What Happens When I Finish my Reading Goals for This Year?

 The campaign to help Jonah & Little Linet continues. Please read here.

Yippee, I am ever closer to completing my reading goals early. I had a goal of reading 24 books throughout the year and being ill this past week gave me a chance to read 4 complete and finish two others that were "in progress".  I just have to read one and half more books (several in progress) and when I complete my 24th book, I am going to use the rest of the year to read the Bible from cover to cover.

In fact, I've started already. It is something I've wanted to do for a long while but for some reason felt it was too big of a challenge.  Of course I often read the Bible in different studies, but reading it from cover to cover is something different.

I recently came across a post on Fred Alton's blog about reading the Bible from cover to cover and decided to give it a try. He encouraged me to use audio bibles and to read along as I listen.  I think this is going to work out great for me. I just love to hear the Bible read out loud by a rich, strong voice, like Max McLean on Bible Gateway.  (If interested, you can google Max McLean on youtube and listen to him narrate the Gospel of Mark on video).  I hope to read the Bible from cover to cover over the course of the year, but may actually finish much sooner.  One thing I'm doing differently with the Bible reading is giving myself permission to do my reading and study late at night. I am a night owl so this will work better for me.  Despite spending years trying to change my habits to study in the morning, I acknowledge that so far my efforts have not worked. It is better for me to find a way to work with the kind of person God made me.

I've also put a Bible App on my smartphone but seldom use it for more than reading a daily Bible verse because the phone uses so much battery before it needs charging. I try to save the battery for actual phone calls.  I guess I really should use my Blackberry Playbook more often as I have the same app on there too. I tend to use the Playbook as a backup to my camera to take videos and photos and for downloading several books for back up reading material. I really should get some headphones to use with the Playbook and then I can sit in my living room and listen to and read the Bible.

In addition to reading the Bible, one of my goals is to study the Bible more consistently and systematically.  I have many Bible studies and different books but I've been looking for just the "right ones".  I think I've finally gathered together a few tools that will really help me and more importantly, tools that I will actually use.

One book is this, What the Bible Is All About, by Dr. Henrietta Mears.  What I like about this book is that it has an overview of each book of the Bible to help you understand what you are going to read and to set it into context for you.  It's a great Bible reference at just over 400 pages which is an average of 6 pages of information about each book of the Bible.

I also bought The Essential Bible Companion published by Zondervan. It has beautifully coloured maps and photos that help bring the Bible alive. It summarizes each book of the Bible in two short pages for those that want a concise description of each book. It was developed by two world-class Bible scholars and the creator of The Bible in 90 Days curriculum.

 I also picked up this book at a used bookstore.

Ancient Israel, 2nd edition, was published in 1960.  It is a concise, simply written account of the society that produced the Bible. The author traces the fluctuating fortunes of the Hebrews and Israelites between about 2000 and 300 B.C.E., so the reader can see how Jewish religious concepts developed in the context of actual historical situations.

These three books now form the core of my daily study and along with my daily readings, I am hoping to get deeper into what God has in store for me.

If you have particular Bible resources that really helped you, feel free to share them here.

Jonah & the Missions of Hope

I'm linking up with Internet Cafe Devotions today. I hope you will join me.

Hello dear friends,

How are you this fine day? Here where I live the skies have been gray since the weekend and we've been expecting rain. Our first rain for a long time. However the rain did not come and I see the forecast is for increasingly warmer temperatures and more sunshine for the rest of this week. That suits me just fine as I am already missing our Summer though it is now technically Fall/Autumn. The time just seems to pass so fast and where does it go?

Recently, I've seen a theme in the blogs I read; people blogging about time and making the best of the time we have, not wasting it, and being grateful for the ability to just live and grow each day. For life goes in cycles

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Right now it is my time to update you about Jonah and the Missions of Hope, and it is Jonah's time to finalize his thesis and see what next steps God would prepare for his future. Normally Jonah would update you but he is having to conserve money and totally reduce expenses. It costs money to use the internet cafe or to pay for airtime.

 I only have a short report because as I mentioned last time, Jonah was in the middle of his master's thesis and facing a very challenging time financially.  If you are a regular reader of this blog and Jonah's blog, you will know that Jonah never asks for funds for his own personal use. He relies on a faithful donor for his own school needs but recently the financial burden has become too much for the donor.  It is very unfortunate because Jonah is just sooooo close to finishing.

