Greetings from Bellevue and Mercer Island

Our local mall had opening ceremonies for next week's Lunar New Year on Saturday morning, so we went to Bellevue Square around 10:15 and found a spot from which to watch on the upper balcony. There were dragon and lion dancers, a fashion show, some martial arts, and lots of decorations, which were on display in cases and hanging from the ceilings all around the mall as well. Plus we got red envelopes with treats inside. We ate lunch at What the Pho! 

Then we went to Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island in Lake Washington, known for its eagle nests and beaches with views of waterfowl, plus big houses and yachts right on the water with the buildings of Bellevue and Renton on the hills. It was a gorgeous day for a walk, and other than the playground where there were a bunch of families with kids and some players on the tennis courts, there were very few people around, even at the dog park.

 

We stopped at Safeway on the way home for ginger ale and detergent, then decided to walk to Idylwood because it was so nice out. We weren't very hungry for dinner after the pho, so we had half a bagel each, and watched Finch, which is quite depressing and fits into the "Tom Hanks has only himself to count on" genre completely. Speaking of Tom Hanks, now we're watching the first episode of Masters of the Air, less depressing because I know how it ends.