I've been using the bird bath in the yard as a measure of the snow:
And here's the street sign by our house:
And a couple of videos:
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Wishing for the rain they promised!
Well, it's been snowing since at least 2 AM this morning and it just continues to come down like crazy. We shoveled the driveway and the walk AGAIN because the weather forecasters universally said it would be raining by mid-day. NOT!
I've been using the bird bath in the yard as a measure of the snow:
And here's the street sign by our house:
And a couple of videos:
I've been using the bird bath in the yard as a measure of the snow:
And here's the street sign by our house:
And a couple of videos:
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
More winter wonderland!
Wow, this deep freeze is getting old, but still has it's pretty moments! My boss picked me up and took me to work yesterday and I snapped these pictures outside my office. The trees surround a small creek that runs along side the building and the rock chairs are part of a sitting area next to the creek.
This shows how deep the snow got around our house, check out the bird bath!
And woohoo!! The driveway is clear for the first time since last Wednesday, and we can actually get my car out of the garage! Ralph's car on the other hand may be there for a long, long while.
Victory!
This shows how deep the snow got around our house, check out the bird bath!
And woohoo!! The driveway is clear for the first time since last Wednesday, and we can actually get my car out of the garage! Ralph's car on the other hand may be there for a long, long while.
Victory!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Oh, the weather outside is frightful...Part 2
Another great one from the National Weather Service:
Issued by The National Weather Service
Issued by The National Weather Service
Seattle/Tacoma, WA
12:07 pm PST, Sat., Dec. 20, 2008
... WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM PST SUNDAY...
A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM PST SUNDAY.
A MAJOR WINTER STORM IS ON TAP FOR LATER TODAY INTO SUNDAY. HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE COAST AND THEN SPREAD INTO THE INTERIOR OF WESTERN WASHINGTON EARLY THIS EVENING. HEAVIEST SNOW WILL OCCUR ON THE KITSAP PENINSULA... ALONG HOOD CANAL... AND FROM OLYMPIA AND CHEHALIS WEST TO THE CENTRAL COAST NEAR OCEAN SHORES. 10 TO 18 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED CLOSE TO THE HOOD CANAL. OTHER LOCATIONS WITHIN THIS AREA SHOULD GET 5 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW.
ALONG THE I-5 CORRIDOR NORTH OF TACOMA... INCLUDING SEATTLE AND EVERETT... STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL OF 4 TO 8 INCHES IS EXPECTED. IN GENERAL... LIGHTER AMOUNTS WILL OCCUR NEAR THE CASCADE FOOTHILLS WITH HEAVIER AMOUNTS FARTHER WEST ALONG THE SHORES OF PUGET SOUND. SOME PARTS OF EASTERN KING COUNTY... WHERE WIND IS A BIG THREAT... WILL RECEIVE 1 INCH OR LESS OF SNOWFALL. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED BETWEEN 7 PM TONIGHT AND 4 AM SUNDAY MORNING.
LATE TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING... FREEZING RAIN IS POSSIBLE IN GRAYS HARBOR COUNTY AND THE LOWER CHEHALIS VALLEY. IF MORE PRECIPITATION OCCURS IN THE FORM OF FREEZING RAIN THAN SNOW... THEN AN ICE STORM WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITH ICE ACCUMULATIONS IN EXCESS OF ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH. THIS IS NOT A CERTAINTY BUT SHOULD BE KEPT IN MIND. ICE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF CAUSING POWER LINES AND LARGE TREE BRANCHES TO SNAP AND CAUSE MAJOR TRAVEL DISRUPTIONS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW... SLEET... AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.
Sheesh. Who would have ever thought I'd be hoping and praying for RAIN!Happy Birthday to Ralph
Yep, today's his day, turning 61! Wow.
We were having some friends come to dinner, but because of all the cold and snowy weather they've canceled. So we are just tucking in and having his favorite for dinner...ham!
As I was out walking Beau this morning I took a few more pictures of the snowy landscape around here, trying to preserve a bit of it before tonights new round of snow and wind (yippee) arrive. They say we could get as much as a foot of snow tonight into tomorrow. Woohoo. Are we having fun yet?
Our bird bath:
A poor iced over rhody by the clubhouse:
Another icy plant:
And icicles (we rarely ever have icicles!) on the clubhouse:
Brrrrrr!
We were having some friends come to dinner, but because of all the cold and snowy weather they've canceled. So we are just tucking in and having his favorite for dinner...ham!
