Category Archives: Travel

Long Weekend Mosaics

On Saturday of Labor Day weekend we left our home bright and early and headed east over the Cascades on highway 2.

We stopped at Apple Annies in Cashmere for breakfast at the 50’s Diner and then shopped through the huge antique mall. After breakfast we connected to Highway 97 north to Tonasket. We enjoyed views of the Columbia River as we rolled along.

Reaching Tonasket we turned off the highway in search of Jim’s Ranch. We were celebrating Jim and Sherri’s marriage with a country barbecue reception. Jim and Sherri were married in Seattle on August 25th but wanted a casual country reception, too, at Jim’s Ranch in Tonasket. We were happy to make the drive and enjoyed our time with some of their family and neighbors. The neighbors arrived on their 4 wheelers since properties aren’t that close together. Jim and Sherri’s ranch is 270 acres. Oh and by the way Sherri has been my hairdresser for several years now.

After a few hours of enjoying good food and conversation we said our goodbyes and continued east along highway 20 to Colville to spend the rest of the long weekend with our kids. This leg of our journey was about 2 hours. We arrived at their place just as they pulled in from an afternoon of boating on Lake Roosevelt.

We had dinner together and enjoyed some Addy time before we all hit the sack early because we would have an early start on Sunday.

Our daughter in law and her mom had signed up for the Country Roads half marathon which started at 7am on Sunday. Thankfully this was a day where the smoke levels weren’t hazardous and the event could go on. I was in the support vehicle for Jamie, Linda and Addy. Jamie carried Addy in her front pack for half the event.

As I drove ahead to wait for them at different mile posts I enjoyed country scenes and some critters, too.

I’m not sure what those larger furry animals are beyond these goats.

I waited at the entrance to Douglas Falls Grange Park for Jamie, Linda and Addy. At this point I would take Addy off Jamie’s hands and head back to the finish line. While waiting I enjoyed the falls and a talk with the Ranger.

Then these folk and their buggy came along and we enjoyed a bit of conversation, too, before they headed off.

Back at the finish line Addy’s daddy met us and we waited for mommy and Addy’s other grandmother to complete their first half marathon walk. Jamie’s Uncle and Aunt were at the finish line, too, with some flowers for their big accomplishment.

Back at home you can see that Addy survived quite nicely and still had energy to jump up and down while gramps held on tight.

Time will tell if I manage to do any link-ups with this post.

I’m happy to report that today Friday the 8th of September it has just started raining here in the Puget Sound area. We are so happy to see those raindrops and hope they will wash away the smoke and ash. Speaking of ash, we left our windows open while we were away last weekend until Wednesday so we are in the process of doing a thorough vacuuming at this old house. We are vacuuming screens windows, window sills, furniture, and floors. Yikes, that soot settled everywhere. I’m getting my exercise in today. Hope you are having a good Friday.

We are keeping all the folk in the path of Irma on our hearts and minds and especially in our prayers. Stay safe friends.

Home Again, home again…

…jiggity jig!

Hang in there as I have a lot to share from the last several days. Today we drove through approximately 356 miles of smoke filled skies from Colville to our home in Western Washington. It was a hard traveling day with nothing to see on the horizon but smoke. I hope to be back online and at the top of my game soon. We had so much fun with our little grand girlie. Praying for all the fires that are not contained, for the devastation from Hurricane Harvey and now Irma barreling down on us. Here’s a sweet photo of the little one we enjoyed…

Her fresh lungs are being challenged by the very unhealthy air quality because of all the fires and the smoke that has no where to go. Please pray for some relief soon. Thank you!

Air Quality

This will give you an idea of what very hazardous/unhealthy air quality looks like. Colville has been yellow and orange lately because of smoke from fires which isn’t good either but today we hit a new level of smokey and unhealthy. There are similar problems in Oregon, Montana, Idaho, California and our neighbors to the North in the Frasier Valley and in other parts of Canada. We are laying low today with no windows open. I really miss that great June view!

Our prayers go up for firefighters and people with homes in the path of all these fires. Thinking about countries and those in the path of Hurricane Irma, too.

Makes me want to say, Maranatha.

Flashback to September 2016

From the Other Side…

…of the Great Divide. The only side of Washington that is predominately red in their politics. The line between the blue and red counties cuts along the Cascade Mountain range. The blue side has the highest population, largest cities, with Seattle (652,405) being the largest. The red side has the most farmers and ranchers and many small cities. The largest city on the red side of our state is Spokane (210,721), then Spokane Valley (91,113) and Kennewick (76,762). All the population numbers I’m sharing are from 2013. The city I live in on the blue side of the state has a population of 21,611.

https://i1.wp.com/media2.s-nbcnews.com/i/MSNBC/Components/Interactives/_swf/Politics/Elections2012/images/overview/maps/PresidentWA.jpg

Dear and I travel across the great divide when we visit our son and daughter-in-law. We enjoy our time on that side. We find it refreshing. There are lots of great fences and barns to photograph. Here are some of those fences and barns all taken in Stevens County.

chewelah 032

P1060552

country scenes 045

Happy First day of September to all of you! I started the morning off with fresh strong coffee in a new cup to me that I bought at the Habitat for Humanity Shop in Colville, Washington (population 4,668). It was half off and I only paid 40 cents for it. It’s Churchill made in England with a population of 53.01 million.

