Mike's Family Get Together

The first to arrive on Friday afternoon was Mike’s sister Marva, with her daughter-in-law and two grand children who are 5 and almost 11.  Eventually her son along with a buddy arrived an hour later, but they were “right behind!  We were all getting hungry so Mike started his famous fish chowder.  When we didn’t think we could wait another minute to eat, Marva’s daughter (who was also “almost there”) arrived with her family.  The chowder was worth waiting for!  We ate around the campfire and visited the rest of the evening

.Saturday morning 6 of the fellows took two boats and went fishing.  Marva’s son in addition to catching salmon also landed a very nice Halibut.  It was fortunate that Halibut season was on that day!

 We 4 ladies, visited, and watched the 2 kids and 5 dogs have a great time exploring the woods.   On Friday evening our almost 11 year old was allowed to drive one of the quads.  On Saturday she was itching to ride the quad again but had to wait until my son Claude came back from fishing and gave the OK!  So Mom, Grandma, and Aunt took them to the Ilwaco Saturday Market and the beach to expend some of their energy.

When Claude returned with his crew and did give the OK, it was like race night around here.  She did very well and didn’t get going too fast even giving her Grandma a ride.  Then her older cousins took her for a ride, “just to show her how it’s done” of course!  But they all had a great time.

 At one point we had a total of 6 dogs who made several mad dashes at top speed around the camp.  They seemed to be having a great time as well but they raised quite a dust storm!  They went so fast I didn’t get a picture but here are 4 of the 5.

 I had promised to make a Mexican paella for Saturday night dinner.  Prior to this, I had only assisted in this process.  Assisting and being in charge yourself are two entirely different things!!  When we made a couple last winter, I had written her instructions, but left out a few of the details.    Fortunately my friend who lives in New Mexico suffered patiently through my 5 frantic phone calls and helped me through it.  She is a great teacher because the family all seemed to enjoy it.  Even by those who aren’t too keen on spicy foods.

 

Sunday morning Marva went fishing with her son and his buddy.  She was able to land a very nice Chinook estimated at 20 to 25 pounds.  The rest of us enjoyed a substantial breakfast of Bacon, Hotcakes, and eggs cooked by master chefs, Mike & Claude.  And we did a lot more visiting around the campfire.

It was decided we would do this again next year same time, same place!!  (Forgot to get a group picture but here is one from last year.)

 

Reunion of Cousins

There were 23 of us that started our cousins reunion Friday evening by meeting for dinner at the Lost Roo restaurant in Long Beach.  We had a great visit and the staff treated us great. 

Saturday morning we had a tasty breakfast of hotcakes, link sausages, and fried eggs.  Our chefs were Claude, Mike, & Dusty along with assorted assistants.  We had more people show up for breakfast and others straggled in later during the day.  Some were first timers and a few had not come for a while.  The younger ones (under 15) soon made friends or reconnected with old friends.

 After breakfast several people went off to explore the beaches, shops, and other sites of the area.  The rest of us stayed to visit and keep the campfire going.  Cecil & Larry had a few competitive rounds of cribbage.  Michael was delighted when Claude allowed him to drive one of the quads.

Wayne set up a target for a little archery shooting and Logan tried his hand at pulling the bow.  Did quite well for his first time.  There was also an exciting game of tag and quad rides by others.

We all gathered together again for a dinner of hamburgers & hotdogs cooked over the fire by chef Claude. We also had potluck dishes of beans, salads fruits and desserts.

We ended up with about 38 people as near as I could tell.  And 4 well behaved dogs.  Except of course for her highness, Opal, who tried to get into everyone’s plate.  And sometimes succeeded.

We had a little unwelcome excitement just as we were finishing dinner.  A hive of ground hornets at the base of a tree near the cook tent was stepped on.  Shelly N. received the first barrage and most of the bites.  People ran for cover, but several of us were stung including at least 2 of the dogs.  The hornets eventually left us alone.

