Category: People

Passages

Exploring Parisian passages is one of my favorite walking tours. Dating back to the early 19th century these early shopping malls were built to protect pedestrians from mud and horse drawn carriages. Some seem more light and bright, while others are packed with small cafes, antiques, stamp dealers, and even doll house furnishings.

We enjoyed tea and pastries in the bottom left shop while watching shoppers eye the goodies. (For inquiring minds: I had baba au rhum and it was worth every calorie, though I actually lost a little weight on this trip.)

Connected

I don’t live in a population center. It’s probably like this in any big city. But I couldn’t get over the cell phone fixation I saw everywhere in Paris.

We rarely sat down or walked anywhere without someone nearby gazing into his or her phone. A five person dinner group next to us in a café, three generations worth, pulled out five cell phones and at one point all five were gazing into four of the phones. Three other travelers in a train station, all peering into phone screens. Bus riders. Taxi drivers. Seemingly, everyone.

The Rodeo, 2 of 2

The Clallam County Rodeo is offered twice during the County Fair. This year we went on Saturday night and the grandstands were packed. There were hometown favorites riding and a few of the cow boys and girls were truly talented youngsters. The bull rider in the bottom right shot was 14 years old and I don’t think the girl on the bottom left could have been much older. And, believe it or not, the bronc rider on the top left walked off the field on his own.

Bill again

Last month I posted several shots of Bill’s Snow Cones after we met Bill at Fort Flagler State Park. We recently saw him in Port Townsend. You get to see him again because I hadn’t gotten a shot of this side of his mobile snow cone van. It really is quite a sight. He’d barely turned off the engine before photographers began snapping, me included.

Bill’s Snow Cones

Last week we camped at a beautiful, historic state park – Fort Flagler, on Marrowstone Island. Surrounded by other campers and a hearty dose of nature, we didn’t expect to encounter this roving van of serendipity as we walked to the beach: Bill’s Snow Cones.

He couldn’t be accused of cutting a low profile amongst the RVs, trailers, and tents.

Bill is a self-appointed snow cone goodwill ambassador. He goes where his mood and his tricked out Volkswagen van take him and he cheers the people he meets, one snow cone at a time. Gratis. Two free cherry snow cones and a raft of snow cone stories later, we walked away happy. Thank you, Bill.