Seattle and Tacoma share an intimate symphony called the Northwest Sinfonietta. Founded in 1991 by the conductor, Christophe Chagnard, the ensemble features 35 professional musicians who perform a wide range of works, from Baroque to contemporary. Last night I took our new Light Rail and met a friend downtown for “Bach to the Future.” It was thrilling. I’ve never really enjoyed classical music (except for the obvious Puccini and Tchaikovsky), and the Sinfonietta makes it really easy – $20 for most seats. They play about 5 concerts each year of unusual, entertaining music, Friday nights in the smaller Nordstrom Hall of the Benaroya building, and the following night in Tacoma at the Rialto Theater. One concert last year featured amazing music composed by Charlie Chaplin for his movies. They showed the movies on a VERY big screen while the Sinfonietta performed the score.
Getting there couldn’t be easier. The Tukwila station of the Light Rail is about 8 minutes away with free parking, and the University tunnel station has an elevator that lets you out right in the Benaroya lobby!

Every Sunday afternoon the Wooden Boat Center on Lake Union in downtown Seattle offers free public sails.  Along with 11 other grateful Sunday sailors, I went out in a historic 35′ oyster boat last week.  It was a spectacular day, and although the voyage was short, it was a delightful experience.  No experience necessary – the Center’s volunteers do all the work.  What a Seattle thing to do!

In the summertime, you have to arrive early, perhaps around 10 in the morning, to sign up in person – there was only room for 12 on each of the two sailboats.  Then volunteers rig the boats and the “crew” boards around 1 or 2 in the afternoon.  All Aboard!

Last week 3 backpacking buddies and I went on a 3-day backpack up the spectacular Eagle Creek canyon in Oregon. Hobbit country! Waterfalls, mosses, ferns, huge old-growth evergreens, streams, deep pools, cascades, water everywhere, churning, falling, spitting, spraying, misting, rushing, tumbling, roaring and making everything green! Usually I hike in the Washington Cascades or the Olympic mountains. This was a different kind of ecosystem, more like on the Olympic Peninsula. It’s about 5 hours from Seattle, but well worth the drive. We had a fabulous time.

Last night a new friend took me to Anthony’s Homeport in nearby Des Moines for a “Sunset Dinner.” This is a very special offering every Monday through Friday evening if you order by 6 pm. You get an appetizer, a salad or rich chowder, your choice of a delicious entree, and a dessert for only $18.95! The service is excellent, and the seafood is always fresh and delectable. They have chicken, steak and pasta choices, as well, but Anthony’s is known for their seafood.

Their normal prices are not really high, and there’s more choice later in the evenings and on the weekends.  I’ve been sending guests here for years, for casual-elegant Northwest dining.

Springtime at Soundview is spectacular.  Daffodils, tulips, crocuses, the pink  dogwood next to the cottage, a pink magnolia farther down the driveway – all popping up or out to delight us.  The eagles in the trees above are especially vocal these days.

Early Spring at Soundview

It’s an early spring this year.  The evergreen clematis vine that overwhelms the arbor on the edge of the cottage deck, glows like a huge candle when the sun shines through it.  It smells sweet, too.

Folks ask if I keep the hot tub hot through the winter.  The answer is yes!  People enjoy it even in the drizzle.  It’s just a couple of steps across the deck and then — heavenly warmth, bubbles if you like or quiet if you’d rather.  Total privacy.

Stay at our Seattle bed and breakfast and experience the seclusion.

The other day I looked out on the water and there was a regatta!  A Saturday sailboat race out of ? Shilshole Bay? north of Seattle?  Or closer, from Elliott Bay?  They had their spinnakers up and it was a colorful procession. This happens a few times a year (or maybe I just happen to catch it a few times a year – maybe it happens every weekend.)

It’s really cool because they have to go back the other direction to get home, so you get to enjoy the show twice!