Christmas with Brett and Kasey

We did not have all of the family together for Christmas at the same time but enjoyed celebrating the holidays in our new home. Bertha (Mom) came up with us from Eugene for a few days. Brett and Kasey had a small family gathering at their new place on Christmas Eve. Luckily they were able to get the furnace fixed so we were all able to stay warm. Norm and Sheryl were there from LaGrande and of course Cecilia was the main attraction.

First Ridgefield Guests

We took possession of our Ridgefield house on the last day of November and of course we had to celebrate. Roy, Suzanne, Brett, Kasey and Cecilia stopped by, and even though we did not have much in the way of furniture we enjoyed some pumpkin pie and conversation.

Silver Bullet / Blue Streak

1984 Toyota Van named "Silver Bullet"


Over the years you may have heard us talk of the Silver Bullet. That is our old but trusty 1984 Toyota van and thought we would show a few pictures of how she still looks pretty good for her age… We have not replaced the Silver Bullet, but we did purchase an updated version we are now calling the Blue Streak… When we have family visit it is nice to have a ”people-hauler” available.

1998 Toyota Van named the "Blue Streak"

California trip

Nancy and I decided to head south for a visit with Jan, Al and family in Modesto. Scott and family planned to visit for Thanksgiving and we wanted to connect. We had great weather and enjoyed the chance to visit with Jan, Al, Tara and Scott. We are not sure how we managed not to take any pictures but we do have fond memories of that visit and were so glad that we were able to see Scott, though we missed seeing Megan and the girls. We know that Jan and Al had a full house and enjoyed Thanksgiving. One of the days we had arranged to meet Karen and Doug Deike who were to be in San Francisco (from Germany) visiting family and we were fortunate enough to be able to see them for a few hours. We spent most of our time walking and talking on the beach out by The Cliff House. We were so lucky to have a gorgeous late fall day. We did take time to enjoy a fine lunch overlooking the shoreline.

Ridgefield House

Driveway and front entry

For the past year we have enjoyed living in Hansville, Washington, renting from Brett and Kasey. It has provided us with the opportunity to explore the Puget Sound area as we started our retirement. Knowing that the house we were renting was probably going to be sold next year, we started looking for a home of our own for the next phase of our retirement. We started exploring areas near family in Vancouver area and found the community of Ridgefield, Washington to our liking. We have been exploring the small friendly town just north of Vancouver, Washington and it seems like a good fit. While attending the local Bird Fest & Bluegrass festival we spotted a home conducting an open house which we liked. Thinking we should not buy the first house we looked at we arranged to have another realtor show us many properties in the area. This convinced us to move ahead and now we are in the process of purchasing the house and plan to move there early next year. We think the three bedroom home with 1878 square foot and three-car garage should meet our needs.

Overlooking wetlands from deck.

The house covers much of the city lot, reducing the amount of yard work required which is appealing to us. We have included a few pictures of the house and will include more as time goes on. Ridgefield is next to a large National Wildlife Refuge situated with several wetlands protected areas along the Columbia River. The recent home inspections went well and the closing is scheduled for the end of November. We are getting excited about settling into the house but of course are not looking forward to moving. The opportunity to be nearer family and explore a new area will be welcome. Ridgfield is near Vancouver, Portland and the Portland airport which will provide many opportunities. Ridgefield is on the Columbia River and is not far from Mt. St. Helens and the Columbia Gorge scenic area so there will be lots to explore.

Entry side viewing deck

National Parks visit

Nancy and I wanted to take a trip to see the fall colors before winter arrived in the mountains, so we planned a trip through the North Cascades NP, across Idaho and on to Montana.

North Cascades NP

The weather was predicted to be nice and the day we left we had a cloudy but clearing ferry ride from Kingston to Edmonds. As we turned north and then east onto the North Cascades highway the weather continued to improve. We were treated to many wonderful views as we passed through the rugged mountains. We had lunch near the summit of the pass in beautiful sunshine. We moved into eastern Washington and stopped for the night in Repubic, Washington. The owner of the older but remodeled motel mentioned the Acorn Bar and Filling Station as a good place to eat.