14192582_10210558912637326_8162176853949963890_n

May September bring good things to us all.

“The breezes taste
Of apple peel.
The air is full
Of smells to feel-
Ripe fruit, old footballs,
Burning brush,
New books, erasers,
Chalk, and such.
The bee, his hive,
Well-honeyed hum,
And Mother cuts
Chrysanthemums.
Like plates washed clean
With suds, the days
Are polished with
A morning haze.”
–   John Updike, September

Here is it September 1, 2017 and we are off again to the other side and I hope to share many photos with you as we travel a different road across the mountains to a wedding reception and then on to our kids home in Colville. Our little Addy May started crawling and I’m excited to see that new milestone and I’ll be getting lots more steps keeping her out of trouble. May September find new joy and fullness for y’all.

Rolling On Hodgepodge

1. Can you believe we’re rolling in to the Labor Day weekend? What’s a project you’ll labor over this fall?

Our fall projects will include continuing sorting through and getting rid of stuff we really don’t need. We will also prune trees and clean out planters. Baking in the Fall is always a great project, too.

2. Tell us about the best perks you ever had in a job?

I really never worked at a job with perks except for when I was an elementary school teacher and enjoyed summer vacation and other holidays even though I wasn’t  paid extra. I enjoyed traveling with my husband with his job responsibilities but had to pay my way. I thought that was a great perk regardless. I traveled to places I’d never have planned on like Milan, Chicago, Washington D.C., Orlando, Atlanta and San Antonio.

Then with the Mennonite Girls for book launches and signings and play openings we traveled to Winnipeg, Steinbach, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Vancouver, Fresno, Indiana Amish Country and Ohio Amish Country. We had to pay our way for the most part but the perks were meeting lots of great people, funding our missions, and being with the “girls”.

3. August 31st is National South Carolina Day. Have you ever been to SC?

I have been to SC to go to our son-in-law’s graduation from MCRD and his successful entry into the Marine Corps. Our daughter and I stayed in Beaufort. The Marine Corps graduation was an amazing experience. We did enjoy our time there although my hair does not agree with the weather. Beaufort is a small southern town with great architecture and other southern charm to enjoy. All my photos from Beaufort are being held hostage at Photobucket. I do have the photos saved on CD’s and Memory cards that I’ll need to upload onto this computer.

Any desire to go? According to Southern Living, these are the top ten things to do in South Carolina…

Explore Charleston, bike, golf or relax on Hilton Head Island, see the beach and the boardwalk at Myrtle Beach, visit the state museum in the capital city Columbia, observe the wildlife and natural beauty of the Ace Basin, take a walk or hop on a trolley and check out Greenville’s charming main street, visit Fort Sumter where the Civil War began, stroll through Pearl Fryar’s Topiary Garden in Bishopville leaving time to check out The Button Museum, also in Bishopville, see Morgan Island (also known as Monkey Island)-home to nearly 4000 Rhesus monkeys. 

Which is most appealing to you today? If you’re a SC native, resident, or frequent visitor what would you add to the list?

Charleston is the most appealing to me but not in the summer!

4. Beef, pork, country-style, barbecued, baby back, spare or short…your favorite kind of rib? What’s a dish you enjoy that really ‘sticks to your ribs‘?

Barbecued Ribs please.

I love food and unfortunately it sticks to my mid section. But to answer your question I enjoy dishes like Stroganoff or Prime Rib with potatoes and Yorkshire Pudding. So I’m more of a beefy girl. Fish is rarely my choice unless it’s Fish and Chips or fish tacos.

5. What’s one important skill you think every person should have? Why?

I think everyone should be able to cook meals for themselves, that includes men and women. My dear old pop almost starved himself to death after my mom passed away. Dear and all of our sons and daughters can cook and I’m grateful for that. I’m sorry Home Economics is dwindling out in schools or completely eliminated. And Dear says if you drive a car you need to know how to change a tire!

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

This little one is always in our thoughts. Our Labor Day weekend will be filled with extended time with Addy and her parents. We are also going to be able to enjoy a wedding reception barbecue half way to our kids home. Our hairdresser was married last weekend in Seattle and she and her new husband will host a country barbecue reception on their 270 acres in the Okanagon area of Washington State.

Linking up with Joyce From This Side of the Pond for Wednesday Hodgepodge. She asks the questions and the answers are up to us. Do you have Labor Day plans.

We continue to follow what’s happening in Texas and we pray for all the displaced people and for relief of the suffering that everyone is enduring.

Barns Along Hwy 9

Driving home on highway 9 on our August 15th day out to the Mt. Baker Scenic highway I spotted several barns. The problem with barns along a highway is that when you are driving at over 50 miles an hour and you aren’t the only car on the road you can’t just stop on the highway to take a photo. As the passenger I had to snap away and hope the photos came out okay.

