High on the hills

Leavenworth WA.  Our annual pilgramage to the holy land of Christmasness.  Peppermint schnapps-check, friends- check, every scrap of warm clothing - check.  It's time to hit the road.

First matter of business...the stomach.  Where else would one eat but THE SULTAN BAKERY!!!! OHHH YEAAAAAAA.  We had warned unnamed friend and her sharkboy that the meals were gianormic there but I think that mayhaps they might have thought we were over-exaggerating.  Imagine their surprise when "the Trainwreck" unnamed friend had ordered arrived by forklift...

Actually, I have officially been given the nod to reveal unknown friend as one miss Hailey Hansen...and now allow me to introduce her luffa - Mr Chris

after breakkie we headed up the Tumwater Canyon and on the way we stopped for a few photo opportunities.  Tad found a wonderful forest road and as we were making our way up what should Hailey (aka unnamed friend) find rolling around in the back of the suburban?  A HATCHET.  Some of my faithful readers may or may not know that Hailey talks about shanking.  ALOT.  So it came as no surprise to the occupants of the gleemobile that her happiness meter was redlined when she spied this tool and immediately signalled for Tadpole to halt the car so she could hatchet something.  Fortunately for us and civilized society, the blackberry bushes where the only victims

Queue maniacal laughing

....and yet more....

ah, but the mountains took me away from the carnage

We were then on our way again...but had to stop to take a picture or 15 of the moss literally glowing on the trees with the sunshine on it

There were so many places along the trip that we wanted to stop - even a snow drift wouldn't stand in our way and by our I mean me and Tad, the other turkeys stayed in the warmth of the burban while we scaled this mountain of snow

but the payoff was well worth it!

There were icicles on the sides of the composting long drop loo - and Tadpole thought he would take them back to the car as a treat for the guys to suck on, sadly they cottoned on that it might be unsanitary to do so and sent him packing!

More yummy mountains

Praise God, there was fudge in them there mountains - chewy praline vanilla was my fav

I think I'm addicted to this scenery

and then...we were there, with 50,000 of our closest friends

look at this saucy lil elf

Time for beer.....

and gobbling sausages as ably demonstrated in this mural (Tad did not pose for this photo)

ahh- a warm fire, Mr Big, good friends and sausage.  Who could ask for anything more?

and then the town and the tree were lit - so beautiful ESPECIALLY with the snow lightly floating down

also - one of the must do's in Leavenworth is the hat shop - Mr Big rocks any look, especially a Plymouth Pioneer - this hat would make him around 9 ft tall

and as you all know I've always wanted a teacup pig, but maybe a TADPOLE PIG would be even better

Adieu Leavenworth - till next year!