Kootenai Falls

We were a bit taken aback by the name, but found the food good and the atmosphere interesting. The bar had an interesting history and was filled with antiques. We enjoyed wandering around the old restored downtown after dinner. The next morning we continued across beautiful country and crossed the Columbia River near Kettle Falls. As we wound our way through the Selkirk Mountains we enjoyed seeing lots of fall colors. After following the Pend Oreille River for some time we crossed the Idaho Panhandle for a brief time before entering Montana. We continued to enjoy interesting country and the fall colors. One highlight was Kootenai Falls where the Kootenai River was particularly active. The pedestrian suspension bridge high above the fast moving water was rather shaky!

Ray and Teri enjoying Flathead Lake

After that experience we continued towards our destination of Flathead Lake where we looked forward to seeing Teri Warford. Shortly after our arrival she treated us to a wonderful dinner which we enjoyed as we watched the sunset over the Flathead Lake. The next day we packed for a trip to Glacier NP. Unfortunately the Going to the Sun highway had just closed for the season but our excellent guide (Teri) knew what to see and how to get there. We enjoyed time by Lake McDonald and then a walk on the Avenue of the Cedars before our great picnic lunch at the far end of the lake.

Lake McDonald in Glacier NP

For the trip we packed heavy coats which we did not need because of the unseasonably warm weather. Later in the day Teri took us to St. Mary where we found lodging at the Red Eagle motel and had a great dinner at the Snow Goose Lodge as the sun set over the mountains. The next morning we had breakfast at the “world famous” Johnson Café. Turns out it was famous for being run by Mr. Johnson who recently passed away in his 90’s. He had a wonderful collection of antiques with interesting histories. Mr. Johnson also had an interesting history including building runways during WWII in Alaska, working on the ALCAN Highway, as well as farming in Montana and running the restaurant.

St. Mary's Lake in Glacier NP

After spending much of the day in the mountains with beautiful views and great weather our time was running out. Our only regret was that we didn’t see any major wildlife, like mountain goats, elk or bear. We had another great picnic lunch before leaving the area. On the way out of Glacier we stopped at the unique East Glacier Lodge and then returned to Polson where we dined at a fine Mexican restaurant on Flathead Lake, watching yet another great sunset.

Flathead Lake - approaching Teri's home.

The next morning before leaving Teri and her beautiful house on the lake we took a boat ride to see some of the local sites. Then we headed south, stopping at the St. Ignatius church which had a rich history with the local native people. As we headed towards Oregon we found ourselves following the same route that the explorers Lewis and Clark had taken and Chief Joseph traveled when we was fleeing the Army trying to escape to Canada. We enjoyed the visitor’s center at the summit of Lolo Pass and at White Bird Pass we looked at the many switchbacks on the old highway from a viewpoint on the new modern highway.

Cecilia, Gopher explore deer camp...

Just below the viewpoint was the location of the first battle that Chief Joseph had with the Army. As we looked at the view, we could hear some coyotes playing in the gully below the viewpoint, but never could see them. We spent the night in the town of Kooskia which was on the reservation and seemed to be quite depressed. We had dinner at a small Chinese restaurant and enjoyed the entertainment: the cooks and waiters had several heated arguments or “discussions” during our dinner and the young waitress always smiled and winked at us, letting us know this was a normal routine and nothing serious. The next day we traveled further south because we needed to get south of Hells Canyon so we could cross over into Oregon. We had great vistas of the Snake River canyon and a nice picnic along the Brownlee Reservoir before we crossed over the Snake River at the Oxbow dam into Oregon. It was a wonderful afternoon to go by Wallowa Lake and down the Wallalla and Grande Ronde Valleys, through Joseph and Enterprise to LaGrande. We enjoyed some time with Sheryl Brown as we waited for Norm to get home, as well as Brett, Kasey and Cecilia who were expected later that evening.

