Thursday, December 12, 2013

JUNE - DECEMBER

The Rest of the Year 2013

Click on any picture for larger view

JUNE
Brandon graduates from Chief Joseph Middle School - His name circled on the back

Anne's Graduation from High School Party
Rachel playing with her youngest cousins, Eli - Sam - Adah


Laura giving a speech

Hike in the Woods
Watch out for Ariolimax columbianus attacks


A live one! (Banana Slug)


Adah


Eli trying out his Lincoln hat - to be painted later


Sam is saving up for more advanced legos


Adah and her lego set


This is Bell - their new dog

We take the grandkids to the Cougar Mountain Zoo


It's in Issaquah near where Anne & Rachel live - Cougars have been sighted in their neighborhood


The view from the zoo




Lean on Me


Grandma & Anne


We are all happy... except one


Paint the cardboard hat project


Then a visit to Bellevue Botannical Garden


The new suspension bridge over a deep ravine

The boys go home, Adah stays with us and we go to Whidbey Island...




... where we visit our Grand Niece Etta


...and her brother Charlie

Charlie takes a break


Visiting with our neice Janae


Good-by Etta


Adah steers us to the mainland


On the way home we visit THE PROJECT of Ken & Marianne
Restoring an old house.  December update - good offer on the house!

JULY

The former bunkbed (cut in half) I built in the 70's for our twins was used by Anne & Rachel later and cut in half to make two beds.  I was checking this half for use by Sam.

We assist with the painting project of Nels & Laura's home, supervised by our Grandson Matthew

Anne at work


We travel to Sprague, Adah holding Sherbet, their cat which is a companion for Bell

Sam and Sherbet


A Revolutionary War expert give's the Sprague Library summer program a visit
Adah and neighbor try out period dress 

Eli and classmate also test clothing

Sherbet takes her first bath - sort of calmly


Both at rest

We take the grandkids to their swimming lesson at the town of St. John
It's the closest pool to Sprague - off in the distance you can see the wheat fields

Sam goes with his age group first...

Near the end of the lesson they play water basketball - one of the lifeguards is helping the girls side



Eli and Adah are next in for lessons

They practice floating on their backs

Adah and Eli start playing the ball game...


Adah shoots and scores for the girls!  

Alane & Chris' garden is growing well

A sample of Adah's art

Back home, we have been invited by our long time friends, Walker & Diane to dinner at Palisade Restaurant for lunch



The view of Mt. Rainier from outside the restaurant 

South of Kirkland, the Bellevue Arts Fair is held at the end of July - that's the most likely weekend for good weather each year
We try to visit each summer, there are hundred's of booths, both at this location and two or three others nearby - we usually find something, this year a wedding gift

A VERY BUSY AUGUST

Eli is ready for his week long visit with us!

He much enjoys the Seattle Aquarium - inserted closeup I took of the "Nemo" Clownfish


Is this a fish?


Eli drills the docent for information on the Killer Whale skull between them


Jean and Eli


Pan of part of Seattle's Waterfront from a viewpoint within the aquarium complex


Nearby is the large new Ferris Wheel on the waterfront


Ridin' Along


So we are off to Whidbey Island again


And a swim at the pool - where Etta's parents have a guest cabin and access to the pool


Eli and Etta in her father's woodworking shop


He is working on project to copy 12 of these columns for the Courthouse in Heppner, Oregon.


Normally, when driving off the ferry you don't have a worker waving a sweater someone left!

Back to Sprague!
Canadian Goose in their neighbors yard - became a temporary pet


Alane, Sam, Adah and Chris in the garden


Sherbet again, getting older


We bring Sam back with us and stop for a visit at Ginko State Park on the West side of the Columbia River
Nice view and informative museum about the petrified wood found within the park and geology of the area


Before Wanapum Dam raised the river level here, these native petroglyphs were removed and placed outside the museum


Grandpa & Sam in our neighborhood woods


Sam finds the biggest raspberry in Grandma's garden


Off again to Whidbey Island for Sam's turn - a barge with logs in view plus Mt. Baker


Sam works on the train layout with Etta & Charlie's father, Kelly


Grandpa Terry with Granddaughter Etta


Ready for swim


Charlie takes a turn


Sam passes the test to swim in the deep water but also spends time with cousin Etta




Charlie & Grandpa

Sam get's his trip to the Seattle Aquarium

Smile for the camera?


