Summer Times

Summer always brings fun things to do. Here are a few.

Tasker was all ready for the round-up. Trouble is, those toys just don't round-up with a shoo like the cows do. I missed when he had the blade of grass in his mouth.

Some new critters joined the home stead. There had been some larger ones but they got too hard to handle.

There was a session of summer school. It was given for all ages in a one room school house.
The desks were from a few years in the past, but they fit the building.

Recess was enjoyed by all of the students.

Some of us even took a train ride. It was scenic and approved by Mom who had to point out where her kids were sitting.

We thought that the military could use some help, so Leah and the kids did tank maneuvers with them.

Trinceton and his co-pilot also helped the navy with their jet flying. They had visitors and pictures before take off.

After all the work, it was time for summer fun of cherry seed spitting. Trinceton took first for his age group with 17 feet.
Tasker took lessons and did well also. He went all the way to the end of their paper measure.
Kiana had desire, but "girls don't spit!"
Beginners didn't have a category, but should have. "Darn, is that all the further it went?"
After all that work and spitting it was time to relax and watch some boat racing, do some swimming,
and play a game of peek-a-boo.

How has your summer been going?

Happy Fourth

I hope that you had a good Fourth of July. We got to take do the traditional Fourth activities.

First we went to the parade in town.

We didn't have a band but there was lots of candy that found it's way into the kids hands. Note Trinceton's hand. He got a hamburger, with all the toppings, from one of the floats.
Some candy was a little sour.
There were some floats.
Some of which squirted water onto the hot observers. I didn't get the fire truck that really let loose. The theme was children's stories. This is Noah and the Whale.
After the parade it was home for naps and to have a barbecue. Then in the evening, it was back to town for the fire works.

The truck back was a good observation place to take in the fireworks going off around the area, and the main show when it started.I got to try our my 'fireworks' setting on my camera.

The Wave

When one is in rural territory, and travels the rural roads, there is some etiquette that one SHOULD follow. This was observed while in Tennessee and more so since being in Montana. I was slow to do this while on my morning walk, but realized I needed to follow area customs of etiquette. While walking with Leah one morning, I noted that she was sure to follow it.

This custom is carried out when you meet someone along the road, usually when they are traveling in a vehicle in the opposite direction. Some may accuse us of being unfriendly, but that is not true. There is a wave of greeting extended to all.

How this wave is extended is the interesting part.

First there is the one finger lifted from the wheel. This is usually given by an older gentleman in a pickup or a truck. The two finger lift is very similar and also given by the driver of a truck or pickup but of younger age. Maybe arthritis hasn't set in yet.

Then there is the four fingers up. This is sometimes also given with a nod. The driver is usually male and is driving any vehicle. At times you will also see this delivered by a female, but it is rare.

The whole hand wave with a gentle up down motion always is delivered by a female. She may be driving a truck or a car. Related to this is the whole hand wave, delivered with many quick up and down motions, like a child just learning to wave. Definitely a female, usually driving a car or sometime a van.

Then there is the Queen Elizabeth wave. It is done with a short side to side motion and can be delivered by either male or female. The road should be straight before delivering this as it requires more time for the hand to be away from the steering wheel.

Last but not least is the parade wave, the one that you see on floats at parades. This is only given by a female.

Then there is the passenger wave. These can be omitted if the driver waves, or it can be delivered along with the driver's wave. It can be any version of the above listed waves.

Now, if you are walking as I am, all you have to do is throw up your hand, bending your arm at the elbow. It is much easier to execute than any of the driving waves. You also don't have to worry about what you are driving or your gender.

I hope that this will be of help if any of you find yourself on a rural road, either walking or driving.

Celebrations

One of the nice things that has happened with our trip is that we have been able to be there for some birthdays.

We were there for B's. It has been more than four years since we got to be there for his.

We were there for C's. We have never been there for hers.

We got to spend it with W. Sorry, no cake or presents shown. I can't remember when we were last with him for his.

Now we got to celebrate our grandson's second birthday.

A Fun Extended Weekend

We found ourselves in Spokane at some of our friends who, long ago, lived in Yakima.

Since they had a 'swamp' in their back yard, Bob dug it up for them while Eric was at work. There was a drainage pipe, but it ended where the swamp was. So the guys dug a trench and extended it to the back fence.

Since they had it dug up, Susan decided to just put brick at the edge of the flower beds before they filled in the ditch. This would be a good time. So we made a trip and purchased brick to go with the stone she had for under the garden gate and trellis.
The brick follows the picket fence.The brick has some iron in it and is dark, ranging from burgundy to navy blue when it is wet. The surface is rough so it is hard to see where the bricks meet.This was our job.
However, once the guys were done, we girls were anxious to see what the stones would look like by the garden gate. So we went to work. Chipping cement.
Marking the area.
Then taking out the sod, dirt, and many, many rocks. It is a gravel bed.
We got the bed prepared and started to lay the stone with the help of Bob. It is like putting together a puzzle without exact edges.

About half way through we realized that we didn't have enough, so it was a dash to purchase more before they closed. Eric met us there, having finished at work. We got the stone and started to put more down when it started to rain. We decided that would be a good time to break and to eat the pizza their daughter had picked up for us.

The rain ended. A rain bow appeared.

We went back to work, and finished about the time it was getting too dark to see.

This is how it looked in the morning. We were happy with the results. There are even plant fossils on some of the stones. What a happy fun extended weekend.

Trail Verses Fitness Center

In all the years that we lived in Yakima, I seldom walked on the Green Way. (It was too far away.) Now, since we are less than a mile from it, I have been using it on the days that I don't go to the fitness center.

The other day, as I was walking, I was also thinking of all the things I could write about.

I could write about the nice breeze that keeps me cool that is perfumed with many wild roses growing along the path. These remind me of the wild roses that grew along the creek bank just outside our back door when I was a kid.

Or I could write about all the wild yellow irises that are blooming. We had wild purple ones on the ranch.

Or I could write about the many birds that I have heard and seen. To name a few: robins, quail, black birds,
and osprey. I have seen them, with their white chests, closer than this.
I have also seen a blue heron but wasn't able to get his picture.

I could also write about the mother duck trailed by six little puff balls.

Or maybe I should write about the smell of creosote as I walked under the train overpass, which reminded me of the smell of the docks in the San Juan Islands on a hot day.

Maybe I should write about the many ponds that are all along the green way where sometimes a fish jumps, reminding me of the irrigation ponds that my dad built and had to stock with fish for my mother's enjoyment of fishing.

I could write about how hot it has been and that the Naches and Yakima rivers are full, so full and swift that the kayak portion of the Gap to Gap race, held last Saturday, had to be canceled.

Maybe I should write about the great play ground that is located along the path. I think all of my kids played on it as teenagers. That was okay since it wasn't built until they were older. (That is my turn around point if I go south east.)

I could also write about the things that make me chuckle, such as the biker who passed me, wearing a lime green shirt. On the back was stamped, "Gang Green."

Or I could write about the two young twenty something year old kids, that I was following, who were carrying fishing poles, tackle, food and drinks from a parking lot to one of the ponds. It was obvious that the tall thin one was giving the other one a hard time. They were both wearing shorts, but the shorter one had on the kind that the kids like to wear down low, almost off their bottom. He was having a hard time keeping them up and would every now and then lift his knees high and to the side. One time he did set his things down and pulled them back up. I got closer, and they saw me behind them. I think he was embarrassed to stop again and pull them up, so he had a tight grip on the front of them. As I passed them I heard the one say, "Well, if you would wear a belt...."

Since I can't decide which to write about, I will just say that yes, the scenery and entertainment is better than the fitness center.