DoDDS gathering

With several Mannheim retired teachers within a few hours of our place we decided to host a gathering. Our summers turned out to be too busy to schedule a gathering but in October we were pleased to arrange a date that Susie Walker and Roy Harris, Marcia and Ray Reass, Margaret Burkhart and Jane Black were able to come for a couple of fun filled days. During the reunion we ate very well as our guests arrived with lots of delicious treats. As you can imagine we spent lots of time reminiscing as we shared memories of our teaching times in Mannheim, Germany and our adventures since enjoying retirement. The time visiting on the deck during the day was very relaxing as we experienced a rare warm sunny fall day. As dusk arrived so did some pesky mosquitoes, so we moved indoors. Our area has not yet had a frost so mosquitoes are still a problem after the sun starts to go down. According to the locals this year has been much worse than normal because we had such a wet spring.

Fall Color near Eugene

Mid October was our time to be in Eugene for Ray's blood tests. Before arriving in Eugene we traveled up the Santiam River where we saw our first brilliant colors. Of course Salalie Falls is beautiful any time of the year and we enjoyed the stop. While in Eugene we did a few projects getting Mom's place ready for the winter. With the house projects in order and the results of the blood tests excellent, we decided to celebrate. Luckily we had beautiful fall weather for a trip into the Cascades. We packed a lunch and started up the Mackenzie Pass, enjoying a picnic at the Leaburg fish hatchery. After lunch we traveled past Blue River where we turned south past Cougar reservoir and then followed the minor pass towards Oakridge on the Willamette Pass. Along the way we were treated to lots of fall color along the rushing streams. When we came out at Oakridge we found a covered bridge that used to connect the town with the mill. The mill is no longer in operation and the railroad that used to transport logs to the mill has disappeared but they have converted the rail line into biking and hiking trails. It was getting late so we had to head on toward Eugene but we will have to return with our hiking boots or bikes to enjoy the trails that looked inviting.

Bird Fest / Bluegrass

We have enjoyed a lot of wonderful fall weather but luck was not with us for the local Bird / Bluegrass festival. We kept hoping, along with the organizers, that the festival would have some decent weather. We spent quite a bit of time inside as the rains tended to take over much of the weekend. Celia did not seem to mind the time with her great grandma there to read to her. Greg had suggested that we have borscht (Russian beet soup) to go with the Birds and Bluegrass. The recipe came in two versions, one with tomatoes and one without so we decided to make two pots and give people a choice. Both seemed to be a hit as the two large pots seemed to disappear. Celia also enjoyed having extra family at the house and was good at sharing her toys with others like Ted and Rosalie Hulbert who were also visiting. Roy had a surplus of green tomatoes that needed to be used, so we checked for recipes and found little. A decision was made to try a rhubarb custard pie recipe and substitute green tomatoes. It was a good fit and we now have a new way to use green tomatoes at the end of next season. It sounds strange, but sure is tasty. As groups we wandered down to the town center and found many bluegrass bands “jamming” which we enjoyed listening to. As part of the festival there were many activities involving birds. We enjoyed seeing the kestrel and owl as well as other birds displayed by a local rehabilitation facility. There were also tours through the wildlife refuge and we enjoyed taking the tour. It was a bit early for the fall migrations of Sand hill Cranes but we did see a few. We enjoyed seeing the coyote working the grasslands and blue heron along the banks.

Mount Rainer

As we watched the evening news Sunday the local weatherman was quite excited about a couple of crystal clear fall days he expected mid week. He went on to say that Mount Rainier was expected to be particularly clear. We looked at each other and realized we had not seen the mountain and had recently commented we should go since it is only a few hours away. Being retired we quickly decided there were no reasons for not going. The next morning we checked the internet to be sure the park was open and campsites were available, and we set to packing the van. Our drive north was uneventful and before we entered Rainier National Park we found this unique little church with a history connected to the early settlers to the area who were lumbermen. We arrived in the national park about noon. We went straight to Paradise Point and enjoyed time walking trails and exploring the information center before heading down the mountain part way to Cougar Rocks where the campground was located. The few people that were camped there must have been entertained as we drove around the large campground looking for the perfect site; most sites were empty and we just couldn't make up our minds. After a while we realized we were only spending one night so made a quick decision on a site and prepared dinner as we saw the evening alpine glow on the spectacular mountain. Our plan was to spend some time at the lodge during the evening but learned it is a very tiny lodge near the campsite and few facilities were available as they were closing the coming weekend for the season. Luckily we had brought campfire materials so spent a pleasant evening talking around the campfire. The next morning we had breakfast and headed for Sunrise Point which views the mountain from the north. We discovered Box Canyon which is a very narrow gorge, maybe 10 feet wide and 180 feet deep with a turbulent creek working to gouge out the narrow passage. As we went down one canyon and up another we were reminded of the Going to the Sun highway in Glacier National Park. The parking lot was nearly empty but the views were spectacular. Crews were working to close up the facilities for the winter but it was so warm that winter seemed a long way off. We enjoyed a picnic and then started heading back home. We were not sure how long it would take but figured could drive into the night if needed. We drove out of the park and headed for Randall where we found a local restaurant for dinner while it was still quite light. It was pretty dark by the time we reached the freeway but were surprised to be home about 8 PM. Now we know that Mount Rainier is only about 3 hours away and well worth the time going to see.

Ridgefield Events

We couldn't let a birthday go by without some sort of celebration so Nancy cooked up an angel food cake for Brett with 3 candles, one for each decade. Celia was excited and wanted to help blow out the candles. When Brett asked her how many candles, she responded “3” and Brett stated he must be 3, but she was not so sure. When asked how old she was, the response was quick that she was also 3. After that we all enjoyed cake and ice cream which were big hits, making it a special evening. Once in a while we get to have Cecilia spend time with us. She has claimed one room which she proudly announces is her room when she spends the night. We enjoy having her visit and she seems to enjoy helping us feed the birds and squirrels. Recently we were all pleased to see extra raccoon eyes looking back at us from a tree snag just off our deck. It appears a mama has about 3 babies but they are hard to count and we have not been lucky enough to catch the little ones going up or down the tree for an accurate count.

Court of Honor

We were glad that it worked out we could cross over the river to Portland for the Court of Honor for Patrick, our nephew. It was a family event which we were pleased to be a part of. We had not been to the area before but Roy helped guide us to the site. As you can see from the family picture all were proud of Patrick's accomplishments. We had to snap a picture of Patrick with his proud parents as well as one with his Dad and uncles. We hope to attend more awards ceremonies and then maybe we can see Patrick receive his Eagle Scout award sometime next year.