Friday photo:

Old friend foxglove

It’s almost time for our San Juan Islands trips this year, and I’d be wiling to bet that we’ll see bald eagles, orca whales, and foxglove (digitalis). We often see them when we’re hiking on Orcas Island. (The foxgloves, that is, not the whales!)

One of the cool things about this flower, aside from the purple spots, is that we just saw these growing in Ireland, too.

Traveling halfway around the world, and then seeing a stand of the same flowers growing out by an iron age ring fort, is an odd feeling. It’s kind of like connecting through the Minneapolis airport, and hearing a friend from Phoenix calling your name — what? they’re not supposed to be here!

Actually, these San Juan Islands trips will be an opportunity for me to see transplanted friends of the human variety, too! That’s one of my favorite things. You can meet somebody in the British Virgin Islands, then see them again in the San Juan Islands, or meet someone in Greece, and then see them again in Alaska.

It’s way cool to travel all over, and see friendly familiar faces. It’s like having a bunch of “plane pals” — much more exciting than pen pals!

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I’m heading for the Pacific Northwest and our San Juan Islands trips. It’s so gorgeous up there! And I’m looking forward to meeting long-distance friends again, and making new ones too!