I issued a command appearance for all to get into a group picture.  There were a few grumbles from young and old but all graciously smiled and waited patiently for umpteen cameras to get pictures.  The photographers were Kyle (Michaels staff person) who did a great job juggling all those cameras & Claude who only had to deal with one.

Sunday we had breakfast of fried potatoes cooked in my big paella pan, fried eggs and tortillas.  Our chefs were Claude, Mike, Chad, & Mark.

Some of the folks had to leave shortly afterward as they had long drives home.  A few others stayed a while to visit, ride the quads, and play a few games of soccer and badminton.

We adjourned until next year but did not decide on a date, place or host.

 

Sewing & House Sitting

After a great BBQue on July 4th with friend Vicki & her family, she was off on vacation.  I had a great time house sitting for the next couple weeks.  What a peaceful place to spend some time.  Had a doe with her fawn and a single doe in the field below the house.  One day I spent the better part of an hour trying to get a good picture of the single doe.  She stood for 15 minutes at the edge of the field to be sure there was no danger.  She then SLOWLY made her way along the tree line before coming out a few feet and laying down to take a nap!  She soon left but later returned to lie down in the middle of the field to chew her cud!  Guess she felt very comfortable.  At least she was until Opal finally spotted her and started barking!

 I have been able to design & applique 6 more squares for the 2012 Loreto Fest auction quilt.  This makes 12 of 15.  My father-in-law had a great saying  "pick the best (or in this case, the easiest) and you will always have the best left."  (It took me a few years to understand this!)  Well I think I have run out of the 'easiest'.  The next three will be a challenge!  These are the squares I have done so far. 

A couple days before I left, I spotted the fawn in the middle of the field. He (or she) took a few bites, looked around, took a few more bites and seemed very non challant.  Then he took off running for all he was worth.  It reminded me of a mom calling to say "you get over here RIGHT NOW!!  (He is so small, but he is half way between the tree and brush pile)

My time of solitude and watching nature has come to an end.  So it's on the road again and back to Long Beach.  My children and me are hosting the annual "Cousin's Reunion" which is held in a different location each year and this year is our turn.

Visits with Friends

I spent a couple nights in the Yakima area visiting with my friend Elizabeth who divides her time between Yakima and LaPaz, Mexico.  We had a great time together talking and catching up.  She even humored me when we went to the movie and I chose to see “Cars II”!!  I thought it was slow starting but finally managed to get my attention.

We arranged to have lunch with our other friend Missy on Tuesday.  I went out to load my car and check out of the motel so I could leave after lunch.  WELL!!  My car was as dead as could be.  I could not even use the remote control to unlock the doors!  And I forgot my room card but the desk clerk gave me a new one.  They also looked up the number so I could call Les Schwab.  A very nice young man came, with the biggest truck he could find, and got me started.  Because the battery was so dead, the car wouldn’t idle when I went to hook up my little cargo trailer.  So, he jumpstarted me again and waited until I was pulling out the driveway so I wouldn’t be stranded.  Drove to their shop where they checked my battery but couldn’t decide if I needed a new one.

So off I went to meet my friends for lunch.  When Missy heard my tale, she insisted I go to her mechanic so he could check the battery and alternator.  He checked and determined that the battery was charging and the alternator was working.  This greatly relieved my mind.  I do not want to be stranded somewhere!

Next stop was Maupin, Oregon to spend a few days with my friend Karen and her schnauzer, Tinkerbell.  They both graciously put up with my dog

I am fortunate to have family & friends who are so nice to me and put up with Opal whose antics and bad habits are sometimes very trying to my hostesses.  This time she behaved very well.  After a few days of catching up, getting 3 more squares of my quilt appliquéd and enjoying the warm weather it’s off to Sandy Oregon.

Friend Vicki enthusiastically welcomed me and Opal but her schnauzer, Maggie was not quite so happy to see Opal.  Had a great time visiting, shopping, and helping Vicki to make table decorations for the wedding of one of her relative’s.  I also was able to design 3 more quilt squares.

