Where we have been...

Yes, we took off - we had to hit the road over the weekend. Tramp 1 is a certified BBQ judge and he was judging for the last leg of a three leg competition in Bellingham Washington.

The event was hosted by The Market at Fairhaven, a neighborhood in Bellingham. There were eleven teams competing in the final event. Everyone had different rigs to cook on and ways to set up. Teams came from Canada, Oregon and Washington.

The judges were kept in a separate area away from the cooking - this is double blind judging and they take it seriously. And yes, it rained the first day.

These are the leftovers that Tramp 1 brought back to the motel after the first night of judging. The event was "Chefs Choice" and he got to taste a real variety of foods.

Of course, there were trophies and some $10,000 in prize money throughout the three leg event.

While Tramp 1 judged on Sunday - brisket, ribs, chicken and pork butt - I went shopping in the historic Fairhaven district. I love it there -Eclipse Books is a wonderful used book store that I could have stayed in for days...

And I also got to meet Captain Keith Colburn and his brother Monte of the Wizard from the Deadliest Catch TV show. I can add their autographs to the one I got from Captain Phil Harris before he passed away...

No pictures of all the BBQ meats because I was gone shopping too long and missed the turn in portion of the event ... sorry... As a judge, Tramp 1 gets to bring back all the foods he tastes and extra, too. We took the meats to his parent's home and chowed down with them and his brother. What a tasty feast it was!