Brett and Norm setting up camp...

This was the weekend for the guys to set up deer camp. We enjoyed the morning at Norm and Sheryl’s beautiful log home as preparations were made to depart for deer camp northeast of Pendleton in the Umatilla National Forest. We had a picnic lunch at the site as Brett and Norm set up the large tent, wood stove, etc. We explored and played with Cecilia during the afternoon. Nancy and I departed late in the afternoon for Vancouver where we spent the night with Roy and Suzanne before heading down to Eugene for a visit before returning to Hansville.

Bill and Deanna Visit

The first stop after purchasing our van in Eugene, Oregon was the Portland, Oregon airport where we met Bill and Deanna to start our travels together.

Enjoying a Hansville beach

We headed north to Hansville with Bill and Ray in the van as Nancy and Deanna followed in the Civic. It made a long day for Bill and Deanna but we were all able to sleep late the next day. The next few days we spent time in the local area seeing the quaint towns of Poulsbo, Port Townsend and Port Gamble before heading on to Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic National Park.

Port Townsend waterfront

We had a beautiful sunny day to see the Olympic Mountains and enjoyed a picnic with many friendly deer that would have loved for us to share with them.

Enjoying Hurricane Ridge in the Olympics

Before the day was over we drove by Crescent Lake headed to the Washington coast where we enjoyed a walk to Second Beach through the large old growth trees near the community of La Push. As the day ended we were seeing clouds but enjoyed a seafood dinner in La Push then spent the night in the town of Forks which has become well known as the setting of the book and TV series, Twilight.

Second Beach near La Push

The next day it was raining, making it a perfect day to visit the rain forest section of the Olympic National Park. The rains were not heavy and did not scare us away as we enjoyed our walks through the moss covered forests before heading back to Hansville for the night.


Olympic Rain Forest

The next day we drove to Bainbridge Island where we parked the van and took the ferry across Puget Sound to Seattle. The sights and smells of Pike Street Market were somewhat subdued since it was Labor Day, but the Seattle Center where the Space Needle towers above was alive with a music festival. It did not rain but it was cloudy enough that Mount Rainer was hidden. We were getting pretty tired as we rode the Monorail back towards the waterfront area for the ferry back to Bainbridge Island where our van was waiting. It was dark as the ferry left the terminal and the Seattle skyline came to life with lights as we headed west across Puget Sound.

Headed for Seattle on the Ferry

After a night’s rest it was time to load up and head south for a tour through Mount St. Helen’s National Park. The weather was clearing and we were fortunate to see Mount Rainer as we headed south. Mount St. Helens was beautiful with a fresh dusting of snow and we spent more time enjoying the day in the park which made us a bit late to head for the Columbia Gorge that day.

North side of Mount St. Helens

We spent the night in Vancouver and sure appreciated Brett and Kasey opening their home for us to spend the night. We feasted at a special Mexican restaurant, Who Song and Larry’s, a favorite overlooking the Columbia River. The next morning we traveled up the Columbia Gorge spending time at Crown Point, Multnomah Falls, Bonneville Dam fish hatchery to see huge sturgeon and spawning salmon. Then it was on to the Mount Hood Lodge at the base of Mount Hood before spending the night at Madras in central Oregon.

Crooked River Gorge near Bend, Oregon

There were some clouds hiding much of Mount Hood so we never really got to see the whole mountain. We enjoyed a stop at the Bend tourist information center to pick up maps and later a grocery store to secure picnic supplies before heading for the Century Drive which goes by many mountains like Three Sisters, Bachelor and Broken Top. We enjoyed a picnic lunch by Devils Lake with clear and warm weather.

Enjoying Crater Lake view

We continued exploring the area, including Little Lava Lake, and Crane Prairie before moving on to La Pine, Oregon where we found lodging for the night.

