End of Summer

I’m not sure where the last month and half has gone, but seems as it has flown by!  I have gotten a few things accomplished though.

Canned fish Mike caught through the summer.  About 69 pints salmon, 75 pints tuna, and 24 pints clams.  I may have lost count somewhere along the line but that’s close enough.  We shared some of the canned fish with several different family members who were all glad to have fresh caught and canned bounty from the sea!

Made a couple trips to Olympia to visit youngest son and family.  He is due to start school again (after how many years?) to learn a new vocation.  My youngest grandson is struggling to find a job.  He is not alone.  A lot of our work force are looking for jobs as well.  One will come along, just be patient and keep looking. 

Have made a lot of progress on the quilt I make for the fund raiser we hold in May  The money raised goes to the support of a couple of the Mexican schools and some university students in the area of Baja where we spend the winter.

 

Had a fun weekend with my girlfriend.  We went to Naches and visited with her family  And the weather was hot!  90’s.  I was a happy girl.  But it did feel nice to take our dogs down by the river and sit in the shade through the hottest part of the day.  It would cool down nicely at night for sleeping.  As in this example!!  Cozy, aren't they!!                          

To be fair, the last 3-4 weeks have been pretty nice here on the beach.  Even had a few days of actually being hot!

Made a flying trip to Puyallup to take my middle sister to dinner for her birthday.  We had a great visit as well.

Really got serious about gathering supplies for the trip to Baja.  Where is Mike going to put everything!?  What he doesn’t think necessary, I do!  Of course I tend to get carried away with necessary!  My daughter keeps telling me there is a difference between need and want!  Yes dear, there is, BUT!!

And in between everything else, we had 2-3 great potlucks in Chinook with friends.  Those people are great cooks!

I did have a few anxious days.  I wanted to get into my bank safety deposit box and went looking for the key.  WELLL. Couldn’t find it anywhere.  Stopped at the bank to see what could be done.  Arrangements had to be made to coordinate with the bank, a locksmith, and myself.  AND it would cost $200.  To say I was annoyed with myself is putting it mildly.  So I decided to wait til next spring to see if it would turn up somewhere.  Of course it would be in a perfectly logical place or at least one I thought so when I put it there.

Well that is exactly what happened.  I went looking for the 3^rd or 4^th time and it WAS EXACTLY WHERE I THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE TO START WITH.  To make an excuse for myself it was in a plastic bag with another key and I just glanced at it the first 3 times but the last time I turned the bag just right to where I could see the bank key.  As you all know, they are unmistakable for anything else. 

Well about Wednesday it’s off to Baja for the winter.  Next writing will come from camp on the shore of the Sea of Cortez.

Beach Get Together

It has been almost a month since we had our get together but I am just now getting around to writing about it.  Sorry folks!

People started arriving on Friday afternoon from Oregon & Washington.  I think we had about 17.  We had people sleeping in tents, RV’s, and bedrolls in Claude & Connie’s partially finished house.  And of course some went home to sleep in their own beds.

Michelle & Danny made the MOST delicious BBCue ribs for dinner!  We had some other things as well (corn, fruit, desserts) but the ribs outshown everything else.

 Next morning chef Claude warmed the sausage links and cooked hotcakes & eggs.

 After breakfast it was quad rides, card playing, and visiting around the fire.

Wayne & Shelly and Claude & Connie all had to leave early in the afternoon to attend two separate weddings.  The rest of the group were off for sight seeing, horse rides, and playing on the beach while some others  took a nap.

 

 

While everyone was otherwise occupied, I prepared to make my second paella on my own.  WELL!!  While a good paella is supposed to have a crust called a socarrat, 5 more minutes and this one would have been BURNT!!  Fortunately, it didn’t taste burned, so I got away with it.  Next time, more liquid and less heat! 

Another use for Paella pans is frying potatoes to feed a crowd.  Worked better this time.  Didn’t almost burn breakfast!!  Some of our group were a little difficult to get out of bed and had a later breakfast.

 

 Families were off to beaches and other important things.  My daughter stayed at camp with me and we had a nice visit talking about nothing in particular.  When the groups came back it was quad trailer rides & quad racing.  

 What are those boys trying to teach my grand nieces?  Surely they are not racing while the girls are riding on the quads? 

 

One of the evenings that we were sitting around the campfire visiting, someone noticed the full moon.  We all ran for our cameras and to find the best place to get the best picture.  It is difficult to get a night picture but this one isn’t too bad.

 

 

We all had a great time visiting, taking pictures, sometimes going off on an adventure, and in general enjoying ourselves and just being together .  Having good food, good people and gathering around a campfire.  Doesn’t get much better!  Lets do this again next year!