December 11th – 22nd
December 11th:
A fresh trip in winter, a fresh look over Columbia River where months earlier at this same overlook as a Sikorsky thumped through the smoke. In Ellensburg under wet skies, an AtlasObscura reference, a stoppette, the curiosity of Dick and Jane’s art.
December 12th:
A short walk about defines a drenching rain, but undaunted by VFR conditions, a visit to Olympic Flight Museum. The hanger is half full for holiday events and, additionally, half empty while some of the aircraft are apparently at a film shoot. A reduced admission somewhat abates a karmic disappointment. The museum attendant follows through the hanger fueling conversation with a chatter of facts, trivia and air observations.
Outside a forlorn Cobra, rotors drooped in precipitation peers west, perhaps in envy at a parked Airlift Northwest EC-135.
A departure from the Olympia Regional Airport, arrival at the Washington State Capitol in Olympia. Christmas carols echo in the rotunda while an ancestor of the First People dances to the music. The chandelier is a Tiffany weighing 4500 kg. 2001 Nisqually quake gave it a two week swing.
December 13th:
Traveling north along highway 101 on the Olympic Peninsula given scenes of art deco buildings, sea lions feeding in tributaries and convocations of eagles scavenging on the shorelines. The once upon a boom brick buildings of Port Townsend are quaint reflections of that heyday.
In the basement jailhouse of the Jefferson Museum of Art and History an old newspaper story suggests that Jack London spent the night incarcerated in these cells but as unsubstantiated, a furphy.
At a public dock looking out at the Strait of Juan De Fuca, under a damping drizzle, the sea has a sensual pull even in the gray.
Noshing a bowl of clam chowder, distracted and an irresponsible deletion of the collection of the trip pictures to the day. A disconnect and loss.
December 14th:
Port Townsend to Whidbey Island via ferry arriving at Fort Casey State Park where earthwork and silent guns guard Admiralty Bay.
December 15th:
Early to the Frye Museum, a short walk to and into St. James Cathedral. While admiring the large pipe organ, it springs to resonant life with pieces of music wrapping strains and runs of notes into the ambient consciousness.
The Frye, whose walls seem bare with a tangible paucity of exhibit, pales in composition to the pipe musician’s practice.
Later the music continues with Postmodern Jukebox at the Showbox Sodo. The music is fusion and fun, and the venue is crowded, and the company is great, and the people sitting comfortably for 2 hours before the show, g noshing suddenly realize as the music begins, that they cannot see the band because of the crowd and a pillar, and begin making comments about tall folks who they cannot see over, and someone gets bumped, and the sound system is not quite adapted to the unusual layout, and the tap dancer is outstanding, and, in the end it is just lucky parking. Never apologize for genetics. Is a GPS vengeful when it does not “get its way”?
December 16th:
Vintage breakfast at Planet Java followed by a walk through bricks to the Seattle Art Museum. The outstanding exhibit, Intimate Impressionism from the National Gallery of Art, features small works of the influential artists in this genre.
December 18th:
Across Admiralty Bay, to “P.T.”, to Port Angeles with a walk about. A steep stair climb to a north view across the Strait of Juan De Fuca, to the faint outlines of Victoria B.C. 
At a dock a former paramedic holds a fresh catch of crabs who crawl over each other in the crowded bucket. The Fiero Marine Museum holds an old cornered octopus immobile in glass, a mobile of whale bones hanging in a hallway, and a few small survivors of the Starfish Wasting Disease.
Port Angeles 2 Victoria Black Ball Ferry is a 90 minute strait crossing to the border crossing. Late afternoon light is additionally darkening with increasing precipitation and finally from a few drops, a drizzle mists to a “drencher”. At the Butchart Gardens the sky clears allowing a waxing moon a lunar touch in the holiday lights. Complimentary brollys are discarded along the footpaths.
Leashed Golden Era fascinates a festive family also walking along lit botanical paths. As if on cue with departure, the weather becomes caliginous and gradual escalaton to rain restarts. Sooke, Sooke, Sooke, B.C.
December 19th:
Unleashed Golden Era crazy runs as the morning sun silhouettes inlet docked boats. Off and on a breakfast bowl of oatmeal, on to the Royal BC Museum and magical downtown Victoria. Among the old bricks, the holiday shoppers, Mr. and Mrs. Claus, a girl fiddling balanced on a unicycle, an optical illusion penguin reaches out a high flipper chalk greeting. 
On the Inner harbor, the Empress is reflected in the museum. Totems stoically stare at the ongoing renovations. Focused information on climate change suggest dire rapid impact from which the pacific northwest flora and fauna diorama is safely preserved.
Another 90 minute ferry from Swartz to Tsawassen sailing into Vancouver. A walk through a Festival of Lights display at VanDuesen Botany Gardens before checking into Pacific Inn Resort.
December 20th:
A Douglas DC 3 stands aside the runway, part of the aircraft collection at the Canadian Museum of Flight. Few of the aircraft are airworthy and many in abject disrepair.
Flight relics are parked outside in the rain or inside arranged only logically as a walk through. Historical vignettes line the hanger walls featuring media articles, photos and the usual trinkets of personal history: Dr. Jack Pickup, who flew a Waco to visit patients, then donated this exquisite aircraft to the museum
Along the GPS guided route to the Bloedel Conservatory, a rare sighting of a herd of cranes standing along the highway. In the domed botanical garden exotic birds revel with featured flora in the temperature controlled humidity.
Onto the University of British Columbia campus and the Museum of Anthropology. There outdoor Totems overlooking the small pond watch indoor totems looking out to the Salish Sea. 
A partial quote from the opuscule Heart Sutra explains an artists muse:
“Form is emptiness, Emptiness is form, Emptiness is not separate from form, Form is not separate from Emptiness.” a totem’s meditation.
In a determination to complete the dance card bucket list, a drive through downtown Vancouver, into Stanley Park and over the historic Lion’s Gate Bridge destination Capilano Suspension Bridge. Perhaps the heightened suspension of the Lion (previously known as First Narrows Bridge) over the English Bay is a boot camp preparation for the collywobbles of the Capilano. Seasonal holiday lighting shadows the stairway cliff walk, the bouncing and swaying bridge and the tree walk. Someone has taken their large dog through the walk and it looks like it could vomit and die of suspension any moment.
December 21st:
Yesterday, a tough act to follow, begins in Downtown Vancouver to breakfast at the Elbow Room Cafe where the waiter inquires “Do you want some meat in your mouth this morning?” Plans for a new building are on display in the lobby of the Art Gallery of Vancouver. The old building is as impressive as the exhibits
Back to Stanley Park for a visit to the Vancouver Aquarium. There is something fishy about that place. Outside the penguins, otters and belugas can be watched through inside glass.
A final return to the downtown in search of the Art Deco MarineBuilding. The building construction makes the building a museum in itself.
December 22st:
Initially in rain followed by a touch of snow, then sun in the drive through British Columbia, Manning Provincial Park, to Osoyoos then into “the states” to Oroville. The road conditions, increasingly challenging on this long return to the snow berm drive which is home.
