If you’re a native of the Pacific Northwest, than you know what a thrill it is to have blue skies such as these. In a place where it’s gray and cloudy the majority of the year, a stellar day like this makes you truly appreciate the glory of a cloudless day.

I was lucky enough to encounter such gorgeous weather just last weekend when I went home to visit my family and attend my nephews graduation from high school. Usually June can be a little sketchy when it comes to the weather, and you’re not usually guaranteed a sunny day until after the 4th of July. Our family made great use of the weekend, spending time driving around the Sinclair Inlet where we grew up. And who knew the Manchester State Park was so beautiful. I’ll be sharing some great photos of an abandoned military bunker, a torpedo warehouse and a mining casement, all located at the park, in my next design diary entry.

If you’re not familiar with this part of the  northwest, you’re not alone. This remote inlet shown above is remarkably deep, which is why it leads to the Bremerton Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Growing up it was quite common to see aircraft carriers and other battleships making their way through the harbor, along with the washington state ferries. Yes, looking out the window of my high school I would see the USS Missouri or USS Enterprise mothballed across the bay at the shipyard. It seemed so normal back then.

One of my biggest thrills of the weekend, besides meeting my great niece and see my nephew graduate, was seeing my first bald eagle. It’s hard to take a snapshot of something so majestic with an iphone, but I did my best. We watched it take flight from this tree, circle the bay, and make it’s way back to the nest, all in a matter of minutes.  Even though I currently live in Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles, I still appreciate seeing the soaring yellow tail hawks, owls and ravens that are a part of our wildlife corridor here in the Santa Monica Mountains. Watching a magnificent bird take flight never gets old, no matter what state you’re living in. Maybe it’s one of those primal things we all dream about… taking flight. After all, aren’t those some of the best dreams you’ve ever had?  Oh, and how many of you remember this show from the early 70’s… thank you Bobby Sherman.