An Evening Walk

Tonight I said "screw the dishes and the laundry" and the girls and I took an evening walk down to the lighthouse. I didn't realize I needed it so badly until I was there. We've spent a fair amount of time at this park, but realistically not as much as we should be spending... I get wrapped up in my little to-do lists, and forget to just put it all down and leave. Regardless, this is my happy place here, and I'm very thankful for it.

I'm noticing a pattern--where ever we live we have one LOVELY place near our house we can retreat to quickly... a bit of nature, times when there aren't any or a lot of people. A bit of refuge for a family that thrives on being in the wilderness, and feels it dearly when the wilderness isn't an option. Pledging to notice and appreciate that place, wherever we are. This park would be that place for us in this location we live now. 

It was a magical slow sunset with many phases and colors.

Also, there were a few seals, and a few dorsal fins that went by (someone said dolphins--all I saw was dorsals so I'm not going to claim to know what they were attached to), and you could see fish jumping everywhere you looked. Sadly, the resident Bald Eagle that's usually perched in his tree wasn't there tonight, but the other wildlife made up for it a bit. 

The lighthouse here is completely underwhelming but the park is spectacular, especially at sunset.

No, I'm not letting my 2 month old's head flop about. She INSISTS that it be this way, and if you try to support it or move it in any way, she will FLIP OUT on you. Ever since she was born she's liked her head tilted back, and she sleeps that way a lot. Today was our first day with the Moby Wrap, a gift from my grandparents, and I really appreciate it. I think its going to be a huge help with my little snuggler. I actually managed to start planning for next year's school--miracle of miracles, so YAY! I have most of the curriculum planned out, I did that this last spring, but now I need to sit down and look through it all and build a schedule so we can start soon.

Skipping rocks.

On this night Brianna finally conquered skipping rocks, and pretty consistently skipped them between four and six times. I was impressed. :-)

The apex of the sunset.

Wading and singing. Always singing. :-) And always happiest in any sort of water. Love both those things about her.

The end of the sunset lit the sky pink, which reflected over Commencement Bay. It was lovely. This photo is without any filters. It really was that pink.

The old lighthouse keeper's cottage.

The original apple trees from the original orchard of the original lighthouse builder and keeper.

Completely unimpressed by it all. As of noon today she finished eating for just about thirty hours straight--at least every hour, so she did a lot of sleeping today. A huge dragonfly thing flew under her chin and flapped about in my cleavage for a few minutes. It bothered her not, but I was a dancing maniac for a few seconds there. Gladly, the dragonfly extraction happened fairly painlessly. 

The gorgeous deep blue final glow and golden water.

Trying the green apples.

And, a walk home in the dark... where Brianna didn't get off the side of the road fast enough right at a corner a car was driving around too fast (I think she thought she was off the road, but she wasn't actually) and last minute I grabbed her arm and flung her into the ditch.

Me, after the fact: Brianna, you scared 10 years off my life!!
Keira, very dryly: That's a new record!