Friday

The "fall back" time change is a little easier than "spring ahead." It also helped that we've had sunny days and bright sunsets this week, so the afternoons weren't so darn dark. Sunset is at 4:45, but I fired up the grill last night to dry it out, and we had those thin cut New York steaks that cook in about 4 minutes. We ate them just about as fast.

Tolling finally starts this weekend in the new tunnel going under downtown Seattle. People got a free ride since it opened in February, and 80,000 cars go though daily, about the same number that used the old viaduct. They're predicting that about half of those people will take surface streets now to avoid the $2-$4 tolls.

That is not good news for us, trying to get downtown to the Symphony from West Seattle.  Especially if there's a Sunday Seahawk game at the stadium. Of course, there's also a plan in the works to toll city surface streets. We love our taxes here. Maybe we'll be taking Uber drones before long.

It will be almost 60 today, unseasonably warm and dry. I'm planning to drive out to North Bend to ride with my old friend Dolly. It's about an 80 mile round trip, so quite a big day.  One of Dolly's friends kindly offered me her horse "Easy," to ride. (I like horses with names like that.) "Easy" is a gaited Rocky Mountain breed, so that will be a new experience.  I'm always wary of new horses until I get to know them and miss reliable old "Moe," who I've enjoyed so much on Vashon Island.  Unfortunately, his owner took him away to a different barn.

Last but not least, I have some excellent family news this morning.  Our sister-in-law Rebecca is making a good recovery from her stroke, and going home from rehab today. Just in time for freezing weather at their rural Ohio property. Hopefully she and Dan will soon be basking at their condo in the warm Mexican sun.  Sorry you're so cold back there!

Have a good weekend.