Sound Transit - I'm Commuting Now

I've always found watching the world through a train window to be a bit surreal. Like watching a toy set on the table of a toy train set.  It always has that slightly surreal dream-like quality to the visual.  Always.

Never really been a public transit commuter before.  Started a new job this week. Oh sure, I've used buses and trains, but that was when on vacation or for film fests. This isn't glamorous; this is daily grind.

Taking the Sounder (light rail) this mornkbg for the first time. Nice clean trains.

Of course, being able to write this while commuting means less of my life simply wasted by traffic. That's pretty cool.

Daffodil Festival In Orting

Orting, Washington, is this pretty little town that has had explosive population growth as the Seattle workforce moves farther and farther into the suburbs.

They participate in the Daffodil Festival and also have a great little park that my little one enjoys playing at


We have several great parks within about 5 minutes of our house.

Today, we're in Orting enjoying the sunshine and the small town feel.

Disney's Frozen on Ice at the ShoWare Center in Kent.

Having as much fun as the kid :)

Schilter Farm - bringing back memories of my childhood on family farms

I grew up playing on the family farms in Michigan.  I got to build forts with hay bales in the barn with my friends, and we'd make tunnels, too.  One of my friends got beaned with a bale of straw that dropped from the conveyor when we were helping the farmers load it into the barn. He was fine, but it was funny.  I used to test my courage by climbing the ladders to the topmost windows of the barn, and sit on the flower-box like benches to stare out the windows.

There was the giant rock that had been dug up from one of the fields (about 8 feet long, five feet wide and four feet tall - it was fun to climb on and laze in the sun).  There was the old storage building that was falling apart - fun to climb through and imagine myself exploring an ancient ruin.  Later, I got to help tear it down.

Schilter Farm, in Olympia, takes me back. They dressed the place up for the Halloween season.

They also have a Facebook page.

The Washington State Fair

Www.thefair.com

The wife and I never made it by ourselves. Okay, maybe once or twice, but now with the Little One it's an annual event.

Lots of food, and animals and rides, rides, rides.

It's fun :)

Wild Waves

Wild Waves amusement park, Federal Way, Washington.
Very nice park. Obviously the signature attraction is the wave pool and water slides, but they have plenty of dry rides for kids not yet into getting soaked.

Warning: LOTS of hills. The park is built on and around and over uneven terrain. Great if you want to get some hiking exercise, but rough if you have bad knees.

Kiddo is so over the "just goes in circles" rides, and is eyeballing the things that spin, or get some altitude.

Unfortunately, Kiddo's dad is too big for everything but the carosel and ferris wheel, so Kiddo's mom is doped up on Dramamine and gritting her teeth.

Orting Summerfest Festival

Orting is a tiny town in Washington. Practically bucolic. They have a gorgeous little park, and since it's close to home, we come here often. Today, they have a festival.

Kiddo is loving the bounce houses, and now we're off to find the pony ride.

I admit, everything is more fun with a kid.