 Jonah's Needs

Jonah has already successfully made it as far as defending his thesis! 

Isn't that a wonderful achievement?!

What needs to be done for Jonah to finish is to go to Uganda (he lives and studies in Kenya through a satellite university) to complete the administrative work for his thesis requirements.

This sounds simple enough but it takes funds he doesn't currently have. He has been working very hard to solicit funds in Kenya to get to Uganda and he is there now but he needs your help to make sure he can complete his task.

If you can help him, please don't delay in sending your donation.  He doesn't have much time to fulfill his requirements.  He also needs to return to Kenya before the end of this month to move from his temporary home where he has been living during his studies.

He needs funds for that too but the main focus is on finalizing the thesis.

Here is a breakdown of the needs for Uganda:

English editor needs : about $50

formatting needs: $30

statistics needs: $50

binding:  $90

travel: $100

lodging: $20

food: $10 per day

miscellaneous: $100

Little Linet's Needs

I cannot forget to update you about Little Linet and I think you will remember that she was to undergo a medical evaluation on August 28, 2012. The evaluation was for the purpose of determining whether she is a candidate for surgery. You might also remember that Little Linet had been having various issues with her mouth causing pain, wounds, odour and inability to eat properly.  The doctors decided to remove some front teeth to help stabilize the situation. 

The real answer to Little Linet's problems is to help Little Linet undergo cleft palate surgery and the first step toward that was an evaluation about whether she is a suitable candidate for cleft palate surgery.

I am so happy to report that Little Linet is indeed a candidate for surgery.

We would like to help her but we need your help to do it.

Can you help this little one? It will take at least $500 for her to have surgery and so I'm starting now to raise the funds. So far, we have raised $60 for the surgery.

The need is really quite easy to be met if we all pull together.

All it takes is 10 people in the whole wide world to give 
$50.00  (Canadian)

Or, 20 people in the whole wide world to give 
$25.00  (Canadian)

Please know that although I do ask for funds on this blog from time to time, there are actually very, very few people who give toward most of the needs we write about .  The exception was little Kigen because one kind hearted singer in Nashville, publicized his need on Facebook.

I don't share this information to whine or complain but only to make it clear what the situation is. I know from time to time you may have questions and though this isn't my ministry as such, I do support it in whatever ways I can and I desire to have others support it too.

God knows in advance who will help at any given time.  He knows who the donors will be or whether there will be no donors at all.  He also knows that he gives every single person out there reading this, countless opportunities to do good each day.  What you read here is only a part of the opportunities that God opens for you but they are important.  God does care about these ones In Kenya who most people don't care about at all. If you are a follower of Christ and his love abides in you, would you be touched to help and care for them too?

Sometimes a giver stre-e-e-e-e-tches to help meet a need. 
That is another simple fact. 

Sometimes needs are not met at all because there is no one willing to reach out and touch.  It is as simple as that. 
God knows our hearts.

I just know that if this little girl were in your living room sitting beside you, it would be hard to turn your head and heart from her because she is a real life person, with real needs and she depends on us to help her mother meet her needs. I know many people get uncomfortable with being confronted by the needs of others or they grow weary but the Bible says

Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.
Galatians 6:9

I know we do grow weary from time to time but God encourages us through his word. He tells us not to grow weary and he tells us how we can avoid it.


But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
 Isaiah 40:31

If  today, you are feeling the love of God and the freedom that God gives to be a cheerful giver, please join hands with the Missions of Hope. Please be as generous as you can so Jonah can finish his thesis requirements and so we can make arrangements for Little Linet's surgery that much faster.  Of course, you don't have to be a Christian to be a giver. So if you are not a Christian, you may want to lend a hand to these dear ones anyway.

There are two people in East Africa, waiting for your help.  Will you be one to help answer their needs?



Let me close by saying a prayer that in n this season of your life, whatever your needs are, whatever you are going through and dealing with, may you too find the comfort and blessings you need, and a hand or two to help you on your way.  For when you are are strong again, you can help another on their journey.  I leave you with a song that seems appropriate. It isn't a Christian song as such but it's sentiments are the same.

