Synthstuff - music, photography and more...

Our day today - a trip to Winthrop for some Ice Cream and a Hot Dog

Today was such a nice day that we decided to go on a bit of a road trip. We picked up my Dad at his house around 10:00AM and proceeded south to the town of Burlington where we took Route 20 and proceeded East. This road is the North Cascades Highway and was only reopened a few days ago after snow removal crews cleared it for this season. We were aiming for Breakfast at Clark's Cabins in Rockport but missed it and had a lousy lunch. Their breakfasts rock but today, the service was horrible. We were seated promptly and then left to wait ten minutes before our orders were taken. Three simple meals took another ten minutes to prepare (how hard is it to nuke a portion of BBQ Beef and put it on a bun or to grill a cheese sandwich?) There was only one other table in the place and they told us that we were lucky -- they had to wait an hour for their meals... Sad to see a cultural icon like that take such a turn for the worse. The bunnies are still there though and they were cute... We continued East through the town of Marblemount and ran into the: "Adams Legion School of the Battalion & Battle of Marblemount"

Attention All Good Southern Soldiers And Ladies
You are here-by ordered to report to
Adams Legion School of the Battalion & Battle of Marblemount

All Union Forces are Welcome to attend also.

May 2nd, 3rd, & 4th

To be held in the Town of Marblemount.

This year in addition to the regular Schools we will be participating in Camp Living History and a Battle/Skirmish to be held in the Town and surrounding areas. Families are welcome and encouraged to attend, as there will be a need for period townsfolk. Ladies bring your rolling pins, frying pans, brooms and any other household weapon you can wield, as you will be an integral part of the Battle/Skirmish scenario.

All Confederate Infantry, Cavalry and Artillery are welcome and encouraged to attend. The Town of Marblemount is really excited to have us and they are taking care of firewood, water, facilities and all the publicity. It promises to be a fun weekend and a good way to start off the season. Camping is period. Please see the schedule and directions below.

For information, contact:
Col. Frank L. Starr III 425-743-9851

Lots of black powder goodness and that Cannon was LOUD! Rattled the windows... Next we went over Washington Pass and headed down into the Methow Valley (pronounced Met-Tao) to the wonderful town of Winthrop. Jen had a hot dog and some homemade ice cream and Dad and I each just had the ice cream as we had had larger lunches. We hung out in the sun while being observed carefully by this little sprite in an upstairs window: Finishing our snacks, we walked around for a bit. There used to be a Blacksmith in Winthrop but he retired and a glass blower has moved into the shop. Watched him work for a few minutes -- gorgeous stuff but not my muse. Piled into the car and headed back over Washington Pass (Elevation 5477 feet) Passing through the town of Concrete, I stopped to take a photo of the building that burned a few days ago. I had initially posted about it here: Awww crap - the Concrete Castle burns in a suspicious fire Turns out it was three kids playing with lighters. Stopped in Mazama to look at a cool little store people had told us about. Fewer SKUs than our place; they have a full-service deli and bakery as well as espresso. Prices were a bit steep but they are miles away from any services. Finally, on our way home, we passed the scene of a grizzly accident. A Ford Truck had wrapped itself around a tree and it must have been doing at least 60MPH. There were a few ambulance and aid cars but they weren't doing very much so it didn't look good for whomever was driving. We get home and I Googled this story from the Seattle Post Intelligencer:

Crash victim may be killer
2 slain in Maple Valley; dead man in woman's truck likely the suspect

After searching 22 hours for a suspect in the double homicide of a Maple Valley woman and her neighbor, King County sheriff's deputies may have found the man... ...in Skagit County, dead, with the truck he was driving wrapped around a tree.

Police believe Daniel Dooly, described by police as 40 and white, bludgeoned the woman to death early Saturday evening.

Friends and family identified the female victim as Zoe Heath, 41, a divorced mother of two. Heath's mother, JoAnn Stevens-Morton, said the attack happened while she talked with her daughter on the phone about Dooly's refusal to leave her house.

Heath, who had been working for the King County Department of Parks and Recreation, lived in a tiny farmhouse on the 10-acre rural property with her two daughters, some dogs and a pair of horses. Her mother said Dooly had stalked her for months.

It is unclear if the second victim, a male neighbor, was an intended victim or someone who just happened to be in the killer's path.

King County sheriff's spokesman John Urquhart said formal identifications of the bodies would not be made until autopsies are completed today.

Earlier yesterday, Urquhart had announced a manhunt for Dooly, saying the suspect had driven off with the woman's black-and-silver Ford F-250 pickup truck after the slayings.

After the truck was found, Urquhart said deputies could not positively identify the driver as Dooly, who is from the Renton area.

The truck was found smashed against a tree just west of the Skagit County town of Concrete about 4 p.m. It had been speeding, Urquhart said.

Yikes -- quite the bizarre ending to an otherwise wonderful day... Heading out to the DaveCave(tm) in a few minutes to check email and then an early bed for me... Posted by DaveH at May 4, 2008 9:16 PM