pic dump 2

Sculpture along Peace Portal Drive (Blaine):


Looking outward:


The sculpture's pediment testifies to the town's Icelandic heritage:


The sculpture again (it's titled "Vigil"):


This looked more dignified when the flag was flapping freely; now it looks as though the guy is spearing the flag:


The dessert I had at the Mexican restaurant on Peace Portal: fried taco shell containing apple pie filling, topped with strawberry sauce and whipped cream. Delish.


Goff's Department store in Blaine, which Nan Geer told me contained something famous...


...a 1909-era cash register that still works!




A last look at First Church Unitarian on the day I left it (this past Saturday):




Down the long road we go...




This snake greeted me while I was on the Birch Bay-Lynden road:




Making it to Lynden:


The entrance to the Sikh gurdwara (place of worship):




A closer shot of the gurdwara itself. I stayed in an outbuilding off to the left.


An interior shot of my digs:


The Korean-style bed I enjoyed after my 16.67-mile walk:


The Hugeness. Note the cryptic salt patterns.


See the khanda on the door of my place? Interestingly, the only room that had a doorknob was the bathroom. I wonder why.


The garden outside my outbuilding:


What's this flower?


The refectory:


Another refectory shot:


Charnjit, the guy who first helped me out when I entered the temple. He practices taekwondo and recently had to fight his sister, whom he described as "energetic."


Charnjit suggested I take a picture of the bulletin board:


I need to read through my notes to describe the food I was eating, but it was good:


Mr. Satpal Sidhu (center, no turban) with Charnjit and friend:


Another refectory shot:


A glimpse of the anteroom before the prayer hall:


The red line divides the worship space into the women's side (left, from your point of view) and the men's side (right). Note the people sitting on the small stage. They are like musical liturgists, singing/chanting the scripture and thereby providing the textual content of the service (or at least, the part of the service I saw, and I was there at least 30-40 minutes):


This man, who said nothing the entire time I sat in on the worship service, had a magnificent brush that he would wave about periodically. I tried to determine what would motivate him to wave the brush (which looks a lot like one of those giant horsehair brushes used by Korean calligraphers when they make those gargantuan Chinese characters)... near as I can figure, he would wave the brush whenever someone was crossing the worship area's threshold, but that's only a guess. (Sorry for the blurriness.)


The expensive hotel where I'm currently staying-- the Chrysalis:


We're walking out to the water now with the intention of touching the ocean...












One witness to the act:


Almost there:






And here's the video of the golden moment.


Another couple shots of my hotel:




In Bellingham Bay:


The Zen center I'd been hoping to visit. Each time I've been there, no one was in. Poor timing, I guess.


Some plantish action happening at the Zen center:


Up close:


These sure look like Korean tap (tiny tower/cairns formed of stones piled on each other and often expressing prayers or wishes; the word also refers to pagodas), but why all the crumbly concrete?


I must be at the right place:


There are eight flagstones. Eight-fold Path?


What follows are pics of my over-luxurious accommodations. I'll never be able to do this again.










And now... a picture not for the squeamish:


The above is from my left hip, where the fat roll was pinched and otherwise severely chafed. Some pus action happening. I've done the disinfecting thing, but as long as I keep wearing this backpack, this is going to happen. Luckily, the pain goes away after I belt myself in and walk about a hundred yards. Of course, it returns after I've rested for a bit...


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