Crater Lake west rim

Late in the afternoon we enjoyed going up to Paulina Lake and walked a trail through the nearby obsidian flow where we enjoyed a beautiful sunset. The next day we continued our drive through central Oregon and arrived at Crater Lake National Park which was as stunning and blue as ever! After exploring the area and lodge we had a picnic lunch at the edge of the Caldera which drops about 2000 feet to the lake. Shade was needed to keep us cool during our stay as it was quite warm, even at 8,000 feet.

Enjoying Clear Water Falls on the Umpqua River

Later in the afternoon we drove down along the Umpqua River, enjoying stops at water falls along the way. In Roseburg we shared where we had lived and had dinner before traveling on to Eugene for the night. The next day my mom, Bertha, joined us and we traveled up the McKenzie River and over the old McKenzie Pass to see the lava beds and Dee Wright observatory before spending a very short time shopping in the touristy town of Sisters.

Lava beds and Dee Wright observatory

We moved on to the headwaters of the Metolious River which is known for starting from large springs forming a full river. With daylight fading, we headed back over the mountains via the Clear Lake cut-off back to Eugene for the night.

Devels Churn on the Oregon coast

On Sunday we went to church and had a relaxing time at home. We were treated to a special tri-tip barbeque prepared by Bill and Deanna. Then on Monday we hit the road again, headed for the Oregon Coast. We were lucky enough to have nice weather and enjoyed seeing sea lions basking and swimming near the rocky coast. The ocean was a bit rough which made it very scenic as we viewed Heceta Head lighthouse, one of the most photographed places in Oregon, Devils Churn where the waves come into a very narrow volcanic crevice in the rocks, and Cape Perpetua; then on to Devil’s Punch Bowl and Otter Crest before finding lodging at Depoe Bay. The next day we were treated to seeing whales feeding very near the shore at Depoe Bay and Boiler Bay. We traveled on north and enjoyed seeing two dory fisherman land on the beach at Pacific City, one a beginner, one an old pro.

Cape Meares near Tillamook, Oregon

At Cape Meares we had beautiful calm weather to see the lighthouse and rocky coastline before heading inland to Tillamook where we toured the cheese factory and of course had to have some cheese curds and Tillamook ice cream.

Portland Rose Gardens

Then it was on to Portland for the night and the next morning we toured Portland’s famous Rose Gardens before taking Bill and Deanna to the airport for their flight back to Tennessee while we headed home to Hansville. By our calculations we thought we’d both be arriving home at about the same time, but we later learned that we beat Bill and Deanna who could not land in Nashville because of bad weather and were diverted, making them about 4 hours later than expected. They got home about 4:00 am! It was a wonderful trip and we look forward to more travels with Bill and Deanna.

Work on the Deck

In late August we were enjoying some very nice weather in the Hansville area. Brett, Kasey and Cecilia decided to take advantage of the great weather to come up for a weekend to sand and finish the deck before the winter weather arrived.

Kasey doing some of the finish sanding

Of course they also hoped to have some time to relax on the beach but you know how home improvement projects always seem to involve more time than planned. The deck preparation, sanding, and painting managed to take up most of the weekend.

Brett operating the heavy duty Sander

While Brett and Kasey labored to resurface the deck Nancy and I had time to enjoy Cecilia. Of course we took time to go to the beach which she really enjoys.

Brett works on the roof with observers

During the week that followed we were sitting in the dining room having breakfast when Ray saw a large bird fly from the back yard to the tree. Upon closer investigation we discovered it was a large barred owl that sat in the tree for a long time and even allowed us to go outside for a closer look and to take his picture. We often get to enjoy wildlife in the yard like deer, raccoons, squirrels and chipmunks but this was the first owl we had seen in the yard.

