November 29, 2015. Wine-tasting on Bainbridge Island

LOCATION:  House-sitting on Bainbridge Island

WEATHER:  Overcast. High about 40

The morning was spent on computer work.  I applied, and immediately received, my Australian visa.  Looks like I might have to go alone, as George's application hasn't been approved yet.  Hmmmmm.

George took a break to read awhile.  Marley jumped on his lap to snuggle.  He must really like George, as he isn't really a lap cat.

We have had a few nibbles on the Airstream, so are handling those, too.  Lots to do!

We relaxed in the afternoon by visiting 2 wineries on the island.  The first one was tiny, right near our house.  It was very cozy, feeling especially welcoming compared to the bleak weather outside.

The owner let us try a 2014 Cabernet  from the barrel....

Back home, we watched football (George) and Downton Abbey (Karmen)

DINNER:  Flatbread pizza.  I used some of the hamburger George grilled last week.  I added some homemade pesto to the pizza sauce.  Topped with onions, garlic and mushrooms.  It hit the spot!

November 28, 2015. Exploring the peninsula

LOCATION:  House-sitting in Bainbridge Island, Washington

WEATHER: Sunny and cool. Highs around 40

Marley must have had  a wild night......His toys are kept in this cute model airplane and sometimes at night, he drags them out and bats them around the floor....

Today is plant-watering day.  Whenever we house-sit, I'm always afraid I will accidentally kill the homeowners' flowers.  

The airbnb guests left, so we tidied up the carriage house a bit.  

Off to Kingston for lunch.  It is a harbor town about 15 miles away.  We stopped at the Downpour Brewery Tasting Room.  They don't sell food, but encourage guests to bring it in.  I popped over to a sandwich shop and brought back our lunch.  Kingston is a pretty town.  The traffic was really backed up due to the ferry's arrival.

We took the back roads back home, stopping in a cute town called Indianola.

DINNER:  Fish tacos.  I sautéed a rock fish fillet with onion and garlic.  Warmed up tortillas and spread a little wasabi aioli on them.  Served with diced raw cabbage for crunch.  Muy bueno.  

November 27, 2015. Morning work, the afternoon fun

LOCATION: House-sitting in Bainbridge Island

WEATHER:  Sunny and cool. Highs in 40s

We awoke to lots of frost on the ground.  In shady places, it stayed the entire day.  The morning was stressful....trying to figure out long-term visa process for Australia, dealing with AT&T, and answering responses from our airstream and truck ads.

I suddenly heard a strange noise, and saw a stray cat stroll on the front porch.  Marley came to the rescue, defending his territory

I made a tasty Japanese udon soup for lunch with broth from yesterday's turkey.  Oishikata!

Then, off for a nice afternoon.  The homeowners had kindly left us their membership card to the Bloedell Plantation, so we enjoyed its beauty free!  It was owned by a lumber baron starting in the 1950s.  The trees in the forest are mossy and beautiful.

Their mansion is still used for events.

The Japanese gardens and authentic were my favorite spots.  

After walking all around the preserve, we hopped in the car for a return to Poulsbo.  The streets were packed with people.  It is so nice to see small towns thriving.  We returned to the Paella Bar, and talked with our friend, the bartender from Rochester.  We had an appetizer and inexpensive happy hour drinks.   Since it was too early for dinner, we bought some paella to go. I bought some sourdough bread at their famous bakery to accompany it.

 

November 26, 2015. Happy Thanksgiving!

LOCATION:  House-sitting in Bainbridge Island

WEATHER:  Sunny and cool. Highs in 40s

Happy Thanksgiving to all!  We have so much to be thankful for, especially our friends and family.  We are also thankful for the opportunity to enjoy this vagabond life, all in good health.

We followed our tradition of listening to Lynn Rosetto-Kasper on public radio hosting her annual "Turkey Confidential" show.  People call in with their questions about cooking the big meal.  Some are hilarious, with her advice on dealing with cooking disasters.

