Mt St Helens

DSCN1685,
originally uploaded by Bill Hutchings.

This place is awesome, miles around the place is devastated, trees knocked down and some sheared off and within about 5 miles nothing will grow. 10 miles weeds, fifteen miles some trees are coming back, after 25 years it still looks sureal.

Spruce Goose

Spruce Goose,
originally uploaded by Bill Hutchings.

Dion & Mardi Drove us down to Portland to see the Spruce Goose, and as it happened there was an Air Show going on over the road at an airfield, the place was called McMinville, there was all sorts of air craft flying and on display, I was in aeroplane heaven.
We stayed the night at the Red Lion Hotel and the next day on to Mt St Helens, it took us about 4 hrs to get there, you can see it was a bit hot and glary.

At Sea aboard the Sapphire Princess

This Ship is huge, two more days aboard it's friday here, we are heading back to Seattle, been to Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway, helicopter to the glacier and we did walk on it. the weather is quite warm no need for a jumper.
Never ate so much in all my life Breakfast of bacon & eggs every morning, Lunch of just about anything you want, Dinner at the savoy resturant all free. musicals at the princess theatre, live entertainment at every turn. you have to book up you drinks.

talk to you later

Bye

Dion & Mardi's Wedding

Wedding setup dinner,
originally uploaded by Bill Hutchings.

The wedding went great on Dion's Roof top, Dion had three levels for the wedding celebration the lower level for nibbles and drinks when we first arrived, then the next level(his apartment) for the food, and the kitchen where the personal chef was working then the roof-deck for the band and dancing and more food, the sun didn't go down till 9:pm so we partied late, so there was three bars and dring waiters everywhere, one of the best weddings I have seen.
The day before the wedding Dion & Mardi shouted everyone a ride on the Duck tour its an army truck that can go on water also, it went through the city and then on lake union, it was like a party on the water, http://www.ridetheducksofseattle.com/main.htm there is a lot of water here so just about everyone has a boat or yacht. and sea planes taking off every minute. right in the middle of the city.

After the wedding we go on the Cruise.

see you later. Can't upload photos on the ship!

Seattle 2005

Seattle 8:30am Monday 1st August weather cloudy & 17C Dion & Mardi picked us up in a bus and his sports car, (see photo) Neighbours of Mardi's Mom kindly let us stay in their home, we are so grateful, it was the nicest guesture, thank you so much. BarbQ lamb & chicken skewers and salad at Nancy & Mary-Ellen's for the meal at tea/dinner, oh and a sleep before, to recover from the long flight. The next day shop to you drop, markets and starbucks coffee. lunch at the cheesecake factory see Alicia scoffing a Margurita, I had prawns scatters and salad, the others had salad. and then back to Dion's for home made spagetti on the roof top apartment.

Arrived Tokyo 2005

Arrived all ok, The plane ride was a bit tireing,

The rest in Japan was really needed,

Interesting experience, customs in Japan were friendly & courteous no trouble at all.

The hotel was very comfortable and nice.

Breakfast scrambled eggs and sausages washed down with saki (only joking Pastor Les) next day to Seattle 9hrs we arrived the same day we left Tokyo.