Barred Owl keeping an eye on us

Realizing that we sometimes needed a bigger vehicle than our Honda Civic we had been keeping our eyes peeled for a van. Anticipating travels with visitors spurred us to purchase a Toyota van while visiting Eugene. It did feel a bit strange withdrawing the cash from a drive through window at our credit union, signing over the title in the parking lot and within the hour heading to Portland to pick up our guests.

Our new to us Toyota van

Family reunion fun

Brett, Wren and Cecilia enjoy the pickle ball court

We were really happy that Kari, Charles, Travis and Wren could spend time at our place when returning from summer in Tennessee. How fortunate that Brett, Kasey and Cecilia could travel north from Vancouver so that all of the family could spend a long weekend together. It was a full house and we sure had a lot of fun with lots of time at the beach or in the back yard.

Chalk art was also popular on the court

The back yard pickle ball court was a big hit. What, you don’t know about pickle ball! Apparently a lot of folks don’t but it is very popular around here and rumor has it that it was developed on Bainbridge Island which is not far from us. Pickle ball is played on a concrete court that looks much like a tennis court but smaller. Players use paddles that look like oversized ping pong paddles and a ball that looks a lot like small wiffle ball. The game is scored just like tennis but we did not bother to keep score. Pickle ball was a hit and many hours were spent batting the ball around on the court.


Wren, Cecilia and Travis resting

One day Ray played barefoot and that evening found that the concrete court had made his feet sore and he now recommends wearing shoes. The court was also used to create lots of chalk drawings which were washed away when we had rain. The family made many trips to the beach and created many sand castles as well as uncovered many sea creatures. It sure was fun to spend a lot of time on the beach and with the weather partly cloudy and very little wind we could enjoy the beach to the fullest. When the beach is in full sun it can be quite hot. When we returned to the house it was amazing to see how much sand came back with the kids as we hosed them down. One day it was rainy so we went to the nearby Naval Undersea Museum which is a very nice museum following the history of the submarine and undersea explorations. The kids had a great time playing in the control room and using the periscopes to see outside.

Charles, Kari, Travis, Ray and Wren relaxing

While they were here the wildlife seemed to hide, maybe they were frightened away by the extra people and Gopher, Brett and Kasey’s dog, that came up for a visit as well. One afternoon a young raccoon did hang around long enough for the kids to enjoy. We also had a doe and her fawn in the yard to entertain us for a while one morning.

Cecilia Wren and Travis enjoyed playing on the beach...

Hansville critters

Gopher is welcome to visit anytime

This has been an interesting month with wild creatures. As we do not have a dog or cat it seems the critters feel right at home here. We often enjoy wildlife sightings in our yard. We particularly enjoy seeing the does with fawns and raccoons with babies that seem to be frequent guests. We also enjoy the squirrels and chipmunks but recently we were pulled into a territorial battle with one squirrel. We had reports from guests that they heard noises coming from the roof. At first we thought it must be a bird on the roof, but more careful listening determined something was in the attic. As the sounds were so infrequent it took a while to track down the source but we had noticed a squirrel with a twitchy tail that seemed to often hang around the carport. When Brett and family were visiting we were watching the squirrel in the carport when it disappeared behind the chimney. On closer inspection we could see a small hole going into the attic behind the chimney. Next step was to insure the squirrel was out of the attic and then seal the hole. Gopher, Brett and Kasey’s dog, helped insure the squirrel stayed in a tree as Brett used expanding foam to seal the hole and chimney area. For the next few days the squirrel was observed in the area and some shredded foam scraps showed he had tried to re-open the hole. One day when we returned from the beach we spotted the squirrel near the area so Ray tapped a piece of firewood on the wall. What a surprise it was to all of us to see the squirrel make a suicide leap from the carport rafters to the top of the car and then scurry off into a nearby tree to scold us. Since then we have not seen evidence of him trying to reopen the hole but we did notice a squirrel looking out from a small opening at the other end of the house. Now that entry has also been sealed, and yes, we did make sure the attic was clear of a nest and babies before we sealed the entrances.