 

 God richly bless you.

At the bottom of this post, there are buttons you can use to help spread awareness of the Missions of Hope through this post.  It only takes a moment.

Carrot Cake

It's been a long while since I baked anything or did much cooking.  The weather turned suddenly overcast on Friday.  Combined with all my reading this week and the changing weather, I worked up an appetite for something sweet. In my hurry to whip up the carrot cake (recipe below), I didn't worry about reducing the sugar or finding other ways to reduce the calories. My apologies.

The carrot cake fresh out of the oven.  It needs to cool before frosting.

I think you could easily reduce the sugar called for in this recipe by half and perhaps you can use apple sauce in place of the oil.

In the version I made I didn't have quite enough pecans but I used what I did have (about 1/3 cup). I just put them in the food processor along with the carrots and chopped them all up together.  Often when I've had carrot cake in a coffee shop it has sultana raisins in it though my recipe doesn't call for it.  I didn't have any raisins so I threw in a handful of dried cranberries.

The recipe I've posted is for the full cake.  But since I wanted a snack and I didn't want so much left over carrot cake, I cut this recipe in half. I didn't have a smaller round pan to bake it in so the cake was just a bit flatter (thinner) but it also took less time to bake.  About 30 minutes rather than the 40-50 minutes for the full recipe.  This smelled so heavenly while baking. If you are in a hurry, you can save time by using store bought cream cheese frosting like I did.  I don't want to read the ingredients on the box,  but it tasted pretty good.

Ingredients

Cake

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped pecans
 

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans



Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
4. To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake. 



This cake was easy to make and very moist and delicious. 
 Do you have a favourite carrot cake recipe?
 If you do, I'd love to hear more about it.

Reading Goals

My get together with friends on Wednesday proved to be a good thing to get me out again but I over exerted myself and I spent the next day taking it easy again and reading.  I also managed to get out for a bit of grocery shopping and to run an errand at the post office.

I finished the book, Medicine River by Thomas King.  The book had been on my "to read" list for many years and at last I can now say that I have finished it and it is no longer on my mind.  My mind does remind me from time to time of things that I have not done.  I found the book to be a satisfactory enough read but I wasn't overly impressed by it.  Perhaps my expectations were too high as I'd long been thinking about it.  The book is not so long and is written in an easy, conversational style which made me read it more slowly.  I read it as if I was hearing the characters in the book speaking.

What distinguishes this book from many other books I've read, is that it was written by a Native American author of Cherokee, Greek and German-American descent.  The setting of the story in the book is a reserve in western Canada, probably because the author lived and worked in Lethbridge, Alberta for many years. Those of you who live in Canada may have see the television movie based on this book.  I think that it is good to be exposed to more Native American writers but I don't think there are that many of them.

After finishing that book, I read, The Empress, written by Shan Sa. Shan Sa is the pen name of Yan Ni, who was born in Beijing, China, and later moved to France with her father in 1990.

Her novel is based on the life of  the Empress of China, Empress Wu, the only reigning female in the history of China (c.625-705). The book started and ended rather interestingly, with the Empress telling the story of her own birth and death. The rest of the book was a bit disappointing to me.  I was a bit taken aback by the amount of debauchery attributed to that time period. But if you are interested in the history of China, female leaders throughout history, and early history of China, then this book is loaded with detail.

In the notes at the back of the book the author says,

"Empress is the encounter of two Chinese women, myself and Empress Wu. I came to Paris in 1990 at the age of seventeen.  Coming from post-Cultural Revolution China to Paris, this city of luxury and lust, I felt the shock and suffering that my heroine experienced when she entered life in the Forbidden City.

The historical research took three years, and I made several trips to China to explore the regions where the Empress had lived."

I think the following quote from p. 317 of the book sums up the story quite well.

"Time passed. The wheel of fortune turned. Skills vanished in the flames of war, and men no longer knew how to build palaces tall enough to touch the clouds. The Tatars streamed in from the deserts and the steppes, one dynasty followed another. Women abandoned the arts and bound their feet. Emperors continued with the Mandarin competitions I had instigated and still used the urn of Truth I invented. But I had become a symbol of a corrupt woman. The Annals told how I had strangled my daughter so that I could ascribe the crime to Empress Wang. Misogynistic historians accused me of poisoning my son Splendor who contested my authority. Novelists invented a life of debauchery for me, attributing their own fantasies to me. With passing time, the truth became unclear, and the lies took root."

