Have to go far back here. I initially met Karen on a ski lift in Alta, February 1995. Later that night I sort of caused Annie from Hartford, CT, (met her by the ski lockers earlier that day an mentally forced her to go skiing even though she was tired) to break her nose after a way too long session in the pool, hot tub, sauna (in that order, combined with beer). Karen was at the Alta Peruvian Lodge together with her dad and brother. As it happens, Karen's dad is a doctor and he "corrected" Annie's broken nose that were same night. Karen and Annie were also, unbeknownst to each other, sharing one of the fabulous "dorms" at the Alta Peruvian Lodge.
Karen and I have been friends ever since, and when I lived in Texas and frequently visited Seattle, I could always count on having access to a bunk in the in the "basement suite" at the house she shared with a bunch of fun room mates in Wallingford. It was more fun than Hilton or Sheraton. It was also here that I really learnt the "room mate" concept. Something that is just very rare in native Sweden.
Karen also took the time to really show me the best of the Pacific NorthWest, something that I'm endlessly thankful for and hence, as you know, this is now my home!
Over the years I managed to keep up the contact and visit with Annie (remember, broken nose...) a number of times. Annie eventually got married to this crazy Brit (Chris), a "fake" guide she met on a trip to the French alps. They were both, with wonderful daughter Sarah, visiting us in Seattle last summer. And Annie met Karen again for the "first" time since that accident prone Saturday, some 12 years ago. As an added surprise, Karen's dad was also present! Ready to take care of any more noses.
From the very first time I met Karen I was amazed by her work. Immensely talented and the stuff that would come out of her hands was not only "artsy" but also fun. She eventually broke out of the corporate mold, dared to jump into business for herself and opened an art studio.
When I got married in 2000, there was no debate who I wanted to have as "my" witness. Karen was my first really close friend in Seattle, so she was a given!
So, it was therefore with great joy we looked forward to the "Karen and Kent Wedding" this weekend in Winthrop. Karen had finally met someone that could keep up with her and be her true "mate" (to steal a quote from one of her room mates)!
Winthrop is about a 4-5 hour drive from Seattle. Boring slog up I-5 (traffic jam) but when you start following the Skagit River it turns pretty and the crossing of the Cascades in many ways reminds me of stretches of Norway. Arriving on the other side, you are normally greeted by eternal sunshine and dry weather. Not so this weekend. It was unseasonably cold (about 75F insted of the more normal 95F) and therefore perfect for the pooches and outdoor activities.
We arrived at the Virginian and it took a while before they could find my reservation. But, once all that was done, we settled in a cosy cabin styled room with solid log walls. Best of it all, they charged less than indicated in my reservation and as far as I know, only charged a small flat fee for the dogs.
Before us in the check-in line was two girls and a guy on Harleys. Noted that one of them was not a "real" biker chick, but out here visiting her friends. She rode with the fat guy. It did not take long to figure out that they all got the room above us. There was a lot of "riding" going on all night and likely also some "girl-on-girl" action... Kept me awake in any case. Beth slept through it all, ears plugged up.
Saturday morning started with breakfast at one of the many coffeestands in Winthrop. They all have it in common that there are yellowjackets EVERYWHERE, and with a dog that likes to chase/eat them, we stocked up on some Benadryl, hoping not to have to use it.
The wedding "procedures" started with a fun scavanger hunt through the town of Winthrop. But the "K-9 Assessors" probably did not do all that well, despite a hard effort. We got at least a chance to see a lot of this fun little town during hours of walking, including even given the dogs a few chances to swim in the river.
Wedding was typical Karen "affair", i.e. not like anything else! It was a wonderful outdoor wedding with guest from all over. There was even a shaman from Russia (city of Khabarovsk) with some "holy" tea, in which the couple literally tied their knots.
The "theme" for the day was silly hats, and there were some amazing creations among the guests, too many to be shown here.
Karen is not the one who you'd normally see in a dress, but she had on a beautiful wedding gown, dressed at the bottom by a pair of orange Keen sports sandals. Very fitting, very Karen! Kent was a tad more "classic" in his tie-less black suit. They looked simply very, very, happy during this great outdoor ceremony, followed by a great dinner/dance event at the "Winthrop Barn".
Apart from the amazingly vimsical wedding cake (photo), a cool thing was that Karen's dad had bought brandy when they lived in Spain, some 40 years ago. That brandy was already then 80 years old and hence now 120 years. Yum...
Take a peak at the following photos, and hopefully you'll get a good feel of a great weekend in Winthrop!
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