fun, though we missed her faithful pup Cinder.

Julie and Tomoko Review the Fleet.

News & Notes

• Our big news was a trip to New York to see Dave. There were three stops on this visit: Manhattan, Rochester and Catskill.

  

  Enjoying The Morning Espresso

  
  Manhattan
  Perhaps the most memorable of our time on the island was the Gerhard Richter exhibit. It included some classic Richter oil paintings, but mostly it showed new work from his time during the pandemic. All of the new work was on paper, about half were monochrome ink and half watercolor. Many works form a series that illustrate how Richter worked out ideas, often in a single day: Item 3 and Item 8.

  

  Richter's "Mood"

  
  Rochester
  We drove to Rochester NY for the opening of a photo exhibit "Minor Spectacles" by our friend Adam Ekberg at the George Eastman Museum. Adam gave his artist's talk, explaining his approach to his art ... and there were parties celebrating the event!

  

  Adam Ekberg

  
  Naturally, Adam is a very creative person, so when he thought about eclipses, he wondered what a pineapple eclipse would look like. (You probably have, too.) Obviously, the pineapple crosses in front of the sun. So, he photographed one ... but they don't exist, you remark. That's the wonder of Adam's art. He shows you the impossible. [No Photoshop!]

  

  Ekberg's "Pineapple Eclipse"

  
  Catskill
  We returned to Catskill to hang out. Like the many other patrons, we enjoyed Soup Night at Left Bank Ciders. It's a charity event -- LBC regulars contribute pots of soup; anyone can help themselves to a bowl and bread for a small ($5 suggested) donation to the week's designated charity. It's so successful that the local radio station recently broadcast "Live at Soup Night." There was also time to help Dave get his garden underway; J planted seeds in starter trays, and L helped build the raised beds.

  

  Dave Working Soup Night at LBC

  
  - Three very different cities and three kinds of delightful.





• On return to the West, we worked in a quick trip to LIbby MT to see Jim and Julie and catch the last snowfall.
  
  

• Our regular bread baking continued, passing it's third anniversary.

  

  Flour+Water+Salt+Yeast Continues To Be Miracle

  
  

• The Coordinates for our 55th Wedding Anniversary Celebration located us across Puget Sound at Hama Hama Oysters. A dozen Blue Pool with Prosecco!

  

  Fresh Oysters To Celebrate

  
  

• It's peony season. This intensely red variety seems to bloom all at once and last only a few days. It's how they demand attention ... besides the intense red!

  

  And the Fragrance Is Intense, Too

  
  

• Our friends Shelley and Ken reached their 50th wedding anniversary, so their kids threw a weekend bash for them at Lake Chelan WA. We scored an invite for the three-day party, and it was a blast. Much of the action took place around the pool; the rest unfolded at local wineries.

  

  Shelley and Ken Prepping for a Celebratory Weekend

  
  

• And we made one more trip to Libby to see Jim and Julie

  

  Jim, Contemplates His Need Of A New Fishing Pole