It is difficult for me to know how much of the personal details of the Empress were true and how much was the author's imagination.  The quote from the book leads me to think that much was the author's imagination. However the author's notes suggest that the tremendous detail about the cultural aspects and ceremony of the times are based on historical facts.

My next book is The Help, which has already been made into a movie. I am also going to finish People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.

I've also been in touch with my blogging friend, Fred Alton, whom some of you know. He has encouraged his readers to read the Bible in one year. I've always read the Bible but I don't think I've ever read it from cover to cover, or in one year though it's been something I've wanted to do for some time. Fred has given me some good tips and this reading project fits in nicely with my goal of studying the Bible.

 I'm making good progress on my reading goals for this year.   

What about you dear reader. Have you set any reading goals? Have you read either of the books in my post or the Bible from cover to cover? I'm interested in your thoughts on these books or about your experiences with the Bible reading.

Daily Dos and Daily Promises

Hello friends,

I'm still recovering from my cold. I don't have it really bad right now. Just enough to make me feel more tired than usual and the odd bout of sneezing.

Since I don't have a lot of energy I'm just doing bare minimum each day, a little laundry (it never seems to end), a little cleaning, a little blogging, and a little reading. Tomorrow I'll get out for the first time in what seems like ages. It will be nice to get together with a few ladies and be back in the land of the living, he he.

I'm still reading "The Postmistress" by Sarah Blake and have started on a new book called, "Medicine River" by Thomas King.  The book chronicles the lives of a group of contemporary First Nations people living in Western Canada.  Thomas King is part Cherokee, Greek and German-American. He used to lives and works in Alberta, Canada as a professor.  I understand he now lives and works in Ontario, Canada.  His book was actually published in 1989 and has been on my reading list for some time. Recently, I came across a used copy and I'm enjoying it's easy, conversational style.

I also started cutting out pieces for another quilt'; this time in shades of green and blue. I think it will look quite nice.  It will likely be another lap blanket because I have a lot of fabric but there isn't enough in any particular complementary colours to make larger quilts.  You might have seen my other lap blanket here.  I am still deciding what to do with it but eventually I hope to sell several quilts.  I will use any proceeds to help children like Little Linet or Kigen at the Missions of Hope. Once I've finished with my lap quilts, I hope to make some larger ones too.

These are some of the fabrics, I've started cutting.

For dinner tonight we had coconut shrimp (from a bag) and stir fried noodles (home made with packaged noodles).  It's the first time I've had the coconut shrimp from the frozen foods section.  I don't usually buy things like that but they were on sale so I thought I would try them.

They were quite good and even came with sweet chili dipping sauce..  I googled a recipe and came up with this one that looks very similar to what we had.

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/coconut_shrimp_with_sweet_chili_mayo/

The recipe looks easy enough and so I'll probably try to make it from scratch some time.  I think the Japanese panko (crumbs) make the difference.

I haven't been overly busy this week but have been keeping a relaxed pace.  Somehow posting about what I'm doing or what I have done, makes me feel less like I am wasting my days. Every day is a gift and I don't want to waste any of them.That is what I say to myself on most days.

I also try to remember to be grateful each day and give thanks for whatever I do or whatever God has given to me.  Even when things aren't going so well, the Bible tells us to give thanks.  I have a promise box and each day I pick one or several cards out of it to see what "special" message God might be speaking to me that day.

This is a promise box like mom had when I was a child. I used to love to take the "daily bread".

This is a promise box I got about 15 years ago. 

 These are some of the scripture cards I drew out this week.  God is clearly telling me that His name is to be praised!
 

I've been bearing burdens with, and for others and this week and I've also been feeling a bit low in body and in spirit.  I needed to be gently reminded that God is to be praised regardless of the circumstances in my life or the circumstances in the lives of others.  So often I try to "fix" other people's problems.  That is part of my personality and from time to time (often), God needs to remind me that he is the one who can fix things and we need to turn to him in ALL things, good or bad.  I've also learned that sometimes a breakthrough in a prayer need comes when we offer up the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Last night my mother called me with a praise report.  I pray for her every day and often with her on the phone.  She was calling to tell me that a difficult health challenge she has been facing this week, turned around.  This answer to prayer came after a period of just focussing on giving praise and thanks to God for everything. I love it when I see and experience the Word of God in action like this.

