The twenty-first day of September

 It was a momentous weekend in late September. T.J. came home after months after at basic training and my best friend Mary came to visit with her mother, Dorothy. AND it was both Mary and T.J.'s birthday (on the same day!!).

It was great to hear all of  T.J.'s stories and see what fine shape he was in. And it was AMAZING to have a visit with Mary and Co. in my neck of the woods, doesn't happen often. We went to Smith Rock and took a short hike for sightseeing, then went to Bend and did the downtown shops.

Need to celebrate every Sept. 21 like this.

The Great Northwest

 It was a different sort of gangland 'campout' this year. Instead of a campground we pitched tents on B's sister's lawn in Lacey, Washington. It was mostly rainy, which made for some tweaks to the program but we still managed to do what we had hoped: visit Mt. Rainier, Mt. Saint Helens and the rainforest. The Ealys didn't make this one, so it was just the Hicks, Marshall-Holes and us (B, Jess and me only).

Tara and an Evergreen exchange student were in the house as well, so it was pretty full by the time we all piled up inside when it got cold and blustery. We managed, played games, read and B.S.'d.

 Brian overlooking the glacier on top of Mt. Rainier. It was an amazing hike, crowded like Disneyland at the beginning, then thinning out a bit towards the top. The wildflowers were in full bloom.

 We didn't get to see much of the rainforest, we only had a couple of hours (the drive alone took half the day). But we did see a corner of it and hiked along a gorgeous river. I miss the moss.

We spent one day on the water on Puget Sound. The rain let up just enough to make it pleasant (but not overly summery). We used the boat to shuttle out to an island used as a state park and it being a weekday, it was very quiet. The brave ones went tubing of course and the not-so-brave ones relaxed.

Garden of plenty

 It was a busy summer, and not just for us adults. Jess got her first job and worked a lot. It was strange having only one teen at home, although to look at her bathroom you'd think there were 10. After 9 years talking about it we finally finished the surround/pergola for the hot tub. It felt great to check that off the list. We hung an old sign we found half buried in the ground at the Methow farm, as a historic touch. 

Every year it seems like the garden is taking more and more work -- or we're just getting older and no longer have young kids to conscript.  I planted corn for the first time and it surprised me by doing great. Beets were blah but we must have harvested nearly 100 cucumbers, probably more. It was insane. We had a nice amount of carrots and lettuce and a bumper crop of raspberries. Zero plums and apples this year however. Now I know why farmers keep diaries  -- every year is a different story.

 The chickens are thriving. Hennie continues to be the shunned girl, while Everilde, Hilda and Gretchen are the mean girls. Not pecking or anything physical, more like ignoring her and not letting her socialize.
There's a reason 'pecking order' is a common expression, not too mention 'cooped up'.

Road trip time

Did a few quick road trips this July. Right after the holiday we headed to Irrigon to visit B's grandfather Abe, who had been on hospice for some time. Aunt Darlene and her mother Leah welcomed us with open arms (us was B & I, Jess and Josh) and showed us their lovely home, with a humongous garden, chicken yard, rabbits in hutches and giant shop. Abe was set up in a hospital bed in the living room the night we arrived and at first I was disappointed to think he might not be aware enough of our presence to make the visit count.

But the next day he rallied and came with us to the sun porch, where he proceeded to whip our butts at dominoes. He was chatty and full of quips and it as a wonderful time. As it happened he was gone soon after, so we were so glad we had made the trip. Abe led a pretty interesting life and it was a shame we (Jess, Josh and me) never got a chance to know him well. 

The next week we (Jess and I) headed in the opposite direction, for a baby shower in Eugene. B's cousin Dusty and his wife Andrea are expecting their first child and it was a family-only gathering of McCourt-Hole females. Jess had knit a very cute little cap and I made an entirely recycled sweater and hat, in honor of a very environmentally aware couple.