We got another sunny day, so we didn't waste it. We loaded up the dog and the cameras and headed out to a park near here called "Flaming Geyser Park", near Auburn Washington.

At one time, a flame reached several feet in height from a natural gas escape in the rocks. This is a volcanic area, after all! Now, the flame is fairly small, but the park is very nice. We took a hike on various trails, and crossed back and forth between the hills and the green river.

If you ever wondered why the Green River is called that, it becomes very obvious when you see it - it looks green like when they put the dye in the river in Chicago for St. Pat's day. It is almost fluorescent!

The trees in this area have interesting growth patterns. Most of them curve back in on themselves, sometimes multiple times. We even saw one that looked like a praying mantis!

By the time the hike was over, "Seattle Skies" had returned, and we were back to winter. But a little glimpse of sunshine and water does this old Florida boy good.

We've always liked to visit the various museums in the area, and the Burke, which is located at the University of Washington, is one of our favorites. So this week we headed out to see the latest exhibit, which was on - of all things - coffee!

They had a great interactive part of the museum where you could walk from one part of the coffee roasting experience to the other, from growing all the way through a coffee tasting on the other side of the exhibit.

I was unaware that coffee was such a manual industry. Other than the roasting and delivery to the cup, almost everything is done by hand by workers around the equator, where coffee grows the most.

It was also interesting to find out about the different climates and how they affect the coffee taste. One area is more "buttery" and the other is more "earthy". When you sample them side by side, you can really tell the difference.

After the museum we headed out to the University District for a late lunch, and then - what else - coffee!  I found a great Turkish restaurant where I introduced Christina to Turkish coffee and Baklava - a honey-and-nut pastry.

We certainly don't have to worry about getting home on time tonight - we don't need sleep for a few days!