Despite what anyone might say about Seattle and its lack of pretty weather, I have visited my little sister several times now and experienced not only nice weather, but sun. Yes, actual sun in Seattle, for more than an hour at a stretch.

Saturday was a mostly quiet day. We slept in as much as our internal clocks - used to getting up early to go work out, or else used to being trampled by the cats, demanding attention and possibly treats - would let us. Then we woke up and said good morning to my little niece and lounged around in the living room while my little sister made us pancakes from scratch. She's in school now to become a pastry chef so I suppose the fact that she makes baked goods from scratch is understandable. Fiona decided that Uncle Richard was great fun to play with (all the little kids seem to agree, after all). I watched them and worked on my cardigan, and chatted with my little sister and her husband.

After breakfast we drove around in circles for a while looking for a pumpkin patch that never materialized. So instead we went to a huge produce stand and picked out pumpkins from a massive display in every shape and size. It being Washington, they also had too many varieties of apples to count, and apparently Washington is also a big squash growing state, since there were varieties there I'd never even heard of.

After filling a cart with pumpkins then it was time for Fiona's soccer game. When soccer is played by 4 and 5 year olds it isn't so much soccer as a bunch of very small people running about in a slightly chaotic manner around on a grassy field, wearing little outfits that are far too big for them because their parents are hoping they can get through at least one season without having to buy new ones, and sometimes doing something that actually has to do with a soccer ball. There were a few that seemed to take it rather seriously and ran across the field with determined looks on their little faces, which made it even cuter.

The plan after the soccer game had been to carve the pumpkins and make homemade pizza, but when we got back to their house everyone was exhausted. So instead everyone crashed on their respective beds or couches and took a very long nap and by the time we all woke up again we decided to just order pizza instead. While we were waiting, there was more playing with Fiona, and more knitting on the cardigan, and my little sister and I made a chocolate raspberry torte. Or rather, she made the chocolate dough crust and poured things into the pan for the ganache filling, and I dutifully stood by the stove and stirred and we chatted about school and tarts and work and cats. Later on my sister very nicely let us log on to check our email because we are both big nerds, and it was a lovely day.