#Senegalese Feast - #SaturdaySnapshot

Have I mentioned that lunch at local restaurants is part of the fun of hiking and walking with the senior center group? Seattle's Columbia City neighborhood features a wealth of opportunities to try different cuisines. After a recent walk around the perimeter of Seward Park, we stopped at a Senegalese restaurant for our noon meal. Delicious! For once, I remembered to take pictures before digging in.
[Click on photos for a closer look.]

Seating in this tiny restaurant is limited. The space
was barely wider than the entrance door!
I doubt if more than a dozen people could eat here
at one time.

So hard to choose between all these exotic dishes...
especially since this was my first time to taste Senegalese food.

Lamb Didi served over couscous, with a steaming cup of kinkeliba tea.

Senegalese artwork covered the walls.

                                 

Could you spot Senegal on a map? About as far from Seattle as a person could get!

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. 

To join in or to view photos from around the world: 

Post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky on West Metro Mommy Read's website (link: HERE) Photos can be old or new and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.

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Christmas Tea - #SaturdaySnapshot

Christmas tea at Secret Garden Tea Room and Gift Shop in Sumner, Washington, is a special occasion. 

The tea room is housed in this Victorian mansion (Queen Anne and Italianate architecture). Although it's open for lunch all year, the Christmas tea is an extra-special time to eat there because of the beautiful decorations and special treats. The restaurant closes down for about a week in early November to decorate for Christmas. To secure a table, reservations must be made early.

Here are a few pictures from a recent lunch. Fancy, fun, and delicious!

We all wore pearls for the occasion, but my
granddaughter was the fanciest. She's seriously pondering
her choices -- pink lemonade or tea?

Delicious soup, topped with a star-shaped crouton.
In addition to our choice of tea, we enjoyed sparkling apple cider.
The fancy Christmas china added to the experience.

Raspberry sorbet between courses.

A feast! In addition to this delicious selection, each of us
received a pot of tea (I chose a spicy Christmas blend), along
with a basket of scones, still hot from the oven.

Here's a close-up of the delicious (and beautiful) desserts.

2018

Victorian

Christmas Tea

Pot of Tea

Toasting Glass of Sparkling Cider*

Cup of White Velvet Soup

With Parmesan and Herb Crouton

Sorbet

Scones with Cream, Jam and Lemon Curd

Tiered rack with Tea Sandwiches

Savories and Fresh Fruit

Petite Tea Pastries and Sweets

Commemorative Photo

Hot Towel Service

I've posted about the Secret Garden Tea Room before -- HERE. If you have occasion to be in the area of Sumner, Washington, I recommend a visit. But be sure to call for a reservation.
Here's the link to their website: Secret Garden

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. 

To join in or to view photos from around the world: 

Post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky on West Metro Mommy Read's website (link: HERE) Photos can be old or new and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.

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Joy That Long Endures - #TeaserTuesday and First Chapter / First Paragraph / Tuesday Intros

     If you like historical fiction set in the Old West, you'll enjoy Joy That Long Endures as much as I did. Author Alethea Williams tells the tale of men and women working to succeed in Wyoming Territory in the days after completion of the Great Transcontinental Railroad. Although hordes of men and women headed west in search of gold, the people who were most successful were those who provided services to the fortune seekers. This book tells the story of Devin Cavanaugh, a former ironworker who now hauls freight; Dulcinetta Jackson, who owns a saloon; and other characters with ambition and drive.
     This book stands alone; however, it is the second volume in Williams's Irish Blessings series. I blogged about the first book (Walls for the Wind) HERE.
I have also enjoyed and blogged about Alethea Williams's other books: 
Náápiikoan Winter
Willow Vale

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of Joy That Long Endures in exchange for an honest review. The author also included a dictionary with the book, defining the colorful slang of the times.

Beginning: 
     HAAWWWW, HAAAWWWW!
     Well might the mule sound amused, Devin Cavanaugh thought, as he pondered the present state of his life while hoisting another bag atop the pile in the wagon. It took only a glance for the man to resolve anew that this Wyoming Territory was a rough, raw place. The harsh landscape proved hospitable to equally raw weather: the wind had finally let up after an earlier blow so ferocious that loose dirt spiraled in a brown cloud two miles high. Now, with a sudden streak of lightning and vicious crack of thunder, rain cascaded in blinding sheets, turning the normally mindless job of loading the wagons into a wet, miserable business indeed. And to top off the whole soggy mess, there was Caleb Wilson and his fit of temper, accompanied by a veritable geyser of raw language. Wilson's tantrum was coarse enough that Devin almost expected clouds of steam to emanate from the man's mouth along with the steady flow of heated cussing aimed at one of the lead mules.
     "Ya bacon-faced baggage, I'll strip the hide from yer jingle-brained gawdamned bones! Hold still, ya stinkin' Tom turd jilt! By gawd, I'll whip the skin clean off from yer scrawny fundament once I get ya fully hitched, ya useless scraggy whorepipe!"

Teaser (from Page 96):
     Devin said, "I was a big city guttersnipe. My parents died within a few years of arriving in this country - at least I know my mam is dead and I think my da is. He just never came home one night, and Mam died a year or so after that."

