It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

Saturday evening we flew home from San Diego where we were attending ICSC (International Congress of Scleral Contacts) for the first time.  It was an incredibly beautiful clear day and our flight path was just to the west of first the Sierra Nevadas and then the Cascades.  Closest to the wing is Mount St. Helens  (crater is on the other side) and beyond that, Mount Rainier.       We missed a rare opportunity to see the Northern Lights in Seattle, but got to see lots of pictures from family and friends.

Above: Aura has fun playing in the freshly-mowed lawn and ended up with neon green paws for a bit. Oops.  Fun with friends at Miller Peninsula, dinner at Finn River in Chimacum plus a campfire and brunch back at home! At Miller Peninsula, the native Pacific Rhododendrons were just starting to bloom and the trillium was out all along the trail. We saw little purple orchids as well.   On Tuesday, my actual birthday, I took a walk down to the beach and the tide was way out!  And for good measure, here's a pic from the walk home sometime last...

With the weather so nice these days, I try and take a quick walk around the business park at lunch. Happy Earth Day, everyone!

Stopped at UW on Saturday on the way to dinner with friends Evening hike at Miller Peninsula State Park in Sequim on Sunday Along the bluff trail  Down the fern gully (you can see old growth stumps with springboard notches towards the middle of the pic) Light fades in the gully, but it's one of the most tranquil places I can imagine, and only a quick 40 min drive from home. The path leads straight to the beach.  The Strait of Juan de Fuca, with the San Juans and Mt Baker behind Protection Island. Vancouver Island not pictured to the...