Visit with Youger Sister

My youngest sister & me visited her daughter’s family for the weekend so we all could attend the dance recital of her granddaughters ages 6 & 8.  My grandnieces were just as cute as could be and of course I am not the least bit prejudiced!  There were performers of all ages, some of whom looked a little bit lost or confused.  It was still a very good show and a most enjoyable evening.

 My sister and me left for her home in north central Washington.  She has a beautiful log house built on top of a mountain.  Several different times from my upstairs bedroom window I have viewed a nice fat doe grazing the yard and a turkey or two.  In the winter they will have a dozen or so turkeys and other wildlife around the house.  I so enjoy visiting here and my sister is a great hostess.

We visited the nearby Chief Joseph Dam and were given a very interesting tour.  There was a tremendous amount of water going over the spillway due to all the water coming down the Columbia.  It is a rarity for this dam for any water to be going over the spillway.  (But what awesome power!)  It is the second largest hydroelectric producer in the nation.   Our tour guide is showing us the Columbia water drainage  area.

My sister also has a 15 year old cat.  Opal, my dog, loves to chase kittys because they run so nicely.  However most cats including this one (as well as my sister) take a very dim view of this game.  So Opal has been banished to the upstairs rooms where she can roam free.  This is great as long as someone else is there to keep her company!!

Tomorrow we leave for the next leg of our summer travels and kitty can have his home in peace for another year.

Graduations & Travel

A couple weeks ago I attended the high school graduation ceremony of my youngest (of 4) grandsons.  This last Tuesday I attended the high school graduation ceremony of my youngest (of 5) granddaughters.  They were very nervous about the whole thing, but they both came through with grace and dignity. 

Of course they live at different ends of Western Washington and the ceremonies were 10 days apart.  But as I am a traveling grandma this only meant I had to get there at a specific time. 

So in between ceremonies I picked up my middle sister, Bobbi, who happens to live in the general area of one of them, and we spent a lovely 5 days at Birch Bay.  We visited Lynden and went through the Pioneer Museum.  Looking at some of the exhibits brought back memories of my farming days.  Plus they have a great buggy collection as well as other era exhibits.  If you happen to be in the area, it is well worth the time to go look.

We also went into Canada so we could visit Point Roberts, Washington!  The only access is through Canada or by boat.  We were recommended to a cozy store, vegetable, bakery, lunch place called Brewsters.  We had a great lunch of Carrot Cake & Ice Cream!!  And we bought 2 huge chocolate chip cookies ‘for the road’. 

We had a great time together and did and ate as we pleased.

My next stop was a week visit with my daughter and family.  They are all very tolerant of their strange (mother, mother-in-law, grandmother) as the case may be.  My daughter took me to the Chinese district where we checked out the son’s, (my grandson) apartment.  Looked pretty good.  After lunch at a Chinese restaurant we went to an Asian store that reminded me of an Ikea Store.  All kinds of vegetable, grocery, household, cooking & dish products were there.  Plus a food court.  Good thing we had already had lunch!

Alaska Delivery

 At the Yale tunnel Canada, Opal & me stopped to view the Fraser River canyon while on our way to make a delivery to Seward, Alaska.  Of, Guess What!

I saw a lot of beautiful country along the way.  
We visited with some of the Baja campers, and have seen a nice variety of wildlife.  
The highlight was a rare white, black bear!  Not an albino.  The Natives call it a Spirit Bear or Kermodei.

I also saw a red fox, wolf, elk, caribou, moose, and lots of black bear like this one.

 Lona is delighted to get the portables. And here is one on the job already!








We had a wonderful trip.  A few minor blurps, like almost running out of gas, (I bought a gas can and kept it full for the rest of the trip), and shaking the fenders off Wayne's quad trailer (which I had repaired in Seward AND again in Whitehorse!).  Opal was very glad when we arrived in Long Beach and didn't have to get in the car again for a few days!