Beautiful people, food and wine.....

Us sybarites have had a wonderful summer, on a trip that Robert calls the bucket list.  Not hardly - we have been wined and dined, gone to parties, spent time in beautiful places and have lovely memories.  In Lodi we ate in a courtyard of a luxury inn, with a bunch of strangers, sharing French Bistro food at long tables with an inebriated  French cook singing songs he obviously loved.  Something he shouldn't give up his day job for.  But his night job, producing the incredible food that wouldn't stop coming, we celebrated, and groaned our way out of there.  And this was on Bastille Day.
Cousin Margie in Bend cooked up feast after feast and gave me a recipie for Pogo Pasta that I begged her for - too good.
We went to a luau in Pt. Ludlow where the lomi salmon and poi and music made us homesick - who knew all those Hawaiian's were out in the frozen north. 
We went to a beach barbecue in Anacortes, but the north wind was howling in from the straits so Jan and Pete cooked a mixed grill that we fell on  avidly while trying to be polite and talk to our hosts.  I don't  think we fooled them.
And wherever we go to visit, wonderful food and love is given.  Marilyn, whom I have known since my sons were little in Hawaii is an inspired cook with chiles, curries and anything out of her vegetable garden.  Ever have purple mashed potatoes with chives, fresh from the garden?  Or heirloom tomatoes with small mozzarella balls and basil.

Barbara and Dick at the reception - luau held indoors.  We had chicken skin from singing Aloha Oe and Hawaii Ponoi at the end of the evening.  Note the small glimpses of Hawaiian clothing on the locals.  There was nothing in those mai tais except a suggestion of tropical memories.

The small bay in front of the Bay Club.  Barbara and Dick live on a small bay right around the corner  where we ran the dogs on the walking trails.  Scenes right out of my childhood, with salmonberry, wild strawberry, Oregon Grape and fir trees.

A small marina - the San Juans in the background.  Flowers like this all hanging from street lamps, everywhere.....not what I remember. Pretty great.

Pete and Jan - we don't get to see them enough.  We introduced Pete to dock dancing years ago.

No problem gaining weight.  Breakfast tomorrow will be peach cobbler on Marilyn's deck, looking over at Mt. Adams, across the Yakima valley, and perhaps peeking at the back of Mt. Rainier.  We have been blessed.