“Rustic yet somehow surprisingly expensive charm with lovely winding roads bikers beware! and gardens unless you live perpetually in shade like me,” they sing from the visitor’s bureau site.

Yet, just the other day during the usual playdate drop-off action, I pulled my car up to a stop sign and saw something, er, out of the ordinary for this tres chic island.

A small boy, a preschooler, I’d guess, marched out on his second-story balcony. I glanced up in my momentary pause for traffic to pass. Some part of my brain must have noticed him fidgeting with his pants as he walked out because I recall having a fleeting thought of oh, there must be a little potty on the balcony.

Wrong.

Just as I started to turn into the road, I was afforded a terrific balcony side view of this little boy’s two-story tall stream of pee flying off the balcony (through the slats) and down to the grassy yard below.

I gasped. And chuckled. Bainbridge Island image, take that! Bam!

Days later, I drove past that apartment complex and realized its name: Western View Terrace.

Western View Terrace, indeed.

A great view to enjoy if your bladder needs relieving.

A not-so-great view if you’re walking your dog under the terrace.

Do you think they should add something to the island’s marketing tools? How could we enhance our image even more?
In addition to quaint shops and forests of emerald, enjoy expansive freedom of personal….release?

Other suggestions?

1. There will be lots of pointing:

Not to mention, double pointing (oops, mentioned it):

2. THERE WILL BE LOTS OF SCREAMING, such as, HEY, LOOK AT THIS CRAB! or COME ‘ERE! HURRY! or MOMMY, I’M BLEEDING!

Yes, we always love the calming effect of the seashore, DON’T YOU?

Who was happiest about this outing?
Her:

She was really diggin it…

This one photo explains our whole backyard in case your child falls in a hole and disappears while playing here you’re wondering.

No stick too small or too big.

Or too inedible.

She also got wet…

and did the “Shake”…

and she did it again…

This is one cracks me up. Look at the force going there.

Just imagine if your entire beauty regime consisted of doing the “Shake.”

Think of the time, money and Q-tips saved. And certainly, hair control would no longer be an issue.

I’m gonna start practicing.

Although I may have to use that saved money for a chiropractor…

Which turns out to be double of ZERO. Hey, lawyers are not known for their math skills…

Nonetheless, I’m writing with a fab group of women called The Mom Squad over at the Kitsap Sun newspaper’s website. Wonder how long it will be before kids won’t know what “newspaper” mean? Or even “paper?”

But that’s beside the point. The point is that you should be nice and supportive and go read about the humongous 37th annual bike ride called the Chilly Hilly (no, that’s not your bitter ex-girlfriend) that happened here this past weekend.

And even comment if you have second. You know, something like, “Wendy, this is awesome!” “Wendy, you’re the best!” or even “Wendy, when’s your book coming out so I can pre-order 20,000 copies for the orphans!”

So, thank you, in advance, you, wonderful, you.

We have clouds and rain forecasted this week, but that just means we can reflect fondly on our sweltering, record-breaking hot days a week ago.

And love our clouds today.

THE BERRIES ARE HERE!!

In one day, in one morning, really, here on our island the Kid and I picked pounds and pounds of raspberries and blueberries. Raspberries at the Suyematsu Farm, blueberries at Bainbridge Island Blueberries/Island Holly Farm (sorry no links; I couldn’t find any, silly farmers, but there is www.soundfood.org for a list of farms in the region), both within a few miles of our house.

Awe-some.

Freshly bathed berries dripping wet. Yum. Is your mouth watering yet?

For all my bitchin’ and moanin’, this region suits me just fine, thanks.

Are you enjoying the fruits of summer?

This guy:

The American Goldfinch.

Sure, some might say he’s a little on the flashy side, maybe even too disco ball-ish. But he catches your eye, doesn’t he?

Only down side is he’s a sloppy eater.

But he’s not the first at the Let the Dog In! household….

Do you have any summertime crushes?

Sure, you could go outside, get some exercise, even go to the store, but really what you want to do is look at these eaglets. Right, Maria?

And, if you leave this window open with the sound on, you can pretend you’re actually outside doing something while you surf online. Snap!

But now, we find a product living up to its claims: the squirrel-proof bird feeder.

See Mr. Squirrel, hungry, curious.

Hm. Kinda slippery.

Nice Britney shot, eh?

If I could only get a better angle…

Rats. Maybe if that dog would quit barking, I could think of a plan!