It's not a sunny day

Back home, a native Squirrel poses with mouthfull of Filbert nuts

Trip to Ocean Shores with Laura & Nels family
Laura, Jean & Matthew



Anne points to her shoes - one pair for the 13 graduates of the Seattle Waldorf School Class of '13


Anne, Matthew & Rachel in some driftwood


Family group - Tom, Jean, Laura, Nels, Matthew, Anne, Rachel




Beach damage at Ocean Shores - large sand filled tubes exposed


The deer abound at Ocean Shores

SEPTEMBER

To Richland - Packing up Jean's father's things to move him to Spokane

Tom and daughter Margaret do a Hike up Badger Mountain in the morning - it's nearing 90 degrees
In the background the Columbia River and Richland - view NE - 1579 ft.

View South, once a high valley of sagebrush is now farmland


View more towards the East Kennewick on the South side, Pasco on the North



West view - 3500 ft. Rattlesnake Mountain in the distance


Sitting on rock at 1250 ft., which was the level of an immense temporary lake 12 to 13 thousand years ago.  

Dark color indicates the flooded area - many floods happened as the Ice gradually melted season after season.


Lightning strike this year burned this area.


Tom with his replaced Tilly hat leaning against a large glacial erratic that floated in from Montana with the flood ice.

We move on North to Spokane to move Jean's dads things in to his apartment in Spokane
It's Evergreen Fountains, an excellent assisted living and retirement place

His son John and daughter Pam both live within 15 minutes of the facility.
Jean, Pam, Virginia and John, Debbie, Amanda and James visit the swimming pool

First game of Jokers and Pegs at Herb's place

Waiting for dinner looks?  Jean, Pam, Herb, Virginia and John.
Jenny and John have come from Oklahoma to help with the move.

And what an excellent dinner John and Debbie provided at their home.
At the end of the table it's James and Amanda, Tom, John & Debbie.

CAMANO ISLAND

John and Bev (right) invited Joan & Jim and us to their home on Camano Island where we stay overnight and have a great visit.  Everyone except Tom a Benton City alumni.

Their home is on the right, it faces West overlooking Puget Sound

Two views from their yard - Olympic Mountains in the far distance



OFF AGAIN!

All daughters meet us in Roseburg, Oregon for a wedding

It's their childhood friend, Jodi

They are married at a winery south of Roseburg - her father Marty seated on the left

We visit Marty & Jan at their home in Ten Mile.  Jan feeding one of her animals.


Heavy cone!  Watch out for falling ones.

Marty and his temporary deer fence

 Heading over towards the Oregon Coast for a few days, we stop at the winter Elk feeding area


Much of our weather was like this as we head north


We stay in Newport a couple of nights - a little sun as we walk the beach

We head north, planning to meet Tom's siblings and spouses

Short and very rainy stop at Depot Bay - good blowhole view

 Near Cape Lookout - roadside view - brown in water is sand

Our goal is Manzanita where Tom & siblings have rented a house, but first a visit to Cape Meares
We stop to walk to the largest Sitka Spruce in Oregon.
It's 144 ft. to the broken top, 48 ft. circumference, 15 1/2 ft. in diameter.

Tom is about 676 to 726 years younger than the tree

On the trail to the largest tree is a younger spruce that blew over

Roots of the same tree


 Spectacular Cape Meares scenery on our way to the 1889 lighthouse


Being on a cliff top, it is only two stories high - has it's original lens


View south from the lighthouse

Next a stop to visit the Aircraft Museum at Tillamook
Built in 1942, it's the largest clear span wooden structure in the world.

Jean at the door of the 6 acre building

 Interesting display of Aircraft - Boeing B-17 on the left.  RV's and other private vehicles have a parking area far in the distance - click to see Jean in front of the B-17.