In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him. 

Ecclesiastes 7:14
Click here for a study of Ecclesiastes 7

Dazzling Deception Pass

In this series of posts about my jaunt to Whidbey Island, I left off my tour at the junction of LaConnor Whitney Rd. & Highway 20 headed west.  (You can click  Part 1 and Part 2  to read more of this journey if you like).  This is more of a photo journey rather than an informational one.

This is the sign for the Swinomish Casino & Lodge on the Swinomish Reservation.  This hotel overlooks Padilla Bay and comes highly rated on Trip Advisor.

I've enlarged this photo so you can read the signage to the left. We are on the Swinomish Reservation on Puget Sound.  The Swinomish Reservation is home to the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, a federally recognized Indian Tribe.

There is a large tanker out there on Padilla Bay but I have no idea what it is carrying.

We are still travelling on Highway 20 and are no on Fidalgo Island. If you go north on the Island you will hit Anacortes in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is a consolidation of the name Anna Curtis, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman (Wikepedia).  Anacortes is the home port for ferry travel to the San Juan Islands.

A goose flies overhead as if to announce that nature here is in abundance.

This is very lovely countryside (sorry for the dirty windshield).

There was a boater on Campbell Lake. I managed to get a photo as we were zipping by.

When we got to Desolation Pass we managed to find a place to park and took the following photos. I also resolved to stop for more photos on the way back home which I will share in another post. The return photos are even more spectacular.

The weather that day was absolutely fantastic; sunny but not too warm. The water was shimmering like gold.

As we cross over the bridge into Whidbey Island I can see an island in the distance. I'm not sure if that is Deception Island or if Deception Island is further west.  In any case, it makes a pretty site even through the bridge structure.

There were many tourists parked in the narrow passageways on the side of the narrow highways.  They were all enjoying the dazzling sights of Deception pass. I can't wait to return this way and take more photos from a the other side!

I'm linking up with Our World Tuesday this week. Click on the link and see what others are sharing this week.

Sunday

Hi friends, I haven't been feeling well this past few days. I'm very tired and now I am sneezing and headachey. Please say a little prayer for me as I've likely caught a cold from the changing season.

I am keeping busy too and feel like I'm not making much progress. Too many things to do and so little time.  I mentioned that I recently purchased several books at a used book sale sponsored by the SPCA.  The first of the book I read was, "Out of Africa"and I enjoyed it so much. The book is very different from most books I've read.  Karen Blixen (pen name Isak Dineson) tells of her time in Africa by writing about different people and themes, instead of telling her story through a linear (chronological ) time line.  Her lover Denys Finch Hatton, with whom she takes up after the break down of her marriage did not feature quite as prominently in the book as I thought he would.  Perhaps I just don't take to the subtle treatment of the character,or the idea that he was relegated to a chapter of the book, rather than being mentioned in several chapters.  But then that approach would not have worked too well with the order of the book. 

In any case, I read the book from cover to cover over a day and a half. I usually only do that with books I am really enjoying.  I especially enjoyed reading Karen Blixen's observations of the people she met in Kenya and her observations of their cultural ways.  It is clear that she loved Africa.  I think the people loved her.  Even today, everyone in Nairobi seems to know of  Karen Blixen.  The land where she once lived is known as Karen, suburb of Nairobi.  The last time I was in Karen was to visit the Giraffe Center and attend a CeCe Winans concert.  If you are interested in life in Kenya as it was during colonial times, pick up a copy of this book.

The second book of the "new to me" stash that I am reading is called "The PostMistress", by Sarah Blake. The story takes place in the small town of Franklin, Massechusetts during World War II. I am just at the stage of being introduced to many of the characters in the story. It may be too early to tell but so far I am not that engaged in the book though it has received rave reviews.  I think this book would appeal to anyone who has an interest in stories about small time life, or an interest in war stories.