As I was out walking Beau this morning I took a few more pictures of the snowy landscape around here, trying to preserve a bit of it before tonights new round of snow and wind (yippee) arrive. They say we could get as much as a foot of snow tonight into tomorrow. Woohoo. Are we having fun yet?
Our bird bath:
A poor iced over rhody by the clubhouse:
Another icy plant:
And icicles (we rarely ever have icicles!) on the clubhouse:
Brrrrrr!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Weather update
Well, the weather service got this right. It's been COLD, really cold. Dipping into the teens overnight. Pipe freezing cold. Thankfully not ours, but we let the faucets drip a bit overnight and kept the cabinet doors open to let the heat from the house in. Some of our neighbors had frozen pipes and it's not fun at all so we don't want to go there.
And the weather service kept their promise about snow as well, we must have at least 6 inches on the ground here tonight and it was no fun driving home this afternoon. My boss let me take a bunch of stuff home early and let me work from home so I could get here before it got colder, icier and dark. Gotta love him!! This is what it looked like when I turned to close the garage door:
It was very icy on the side streets and even the freeway. People had plowed up snow from the traffic lanes as they drove by and/or changed lanes, so it was very difficult for my little car to get over the piles and onto the freeway. A guy finally stopped where there was a little break so I could get on the road. Very slow going all the way home, but the toughest time I had was in our driveway! Slight little incline but I slowed down too much in order to make the turn from the street and as I straightened out the snow built up a bit in front of my tires or something because I could not make it into the garage! I tried four times, backing up and trying to get a bit of a run at it (but not too much, didn't want to sail right through to the patio out back!) before I finally made it.
There was about four inches of snow that accumulated on my car since I parked it at work this morning and I wanted to get all of that off before I headed home. So I spent several minutes in the parking lot scraping off as much snow as I possibly could off my windows, trunk and hood. Glad I did or we'd have a huge mess in the garage right now!
The snow looks pretty, but not when you have to get out in it!
Our side yard looking toward the clubhouse:
and our bird feeders:
More snow is predicted for tomorrow, then a really chilly two days (13 degrees) predicted and then snow again on Sunday. They say we'll not break freezing until after the first of the year. This is VERY unusual weather for us, we just don't normally get this cold or have this much snow all at once. Hopefully it will get it out of its system and be done with it!!
Ralph broke out the flannel sheets and put them on the bed and we've been very thankful that our new house is super energy efficient. We've been warm and cozy, but our furnace has been running a lot more during the day. Still not much at night thankfully, it will sometimes kick on for a little bit around 5 am or so but that's about it. I'm still betting that our bill this month will still be a doozy though not just because of this cold snap but also because of the Christmas lights out in our in the yard.
Which reminds me to get out and take some neighborhood pictures because there are some very nice light displays around here. It's just forcing myself to get out in the cold after work. Not tonight!! I've had enough snow excitement for one day.
And the weather service kept their promise about snow as well, we must have at least 6 inches on the ground here tonight and it was no fun driving home this afternoon. My boss let me take a bunch of stuff home early and let me work from home so I could get here before it got colder, icier and dark. Gotta love him!! This is what it looked like when I turned to close the garage door:
It was very icy on the side streets and even the freeway. People had plowed up snow from the traffic lanes as they drove by and/or changed lanes, so it was very difficult for my little car to get over the piles and onto the freeway. A guy finally stopped where there was a little break so I could get on the road. Very slow going all the way home, but the toughest time I had was in our driveway! Slight little incline but I slowed down too much in order to make the turn from the street and as I straightened out the snow built up a bit in front of my tires or something because I could not make it into the garage! I tried four times, backing up and trying to get a bit of a run at it (but not too much, didn't want to sail right through to the patio out back!) before I finally made it.
There was about four inches of snow that accumulated on my car since I parked it at work this morning and I wanted to get all of that off before I headed home. So I spent several minutes in the parking lot scraping off as much snow as I possibly could off my windows, trunk and hood. Glad I did or we'd have a huge mess in the garage right now!
The snow looks pretty, but not when you have to get out in it!
Our side yard looking toward the clubhouse:
and our bird feeders:
More snow is predicted for tomorrow, then a really chilly two days (13 degrees) predicted and then snow again on Sunday. They say we'll not break freezing until after the first of the year. This is VERY unusual weather for us, we just don't normally get this cold or have this much snow all at once. Hopefully it will get it out of its system and be done with it!!
