There be Vikings here!

Viking Days are here! Last year we arrived a week too late to get in on the fun. But the burg holds this annual festival in honor of its Norwegian roots and this year we went to particpate in some small way. This first photo is while we waited for the parade to begin. I have no idea how many people show up for this, but we parked at the High School and took a shuttle bus in as there is no place to park. (And we walked the 30 minutes back to the car afterwards, uphill). But we bought an ice cream at the newly opened ice creamery and luckily found that one of their little tables outside had no occupants.

So, we enjoyed front row seating for the parade! And the parade lasted for 2 hours! One of our favorite entries was the "shopping cart drill team" in the next photo. They had some choreography that really went above and beyond! And of course there were the requisite Miss This or That riding on convertibles, some horseback riders (near the end, of course), some floats, miltary configurations (it's also Armed Forces weekend up here), and several marching bands. And lots of folks dressed up in Viking apparel (furskins and helmets with horns seemed to be the order of the day) or traditional Norwegian dress. There were the local high schools and middle schools represented as well as high schools from as far away as Tacoma and Everett. And they were all quite good. And we heard a lone bagpipe player who was very good (and that's not a compliment I hand out easily!). We also enjoyed lunch at our favorite fish and chips place while we were there. Left the house at noon and back by 5pm. 

Prior to leaving for the parade, we managed to put in some time in the garden. The grass in some parts has grown very long and has not been mow-able due to weather and wet ground. So this first pass is murder. I managed to trim around the house and help remove some of the rocks from the rockery (otherwise  known as our vegetable garden beds). We did not manage to plant the dogwood tree or the rhody last weekend. We'll have a go at it today. Or maybe we won't. There is still more grass to mow and trim which is higher on the priority list.

It seems as if, all at once, summer appears here. The daylight has extended itself from just before 5am until 9:30pm and will grow even longer the next few weeks. The weather has turned a corner with temperatures finally reaching the 70s. And people are taking full advantage of it. They're out and about in larger numbers, dressed in summer clothing (70 degrees means shorts and tank tops up here).Next week marks one year in this not-so-new-anymore place. Stay tuned...