Seattle may be known for its rainy winter weather, but we still have days of crystal blue skies and sun.  Granted, it’s cold enough to still be all bundled up, but it’s also enough to remind us that spring, and warmer weather, is just around the corner.

As coastal cities go, San Diego may be as picture perfect as they come.  Even on a cloudy day, a hotel room that looks on one of the marinas can’t help but put a smile on your face.  From luxury yachts, to small fishing boats, it’s a boater’s delight.

The day I visited the Pantheon in Paris, there were some repairs being made (note the ladder on the right side).  It’s dome still look impressive against the blue sky dotted with fluffy clouds.

Flat Stanley is a project for school classrooms that helps them learn about the geography and culture of the rest of the world.  The students create a “Stanley” and send him around the world.  There are a variety of ways to do this — from mailing Stanley to friends and family around the world to sending him off on adventures of his own — with the end result that kids learn about the places Stanley has been and the things that he would do there.

On a recent flight I found Flat Stanley properly stowing his bags in the overhead compartment.  He was off on a great adventure, and how exciting for the kids to learn all about it.

Taylor Shellfish Farms is a family owned oyster business located in Bellingham, Washington.

The Taylor family has been in the shellfish business for over 100 years, offering a number of oyster types:  Pacific, Kumamoto, Olympia, Totten Inlet Virginica, and European Flat.  They also offer clams (Manila, Littleneck, Savory and Geoduck), Mussels (Mediterranean, Blue), and Dungeness Crab.

It’s a great spot to pick up some delicious shellfish to take home, or bring some picnic fixings and barbecue right on the spot.

I grew up in Seattle and so take riding the monorail for granted.  After all, I remember riding it back during the World’s Fair.  It’s fun to watch a child experience the joy of seeing Seattle from an elevated position.

It’s always hard getting those wing shots out of the airplane window.  Early morning departures, just as the sun is coming up, are always so pretty.

I found myself wandering around the airport in the very wee hours of the night/morning.  Airports can be a very eerie place in those wee hours!  I mean, when else are you going to find no people around the people mover in this busy airport?

This is Socrates.  He’s a two year old Seal Point Siamese.  If you’re familiar with the breed, that will sum it up quite well.  If you’re not, suffice it to say that he’s now in his “terrible two’s” — comparable, I would guess, to a toddler.

He loves to sit in my lap and follow me around the house.  When I’m working in my office he’s taken to lounging across the top of the door where he can get a good view of what’s going on.

This is one side of a full-sized set of french doors.  I have no idea how he gets up there!

As you look out at the red-tiled rooftops of Dubrovnik, you will occasionally see one that still has not been repaired from the bombing the city suffered from years ago.  Find a high spot in the town, perhaps the wall around the city, and you’ll find great views of the city, its rooftop, and the sea.