Ralph broke out the flannel sheets and put them on the bed and we've been very thankful that our new house is super energy efficient. We've been warm and cozy, but our furnace has been running a lot more during the day. Still not much at night thankfully, it will sometimes kick on for a little bit around 5 am or so but that's about it. I'm still betting that our bill this month will still be a doozy though not just because of this cold snap but also because of the Christmas lights out in our in the yard.
Which reminds me to get out and take some neighborhood pictures because there are some very nice light displays around here. It's just forcing myself to get out in the cold after work. Not tonight!! I've had enough snow excitement for one day.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Oh, the weather outside is frightful...
How's this for a bulletin from the weather service?
Issued by The National Weather Service
Seattle/Tacoma, WA
3:14 pm PST, Sat., Dec. 13, 2008
... THE LONGEST STREAK OF COLD WEATHER SINCE DECEMBER 1990 IS ON THE WAY...
WHILE THE POSSIBILITY OF LOWLAND SNOW SHOWERS IS IN THE FORECAST AT TIMES OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS... IT IS THE FRIGIDLY COLD TEMPERATURES EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT WEEK THAT COULD HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT ON WESTERN WASHINGTON.
AN ARCTIC AIR MASS WILL STREAM INTO WESTERN WASHINGTON TONIGHT AND SUNDAY... IN THE WAKE OF AN ARCTIC FRONT MOVING SOUTH THROUGH THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES WILL FALL BELOW FREEZING ACROSS WESTERN WASHINGTON TONIGHT WITH MANY SPOTS DIPPING INTO THE LOWER TO MID 20S. MOST OF THE REGION WILL REMAIN BELOW FREEZING ON SUNDAY WITH AFTERNOON HIGHS ONLY IN THE MID 20S TO LOWER 30S. IN ADDITION WINDY CONDITIONS WILL ACCOMPANY THE ARRIVAL OF THE ARCTIC AIR MASS TONIGHT AND SUNDAY... ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTH INTERIOR OF WESTERN WASHINGTON.
SNOW SHOWERS TONIGHT AND SUNDAY COULD PRODUCE LOCAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES... CREATING SLIPPERY ROADS AND SIDEWALKS. ROADWAYS AND OTHER SURFACES THAT ARE ALREADY WET WILL QUICKLY BECOME ICY AND DANGEROUS. THE FRIGID WEATHER COULD BURST OUTDOOR PIPES AND ENDANGER PETS AS WELL. WIND CHILL IS ANOTHER THING THAT CANNOT BE IGNORED. IN THE NORTHWEST INTERIOR THE COMBINATION OF SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES AND WINDY CONDITIONS WILL CREATE APPARENT TEMPERATURES NEAR ZERO DEGREES FAHRENHEIT... LOW ENOUGH TO CAUSE FROSTBITE TO EXPOSED SKIN.
TEMPERATURES WILL DROP FURTHER ON MONDAY... AS VERY COLD AIR CONTINUES TO FUNNEL THROUGH THE FRASER RIVER VALLEY OF SOUTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA AND INTO WESTERN WASHINGTON. BY MONDAY... DAYTIME HIGHS WILL GENERALLY REACH ONLY THE 20S WITH NIGHTTIME LOWS IN THE TEENS OR LOWER. THE COLD AIR MASS WILL SIT OVER THE REGION FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK... WITH MOST ALL OF WESTERN WASHINGTON REMAINING NEAR OR BELOW FREEZING EVEN DURING THE DAYTIME. THIS WILL LIKELY BE THE MOST PROLONGED STREAK OF SUB-FREEZING WEATHER SINCE DECEMBER 1990.
IN ADDITION... A WEATHER SYSTEM ON WEDNESDAY COULD INTERACT WITH THE STUBBORN COLD AIR MASS TO PRODUCE A RENEWED THREAT OF ACCUMULATING SNOW ACROSS THE WESTERN WASHINGTON LOWLANDS.
OVER THE MOUNTAINS... TEMPERATURES WILL FALL INTO THE TEENS AND SINGLE DIGITS TONIGHT AND REMAIN VERY COLD FOR MUCH OF THE WEEK AHEAD. WIND CHILL VALUES OF 20 BELOW ZERO CAN BE EXPECTED AT TIMES ... WHICH WOULD CAUSE FROSTBITE TO EXPOSED SKIN IN ONLY ABOUT 15 MINUTES.
