Last weekend, well actually Thursday and Friday, were such a treat. Our friends from Mukilteo, Shirley and Jim, came down to visit for two days. They are Francophiles as are we, they travel to France most every year. We met up with them there on two of their trips.

This time together was bittersweet though. As I write this they are now in France, to live permanently, not just for a visit. After leaving us on Saturday they drove back to Seattle, then on Sunday they flew to Paris, on the same non-stop Delta flight that we took a couple of times. We have a bit of envy that is for sure. They will be missed but we wish them well, and know we will visit them in France again.

The highlight in the pen world is that I got a bottle of Oblation’s new ink “Portland Rain” – a delightful gray with the tiniest hint of blue. Fits this place, or it would work just as well if it was named la pluie de Normandie, since it also has a reputation for rain.

We consoled ourselves with a French Sunday lunch. Tricia made appetizers. She made Parmesan crostini, then she topped them with goat cheese, sautéed mushrooms, a bit of zucchini, and parsley. They are one of my favorites and would fit perfectly at any Michelin establishment.

I made a seafood blend in a cream sauce, with a bit of rice pilaf.

I did get a bit more painting in this week since we were not as active.

Tuesday I wandered around our neighborhood while Tricia had lunch with a friend, I did a sketch of the old Portland Armory. Tricia will be blogging today about our neighborhood, with some good photos.

Yesterday we drove up to Mt. Saint Helens. We remember the day it erupted, May 18, 1980. Tricia was living in Yakima. She recounts how she went to work at the hospital early in the morning, then just a few hours later the ash had already reached Yakima, the city that was hardest hit in that area, and she says it was as dark as night outside. I was living in Wood Village, an eastern suburb of Portland when it blew. I stood on the porch steps and could see the ash cloud rising in the sky, it was something.

Neither of us had ever been to Mt. Saint Helens, before or after the blast, so we decided to drive up yesterday and take a look. We could not get to the highest point as the road was closed, but we did make it to one of the visitor centers and viewpoints. I did a quick sketch then filled in some color back at home.

So it was a good week, Summer continues to be a bit warm, but Portland is usually 5-10F higher than Mukilteo was this time of year. Hope your summer or winter is going well, you are seeing friends, and finding a bit of peace in spite of all the world’s craziness. And as always I appricate you following, and encourage you to sketch when you can.

A reminder that I updated my Bio page and added a button to download my book on travel and sketching, it’s free, but I would love to know if you get it.