I cooked a traditional Thanksgiving meal.  On the menu.....

Turkey breast

Stuffing

Brussels sprouts

Sweet potato

Gravy

Cranberry sauce

Pumpkin pie

The homeowner here suggested that I try his Ninja cooker to cook the turkey.  It turned out great!

First, I used a spicy rub, then browned the turkey on both sides.  Then, in the same machine, I slow-cooked it on a roasting grate it until it was done. I added some broth and white wine to keep it moist.  Perfect!  This machine is great, with an easy clean-up.

George had a pumpkin stout beer with hints of cinnamon as I cooked away.

It made him happy!

Now the challenge will be to fit the leftovers in our small RV refrigerator, as we leave here next week.

The day was capped off watching a marathon of. "Call the Midwife" on PBS.  I tore myself away from my favorite show at 11:00 PM, although it contined into the wee hours.

November 25, 2015. Day trip to Seattle

LOCATION:  House-sitting in Bainbridge Island

WEATHER:  Sunny and cool. Highs in 40s

We took our morning coffee and drove down to the city beach park to watch the beautiful sunrise.  The sun turned part of Mount Rainier pink.  Wow!

After getting Marley squared away, we drove to a "park and ride" to catch the bus to the ferry. We met a nice guy at the bus stop who works at a map shop in Seattle.  He told us about a bus that would return us directly to the "park and ride" if we returned on the commuter ferry.  

In Seattle, we walked along the waterfront, and of course stopped at Pikes Place Market.  We watched the workers at the fish shop doing their famous fish throwing.

Then, we stopped at the map store and chatted again with the man from the bus stop.  We bought a map of Baja California in preparation for our trip.  

He also directed us to the Elysian Bar that George wanted to visit.  It is a cool place.  We had a tasty portellabello mushroom sandwich lunch there.  Elysian is a popular craft beer.  They have always proclaimed their dislike of the big beer companies.  One of their beers called "Loser" says "Corporate beer sucks" on their 6-pack.  They were recently bought out by the Bud chain.  Their label now says, "Corporate beer still sucks".  George talked with the bartender about any changes they had experienced since the buy- out.

The bar has an open area for extra seating upstairs.  The bartender told us that it had been the original Amazon Company offices.  They have come a long way!

Then, we climbed up and up to the Capitol Hill area.  There is a Starbucks on every corner.  This one fills an entire city block!

Our next stop was La Japonesa, a Japanese restaurant with a bit of Latino flair.  We had eaten there when we were in Seattle before, and just wanted an appetizer today.  Happy hour was a great deal.  A bowl of hot  miso soup for $1.  Half-price sashimi and sake.

We hopped on the ferry for our return to Bainbridge.  We watched the Seattle skyline with its famous Space Needle and Ferris wheel.

  

The ferry was full of people coming to the island for Thanksgiving.  Lots of college students happily reuniting.  The huge, golden full moon rose during the crossing.  Breathtaking!

When we arrived at the Bainbridge ferry terminal, our bus was waiting for us and took us right to our car.  Really convenient!

DINNER:  Spaghetti and meatballs.  I used the leftover hamburger George had grilled a few days ago, and added lots if veggies to the sauce.  

November 24, 2015. Power outage on Bainbridge Island

LOCATION:  House-sitting on Bainbridge Island.

WEATHER:  High winds.  Highs in low 40s

We worked all morning on taxes, and had a blast!  NOT!

To reward ourselves, we drove back to Poulsbo.  It is a cute Norwegian town, with a beautiful harbor.

We had lunch at the Slippery Pig Brewery.  Really nice people.  They have some unusual beers like rhubarb IPA.  

Then we went grocery shopping at a very high-end market.  Everything was beautifully displayed, like this huge mound of chanterelle mushrooms...

I was intrigued by this cioppino bar.  The soup base, fish and seafood all there together to buy...

And of course, hundreds of oysters, clams and crabs....

We heard people in the market talking about power outages.  Sure enough, we returned to a dark house.  We quickly found flashlights and turned on the gas fireplace.

