A few more highlights
So it’s been a few days...sorry about that. I decided not to bring my computer on this trip for several reasons. One, so that I wouldn’t be tempted to work, and two, so I didn’t have to carry it through the airports during transit. However, that has meant that I’m not able to blog whenever I want because I have to borrow either David’s or Michael’s computer.
As I am writing this, we’re on board a ferry headed back to Washington. We have spent the last 36 hours in Canada - more specifically on Vancouver Island. Most of the time we were in the city of Victoria but we went also to see the famous Butchart Gardens and actually landed and left from Sidney, BC. Please don’t be confused here. The city of Victoria is on Vancouver Island and the city of Vancouver is on the mainland of British Columbia. Oh, and the island of Victoria is MUCH farther north, and has nothing to do with either the city of Victoria or the city of Vancouver - well, except that they’re all in Canada. How’s that for confusing?
So, let’s go for highlights. The last time I wrote, we were just back from Seattle. I’ll try to catch you up without writing a dissertation.
Rock Fish Grill - We had a day in Whidbey between Seattle and Victoria and decided we needed fish and chips. Michael told us about this great little place in Anacortes - a small fishing town on the mainland about 30 minutes from his house. Man, were was it good! They were also a mini brewery, so David tried a sampler of beer - they give you 6 mini glasses so you can try different kinds. He decided that out of all of them he liked the Porter (dark) beer the most, but that they “brewed better tea than beer by far.” Don’t take that as a slam to Rock Fish - he’s just a bigger fan of tea than he is of beer. 
Oh, and I finally got a zip up hoodie! It’s the best - it’s from a cool little joint, and I am definitely enjoying the weather more with it to keep me warm.
Butchart Gardens - That place was amazing. Imagine a huge used up quarry - and then try and imagine what it would look like if you covered it in greenery, flowers of every shape, color and size, and trees taller than a three story building. The “Sunken Garden” is how it all started, and it’s one of the most beautiful places on the 100 acre property. The gardens were formerly the private gardens on the estate of the Butchart family - Mr. Butchart was one of the founders of Portland Cement. Mrs. Butchart began the gardens around 1910, and it has grown from there. On the property, to name a few, there is a huge rose garden (with hundreds of types of roses from across the world), an formal Italian garden, a Japanese garden, a star shaped pond (to house their duck collection), and the one that began it all, the Sunken Garden. It was incredible to see God’s paintbrush and creativity - the amazing colors, the shapes, the lushness, and the beauty beyond imagination. One interesting note, it was the only place we’ve been so far that I wanted to be wearing a t-shirt and shorts - sunny and very little breeze. Oh, and it had a GREAT gift shop (that I thoroughly enjoyed and the guys were super sweet and super patient - Michael told me he took a nap...).
This is as far as I can get now, we’re packing up and getting back to the car. I’ll update more tomorrow… I promise. Oh, and I’m having technical difficulties uploading the pics with David’s computer, but I’ll get him to help me with that tomorrow too. ‘night!