Vancouver, WA

I have a tradition I call “practicing for Thanksgiving” which revolves around spending several weekends in October and November baking and, more importantly, eating tasty holiday treats, you know, so that I have them perfected for the holidays.

We spent a glorious day dodging the aggressive surf and making our way across the stagecoach trail and stopping to peer in all the nooks and crannies of the tide pools. We went into caves bending low to avoid getting scraped by the mussels overhead. We rinsed our salty feet in the freshwater stream and hunted for interesting wood and rocks and shells.

We hit jackpot at the Cascade Park Library off Hearthwood Blvd, you can get there per the C-TRAN #37 Mill Plain. This is a smaller library that soon will have a new home near the Firstenburg Center, but until then it is still in it’s cute little home. Halloween is such a fun season and there are so many fun things to do.

During the fall there are some really great events at the Library.

This was done with so much fun that the kids had no idea they where learning anything at all, it was worth the time and trip. For a couple of hours she had lots of fun and learned something in the meantime.

There’s nothing like a ferry ride, pumpkins and hot cider to make kids young and old miss summer a little bit less. Today the sun was out, the air just slightly crisp. We put on our sweaters, packed a quick snack and headed out the door.

If you dare, come check it out next year, my daughter and I will be in the winner’s circle waiting for you.

It reminded me of Gonzaga University where I roomed with a Vietnamese girl. One day I was invited to join her and a bunch of her friends for a memorable Vietnamese meal at the home of one of their sponsors. It was unlike anything I had ever tasted before or since, until today.