PLEASE BE PREPARED FOR AN UNUSUALLY PROLONGED AND INTENSE PERIOD OF COLD WINTER WEATHER.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Crab
Every once in a while Anthony's has an all you can eat Dungeness crab feed and it's going on right now. Guess what Ralph had for dinner when we met some friends for dinner there last night?
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Nick is 5!
Arrrrgggghhhh! Nick had a fabulous pirate party for his 5th birthday. Loads of fun. Greg had hidden treasure all over the yard and broke the kids up into teams, gave them compasses and taught them how to use them, gave them a treasure map and helped them read the map and use the compass to find their treasure. The kids had a blast.
The whole house was decorated in the pirate theme, notice the skeleton pirate over Nick's shoulder and the shrunken head hanging from the chandelier!
Greg even made a shipwreck in the back yard with a smoking cannon no less. Pretty cool dad!
Striking a pirate pose!
Nick taking his shot at the pinata:
and the kids grabbing up the goodies:
Grandpa Ralph saw this pirate ship and had to have it for Nick, it is so cool. Nick loved it too!
Dad helped him get the packaging off...
Yep, think he likes it.
The whole house was decorated in the pirate theme, notice the skeleton pirate over Nick's shoulder and the shrunken head hanging from the chandelier!
Greg even made a shipwreck in the back yard with a smoking cannon no less. Pretty cool dad!
Striking a pirate pose!
Nick taking his shot at the pinata:
and the kids grabbing up the goodies:
Grandpa Ralph saw this pirate ship and had to have it for Nick, it is so cool. Nick loved it too!
Dad helped him get the packaging off...
Yep, think he likes it.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Thanksgiving 2008
We had a more quiet than usual Thanksgiving this year, it was really nice and we enjoyed the time together a lot. Nick and I even got in a good solid hour of playing Thomas the Tank Engine. We haven't done that for a long time.
Here are some of the pictures from the day:
Me and Nick playing Thomas, he got really carried away with track-building, clear out into the hallway!
Savannah and Ralph, goofing around after dinner!
Here are some of the pictures from the day:
Me and Nick playing Thomas, he got really carried away with track-building, clear out into the hallway!
Savannah and Ralph, goofing around after dinner!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Road Trip!!
Ralph and I haven't taken a vacation or even a weekend away since returning from Mexico in the summer of 2007. We decided it was long overdue so took a three day weekend and went to Ocean Shores. Haven't been there in a while and we had such a great time.
We took Beau with us for his first long trip in the car. We were a little concerned he'd jump all around or fall off onto the floor of the back seat, so we tucked a cozy blanket in the laundry basket, put him in on top of the blanket and hit the road. He didn't seem to mind at all, and went to sleep almost instantly. He woke up on the hilly curvy bit of road as you are nearing the cut-off for Ocean Shores and I thought for a minute he was going to be sick, but he made it just fine. Think he was mainly curious about the change in the ride!
We got to the beach just in time for lunch, so we stopped in at a restaurant we've eaten at before, Alec's, and Ralph had the razor clams and I had their great fish and chips. Yummy, then we shopped a tiny bit and checked into the hotel. It was right on the ocean and we had a first floor room with a patio so it made it easy to get Beau out for his walks, even though he didn't mind making a grand entrance through the lobby so everyone could ooohhh and aaaahhhhh over him.
We packed a backpack full of his stuff to reduce the stress of being in a strange place, even with us along. Being a rescue dog he definitely has separation issues, though we think he is bonding just fine he still gets a bit nervous in new situations. Once he settled into the room with his stuff and ours he was great!
The weather on Friday was stormy and chilly, so we only got in one short little walk down toward the beach before the wind and rain drove us back to the hotel. We settled in in front of the little fireplace and just relaxed and enjoyed the view!
Later we went to dinner in our hotel because it was literally a dark and stormy night and we didn't feel like getting out in the weather. We had a great meal, though the staff outnumbered the guests about 3 to 1, and those were just the ones we could see. No telling how many were in the back of the house! Might be a sign of the economy, or it might just be it was a stormy Friday! I had Butternut squash raviolis with toasted hazelnuts and Gorgonzola cheese and Ralph had oysters. Another yummy meal!
Our friends Bruce and Cherita joined us for breakfast Saturday morning and then we all took a long stroll down the beach. The day was beautiful, sunny and amazingly warm for November.
