If we were having coffee, we would be enjoying it from a major coffee loving location, Seattle! I am house/dog/cat sitting for my son. This is day four of seven. The doggies have been fed and gotten their medication. The kitties are curled up asleep (so are the dogs). I’ve had my breakfast, turned down the thermostat, and had two cups of delicious coffee. Now I can blog!
It has been an interesting week. On Sunday morning I woke up to snow! It was not supposed to come in until the afternoon but by 7 am, there was already an inch on the ground! My daughter called and wanted me to go with her to get gas in her car and run a few errands before the weather got worse so off we went. It was pretty! But we rushed through a lot of stuff so we could be back home before the rain started because the snow was supposed to be followed by freezing rain and if you have ever been in freezing rain, you know you don’t want to do it again!
The freezing rain did indeed come in and turn everything into slick, slippery ice! Too dangerous to go out in. It made me worry because I was supposed to drive up here to Seattle on Tuesday morning. But the weather cooperated and cleared up by Monday afternoon and I was able to safely drive up here! Yay!
I got in to Seattle with enough time to relax, have some dinner and wine, and go through the pets’ routines with my son. I got some sleep and got up before the crack of dawn to take them to the airport. It was cold but very pretty outside. I wished I had my good camera when we went to let the dogs out before leaving to the airport…the sky was a beautiful midnight blue, very clear, with the bright moon slice being kept company by a couple of stars! But no camera. Off we went to the airport!
Wednesday was a settling in day. I ran around and bought a few things I had either forgotten to pack or decided I needed when I got here. One thing I forgot was the charger for my laptop. Too expensive to get a new one out here. I know Best Buy has universal ones but they are pricey and I have two at home…perhaps I should leave one of them in the car? My son set me up with my daughter-in-law’s laptop before they left. On Wednesday I realized there was a password on it. My daughter-in-law saw my post about it on Facebook and my son texted me some password possibilities until we got the password. Yay! Then after using it for just a couple of hours, it died on me on Thursday! Thanks to Trent, I got it re-started. BIG sigh of relief!
Yesterday, I went for a drive and a walk to a place called Carkeek Park. I hadn’t been there before but my son recommended it and it is less than a ten minute drive from his house so I went to check it out. It’s a wonderful park and I will probably go out there again, maybe this afternoon before our predicted rain comes in.
After that, I went to get a few groceries and when I got back to the car, I had a strange encounter. Even from about 200 feet away, I could see there was something on top of a car next to me. When I got a little closer, I saw a REALLY BIG bird…it was on MY car, not the one next to mine. I thought it would fly away as I approached but it didn’t. I looked for my phone so I could take a picture but couldn’t find it in my purse so I walked to the car and got in quickly. The bird did not budge. I finally found my phone and ventured out of the car to see if the bird was still there. It was. So I took a picture and it got mad and started walking toward me. It looked quite evil! I snapped a second picture but then it was so close to me that I jumped back in the car before it’s pointy hooked beak decided to take a bite of me! I drove off. I’ve been trying to figure out what kind of bird it was. Not a seagull. I’ve seen a lot of those guys. This one looked like some kind of sea bird. It has webbed feet, too. It was really big, guessing at least 20 inches standing, maybe bigger! In this picture, he is kind of “crouch walking” toward me like he is going to attack. His legs are tucked in, standing he was much taller, long legs. Here, he’s all tucked in, ready to pounce!
Today it’s really foggy out. The sun is supposed to burn off the fog in a while and it should be sunny for a few hours before the clouds and rain come in. It’s nice and cozy inside and I’m kind of settled in and comfortable. I might go out, I might not. I have blogs to read; movies to watch; pages to color; and hopefully some writing. Lots to do here at home. I’ll be here until they come back late Tuesday. I will head home on Wednesday morning.
If we were having coffee, we’d probably be watching out for strange birds! And I would tell you that I am missing Anderson and Spencer an awful lot. They were going to come up for the weekend but Tina decided she didn’t want to make the drive alone with the boys. Tomorrow is her birthday and I had wanted her to come up so she wouldn’t be alone. (Chris is out of the picture at the moment.) It’s a good thing they didn’t come up because she has been texting me since early this morning…the boys are both sick!
Anyway, that has been my week. How has yours been? I finished reading One Crazy Summer, review to come in a few days, I think. I’m working on Searching For Malumba and a couple of others. I’m watching a lot of movies that I haven’t seen before, sort of catching up. Currently watching Casino. I also watched a few episodes of Homeland, season 2. I won’t finish it on this trip but I’m sure I will be coming up here again in a couple of months. Tina and I are having a baby shower for Sarah and doing it up here where they live and all her friends are so we will be back before the baby comes and of course, when the baby arrives!
By the way, does anyone know how I can move a post to a new page? I want my About Me post on an About page. I made the page but I cannot figure out how to move the post to the page! Anyone?
