Orcas I

On Wednesday we headed out for our annual trip to Orcas. We got to take some friends of ours this time and show them the farmhouse. They loved it! Once we got to the ferry landing, I took the two older boys down to the beach. It was low tide, my favorite time to be on a beach!

Neither of the boys like me taking pictures of them – or at least they say they don’t.

We went crab hunting…

And watched the clams breathing, or were they oysters? I’m not very wise in marine lore. The boys immensely enjoyed caving in the whole and “suffocating” them.

On the island, I took the small children down to the creek, where they threw rocks into the water.

Kathleen discovered the joy of the paper dolls, over which I spent many happy hours when I was smaller.

I love it when Andrew hugs his friends (in this case Thomas), he makes the goofiest faces!

Here’s the house, looking at the front porch.

For Father’s Day last year, we gave my dad a very nice red and white IKEA hammock. The problem is, that we have no spot to put it at our house. At the time we thought Oh, we’ll figure something out. But to no avail. So we brought it to the farmhouse, and with the help of my aunt, and our cousin the Captain, I put it up between the apple trees.

We had lots of fun in it, either relaxing and reading a book, or dumping each other out. A particularly fun match was held between my cousins Daniel (14), Jane (12), and I. Here are Simon and then Grace chilling out.

We had a scavenger/treasure hunt with our friends early in the week. Part of the activity included building a fairy house. Here I am with my partner Kathleen.

Let me introduce you to the monk. We found him several years ago along the creek, we have no idea who put him there. We’ve since converted him to Christianity, and now he sits on his perch overlooking the falls, mediating on the Word and God’s splendor.

And another picture from my romp in the woods.