JUNE 2011

Weekend Trip to Sprague

We stop to hike up to the "Wild Horse Monument" across the 

Columbia River from Vantage, Washington.  

Installed for the Washington State Centennial celebration in 1989.

Inspired by a native american creation story, "Grandfather Cuts Loose the Ponies"

(Photo from web)

It's about 1200 ft. above the parking area.  From the right: I-90 bridge, Vantage and Ginkgo State Park.

Old highway 10 crossed the river to the right of Ginkgo State Park.

Wanapum dam raised the river's level.

Wildflowers

Adah and Grandma Jean look over Adah's new clothing.

Adah and Sam crawling in the grass.

Eli, Granma Jean, Adah and Alane.

Smudge the cat.

Sam, soon to turn nine has an early birthday party - a new hula hoop...

...and an old tennis racket.

Down at the city park, a vew of one of the old downtown buildings.

Eli and Adah on the equipment.

Adah, Eli, and Sam times three.

Grandpa Tom tosses tennis balls to Sam for practice - 

Sam hits the ball (visible near the basket rim).

Rachel Mason's Eighth Grade Graduation - June 6th

Three Cedars Waldorf School

Rachel plays with the 8th Grade Orchestra.

The class of nine reciting a quote from Thoreau

Each student reads an appreciation for specialty teachers and volunteer's - Rachel's turn

Mrs. Kaye, one of their two previous teachers remembers the students

Rachel attended all her schooling at Three Cedars

Their current teacher, Mrs. Hinton remembers her many years with this class 

Each student gives their impressions and appreciation for their education

Rachel get's her diploma

The class recites a closing verse

Cake Rachel made for the Graduation reception

The Matthews host a gathering of friends who were with the Italy Tour last year

Pete, Jean and Regina

Dale, Melanie, Phil and Marlene

Grandson Brandon and his friend Noah stay with us for a few days

One activity was playing Skip-Bo

Popsicle and Skip-Bo

Other activities were a trip to the Lego store and basketball - then a visit with Grandpa Patton

'New' house being built in our neighborhood - same footprint of the previous house.

The new foundation was filled with crushed glass, here plastic pipe has been laid for an under floor heating system.

Excitement!

Fire down in the valley from our neighborhood - a transformer unit at a power sub-station

From local television helicopters - fire lasted for hours - burning mineral oil

Firemen hoseing the fire wading through foam that was sprayed from a Sea-Tac airport fire truck

APRIL - MAY 2011

Again to Sprague, Alane weeding along their driveway while Chris supervises.

Chris, second in command of the Sprague Maintance Department.

His boss is the only other employee.

Sam demonstrates the new windows in the old part of the house.

Eli and Sam jumping for the tennis ball, sort of a game with tennis balls using your hand as a racket.

Adah approaches Smudge, who is ignoring her.

Click on this one (or any photo to see a bigger picture).

The neighbors dog joins in with the tennis ball.

We go for dinner in Spokane, at Riverside park the kids run with the sculptures while we wait.

Sam

Eli

T-Ball practice in Sprague, very near the Michels house.

Sam starts to swing - he makes a hit and goes on base.

Eli hits another and gets on base.

Adah hit's the ball out of sight and runs to first base.

First year for neighbor Gabe as a T-Ball player.

Sprague Catholic Church from the ballfield.

The bandstand downtown Sprague - Adah, Sam and Eli.

The Canal downtown is flowing during this wet Spring - Adah at the fence.

Eli with his built in GPS all ready to go!

(This photo was not digitally enhanced)

Jean and I visit Dad Matthews' good friend Elaine at Wesley Homes.

Part of Laura's mother day card from Rachel and Anne.

Laura on left, then Rachel and Anne.

Backyard, May 10

To Richland May 10 - 15

Scott working on the Chevy project - where is Ken?

Look close, he is visable under the chassis. (Click to enlarge)

A walk along the Columbia, water very high.

But not as high as the water was in June of 1948.

This slide (from a web site) shows the dike protecting homes in Richland then.  View looking north. 

The house just showing behind the workers standing on the truck is the one in the photo below.

I was 10 when I took this picture looking south.  The dike covered the road, after the flood a permanent dike was built farther out.  Our house was about 500 ft. to the west.

After dinner at Margaret & Trevor's, a cloud burst.

Trevor and Brandon watch water shoot up out of a street drain.

On our way home.  Car window view of a 1940's plutonium processing plant (on right) at Hanford.

Passing Wanapum Dam where much water is being released as is true of all the Columbia River dams this year due to a heavy snow pack. 

Back Home

Jean assisting loading a car for meals-on-wheels in Bellevue.

We have nice weather!  Tom likes this view laying on the grass while takeing a break from landscaping our front yard.  Apple tree recovering from pruning and a vine maple on the right.

Jean, barely in view behind the rhody, is removing ivy from along the road.  Tom is trying to get the rhody roots in the foreground out.

Success!  Now to fill in and put in more plants.

Find the tree frog in the Rhody.

The view in early April before removal.

After removal of two rhody's.

A view from the road after we put bark down where the ivy was removed and added plants.  The idea is to open up the front to match better last year's landscaping.