This particular barn had it’s own parking lot because it happened to be the North Trailhead of the Centennial Trail.

Tracy Tallman contributed this People’s History account of the family of Kamezo (1883-1975) and Miye Nakashima and their Snohomish County farm. Kamezo and Miye Nakashima were among the earliest Japanese families to farm within Snohomish County. They purchased their farm, located near Arlington, on July 31, 1937, from Sophie Frye Bass (1866-1947). They operated it as a dairy farm until 1942, when, during World War II, Executive Order 9066 forced the Nakashimas into internment camps along with nearly 120,000 first-generation Japanese immigrants and their American-born citizen children. On April 15, 1942, the Nakashimas were forced to sell the farm, and members of the large family were sent to different internment camps. Upon their release, Kamezo and Miye relocated to Seattle, where they managed the Marion Hotel.

The rest of the essay with some historical photos on the Nakashima Family and their farm can be found here.

I’ll be linking up to The Barn Collective hosted by Tom The Backroads Traveller.

We are having a mostly quiet weekend here. We’ve got a cut of pork on the Traeger that will cook low and slow for dinner. Dear finished upgrading our closets in our master bedroom suite with new doors and new shelves and hanger bars. I forgot to take a before photo, oops. I’ll share a couple after shots soon while things are still nice and tidy.

The End of the Highway

Artist Point is located at the very end of Mount Baker Highway, State Route 542 and boasts 360-degree views of Mount Shuksan and Mount Baker, as well as access to a variety of trails. The road to Artist Point, 2.7 miles long (milepost 54.55 to 57.26) and more than 5,000 feet above sea level, is typically buried under snow and closed October through June. Artist Point typically opens in July and remains open until the first substantial snowfall of the year, which usually comes in late September or early October.

We had our road trip here on Tuesday August 15th.

This is a zoom in shot of Mt. Baker.

My other posts from this day and the Mt. Baker Highway are here and here.

On the way home from our day in the Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie National Forest we stopped for dinner in Snohomish where we had enjoyed breakfast at the beginning of this day. For dinner we decided on Andy’s Fish House since we had a hankering for Fish and Chips and we were not disappointed. We will return.

Today I had a followup with my hand surgeon and I’m on to the next leg of my journey with a nerve conduction test ordered. I’m glad he isn’t quick to decide to cut my wrist open but wants to be sure about what is going on. So I continue with my brace and taking it easy with my left hand. Tonight we are going to a cookie social to meet our new senior pastor candidate. We’re excited. Hope you are having a nice Thursday!

Pretty as a…

Picture Lake!

On Tuesday when we reached Picture Lake there was a breeze that made ripples on the surface of the water so the reflections were not as clear as they could be. The lake has a very nice 1/2 mile trail all around it. Picture Lake is at 4100 feet with a postcard view of Mt. Shuksan, elev. 9,131 ft.

You don’t even have to hike in to enjoy this spot. We parked right on the road next to the lake.

The weather was just right for us this day with no need for a jacket. Our next stop and my next post from our time on the Mt. Baker Scenic highway will be from Artist Point.

Meanwhile back at this old house Dear continues on some home improvement projects. We have new closet doors in our Master bedroom. I’m hoping to sort through my clothes before I put them back into the closet and face reality on which I’ll never wear again. In the last 7 days our water leak got fixed, the shingles on 3 peaks of our house have fresh stain on them, our overhangs are sanded and repainted and we have new closet doors. I’m thankful for my hard working husband.

Our kids from eastern Washington are on the Oregon coast far away from their smoky skies and heat. They sent us this photo of the three of them at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Now they have to beat all the solar eclipse traffic to get home.

Love these three and praying that their long trip home goes well for all of them.

What’s going on at your house?

Mount Baker Highway

On Tuesday morning bright and early we headed north on Highway 9 to see some sites on the Mt. Baker Scenic Highway. Our first stop was in Snohomish for breakfast at Jake’s Diner. Fueled for the day we headed farther north just below the U.S./Canadian Border.

“Rated one of the top hiking, skiing, snowboarding and scenic drives in America, Mt. Baker Highway takes your breath away.”

Our stops were at Nooksack Falls, Picture Lake and lastly Artist Point at the end of the highway.

From the falls we traveled on toward the Mt. Baker Ski area. We started the part of the road that in 10 miles climbed 3,200 feet.

I’m not sure what the significance of the raven sculpture on the sign is. Dear and my last and only time here was in 1988 or 1989 for a winter ski trip with friends just after we moved to Washington State from California. It looks a lot different in the winter.

Our next stop after the falls was Picture Lake and I’ll devote a whole post to it on another day.

Picture Lake is in the Heather Meadows Recreation Area.

Today we are awaiting news on who our next Senior Pastor will be. Our former pastor followed a calling to become a Navy Chaplain. We will get to meet the new candidate on August 27th. We are excited to see and hear him on that day. I’m tapping my feet and keep checking my emails to see the announcement. I’m not called the Wonderer for nothing! Hope you have a good day!

Update: Got the email from church at 1:00 pm and got to meet our new pastor candidate and we are encouraged and looking forward to the future of our church.