George gave Marley the cat his evening "puff " of asthma medication treatment by flashlight.  He seemed to like it!

The airbnb renter from the carriage house joined us for a glass of wine.  We enjoyed chatting with him next to the fire.

DINNER:  Cheese and crackers!  Since we didn't have electricity, we just snacked and went to bed early, still without power.

November 23, 2015. Exploring on and off Bainbridge Island

LOCATION:  House-sitting on Bainbridge Island

WEATHER:  Cloudy with a little rain. Highs in low 40s

When we started this road trip 2 and 1/2 years ago, we totally downsized.  We had multiple garage sales, used Craig's List, and gave the rest to Goodwill.  We don't have any storage unit; everything we own must fit into the Airstream and truck.  Nevertheless, we still have too much "stuff".  In preparation of the sale of our truck and Airstream, we went through boxes this morning to further thin things down.  (George seems to have more than I do!). :-)

After morning chores, we took off for a hike in the Grand Forest, a protected rain forest here on the island.  It is very lush.

The full canopy doesn't let in much sunshine.

We hiked the main trail for 1.5 miles.  It is my kind of trail......pretty level.  There are huge trees blanketed with moss and ferns everywhere.  Beautiful!

After the hike and feeling virtuous, we drove to Silverdale, a nearby town, to a brewpub for  lunch.  George had their Christmas porter that had been aged in bourbon barrels.  Wow!

We drove on to check out Port Orchard.  By this time, it was raining and dreary, so it wasn't too appealing.

George bought a big bottle of vodka.  He picked up a tip on the Airstream Forum to fill the trailer's tanks with cheap vodka to use as an antifreeze.  I'm not sure how this will work, once we start camping again.  I guess watered down vodka will come out of our faucets?  

DINNER:  Kind of a German twist......Corned beef with sautéed cabbage.  Baked potatoes with caraway seeds.  Pretty good and quite hearty.

November 22, 2015. Bonding with Marley, the cat

LOCATION: House-sitting on Bainbridge Island

WEATHER:  Mostly sunny.  Highs in 40s

Quiet day.  We did computer work most of the day, read, and watched TV.  We posted the Airstream and truck ads on various websites.  With cable, I enjoy HGTV.  :-).  George checked some football games. 

Lunch time.....Marley's  breed doesn't understand the sensation of being full, so he would just eat and eat, making himself sick, if we didn't care for him.   Here is RN George measuring and weighing the wet food for lunch.....

We took a walk to the park where we had camped last summer when we were here before.  For a small island, there are sure a lot of hills!  It is fun to look at the beautiful houses along the way.  Many  have beautiful views of the Sound, and Seattle across the way. 

Our evening was centered around Marley.  Here is the precise schedule.....

6:00 PM.  Give him his chill pill.  Let it work in his body to prepare him for the treatment

6:30PM.  I run to the kitchen to prep for our dinner

6:45 PM.  Give Marley his breathing treatment.  This has to be done without the TV on, as he is afraid of the TV.  Success!  Giive him bribes....oops, I meant treats.

6:55 PM.  Give Marley some dry food.  He likes the game of chasing the kibbles around the floor.

7:00 PM.  Let him rest while we watch "60 Minutes"on TV. 

8:00 PM.  I finish preparing our dinner.  We eat while he watches enviously.  He probably smells the seafood. We dole out his remaining dry food allotment for the day.

9:30 PM.  At last!  George measures out his wet food for his final meal of the day.

Marley can't wait!

Marley says "hurry"!  Now to the food.....

Notice his pink nails.  They are pink plastic-coated tips to cover his claws.

DINNER:  Surprisingly delicious seafood chowder.  I found an easy recipe on line......I briefly sautéed some scallops and squid, then set aside.  Then, sautéed minced carrot, scallions and onion.  Set aside.  (This is the prep I did before watching "60 Minutes".). Then after "60 Minutes", I made a roux with flour and butter, gradually adding a can of cream of potato soup and milk.  Heat and add back the veggies and seafood.  Warm thoroughly.  I served with baguette crisps.  