Beau was loving this new and unusual walk! He practically wore his little nose out sniffing everything he came across, and since it was stormy the night before there was a LOT to sniff! He was really fascinated by this big driftwood log and also by a crab that had been buried under the sand, and then a car drove over it and made it mad. It poked out from under the sand and was moving around and Beau wanted to get up close and personal with this nifty new critter. I kept him at a safe distance to he wouldn't get caught in this crabby crab's claws!
Later in the afternoon we went to Bruce and Cherita's hotel and got there just in time for a really pretty sunset.
They stayed at a resort/casino just up the beach from us, and the speed limit signs coming into the property are pretty funny, not 20 mph, not 25 mph, but 21 mph. As in Blackjack!
Then Ralph and Cherita did a tiny bit of pre-dinner gambling on penny slot machines while Bruce and I stood behind them cheering them on. We had a great visit with them over dinner at their hotel, Ralph and Bruce went for the prime rib, Cherita and I went for the sea scallops. Yum again!
Sunday morning was sunny but COLD. And though it was warm and toasty in our room Beau could hardly pry himself out of the king size bed.
Last but not least, pictures of us at the ocean:
We took Beau with us for his first long trip in the car. We were a little concerned he'd jump all around or fall off onto the floor of the back seat, so we tucked a cozy blanket in the laundry basket, put him in on top of the blanket and hit the road. He didn't seem to mind at all, and went to sleep almost instantly. He woke up on the hilly curvy bit of road as you are nearing the cut-off for Ocean Shores and I thought for a minute he was going to be sick, but he made it just fine. Think he was mainly curious about the change in the ride!
We got to the beach just in time for lunch, so we stopped in at a restaurant we've eaten at before, Alec's, and Ralph had the razor clams and I had their great fish and chips. Yummy, then we shopped a tiny bit and checked into the hotel. It was right on the ocean and we had a first floor room with a patio so it made it easy to get Beau out for his walks, even though he didn't mind making a grand entrance through the lobby so everyone could ooohhh and aaaahhhhh over him.
We packed a backpack full of his stuff to reduce the stress of being in a strange place, even with us along. Being a rescue dog he definitely has separation issues, though we think he is bonding just fine he still gets a bit nervous in new situations. Once he settled into the room with his stuff and ours he was great!
The weather on Friday was stormy and chilly, so we only got in one short little walk down toward the beach before the wind and rain drove us back to the hotel. We settled in in front of the little fireplace and just relaxed and enjoyed the view!
Later we went to dinner in our hotel because it was literally a dark and stormy night and we didn't feel like getting out in the weather. We had a great meal, though the staff outnumbered the guests about 3 to 1, and those were just the ones we could see. No telling how many were in the back of the house! Might be a sign of the economy, or it might just be it was a stormy Friday! I had Butternut squash raviolis with toasted hazelnuts and Gorgonzola cheese and Ralph had oysters. Another yummy meal!
Our friends Bruce and Cherita joined us for breakfast Saturday morning and then we all took a long stroll down the beach. The day was beautiful, sunny and amazingly warm for November.
Beau was loving this new and unusual walk! He practically wore his little nose out sniffing everything he came across, and since it was stormy the night before there was a LOT to sniff! He was really fascinated by this big driftwood log and also by a crab that had been buried under the sand, and then a car drove over it and made it mad. It poked out from under the sand and was moving around and Beau wanted to get up close and personal with this nifty new critter. I kept him at a safe distance to he wouldn't get caught in this crabby crab's claws!
Later in the afternoon we went to Bruce and Cherita's hotel and got there just in time for a really pretty sunset.
They stayed at a resort/casino just up the beach from us, and the speed limit signs coming into the property are pretty funny, not 20 mph, not 25 mph, but 21 mph. As in Blackjack!
Then Ralph and Cherita did a tiny bit of pre-dinner gambling on penny slot machines while Bruce and I stood behind them cheering them on. We had a great visit with them over dinner at their hotel, Ralph and Bruce went for the prime rib, Cherita and I went for the sea scallops. Yum again!
Sunday morning was sunny but COLD. And though it was warm and toasty in our room Beau could hardly pry himself out of the king size bed.
Last but not least, pictures of us at the ocean:
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Elf Yourself 2008
Send your own ElfYourself eCards
Here's Aly:
http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/
More of Aly's family:
http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/
The kids, elfing:
http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Small world - twice in one week!!
