July 2013 party time!

Gabe's family arrived just in time for dinner with Grandpa Ray, before hurrying to make other commitments that day...

Jim Gabe arrived (once again), in time to help with the task of pruning back the walnut trees to maintain our beautiful view.

Others helpers are busy stacking and hauling the aftermath of the project… but it is so very nice to see the valley once again.


We followed with a trip up to the cabin to check out the 3 baby eagles… only 2 were left; we found one on the ground below the nest.


Next a trip up to Scenic Dayton for a party!

Happy Birthday to Gideon!!

A little family croquet game 

The 'happy couple'…..Is this your first??

The birthday boy!

Hoping for the treasure at the end of the rainbow

Alas, no gold coins today… and Yes, we know the real treasures are still in Dayton, Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, North Carolina, Mexico, and Illinois...

June 2013 On to Alaska...

Arriving in Alaska we were greeted by Abi, Ellie, and Barret.  

Reading and story time is always a favorite of this Grandma!

Our time was filled with kitchen cabinet construction, sidewalk building, flower planting, a trip to the zoo (where Ellie smelled every single flower), a relaxing float trip (complete with picnic), a cook out at Mags’ place, hiking to the Byron Glacier, the opportunity to see all the kids play soccer (Barret loves to pick and share the flowers, the girls are starting to play with enthusiasm), and a chance to hang out with Maggie on a short fishing float down the Kenai River.  Wow!

Note the combat fishing on the opposite river bank.

The 'local' guide was not only expert, but beautiful & great company as well!

A tired crew--just finishing stamping and coloring the back step--the beautiful new front sidewalk is not in view!

We always love to visit the local zoo!

Ellie--super smeller--reported the white flowers in the background were NOT on the favorites list!

On the Portage River for an afternoon float...

A snack break for a little watermelon, etc.

Barret at the oars!

We followed the river trip with a 'little' hike just up the road to the Byron Glacier

Flowers were beautiful along the trail.

Treats were helpful to keep those with short legs going...

Yes, we did try to do it all that day…we stopped at Maggies' for reindeer dogs on the way home. The kids got all wrapped up in the hammock, while Erica and Mags picked out a few rocks for her flower bed back home. A good time was had by all!

Grandpa and I took a little walk in the neighborhood with Abi on a Sunday afternoon...

We checked out many of the places Maggie worked and this little boardwalk in Potter Marsh afforded views of mother ducks complete with ducklings.

One evening we left for a quick canoe ride… I thought it was too late to be possible, but it really was very close to home and a good time was had by all!

 Barret & Ellie are on the same soccer team…Check out Barret's soccer shoes (cowboy boots). We missed the 'photo opportunity of the day' Ellie was playing goalie, stopped the ball, then with beaming face, turned to kick it right into the goal!! What a girl!

Once again…time to go home. Yes, James loves these photos from the plane.

June 2013 Visiting the great Northwest...

Our 1^st stop (albeit too short) on June 14th was Seattle. The flight in was clear and the view, beautiful! We had a fun long weekend with the kids there. The suggested projects for this trip were putting new upholstery on the bar stools. Melissa had already picked out and purchased the fabric, she and I cut it, James helped me figure out how to attach it, and (with consultation with Jim Gabe) was the primary construction engineer, Lauren—(his able assistant in this photo), and many others provided assistance, advice, and encouragement. They turned out  nice and were still looking good on our next visit, along with many other decorating 'projects'. Melissa has been busy! 

Evidently I was having a bit of a problem being still for the camera, but we were having fun!

Obviously, I was not the only one not being still…there were others as well…

 


We enjoyed fabulous musical performances by many, although not everyone…some great visiting, walks, mushroom viewing, and relaxing time together.

Time was too short, the weekend over before we knew it, & we were leaving at sunrise.

May 2013 Coming home again...

We returned from Bogota anxious to visit family and catch up a bit…thinking that with such a short time in Bogota, coming home and back in the routine would be easy this time. However, things never seem to be exactly as we plan. Painting we had commissioned was yet to be finished. Javier pruned & gathered branches while we were gone, but the ditches were overgrown and orchard grass was chest high. The garden awaited tilling, hoses laid out, and planting. It seemed that even with 'careful planning…there were many miles yet to be covered in the two weeks we had allotted before leaving to visit family in Seattle and Anchorage.

And of course… a few mishaps to slow things down.

While mowing the grass the tractor sank on unstable fill left by the canal company… even with straps we could not right it, and were worried about sliding into the fence. Happily Casey returned home from the Hu Hot and brought the 'real machine' over to save the day. What a great neighbor!!

A little discussion below when all was done...

Check out the garlic we planted last fall (when the sandhill cranes were flying south). The onions on the far side of the garden were up, but not nearly as high as the garlic.

After almost 19 years it was time to say farewell to the Tahoe. We surely had a lot of fun trips in that car… Remember when we all drove to visit Dave in St. George--Matt & Mike in front with Dad when the famous 'mustard treatment' was invented, we four girls in the back seat, and Rob in the way back?? and all those trips up Oxkiller? It was a great car, but now no longer a part of the family.  The pickup truck left with its new owner to Homer, Alaska, 'Suzie' went to live in Dayton, the Outback moved to Seattle (a few weeks later), and the fleet downsize was complete.

Whoops! Malachi jumped, but instead of landing, he slid… it seemed like all the boys grew in the 3 months we were gone.

The Beutler boys came to visit; we got the garden planted and fenced, the orchard mowed, and prepared to leave…again.