November 21, 2015. Plant-watering day

LOCATION:  House-sitting on Bainbridge Island

WEATHER:  Sunny and a bit cold. Highs in low 40s

We awoke to a lot of frost on the ground and on our Airstream.  I'm glad we covered some of the homeowner's plants yesterday.

After Marley's (our temporary cat) treatment and breakfast, we took a 2-mile hike to the local post office to mail our deposit check for a rental beach home near Cabo San Lucas.  Our daughters and son-in-law are flying down there the end of December to meet us. It will be fun to be together!  

Today is the weekly plant-watering day at the house that we are caring for.  The homeowner has  beautiful indoor plants, including exotic orchids.

One of this house's main feature is a huge chef's kitchen, with a separate sink area for plant care.

The homeowner had left helpful instructions.  

We spent time in the afternoon posting pictures of our truck and Airstream that we are selling.

We hope to sell everything in late January before we head off to New Zealand and Australia for 6 months. We are also trying to sell things like the folding table and screen room.  We took pictures of that stuff for Craig's List.  Lots to do!

The homeowners rent their carriage house as airbnb.  In the evening, we delivered breakfast goodies to the unit,  turned up the heat, and turned on the lights to welcome guests arriving late tonight.

DINNER:  George grilled hamburgers.  I served with rice to which I added parsley pesto I had made earlier.  Salad.  I cooked extra hamburger for recipes next week. Great char-broiled taste.

The local PBS station featured British comedies tonight, so I delighted in "Keeping Up Appearances",  "As Time Goes By", and "The Vicar of Dibley".  I was in heaven! 

November 20, 2015. Chilling on Bainbridge Island

LOCATION:  House-sitting on Bainbridge Island

WEATHER:  Sunny, cold.  Highs in low 40s

After Marley's morning treatment and feeding, we went for a mile hike around the neighborhood.  

We then spent several hours on the internet, plowing through our "to-do" lists.  After a lot of frustrating searching, I found a beach house in Todos Santos in southern Baja California, Mexico where we will meet up with our daughters and son-in-law at the end of the December.  It will be such fun!  George worked on selling the Airstream and truck.  Our plan is to sell everything after Mexico, when we go to New Zealand and Australia for 6 months.  We will buy another rig when we return.

In the late PM, we made our way to friendly Bainbridge  Island Brewery, then to a very nice grocery store.

DINNER:  Shrimp and soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles).  I found a delicious recipe online.  The key was the sauce which included sesame oil, soy sauce, Sriracha, and minced garlic. I boiled up the noodles with some edamame, then sautéed shrimp and green onions, stirred together, and drizzled a soy sauce dressing over it.  Oishikata!  

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November 19, 2015. Getting acquainted in Bainbridge Island

LOCATION:  House-sitting in Bainbridge Island

WEATHER:  Mostly sunny.  Getting cold.  Highs in 40s

Marley, the cat we are caring for, has asthma.  RN George is in charge of his twice/daily treatments.

Marley tolerates the inhalation treatments surprisingly well, probably due to the treats he gets before and after.

Taking advantage of good internet, we caught up on some business.  I booked our ferry to Tasmania and our flight from New Zealand to Australia.   We also mapped out our route to Baja California for early December.  We decided it will be too cold to return to Bend, Oregon, our original plan, so we will most likely travel on Interstate 5 most of the way, trying to avoid Los Angeles.

The house here is beautiful.  We did a little work outdoors.

In preparation for tonight's predicted very cold temperatures, I covered plants on the porch.

There is a nice view of Puget Sound from the kitchen, dining room, and porch.

A friendly neighbor invited me to take a hike with her.  We walked 4.5 miles around the neighborhood.  A good work-out!

We did a little shopping at a charming local "hay and feed" store and Ace Hardware. 

