It’s Friday and the beginning of the Labor Day weekend here in Washington. It’s also been raining most of the day and it’s quite dreary out there. Instead of going for a long walk to the library I stayed in and baked chocolate chip cookies. Last week at this time it was hot and sunny. I used to think that Winnipeg was the only place where it rained on the weekends.

But the rain is much needed around here as it helps to contain the wildfires that are a big threat at this time of year. The one burning near Peshastin affected over 250 acres of land and destroyed one home. Hundreds of people were evacuated. And that’s just a few miles down the highway from Leavenworth.

The other day I was in Wenatchee and wandered through the historical district. I passed churches, the courthouse, other government buildings and a couple of parks. I came across these statues:

It was quite a dull day as well. The sun needs to return and the clouds need to disappear. Chelan County Fair is coming up next weekend in Cashmere. I’ve never been to a county fair and am looking forward to this one, but not in the rain. Along with the rain the temperature has plummeted. But I’d still rather be here right now than in Mazatlan with the soaring temperatures and the torrential rainstorms.

In my stroll along Wenatchee Avenue in the downtown area I found other interesting statues:

I checked out some of the shops along the way. An old movie theater has been converted into a spacious thrift store.

As election time draws near this was a prominent storefront:

Here is the performing arts center:

There were a variety of other shops with everything from clothing to antiques. Restaurants ranged from a Mongolian barbecue to burgers and everything in between This quaint little soda fountain caught my eye.

I look forward to my next visit downtown to explore more of this historic area.