2004 Pictures

In March, we went to a Wool Festival at Drumlin Farm.

	Isabel and Benjamin looking at the sheep. To the right, sheep-sheering the traditional way, and then the newly-shorn sheep, looking very young and clean:
	Isabel helping younger kids with the loom.		Isabel still at it. (She's a natural teacher; she had never actually used a loom before!)

In April, the family came out to Seattle, and to Berkeley to see family.

	Richard with Benjamin and Isabel at the Chittenden Locks.		Kids sitting on the bank, watching the boats go by.
Chantal and Benjamin sitting on the bank.		Rhododendrons.
	Isabel petting a dog, under a magnificent pink cherry shedding its petals.		In Discovery Park, the kids playing on an enormous maple.
Down on the beach, with the lighthouse in the distance, and the Olympics across Puget Sound.		A closer look, with Benjamin playing on the beach.
	Even closer: Benjamin making a volcano.		Looking the other away, at the Magnolia bluffs.
Benjamin standing by a real survivor tree in Ravenna Park, which has been heavily pruned, and burned through the middle, but seemed still to be going strong!		Kids eating ice cream, resting after a walk through Ravenna.
	On the Bainbridge ferry: kids in front of the Seattle skyline.		Benjamin with a further-out view.
A couple of panoramas from the ferry:
	In Berkeley, Benjamin and Isabel playing with cousin Joey.		Isabel sitting with Joey on the tree trunk, a lovely picture.
Aunt Caroline with Joey and Isabel.		Kids playing catch.
	More ball play, with Joey not very competitive as Monkey in the Middle!		Jasmine vine around the front stairs.
More jasmine, with a wonderful scent.		California poppies in the back garden.
	More vividly colorful poppies.		Grandpa Edmund watering.
Chantal reading in the grass.		Yet more jasmine.
	Grandpa Edmund clipping roses.		Benjamin insisted on a fire, and he got his way...

Later in April, a trip downtown to Boston:

	Benjamin and Isabel at the Public Garden.		Tulips.
A duck taking a bath in a fountain.		Kids on the swan boat.
	A swan boat in the pond.		Magnolias on Comm. Ave.
Townhouse facade.		Urban gardens.

May and June weekends in Seattle:

Later in May, a soccer game:

In practice, Benjamin shoots for the goal:
Lining up for a practice kick.		Huddle before the game with coach Yossi.
	Benjamin goes for the ball.		And he throws it in.
	To the left, Benjamin in possession. To the right, a goal is made!
A victory hug.		Congratulating each other on a game well played.
	Black and White thank each other for a good game.		All done; time to put the nets away.

Flying a stunt kite:

Kites over Danehy Park.

Benjamin happily in control.

Benjamin's 8th birthday:

	Isabel and Marian with kites.		A game of Bocce.
Eating pizza and horsing around.		Kids on a garden sculpture.
	Benjamin at the restaurant.		Benjamin on the phone while opening presents.

The Gropius House in Lincoln, MA:

An antique car show in Lincoln:

	Fancy, streamlined hood ornament. (I can't remember which car.)		Late 50's Chevy Bel Air, of course.
Late 30's Packard swan hood ornament.		That same Packard from the side front.
	Cadillac V8, from late 20's or early 30's.		Late 50's Corvette.
Ford with an early "bumper sticker". (The 18th amendment was Prohibition, passed in 1918, and repealed in the early 30's.)		Pontiac, probably from the early 50's.
	A truly magnificent car: a mid-30's Packard restored to the point it even smelled new!		A Stanley Steamer, from around 1910, showing it's stuff.
Finally, Isabel and Benjamin (and the photographer!) reflected in the above Packard's headlamp housing.

A weekend in Victoria, B.C.:

Later in August, a hike near Mt. Rainier:

A hike to Wallace Falls, in the Cascades:

The sun filtering through the trees.

Isabel, Benjamin, and Chantal by the Lower Falls.

Kayaking off Vashon Island:

	Getting a quick lesson.		Launching into the harbor.
Paddling by a nice house on the shore.		Chantal and Isabel out on the water.
	Isabel paddling up front.		Benjamin likes to be in the back, steering.

Bumbershoot, the big Seattle Labor Day Weekend arts festival:

The iconic Space Needle.	Benjamin banging on kinetic sculpture.	An overview of the action, with Queen Anne Hill on the background.

Aunt Caroline and Cousin Joey make a visit in September:

	Benjamin and Joey pushing the stroller.		Isabel holding Joey by the International Fountain in Seattle Center, with Joey looking a little anxious.
Looking up at the Space Needle.		Joey with "glasses".
	Benjamin and Joey still in their pyjamas.		Joey blowing bubbles. (I love the way the bubbles turned out, looking very sci-fi!)
Joey's first chocolate experience.		On a trip to Bainbridge Island.

Isabel's 11th Birthday:

	Chantal bringing out the cake.		Isabel cutting the cake.
Isabel gets what she wanted: a GPS receiver:
	A second cake with Caroline and Joey.		Isabel enjoying the cutting.

A hike to Summit Lake later in September:

Summit Lake is an alpine lake over a mile in altitude, near Mt. Rainier. Unfortunately, we chose a very cloudy day, so didn't get any views of the mountain. It was cold too; hikers coming down said it had snowed overnight!
	Rain-spotted leaves.		Richard, Benjamin, and Isabel on the trail.
A view over the valley from the trailhead, up several miles of gravel road.		Trees and fog.

In October, a soccer game in the LVR (Laurelhurst, Viewridge, and Ravenna) league:

Later in October, around home:

	Kids admiring a finished puzzle of New England. (Daddy felt compelled to stay up late to finish those dratted all-white areas).		Kids with friend Lily arond Ravenna Park.
Benjamin on a pony at a neighbor's birthday party.		Isabel's pony just wanted to snack...
A total lunar eclipse. (These were all done hand-held with an EF 70-200/2.8L lens, highly cropped, the last at 1/60th sec at ISO 400.)
	That same evening, an historic Red Sox victory: the curse is lifted, 86 years since the last World Series victory.		Benjamin and Isabel watching with Aunt Marian; Benjamin still with muddy soccer knees.

A walk around the University of Washington campus:

A drive around the Northern part of the Kitsap Peninsula:

Holiday visits to Falls Church and Pawtucket:

Grandpa Tor brings out his Paella.		And the finished product:
	Looking at old pictures. From the left: Isabel, Chantal, Tor, Lorraine, Uwe, and Marian.
Sledding down Grandma José's driveway:		Sledders in front of Grandma's house.
	More snowy houses in the Oak Hill area of Pawtucket.

A New Year's Eve visit to the zoo in Seattle:

			Benjamin going for a walk with the peacock.

These pictures were taken with Canon G2 and EOS 10D digital cameras. Images were cropped, balanced, etc. with Adobe Photoshop Elements, Phase One's C1 LE, and Digital Light & Color's Picture Window Pro.