We meet as planned, and spend the next two days around Manzanita, visiting and touring beaches.
Views on Highway 101 are great

On the way to a beach - Terry, Donna, Marianne, Jean and Ken


The Three Siblings - photo by Donna

Incredibly cold stream!  Photo by Donna


Donna the photographer

Leaning on tilted bed


Marianne the rock climber

 Pacific Ocean Views



Then it's on our way home - the bridge is the last one that crosses the Columbia before the river meets the Pacific Ocean - about 4 or 5 miles west of the bridge. 

OCTOBER

Visit to Sprague & Spokane - Sam's 700+ piece motorized Lego

Alane is driving the bus - All Clear so Adah Eli Sam and neighbor girl are off!

Sam finds a friend in the garden

Downtown disaster on Main street - roof collapse due to weight of rain soaked roof, age and maintenance problems.  No one in the building when it happened.

Main street is blocked off - building next to collapse is unstable also - unlikely owners can afford doing whatever is necessary.

Sleeping Bell and Sherbet

Back home - Family dinner
Playing Mexican Train
L to R Marianne, Jean, Tom, Brandon, Nels, Justin, Margaret

L to R Margaret, Laura, Anne, Rachel, Marianne

Table cleared, Etta and Tom mug for the camera

NOVEMBER

We visit Janae & Kelly on Whidbey Island, this time for a getaway and stay at their cabin at Sandy Hook
Charlie resting


Etta the Artist

The Octogon cabin where we stay two nights - Sandy Hook is very close to the Southern tip of the island


The morning of a very stormy day - the Island gets some of the worst of the winds that day - view outside the cabin

We leave the cabin to go visit Janae & Kelly but are stopped just in a mile or so by trees fallen on powerlines due to the storm
Both routes are blocked for several hours



After a good visit with them in their house - which did not lose power, we go on to visit more of Whidby Island.


In the museum at Coupeville north up the island is this interesting grave stone of the founder.

I have always wanted to hike at Ebey's landing - although very windy we hike up the ridge for a while - we would love to do it again in better weather.
This is part of a National Historical Reserve, all named after the pioneer Issac Ebey, who was the first to settle here in 1850 


View on the way near the top of the ridge, looking back


Sunset Views 
Container ship on the right horizon



Olympics visible in the distance


A panorama view of their octoganal cabin - very nice place to stay with views

On the way out, a 1953 Dodge Coronet - Only needs weeding...

Now a stay near Leavenworth, eastern side of the Cascade Mountains 
We stay in this A frame cabin, owned by Brent who Jean did commercial sewing for


It's close to the town of Plain - Snowfall from 97" to 223" per year.

So we visit Leavenworth a couple of times, plenty of shops and places to eat.

The town in the '60's decided to save itself by becoming a Bavarian Village

Sweet tooth?


We meet Jean's classmates Joan and Jim again, and have a lunch together and enjoy the town.
They live nearby in Wenatchee on the Columbia River.

They were just beginning to decorate with lights for their very busy Christmas season


Lake Wenatchee is barely in view from this logging road viewpoint, looking SE


We drive further up the White River valley toward the high cascades


View at the wet west end of Lake Wenatchee


The A frame cabin inside, room for 8, spiral stairs to the top floor, very nicely finished


We travel south to visit Richland, then up to Sprague and a visit with Jean's Dad in Spokane Valley.
Adah, Sam and Eli with grandpa


Yes, a drab picture - especially in winter. An old farm next to the freeway going west towards home

One of Tom's projects, clay and plaster cast's of same to use in a papermaking project with our three youngest grandchildren


Jean working on a project for Adah - more below


Hike in our woods again - our coldest morning hike was at 18 degrees


Half of a Bigleaf Maple split sometime recently leaving this large scar


Debris from the fall goes a long way in the distance


From another direction, the split Maple and to the right, a Western Red Cedar that was broken off


Jean ahead of me as we do our morning walk around the Lake Washington Institute of Technology campus north of us


Wooded area near the School

Jean finishing up the project for Adah