Family Lunch

 3-25-2023

Saturday the 24th the family had lunch at the Country Deli for our monthly get together.  We had a great time catching up and visiting.  I stopped to visit with my friend Jerry on the way out and found everyone waiting to look at the van and take a selfie.  All of us had parked in the lot behind the deli except Bev so she ended up not being in the picture.  Afterwards Vera and I picked up some more materials at Lowes for the slide out tray I am making for the back of the van.  It will much easier to get planes out rather than crawling in to get them.

3-27-2023

James came up and brought me more pellets today.  We had a nice visit with him and heard all about Dalton's bachelor party they had Sunday.

Laury is starting to use some of the features on her phone.  This picture of Josie she sent me Monday turned out great!

Other than these things we have been taking it pretty easy around here.  Vera reading and knitting, I picked up a new radio for the van with a backup camera but the mounting brackets didn't match the holes so I sent it back.  I am now an expert at taking a Caravan radio out and putting it back.

Daffodils and the Van

 

The first thing I noticed today was that there were lots more daffodils in bloom.  We went down and got the title of the van changed, registered it and got the new license plates.  Then it was off to Longview to get a new key made, it turns out they have to order one and then program it when it comes in.  After that we went to Home Depot and I got some of the materials I need to build a slide out tray for my planes.  On the way home we stopped by and had a nice visit with Mik, James and Jazz.

This is the Happy Thursday picture that Laury sent me today, her eyes are sure bright and what a cute smile.

Maybe Spring is here!

 3-20-2023

I noticed the first daffodil to bloom this year, maybe spring is really here.

3-21-2023

I have been looking for a van for several weeks. I  found one with low mileage and the features I wanted on Facebook Market Place.  After the first buyer backed out of the purchase he messaged me and told me it was available again.  As soon as James heard about it he volunteered to come help us drive it back as it was located in Wenatchee.  We really appreciated his help all day, he kept an eye on us and checked often to see if we needed anything.  We left our place at 9:30, and as we went through Randle we ran over and showed him where Vera grew up.  The area has changed quite a bit and all the trees had been logged off.  You can barely see the house on the left side of the picture.

This is the view that Vera grew up seeing out their East kitchen window.

We stopped at the Packwood rest area and James sent his mom a picture of this milk truck.  When she went to college in Ellensburg she always seemed to get behind one coming over White Pass.

This is one of the burn areas we saw going over White Pass.

This is a view point on White Pass that looks back at the Goat Rocks that Vera could see from their house.

James took over driving at Yakima.

These brown and white tarps covered piles of hay bales were everywhere as we headed North from Yakima.

Just before we got to the Wenatchee National Forest we went through a windmill area, they were all over the place.

I saw several building I wanted pictures of but never had the camera or a phone ready.  James spotted this one well in advance so I got one picture of a classic shaped barn for the blog.

There were a lot more burned areas in the Wenatchee National Forest.  We got to the guys house about three thirty, James and I took the van for a quick test drive and then I paid for it.  We headed right back home with two stops, one for gas in Wenatchee and one in Packwood for snacks.  We made it back home about nine thirty and had covered about 500 miles today.

3-22-2023

Vera had bible study today and I started learning what some of the controls did in the caravan.

It is a 2012 Dodge Grand Caravan, I got the inside cleaned up and organized the way I want it today.  Learning how to operate the Stow and Go seats took a while but I think it will go better next time.

Tomorrow it will probably get a wash job as there was lots of spray when we met other traffic coming over the pass.

All Healed Up

 

I had a doctor's appointment this morning for X-Rays of my toe.  After he looked at them he said I didn't need any further checks unless it gives me some problem.  Since it has been pain free from the first day I don't think I will be having any issues with it.  I have been over 2000 steps a day on my pedometer the last several days without any pain.

After we got home I went back to work on the security camera I was installing yesterday on the South end of the house.  It is nice being able to work outside again, the last couple of days have been in the sixties.

Vera took these pictures so I would have something for the blog.  I really like that ladder, it has a wide base and I feel really secure up there.

This is the view looking East toward the woodshed from the top of the ladder.

Vera was standing right by the magnolia tree when she took the picture of me on the ladder with the whole house showing.

Here is the finished product, now we have seven cameras we can look at and check when we are away from home.  It was another busy day and I will probably sleep good tonight!

3-7-2023

I used the lawn mower again today to get our garbage can, then I took Laury's up and got this picture of her and Josie.

The moon was really pretty as it came up and both Vera and I took pictures of it.

