Push to the finish

While their parents moved, Andy and Sylvia stayed with us. One day we spent on the waterfront and the next we headed to Carnation for blueberry and blackberry picking and lunch at Remlinger. Forgot the camera in the car so no pictures of the berry picking which is too bad as Sylvia was wearing (apropos) her blueberry hat.








Sylvia shows apprehension as she rides the big horse on the Merry-Go-Round. Piece-o-cake for Andy who, for reasons only he knows, insists on wearing his swimming goggles.

Bike-a-thon

On the final leg of our first day biking in the Willamette Valley on a weekend tour organized by Bike Oregon. We biked 45.6 miles in temps in the mid-90-degrees. It was dry and hot but lots of fun. At the end of the journey, just before returning to Monmouth and the University grounds fellow bikers and we took pictures. We headed right to the swimming pool to cool off and stayed in until our body temperatures returned to normal. The next day we did 23 more miles.
Beautiful country and really nice people. This is a well-organized event that we went on last year and will do so every year until our legs, back, bodies give out.

Summer time and the living is easy

We headed out to Blake Island to picnic and swim with Cherise and kids. Andy's favorite part is the grandpa lets him drive the boat. On the way back, an exhausted Andy fell asleep with hands firmly grasping the stirring wheel. I call it DWS - driving well sleeping.








We stopped off at this beach as a break from shlepping the kids and stuff from a picnic dinner of fried chicken and trimmings (ah fried chicken) and swimming at Colman Pool on but another hot day this weekend.

We're out of here

This has been one hot summer in Seattle. When the thermometer hit in the 90s and 100s last week we jumped in our boat and headed to our very favorite summer retreat -- Patos Island in the San Juans. Maybe its the carnivorous bees or the biting flies or the mosquitoes at sunset, but we always seem to have this island virtually to ourselves. This week we spent most of our time swimming in the cool (okay, cold) waters. But it actually felt good!

Boys fishing trip to Janice Lake

Janice Lake is above Kamloops in British Columbia and it is a special place for Tom who learned to fish there. His grandfather helped the present owners of the only fishing camp on this pristine lake get started some 50 years ago. Silver, who still cooks all the meals and runs the camp, is now 91 years old and counting. As she told me on the phone -- this may be my last year.
Don't count on it. Silver has the sharpness and the energy of people half her age. She is an inspiration.

In any case the "boys only" fishing trip included Peter, Shawn, Tom and Andy, who was very excited to be included in this outing.





The cabins.



Andy takes a nap on the island, fishing with Peter, and the day's catch being smoked.




The island in the middle of the lake offers respite from fishing and an opportunity for a dip in the clear, cool waters.






Andy helps Silver make bread for dinner.

With a few noodles and some imagination

Andy and Sylvia got clever with some noodles and dish towels becoming robotic natives with noodle finger shooting devices.