DINNER:  Michael, the homeowner, has kindly left us some cold cuts, so I made paninis on the George Forman grill.  Green beans on the side.  

November 18, 2015. Getting settled in Bainbridge Island

LOCATION: House-sitting on Bainbridge Island

WEATHER:  Cool and sunny. Highs in 50s

We spent most of the day getting oriented to the house and to Marley, the cat.  We are in a beautiful house with a view of Puget Sound.  The driveway is big enough to accommodate our Airstream, so we maneuvered it around this AM.  

We took off for lunch so Michael, the homeowner, could get some of his travel preparations completed. He is off to Spain tomorrow.  We went in Poulsbo, a nearby Norwegian community.  We found a super tapas restaurant.  We sat at the bar and chatted with the bartender.  His parents live in Eyota, outside of our former residence, Rochester, Minnesota. It was fun talking to him about Rochester.

Back to the house, we also got oriented to the carriage house on the property, used as an airbnb.  Some guests will arrive in a few days, and we will do a few things to welcome them.

DINNER:  Michael prepared a delicious veggie frittata.   

November 17, 2015. Miserable traveling weather

LOCATION:  House-sitting on Bainbridge Island, Washington, across Puget Sound from Seattle

WEATHER:  High winds, pouring rain. Highs in 40s

We boarded the ferry in Victoria with no problems.  We thought perhaps that the crossing would be canceled or delayed due to the weather, but this ferry is known for its reliability, and departed on time.  The crossing was about 90 minutes to Port Angeles, Washington in the north central part of the Olympic Peninsula.  The crossing was pretty choppy.  People staggered around as if they were drunk.  Children squealed with delight as we rose up and down.  A couple of huge waves pounded hard against the hull, making for an exciting ride.

It is amazing how they load and unload big trucks, RVs and cars.  The car deck was full..

Once on land, we cleared customs very quickly and headed for Bainbridge Island.  My google map showed a very circuitous route, instead of a direct line.  I finally figured it out.....the direct route took us over the Hood River Bridge, which they just closed due to high winds.  So, we took a 60-mile detour around the Hood Canal.  It was quite windy.  Lots of downed branches littered the highway.  We drove through areas where the highway was flooded.  Electricity was out in several towns we passed through. 

We arrived on Bainbridge Island where we will house-sit for 2 weeks.  It is a lovely house that we will care for along with a cat that will require some medical treatments by George, RN.  We went to a "public house" for dinner.  We shared a seafood stew that was out of this world.

November 16, 2015. Hiking around downtown Victoria

CAMPGROUND:  2nd night at Westbay RV and Marina

LOCATION:  Victoria, British Columbia on SE point of Vancouver Island

WEATHER:  Cold, windy, some rain. Highs in 40s

Not to be deterred by the weather, we bundled up (George with 6 layers!). We hiked the beautiful 2-mile walkway to downtown.  We could see our RV park and marina across the bay.

Once downtown, we found ourselves in Chinatown.  It is very authentic.

To quench our thirst from the hike, we visited the Vancouver Island Brewery.  Then, we had some hot chili at Moon Under Water brewpub.  

We then headed back toward downtown to the Fairmont Empress Hotel.  It is very elegant and European-feeling.  

It is famous for its afternoon high tea.  We watched some people being served a 3-layered platter of exquisite pastries and a pot of tea.

  We decided to forego that experience (at $53 pp), and instead sipped a scotch in the hotel's elegant Bengal Lounge, decorated with Indian pictures and tigers skins. The bartender, who has worked there 45 years, was the best we've ever experienced. 

Finally, we stopped at a very popular local Italian restaurant recommended by our friend who used to live here.  It was fun...super crowded with tables close together, encouraging conversation with neighbors.

 

 We ordered pasta to go, so that it wouldn't be so late for us to return.

As we left, we saw the harbor lighting up.  The beautiful Parliament building was lit and another government building had special French flag colors reflected on its front.

 

We were lucky to almost immediately catch a bus back to the RV park.

What a fun day!