Heading for the Barn

Last post for this trip, we're heading home this morning...sigh...We'll be hanging around Bob's until about 9 or 9:30am hoping, that most of the morning rush hour traffic is over.

The last couple days...no pictures...were fun. I said in my last post, "I wanted to go to the Glass Museum". That didn't happen. Kicking around with a couple guys nixed that idea, and also going to the Weyerhauser Business and seeing the bonsai collection. Saturday I called the local Honda dealer and spoke with Cindylu. She promised their dealership had 2009 Honda CRV's in stock. So, that's where we spent some of the afternoon. Between Bob n I and our crazy antics (he doesn't fit well in the little Honda sports car with the seat all the way forward), and sweet little Cindylu from Texas, it was a pretty good time...The Honda CRV? It sure isn't as comfy as the Avalon, but rides pretty nice and is much quieter...And despite my best efforts and sunny smile, I was unable to get Bob a date with the Honda receptionist.

Oh yeah, our Saturday also included a trip to a Jeep parts dealer for a new shock for Bob's Jeep. And it was on the way home he discovered the dingle balls on the rollbar and the boobies on the antenna. Guys are really different! No woman would have driven out of her garage let alone miles before discovering something different hanging over her head...hee-hee!

Saturday ended up with the three of us watching a "guy" movie...Stealth. It's a good one, but not two times around.

Yesterday we watched my Seahawks win!!!! And during the commercials we watched the Mariners lose. The evening was topped with a rousing game of Mexican Train.

Now it's off to my hot cocoa and a little TV before I begin putting things away for the drive home.

Bob's birthday day

Yesterday...well, OK...guess I should start with the day we arrived, Wednesday. We didn't have a birthday gift for my brother. After setting up in front of his house, we walked to Value Village (second hand stuff) and Lowe's. I found a neat stuffed teddy bear dressed in red, white and blue (a year 2000 bear) that played God Bless America or something???? Then at Lowe's we picked up contractor's flags and spelled "happy birthday" on them.

Now then...yesterday we put the flags in Bob's front yard and added some balloons. Then we headed downtown to find the Democrat and Republican headquarters for buttons to put on the bear. Sadly...they weren't open....We thoroughly enjoyed the farmer's market in the area, and especially the great eats we had for lunch. I had a blintz with nutella, strawberries, blueberries and topped with whip cream! Oh, was it ever yummy!...But back to the buttons for the bear...the political headquarters still weren't open after we ate. The bear gift was still a hit.

This is Chihuly's (sp?) Bridge of Glass. Ain't it imaginative?! I'm hoping we get to go to the Glass Museum before we head out of town.

In the evening we took Bob n Judy to Red Robin for drinks n dinner. Bob's request was a good hamburger and a chocolate milkshake to which he added a Margarita. They sang "Happy Birthday" and gave him balloons and a nummy sundae, which I only got 3 bites. Thank-you very much, Boo. Then as we were leaving, Bob tied the balloons to his ballcap. That was OK, but they got caught-up in the overhead fan. Pretty funny...and we got him some more balloons before we left.

It was a fun evening!

And Bob has yet to find the dingle balls attached to his rollbar in the Jeep OR the little pink breasts on his antenna...lol!!

Mossyrock Campground @ Riffe Lake

On the 13th we headed a little further up I-5 and then east for a few days. Now, a word of advice, when it's been hot, and you're traveling on Saturday without a reservation...it's really difficult to find a place!...But we stuck to it and, after a wrong turn or two, finally found a beautiful campground run by the Tacoma Power company. And by Sunday afternoon nearly had the whole place to ourselves except for the mosquitoes...

On the hottest day there we hiked over to the dam and came back to camp via the shoreline...took us a couple hours to come back...hopping logs...sinking in muck...balancing on rolling rocks...hot...but fun!

One day we did a drive up over the White Pass towards Yakima, looped around through the Canyon and Cayuse Passes, Rainier National Park and back. It was a beautiful day...saw some stunning scenery...and shared some laughs...

Yep...constructions delays on all the roads...but aren't the flowers in the upper meadows by Paradise on Rainier lovely?!

Camp Kalama...September 9

Hmmm, Camp Kalama...what can I say? It's a fisherman's camp along the Kalama River and I-5. It's a fairly nice campground and convenient to visiting with our friends in the area, but, boy-oh-boy, fisherman are a dirty lot. And after they cleaned and filleted their salmon, the guts and heads were thrown back in the river...nasty!

But we spent some wonderful times with our friends. Don & Jeanine, who are old school friends of Norman's, treated us to fresh caught salmon out of the Columbia River BBQed. Then we sat on their porch high on a hill and watched the Columbia roll by as the lights of Portland and the smaller communities along the river came on at dusk. It was spectacular!...We did a few estate sales in the area (Longview to Ranier) with Tom & Cheryl. Bought a few things doncha know...a brass pineapple clock for the bathroom...picture that! And before we left them we gorged on homemade rhubarb and apple pies from fruit right in their yard.

I should say...we did watch several nice salmon or steelhead...whatever...hauled in the few days we were there, but no one offered us one...drat!

Tualatin and around...Sepember 7 & 8

By noon Sunday we had moved to the RV Park of Portland. It was a beautiful park along the Tualatin River right off the freeway and so convenient to visiting with family.

We spent the afternoon at Anne's home with Anne and Nancy. She's really fixed up the house and yard nicely. The yard is mostly in tropical plants with a few orange and red flowers sprinkled here and there. I wish I had gotten a picture...but didn't. BBQ hot dogs and all the trimmings...a walk around the neighborhood to see the house my mom grew up in that Grandpa built...and a couple games of Yahtzee.

Barbara (Coyle side of the fam), Nancy & Anne
The next day Nancy picked us up and off we went to visit my Aunts Jeanette and Elly. At Jeanettes we met a distant cousin from the Brice side of the family. It was a memorable moment in family history. Seems many years ago when our Great Aunt Ola died there was a family dispute and the older relatives quit speaking to my parents...oh, the problems a little money can cause...Any-the-way, we had a great time visiting with the ladies and hearing some of the old stories. I made lots of notes for my family genealogy, which a couple I'm hoping Nancy remembers better than me...lol.

Oh...we took Aunt Elly to the Swan Island Dahlia farm in Canby. They had so many gorgeous dahlias of every color, shape and size. I have a list of about 2 dozen I want in my yard, but first I have to get my yard cleaned up and come up with the money.

The WEDDING

It was be-u-tiii-fullll! Deniece didn't marry Denephew...oh, thank goodness. She found the "man of her dreams" in Tim...The minister broke out in loud, not to be stifled, sobs right at the get-go. What is that????...The minister's wife told stories about their relationship (commitment), which added up to "more than any of us wanted to know". I mean, do we really want to know she massages his head, when she's done something wrong. That is opposed to "washing his feet" as Jesus did???...lol...The food was excellent. We weren't too thrilled with the beer, but after the first one, who cared?!...Saw some family we haven't seen in a long time...and the RV was parked in the bride and grooms backyard with the mother and father-in-law's...A wonderful time...

The next morning we were looking forward to another helping of the wedding cake (marionberry cobbler...YUM) for breakfast. But, no, Deniece fetched donuts and apple fritters from the store. I think she was hoping to save the cobbler until all us family had left...I would have...hee-hee