3-8-2023

Laury sent me this picture of Josie this morning.  She sure has a cute grin!

3-11-2023

I got the shadow box I had ordered for my sign yesterday.  Today I mounted LEDs around the inside perimeter of the door and it looks great as they change color.  The strange thing about this picture is that when I took the picture the LEDs were red!

3-14-2023

It was a beautiful day and I got several projects done.  First I mounted a new security camera in the back carport and got it working.  I got the Smart Car out and warmed it up since I have to use it for an appointment tomorrow while Vera is at bible study.  Then I remembered a valve for the pollution controls needed changing.  It wasn't too bad a job once I figured out how to get the line disconnected that was hidden behind the alternator.  Then I remembered the low tire pressure light was on the last time I drove it.  It was getting pretty dark before I got that done.  It was a good day and the toe did great, I had over 2000 steps on my pedometer, the most I have done in a long time.

3-15-2023

I  sure slept good after the workout yesterday, Vera had to wake me at seven so I could get ready for my nine o'clock ultrasound appointment.  It turned out they had a brand new ultrasound machine and I was the first one to be tested with it.  They also had a factory rep there showing the nurse how to operate it and answer any questions she had.  I also had my INR checked while I was there.  After my appointment I stopped by Safeway and found everything they had that was on my list. 

James stopped by this afternoon and we had a great visit.  He filled us in on how this quarter of school went, it was nice to hear he is doing so well!  I got the report for the ultrasound while he was here and got to show Vera and James the report that said the right carotid stent is open and flowing well.  I also have no narrowing in the left carotid so I don't have to have another check for a year.

The house sure looked nice as I came in tonight after cleaning and filling the pellet stove.  There was also quite a chorus of frogs I could hear as I was coming in.  It was another good day!

I am sorry it took so long to post again, I have been feeling so good, doing lots of things that I never seem to get settled here at the end of the day with enough energy to do it.

Jordon's Basketball, Deer, Heli, James and Josie

2-25-2023

We went to Jordon's basketball game at the Lexington Elementary today.  We had never been there before so we did a little driving around looking for it before using Google Maps on the phone.  The teams were four and five year old's and lots of fun to watch.  Jordon is putting the ball into play in this picture.
 

The first half Jordon stayed pretty focused on the game.  There is lots of double dribbles and traveling at this level so it wasn't long before my cheeks were sore from all the grinning.

In the second half Jordon and the kid he was guarding stood there and made hand gestures at each other while the game went on around them.

This is Jordon and Jacob's great grandma Anita watching Jacob play on the phone.

Michelle and Vera were sitting on the other side of the gym.  I was sitting with Debbie and James a little closer to the game so I had a clearer view with the camera.  The walk in from the parking lot was the longest walk I had done since having the surgery.  I was pretty tired so we canceled our plans to go shopping, had dinner and headed home.

2-26-2023

I was still tired today so I spent the day watching YouTube videos and messing around on the computer.  Once when I went into our bedroom I noticed this little deer laying down and got a pretty good picture of it through the window blinds.

There is still a little snow around in places.  The snow and these berries made a nice looking combination so I took a couple of pictures.  I don't know what they are but the deer don't eat them so I am not going to try them either.

2-28-2023

James stopped by today and we had a great visit.  We got to talking about things we did years ago and got out the first year of this blog that I had printed of 2009.  It was a lot of fun looking at the old pictures and reading what we had done together.

When I went out to check the stove and lock the shop there was a nice looking sunset so I took this picture.

3-1-2023

I was going to start March with a flight on my FW-450 but after about two minutes something went wrong and it started moving around.  I finally got it down but it rolled over before I could get it shut down.  There wasn't too much damage, about $25 to repair.  I am not sure if it was a GPS problem or the compass needed calibration but I will be sure and calibrate it before flying it again.  Since I hadn't gotten in a whole flight I charged a battery for the T-REX 500 and flew it.

3-2-2023

Can you see a ghost in the upper right picture from our security cameras.

Well, I can't either but it sure looks spooky out there.

3-6-2023

This is Laury's Happy chilly Monday picture.  Laury said Josie really likes eating out on the porch.  I puttered around outside today.  I replaced the mower deck drive belt and then used it to take the garbage can down to the road.  I used the mower to blow some of the debris off the driveway and then mowed the lawns close to the shop and road.  I started up the motor home and warmed it up.  It sure feels good to get out and do things without any pain in my foot.  The month of healing up from the surgery and having to take it easy was well worth it.