ORCAS ISLAND!!!

WHAT a great weekend. it's always a treat to see maddy, besides being genuinely good for my soul. but this trip was wicked awesome 4-eva. i was worried that a weekend trip so far away would be tough. but it was just the best!! i only wish i had pictures of the White Dragon, our most excellent rental chariot. here are the pictures i do have, with narrative.


we saw alpacas on the drive up!


me and mads on the drive up. we stopped at this gorgeous ravine (where boston friends colby and blair got married!!)


gross crumbly gluten-free sandwich before the ferry ride to orcas!


the ferry to paradise!


a glass of wine on the coast. and maddy chilling with a book in front of our cottage (the beach was in front of our cottage!)


the incredible view from our cottage. and our cottage itself (it was named "blue moon")


the top of cascade mtn (um. i think it's cascade mtn...) and me in a perilous position (this is a classic mele photo, btw)


view from our cottage (daytime). we had an unprecedented 3 straight days of sunshine and clear skies!


hanging out at the lake....and the lovely sunset just steps away from our cottage.


maddy making a ROARING fire. she said roaring about 15 times. as in "this is going to be a ROARING fire." i have to admit, it roared.


my favorite little church in the world. and the view behind it. located in eastsound village on orcas island, on a cliff over looking the inlet.


sigh. the ferry ride back to the mainland....looking majestically back to orcas.


more ferry. sigh. what a beautiful, beautiful trip. orcas island is definitely one of my favorite places in the world. so peaceful. and quality time with maddy is such a gift! i didn't even mind that we missed the 1pm ferry and had to wait for the 4pm. or that we got stuck in traffic on the way back to seattle. i was thinking of my little blue moon in the woods, on the beach......


oh, yeah, and on the drive back there were lots of eggs.