Bliss at Golden Gardens, State Fair, and around town.

Seattle had the summeriest of summer days today, and I'm thankful to have spent it the way I did:  Thrift Store shopping at the Crossroads Exchange on Broadway (Kenneth Cole trench coat for $18, for example!!), wandering Volunteer Park with Hudson and finding a marimba band in front of the Asian Art Museum while sipping my Vivace latte (although they had a memorial at the sidewalk espresso stand to their general manager who died two days ago as a result of a bike accident, so that was also a heartbreaking moment -- too many fatal bike crashes in the news this summer), and then heading to Golden Gardens this evening for a dinner picnic on the beach.  It is still hot, although it's late at night, which NEVER happens in Seattle, so it feels like summer must truly be celebrated.


Golden Gardens is bliss.   Although, today was mad crowded, and we had to park in an upper parking lot and walk the stairs down the hill to the beach, which was precarious with a half-sleeping toddler in my arms.  Golden Gardens is on the Sound and essentially we can take 85th across town straight to the entrance but it is still a 20 minute drive  - I think we forget sometimes that Seattle is as wide as it is, and that it has so much traffic on 85th, being a main thoroughfare across North Seattle. The beach was swarming with parties and families and sunbathers and of course every single fire pit was occupied by a large group getting ready to grill or roast marshmallows or just party all night.  The sun began to set over the Olympics and there was a dramatic forest fire on one of the mountains which sent a tower of smoke up and over the range, coating everything to the north of it in thick haze, and made the sunset eerie and amazing with a deep red glow that struck all the beachgoers faces.  Up and down the beach people were holding out cell phones and cameras to take pictures as the sun descended beyond the water and mountains.

Our evening was short since we did not pack post-sunshine clothes, so once dusk settled we packed up, but we had our food, Ben played some flamenco guitar, and Hudson rolled around in the sand to his heart's content.  He is also fond of covering flip-flops in sand, and in plunging his hands and feet deep into the sand.  He ingested quite a bit of it, but he's learning it's pretty gross.  The packed beach wasn't overwhelming, it was just festive.  Seattle truly throws a party whenever the sun gives us this bliss.  Guitars, drums, boomboxes, kids running into the Sound, fire pits, were all surrounding us and it was a perfect summer evening.

Last weekend was the end of the Evergreen State Fair.  We drove up to Monroe (about 45 minutes or an hour northeastish from Seattle) as early as we could muster and pulled in amidst other carloads of small children with their parents, many a stroller yanked from the trunk, diaper bag slung on the shoulder of Mom or Dad, and water bottles toted along.  I felt like we were in a stroller parade as we made our way to the ticket line.

We watched horse contests (barrel races apparently, though I know nothing of the equestrian world), we watched roller coasters, played with bubbles, did our best to watch car races for about three minutes, watched a lumberjack show, ate gyros and blackberry ice cream, and at the end finally found the farm animals, although Hudson had fallen asleep for his nap.  Ben and I wandered anyway, and found sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas, and dairy cows.  We saw the end of a milking contest where they find the cow who gives the most milk (or is it the most skilled milker, I don't know), and I had forgotten how friggin' big cows can be.  They are like horses, only more square.  In all of Hudson's children's books, I feel like they are drawn to be smaller and cuter than horses.  I am determined to pay more attention to this now when we read. 

I have memories of the State Fair from childhood, and I was impressed  with the things that stay the same -- the kinds of toys sold at the stalls in the carnival area like the little ostrich marionettes, the kind of food, and the kind of rides - even the Micheal Jackson Thriller Fun House.  Last weekend was also sunny and beautiful and I have to say I'm proud of us for getting out there and enjoying it while we have it.  Hudson seems to be enjoying the world around him more and more each trip.  He's still interested in wheels and cars but he also was watching the horses so intently, and today was enjoying just sitting on the blanket next to me sipping his juice while listening to his Mom and Dad do flamenco. 

Even though school has begun, summer is still magical.