Jane, Cathi and Karen explore near the waterfall.
One of the many pagodas reflected in the pond.
Jane and Karen resting their tired feet on the patio.
A beautifully cut opening into the Banana Garden.
Cathi wanders through the Moon Gate.
At the entrance.
Cathi and Jane examine the Ginko carved panels.
Cathi & I took a little tour in Nob Hill before breakfast - lots of beautiful old apartment buildings and homes.
Breakfast was at the World Cup, directly across the street from the hostel.
We headed downtown for the market . . .
passing the House of Louie!
We stopped often along the way to pose and see the sights.
At the Willamette River, with the Burnside Bridge behind us.
Jane really got into the spirit of the market!
It is held every weekend under the bridge, and in the surrounding area.
Jimi Hendrix was there . . .
as well as other street musicians
and face painters.
This cat and his dog were enjoying the sunny day, too.
Robin reads in a courtyard at an art gallery,
which also proved to be a great spot for a group shot.
Finally, dinner at the brewery.
On the ferry, bright and early,
waiting for the train
at the Everett station.
Cathi peeks out the door at a stop along the way,
and we sure had fun taking loads of photos!
We arrived in Portland early in the afternoon,
and walked to our hostel accomodations.
Dinner and drinks at a Vietnamese restaurant, Silk.
Then, on to Powell's Book Store, where we didn't have nearly enough time to see everything! Walking back to our lodgings, the downtown area was pretty. 
Although we didn't attend this year, there is a book group gathering of Whidbey Island Groups every year. The address is WhidbeyBookGroups.com, and they have photos, group lists and book lists from their annual gathering on Feb. 29th, 2008. This is one of their photos of the meeting. They had over 100 in attendance.
At our March meeting we discussed "A Short History of Nearly Everything", by Bill Bryson. Everyone agreed that it is a wonderful book, telling the story of everything from the Big Band to us right now. Bryson is a highly entertaining author, and brings a new dimension to history and the sciences. It is encyclopedic, but you can pick it up and read a chapter here and there, making it a good book to just have on hand all the time. It is also a great reference, for just about any question that comes up!
Cathi had this photo printed as a poster, intending it to go into the library display, but it didn't get done in time, so she brought it for us to see. It's a great poster - we'll need to figure out what to do with it! Karen, Cathi, Jane and Audrey look it over.
Robin, Cathi and Karen listen to Candace as she talks about the book.