If you are new to my blog, let me invite you to spend some time reading and/or exploring some of my earlier posts.  Also, if you are a regular reader of mine, you may have missed some of these posts so I invite you to have a look.  I just might make highlighting older posts a regular feature of this blog, or at least an intermittent feature.

I've selected a few posts (out of the hundreds) to get you started.  Please let me know if you see any problems with the photos.  Unfortunately with computer problems over the years and losses of hard drives, I've lost a lot of photos.

Travel

Africa/Kenya

Friday Sky Over Solai

Canada and the Maple Leaf Flies Abroad

Meeting Kigen in Eldoret

Mombasa Sunset

Nakuru National Park

Finally at Lake Baringo

North America: Western Canada and Washington State

Dropping by La Connor

Trip to the South On Chuckanut Drive

Relaxing, Shopping & Quilting

A Wedding for Two

The Journey Continues - Hinton to Hines Creek

The Journey Begins - Vancouver to Hinton

Photo Journey to Kamloops

We've Covered a Lot of Miles

More Photos from my Journey

Ride with Me:  Edmonton to Chetwynd  

Sky Over the North Country 2

Charitable Work

Dreaming of Africa

Giving

Dreams

Get Involved

Do You Know What You Will Eat Today?

Little Linet

Little Linet ~ Update August 2012

Report from Jonah at Missions of Hope Kenya

Hello friends, it has been awhile since you've heard from my friend Jonah in Kenya. Please click on the link below and read what he is up to. It would be wonderful if you could leave him a comment to encourage him at this time. Thanks and see you soon!

Kenya Missions of Hope: Graduation Is Upon Us: Things have been challenging and hectic for me here as we prepared for my mother's graduation in one city and to present my thesis in anothe...

Dandelions on the Beach Front

I'm linking up with Tina at Weekend Flowers,

and Denise and the gang at Today's Flowers.

I took this photo on the beach in White Rock. I love that you can see the ocean beyond the dandelions.

The English name, dandelion, is a corruption of the French dent de lion which means "lion's tooth", referring to the coarsely toothed leaves. (Wikipedia) I think the dandelion is really a weed, not a flower but even weeds can look pretty.  Dandelion greens are edible and are often sold in herbal stores as tea.

Have you tasted dandelion tea?  Did you like it?  Dandelion has many different health benefits. You can read all about them here.

Dropping by La Conner, Washington

I left off on Chuckanut Drive on my scenic tour of western Washington State here (in case you missed it).  The weather that day was spectacular.  There were no clouds in sight.  The sun was shining but the intense heat of the summer was behind us.

We are travelling south on highway 11 (green line) and saw the spectacular ocean shots in my post here.

The drive was beautiful as we drove most of the way on Chuckanut Drive through this beautiful rain forest.

This is the largest tourist stop on the drive where you take photos of the beautiful vistas.

As we end our journey south on Chuckanut Drive we stopped in Burlington for a bite to eat before heading back on the freeway towards Whidbey Island.

Before too long we get to the La Conner turn off. La Conner is a place I've had in mind to go for some years ever since it was featured on a show called,  "Best Places to Kiss in the Northwest" .  The show was produced in Washington State and featured lots of picturesque towns to visit and quaint places to lodge.  It doesn't seem to be on television anymore.

This was one of the first shots I took as we entered the town.

You always know when you're in the USA as there is usually a flag outside someone's house or place of business.

This looks like a wonderful shop. You can see the care and attention that has gone into keeping these historic buildings.

This church caught my eye, so.....

... I tried to get a good photo.

Main Street of the town and more historic shops...

This place sells ice cream and candy. I can imagine they've been incredibly busy this hot summer.

It was nice to see some action on the waterfront. I don't know where the bridge leads.

This shot is taken in the direction of the town of La Connor.

This Inn comes up a lot in a google search when looking for accomodations in the area.  Given this is a tourist town, I think it is overpriced but it is rated quite well by people who have stayed there.

Leaving LaConnor and making our way back to the freeway for the turnoff to Whidbey Island.

We are at the freeway about to turn left and head west.

 

 I hope you enjoyed the quick tour of La Conner. It was a real whistle stop for us just so I could see the place.   If you'd like to plan a trip there, you can find out much more information by clicking here.

I'm linking up today with Skywatch Friday. Please drop by there by clicking here and seeing the wonderful skies from different places around the world.