Small World, Part One:
While talking on the phone with his Aunt Donna in North Dakota she mentioned to Ralph that she had a letter from a man here in Washington. The letter had been sent to the high school in her small town, the gentleman was looking to connect with the family of some of his high school classmates, one of which was Donna's brother and Ralph's Uncle, John. She shared some of the letter, Ralph found it pretty interesting, especially the part where the writer is from our little town here. Less than a couple of miles from us. Aunt Donna wondered if Ralph would call the guy and try to catch him up on family stuff. Sure, no problem.
Ralph called, left a message and a few days later the gentleman called back. They had a lively conversation about North Dakota in general and Ralph's mom, aunts and uncles specifically and in the course of the conversation Ralph asked him where else he'd lived besides here and there in his 93 years on the planet. Centralia. Hmmmm, Ralph asked him if he was related to the family that had the business on the Galvin Road? Yep, that was them. Turns out one of this guy's sons was one of Ralph's best friends in high school. Whoa! So they've decided they need to get together for coffee and chat some more.
Small World, Part Two:
So, we are walking Beau before taking off for a family get-together and as always, we let him set the course. At this one corner he invariably turns left or goes straight. This day he make a hard right and we follow along to see what the new adventure will be. Mid-block a tiny little fluff of a dog comes charging out of a driveway to our right barking and growling like he's a big guy or something and Beau just ignores him. I'm reaching down to shoo the little dog away. As I stand back up, there is my friend Sharone that I haven't seen in at least 10 years. Whoa! We both worked at Meeker Mansion, she following my tenure there. We did a quick little catch-up standing in the driveway. She's now a pastor and the little dog belongs people in her parish who live here and she was just dropping them off on their way back from a mission conference in Portland. Since we both had little time we promised to Google one another and have e-mailed back and forth since then.
Never know where the twists and turns of life take you when you are willing to make a simple phone call or change your course.
While talking on the phone with his Aunt Donna in North Dakota she mentioned to Ralph that she had a letter from a man here in Washington. The letter had been sent to the high school in her small town, the gentleman was looking to connect with the family of some of his high school classmates, one of which was Donna's brother and Ralph's Uncle, John. She shared some of the letter, Ralph found it pretty interesting, especially the part where the writer is from our little town here. Less than a couple of miles from us. Aunt Donna wondered if Ralph would call the guy and try to catch him up on family stuff. Sure, no problem.
Ralph called, left a message and a few days later the gentleman called back. They had a lively conversation about North Dakota in general and Ralph's mom, aunts and uncles specifically and in the course of the conversation Ralph asked him where else he'd lived besides here and there in his 93 years on the planet. Centralia. Hmmmm, Ralph asked him if he was related to the family that had the business on the Galvin Road? Yep, that was them. Turns out one of this guy's sons was one of Ralph's best friends in high school. Whoa! So they've decided they need to get together for coffee and chat some more.
Small World, Part Two:
So, we are walking Beau before taking off for a family get-together and as always, we let him set the course. At this one corner he invariably turns left or goes straight. This day he make a hard right and we follow along to see what the new adventure will be. Mid-block a tiny little fluff of a dog comes charging out of a driveway to our right barking and growling like he's a big guy or something and Beau just ignores him. I'm reaching down to shoo the little dog away. As I stand back up, there is my friend Sharone that I haven't seen in at least 10 years. Whoa! We both worked at Meeker Mansion, she following my tenure there. We did a quick little catch-up standing in the driveway. She's now a pastor and the little dog belongs people in her parish who live here and she was just dropping them off on their way back from a mission conference in Portland. Since we both had little time we promised to Google one another and have e-mailed back and forth since then.
Never know where the twists and turns of life take you when you are willing to make a simple phone call or change your course.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Ryan's mohawk
We went to dinner the other night to celebrate Ronnie and TJ's birthdays and little Ryan stole the show with is great mohawk! Green highlights even! Isn't he the cutest?
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Julia and Rachel
Our friends daughters on their trip to the pumpkin patch! Beautiful little ladies! We don't get to see them often and are thankful for pictures! They are growing so fast!!!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Evan and Ryan trick or treat
How cute and adorable are these two??? Ryan was the Blue Power Ranger, and very, very cool. Evan was the cutest little skeleton ever!!
Julie making a final adjustment to Ryan's costume
TJ and Billie Jo in a pre-trick or treating snuggle
One of our neighbor's spooky little garden
Julie making a final adjustment to Ryan's costume
TJ and Billie Jo in a pre-trick or treating snuggle
One of our neighbor's spooky little garden
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