Your turn! I’m coming around to read all your coffee share posts. If you weren’t planning on writing one, maybe you should! 🙂
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#WeekendCoffeeShare is a weekly blog hop hosted by Diana at Part Time Monster. Head over there to check it out and click on the blue linky at the bottom of her post to see other blogs participating. Join us!
I don’t know what that creature is on your car, but it’s one ugly and mean looking thing! I’d have been shaking in my shoes and too afraid to get close to the car!
Sounds like your stay has been good. All the comforts of home but sort of a mini vacation from real life back home.
Enjoy your movies and books!
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Deb, I really hesitated to approach the car but then I figured it would just fly away. It didn’t and them it looked like it might attack! So I quickly got out of there!
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How long did it ride on the car with you?! Oh my!! Change of bloomers when ya got home?
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I think it’s some type of gull. There are many different species. And it’s possibly an immature one. Those are often grey or brown. Well, Tippi, I knew there was trouble when you showed up at the house in Bodega Bay with those lovebirds!
Have a good safe drive when you return home! And have a great week!
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Tippi says “LOL”!
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I lived in Seattle for ten years back in the 80s. A lovely place! Sounds like you are making good use of your time there. 🙂
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Awful bird! Are you sure there were no other nearby or was there a movie crew filming you? Otherwise, you were very courageous to take time to take pictures of the beast! I would have shut myself in the car and gone as fast as possible!
Have a nice end of stay there and take care on the road back home! 🙂
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Sounds like you are having a nice mini-vacation. It’s too bad that your daughter and grandsons couldn’t visit with you. I hope the boys are feeling better by the time you get back. Looking forward to your book review. I am always interested in finding new things to read. At the moment I am about half way through “The Lake House” by Kate Morton. It is excellent so far. Thanks for the coffee!😊
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That is an awfully grumpy looking bird!
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I hae been wondering about your mystery bird. I woner if it might be a bird usually found in the ocean. Seattle is an intestines area, too bad they have never solved the traffic problem. What part of Seattle are you stayng?
WORLD PEACE
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I’m near North gate. In fact, it’s the same exit off of I-5 as the mall, except west of the freeway. I think it’s called Greenwood.
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Yes, I know approximately the area. We lived north there. WORLD PEACE
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OH. MY. GOSH. That bird looks like the devil!!!!!
I hope you enjoy your time in Seattle. I spent a few days there back in March and absolutely loved it! Glad you got your technology issues figured out. Isn’t technology just the worst sometimes? 🙂
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Yes, I have a love-hate relationship with technology!
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So nice to hear how your visit/petsitting in Seattle is going! That big bird’s picture completely cracked me up! I might have to create an angry day meme using it (with your permission of course!) My Seattle sister and I have a plan to meet at mom & dad’s house in Florida in February. I like visiting her in Seattle, but Florida in February sounds even better! Enjoy the rest of your week.
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I’m a fan of snow, but not ice. That park looks amazing! Thanks for sharing that pic. And the bird… maybe he’s upset he’s not at that park! 🙂
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Yeesh, that looks like a very grumpy bird! Not something I’d like to find on top of my car. Brave lady to get that photo! 🙂
Hope the rest of your week in Seattle goes well. Glad you got the laptop going and that you’re using the time to relax.
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Last night I found a place I want to go to today. It’s called Seattle ReCreate and is one of those non-profits that collects art supplies then sells them to the public to fund their workshops and creative spaces which are also open to the public. I am going to their store this afternoon. I’m excited about it. I am always looking for art supplies and bargains!
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Oh, that’s cool! I’m going to have to send their info to my boss at the nonprofit, who will be really interested in what they’re up to. Hope you had fun!
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Maybe a cormorant? Hard to tell with him all hunched up like that…but they’re ocean birds with webbed feet, and the size seems about right. And, when we left incredibly cold and snowy upstate New York last February to visit my husband’s family in a remarkably rain-free central Oregon, we spent a day at the coast near Florence, and saw a cormorant out by the jetty, so a Seattle one doesn’t seem that unrealistic.
I would have run up at the car, arms spread, and yelled. Very likely the critter would have seen you as far too scary and chosen flight over fight.
I’m glad you made it back to your son’s house safely, and that you have a laptop to use. My charger died on me in August, and the replacements (not from the manufacturer, because they were out of stock) weren’t strong enough to recharge the battery. Having just sunk a good deal of money into car repairs, a camping trip, and kids’ birthdays (both in the summer), we had no budget, and I thought the laptop was broken and needed repairs…
Took it to Best Buy just before Christmas, and learned that all it needed was to have the battery partially (4%) recharged, and then my charger can take over. Oh, the JOY! =D
Now I don’t let it get below 10% charge, and all is well.
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You’re really a very active grandma. And it’s a pleasure reading your adventures.
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