Genre: Historical Fiction
Book Length: 170 Pages (trade paperback) plus a reader's group guide.
Amazon Link: Joy That Long Endures
Author Blog: Alethea Williams - Western Historicals

Synopsis:
Joy that Long Endures is the second of the Irish Blessings series of historical novels that began in Cheyenne with Walls for the Wind. The series tells the stories of Irish immigrants set along the tracks of the new transcontinental railroad in Wyoming Territory. A former iron man for the Union Pacific, Devin Cavanaugh labors day after day to transport loads from the little railroad town of Bryan 100 miles over dirt trails to South Pass City. He wants only one seemingly unattainable thing: to be his own man. Dulcinetta Jackson, taught from childhood how to profit from the dreams of desperate men, wants the one thing denied her by her life of fabulous wealth: the place bestowed on those accepted in respectable society. What happens when very different people with different ambitions team up to gamble on achieving their dreams? 

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by The PurpleBooker. Post two sentences from somewhere in a book you're reading. No spoilers, please! List the author and book title too.
Link up HERE

First Chapter/First Paragraph/Tuesday Intros is hosted by I'd Rather Be At The Beach. To participate, share the first paragraph (or a few) from a book you're reading or thinking about reading soon.

Link at I'd Rather Be At The Beach

Twitter: @SandyNachlinger

Facebook: sandy.nachlinger

#Gingerbread Houses - #SaturdaySnapshot

In the spirit of Christmas, the Auburn (Washington) Community Event Center is hosting a gingerbread house competition. I've pasted photos of the entries below. Which one would you vote for?

(Click on photos for a closer look.)

I couldn't resist including this gingerbread house that's a replica of the Banff Springs Hotel (now the Fairmont Banff Springs), Alberta, Canada. This is an old photo. We skied near Banff at Christmastime, many, many years ago.

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. 

To join in or to view photos from around the world: 

Post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky on West Metro Mommy Read's website (link: HERE) Photos can be old or new and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.

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Auburn #Art - #SaturdaySnapshots

Auburn, Washington, has new sculpture on its downtown sidewalks! Here's a sampling of what I found on a recent walk.
(Click on photos to enlarge.)

Artist: Anita Schuller & John Casey
Title: Olé!
Medium: Steel and glass

Artist: Rodger Squirrell
Title: Egg Timer III
Medium: Galvanized steel

Artist: Jacob Novinger
Title: Heirloom Hare
Medium: Direct metal sculpture

Artist: Sandra Hays
Title: Woman in the Mirror
Medium: Bronze

Artist: Lin McJunkin and Milo White
Title: Fossil III
Medium: Powder coated steel and cast glass

More: Auburn Downtown Sculpture

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. 

To join in or to view photos from around the world: 

Post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky on West Metro Mommy Read's website (link: HERE) Photos can be old or new and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.

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#IceCream and #Hiking - #SaturdaySnapshot

If you've visited my blog before, you know I go on walks and hikes with the Auburn (Washington) Senior Activity Center. However, I probably haven't mentioned our reward for all that physical activity. After each outing we stop for ice cream! 

Here are photos of a few of the ice cream parlors we've visited recently. We've all agreed that while McDonald's or Dairy Queen would be acceptable in a pinch, high-end ice cream is our preference. We gladly detour miles out of our way to enjoy first-class treats.
(Click on photos for a closer look.)

At C. C. Espresso and Creamery, on Main Street, Duvall, Washington, I had espresso flavored ice cream. A kid-sized portion was plenty big!

Every time we hike in (or near) Mount Rainier National Park, a stop at Wapiti Woolies is a must. Their ice cream menu includes huckleberry scoops and sundaes, as well as marionberry sorbet. I've tried both flavors, and they're equally delicious. (They have a fantastic selection of hats, gloves, t-shirts, and other necessities, too.)

The most recent addition to our list of ice cream possibilities is Bliss Creamery, located in University Park, Tacoma. They have unusual flavors that I haven't seen anywhere else. After tastes of the lemon ginger poppyseed and pistachio nut flavors, I settled on cardamom apple pear. Delicious!

As we near the senior center after a long day on the trails, we know we can always stop at Gosanko Chocolate in downtown Auburn. Their primary business is chocolates, but they have a pretty good selection of ice cream, too. I love their butter pecan.

Yummy!

With all the ice cream I've had with the walking/hiking group, it's a good thing we get plenty of exercise to offset some of the calories, isn't it?

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. 

To join in or to view photos from around the world: 

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Lord Hill, #Snohomish County, WA - #SaturdaySnapshot

Recently hikers from the Auburn Senior Activity Center traveled north to Snohomish County to explore Lord Hill Regional Park. Lucky for us, the weather cooperated and we enjoyed a crisp, sunny autumn day.
(Click on photos to enlarge.)

Our hike took us along shaded paths beneath towering trees. 

As planned, the group meandered along the Main Trail and River Trail to arrive at the banks of the Snoqualmie River in time for lunch. Salmon splashing in the water provided our entertainment. I wish I'd been able to get a picture of one. 

Because the trails are shared with horses, we had to watch where we stepped. However, we saw only a few equestrians and bike riders during our outing. The trails, intersections, and distances were well marked.

We returned to our starting point in the northwest corner of the park and then decided to walk a little farther on the Beaver Lake Trail. Unfortunately, we didn't see any animals on this hike, but we heard frogs croaking and birds chirping in the marsh. Altogether we walked about 5.5 miles.

For more info and photos of Lord Hill Regional Park, link here:
Friends of Lord Hill
Washington Trails Assoc. - Lord Hill

Link to the following pages for more beautiful photos from around the world:

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. 

To join in or to view photos from around the world: 

Post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky on West Metro Mommy Read's website (link: HERE) Photos can be old or new and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.

West Metro Mommy Reads