Yes, it's a bummer. Amy's sister (and family) are leaving Chelan and headed... somewhere in the middle. (Don't blame me. I was always terrible at geography.) They've been here in Washington for... a while (I was also terrible at history), but they didn't get around to having some of the quintessentially (I was good at vocab) Northwest experiences so now it's time.
We got really lucky and the weather was almost perfect. Cool, but blue and no wind. Spring in Seattle. Kind of a "You're leaving, huh? How do you like me now?" bit of vengeance from our dear state. So we headed for the islands.
I've never been to Fort Ebey and it had everything we were looking for. We got to ride the ferry (and I didn't get seasick all that much), see a WWII-era fort (it is dark deep in the bunkers, and follow the bluff trail down to the beach. (You didn't think we weren't gonna hike, did you?)
Of course, the highlight was just being monkeys on the beach. Amy scoured the ground for agates, even though we're not sure what they really are. It was pretty much just like Ruby Beach, but with less rain.
Lilly filled her pockets (and mine) and Henry tried to fly a kite. We might need to buy a new kite now.
Clara played older, responsible cousin to Paige and Molly bounced around from one cousin to another.
I must admit, I'm getting a little worried about what will happen when they move away for good. Each time the sisters and cousins part it's a little more teary. Hopefully, we'll have a few more good days like this before they go.
