Summer Vacation

I've been very remiss about posting, but I've been having a wonderful summer.  Both sons are on break from college, I've been able to spend some time with both of them.  Right now, I'm posting from Harbick's Country Inn in Blue River, Oregon.  We arrived yesterday, and have had the most wonderful time!

The inn is located in a mountain setting of tall pines... cedars, lodgepole, and ponderosa  as well as birch trees and gorgeous greenery.  It's managed by my cousin and his wife, Kent and Robin Roberts, so it's been more than enjoying a beautiful inn and the surrounding area, it's been a time of reconnecting with family.  We've had fun sharing old memories and getting updated on what's going on in each others lives more recently.

My husband and my cousin were able to go on a white water rafting trip today, due to a last minute cancellation. They went with the T and T Rafting company, and it was an all afternoon event.  Even with the unusually high temperature of 100, they said the 42 degree river really took your breath away!  They had several stops along the river to swim, and were even provided with snacks at one of them.

My sons explored a bit of the area, including a walk down to the river, and they enjoyed their afternoon as well.  This is the first family vacation we'd been on in many years, and it's been wonderful!

I spent the day with Robin.  We visited several interesting places, including the school and the community food pantry where she works.  She not only oversees the provision of food to needy families, but provides backpacks and books to needy students, and aids families in many areas, including counseling.  We went to a walking trail and memorial she and Kent helped to create along the river.  Later, we sat in her lovely home, relaxing and sharing a lot of laughs!

Tomorrow we head for the coast for a couple of days.  I'm looking forward to cool ocean breezes, but I will be a little sad to say my goodbyes in the morning. It's been a blessing to be here!

I'll be back after we return home, until then...

Lovely Sunday...

It's a lovely Sunday.  Paul skipped today's morning car event and spent the morning with me.  Such a nice surprise!  Yesterday, he won two Shari's pies at the car show/fundraiser for the Wounded Warriors, so we had pie for breakfast!  Yum!  There was a huge turnout, so some good money was raised for the Wounded Warriors!

I'm getting ready to sort through some old photos, and Paul is sanding and painting a couple of our dining chairs.  We still have two more chairs to pick up and recover, then we'll have a complete set for our new little table.

I've got the "easy listening" music channel on, and I'm being transported right back to my childhood home from about 1967... "Some Enchanted Evening" is playing.  It's a near-perfect afternoon.  Oh, and my first Moonflower bloomed!  Sheer happiness!

I'm still here...

It's been a crazy couple of weeks.  Some health issues, busy with household projects, and just preoccupied with life.  We lost a beloved aunt about a week ago.  I never got to meet her in person, but we corresponded over the years.  She was such a sweet, caring person, and I'll miss hearing from her.

In other news...

I still haven't taken photos of my finished table, but I will probably wait til the chairs are done as well.  I'm really happy with the way it turned out.  It makes me want to get on with my other projects!

Our tiny garden is flourishing this year, and my gooseberry bushes are loaded!  I'm so happy.  It's the best they've ever looked.  Whether I need it or not, there is gooseberry pie in my near future!  There will also be cantaloupe, cucumbers, and two types of tomatoes.  I finally found seeds for moonflowers!  When I was a child, it was such a thrill to watch them bloom, right before my eyes, on a warm summer evening. They are growing really well, and I'm hoping they will bloom this summer, though they say it sometimes doesn't happen til the second year.

Since we added our little bird feeder, we've had a steady stream of feathered friends.  I haven't been able to capture any good photos as they're a bit "shy" and scatter when I come anywhere near the window.  We also have three male "suitors" for one female duck.  It began with a "happy couple" earlier in the spring, but no eggs anywhere to be seen.  First one extra male showed up, causing some minor marital disputes, then another arrived on the scene.  For the past couple of days, the female only shows up when the males are absent, to eat and sit in the shade of the maple tree.  She doesn't stay long.  Most of the time, there are three forlorn males sitting out there "chatting" with one another.

Well, I think I'll settle in and watch a good mystery.  Until next time...