Almost Home But Not Quite

Our last update was from sunny windy Wenatchee..we left there a week ago and entered the "rain zone" once again.  Going up over Stevens Pass was cold windy rainy all and more.  We met a an organized bike tour heading the other direction on their light road bikes.  I know that when they saw us heading uphill into  a headwind with our loaded bikes they felt a little lighter.    Bainbridge Island was spectacularly sunny and beautiful.  We had a lovely visit with a young couple, Erin and Benson plus their new 3month old son River.  We had met on a previous GCanyon trip minus the baby!  We even got to go for an evening cruise on Puget sound straight across from Seattle on Bensons new live aboard boat..sweeeeeeet.   Next stop was more friends, alittle older, Alan and Barbara Banks along with Al's 92yr old mother Gratia.  It was a delightful visit with great food good conversations and games of hearts in the evenings.  No  I wont brag about winning, I think it was just the wine winning.  Gratia is a gem and pretty much her memory, hearing and sense of humor is better than mine.   Of course our ride leaving Silverdale was yet another miserable torrential downpour(where does all the rain come from?)  and to cap it all off Stan got a record number of flat tires along a very busy hwy ..we pretty much limped into Tacoma across the narrows bridge and back to our surrogate familiy, Jim and Gretchen, where we are now.    We are pretty well done with the bikes..well at least I am.  maybe Stan also but he wil never admit it. It is TIME to get home weve been gone to long..."the fish are calling"