Here is a reason why coming back to work after a nice time off is so difficult. This is the view off the private beach-side house of my Aunt and Uncle, where we stayed on the Puget Sound island of San Juan in Washington. I almost threw everything to the wind, sold my house - lock, stock and barrel, to move to this paradise (fickle, aren't I?).

We have been feasting upon freshly gathered oysters from Westcott Bay just around the corner, dungeness crab purchased live from the family-owned fish market at Friday Harbor, and plump pink mussels and crabs in buttery dip from the neighboring Lopez Island home of our friends George and Anne.




While exploring Lopez Island we were amazed to come upon these fabulous Highland Cattle from Scottland. They checked us out - even as we marveled at the span of their horns, and their long furry coats.







From a seaward point on Lopez Island, we were thrilled to see this stunning view of Mt. Baker, which is a familiar sight from all over the Puget Sound islands.
The inter-island ferry is how one gets from island to island. This one is shoving off from Lopez.


Finally, we boarded a train in Seattle, and had a leisurely ride home on New Year's Eve - ringing in the New Year whilst chugging along the railroad tracks, with a picture-window view of the lovely moonlit snowy volcano Mt. Shasta.



I'll write more later - but as you can see the crash is inevitable tomorrow when I report back to work.