01-31MAR25 - Sultan, WA (family visitors from the bayou)

Saturday (first day of March) many hands involved in getting breakfast together for nine people and two dogs.

Then off to Rainer National Park and the Paradise Visitor Center.  Park’s Longmire entrance gate only opens on Fri, Sat & Sun.  And with sunny weather the parking lot already full.  First stop is check out ranger station.  Everyone decides to hike the “easy” portion of ADA trial.   But the climb up from parking lot to trail is steep and treacherous (so much for ADA/easy)?  Everyone but Oma & Opa will then continue on with snowshoes once we get safely out of parking area.

After surviving the climb out of the parking lot, oma & opa decided to abandon walk and head back to parking lot and Visitor Lodge; then Bethany & Coraline join us at Visitor Lodge; and others returned for group lunch.

After the  lunch we return we all head back to the BnB and relaxation.  Boys into hot tub; Joe meanwhile BBQ’ing burgers for self-serve dinner.  Then smore’s around fire pit and more hot tub; finally to bed at different times.

Sunday AM self-serve breakfast while three different vehicles packed for departure home.  We get on road first and take state road SR7 to I-5 North; avoiding state road SR161 and the half hour delay thru south Puyallup.  Much faster than Friday drive down; unpack truck and veg out at home.  Joe and & family head to Pitre’s house for next couple of days.

Monday get RV out of garage and set it up in driveway for Joe and family’s visit with us.  Tuesday not much done.

Wednesday,05MAR, Corrie runs errands and then heads to Silverdale, WA, to pick-up Joe, Bethany and Coraline.  Bringing them to our house for last part of their visit in Washington state.

Thursday AM Dan has EMG test on numb left arm , nothing found?  Then Dan, Joe, Coraline head to local reptile zoo.  Then on to children’s playground at Lake Tye; and back to house; Corrie makes excellent dinner.

The Reptile Zoo | Monroe WA

Friday after lunch Joe took Coraline to explore along the Skykomish river.  Then Joe and Coraline came back, picked up Oma Corrie and went back to Lake Tye Playground.  Dinner was too many excellent pizza’s from Red Pepper Pizza.

Saturday morning all joe and family’s luggage was loaded into truck, and Dan took Joe, Bethany and Coraline to SeaTac for their flight home to NOLA.  After that Dan returned home and we unhooked RV and took it to Tractor Supply to fuel the propane tank.  Finally home to veg out🙃

Sunday, 09MAR, Corrie slightly under the weather, Dan heads to Everett to see grandson Mason’s soccer game (mom Rebecca also there).  Rest of day at home as heavy rains move in.  Monday Dan has two medical appointments, ENT and low platelet check.  We get house propane tank filled.

Tuesday Corrie off to dental and Dan off to two medical referrals (palliative and spinal) from syncope event.  (Funny thing at spinal is doctor asking - why are you wearing that brace?)  New computer printer arrives and Dan swaps it out.

Wednesday AM new computer printer does not work.  Most of Thursday spent getting printer to work.  Printers no longer come with owner’s manual and it is assumed you can find help by looking at one inch by one inch screen on control panel and toggle thru scrolling menus to solve your problem.  Then you need to know when to press OK for yes or maybe press diamond symbol with letter “i” for yes?  Two tries on phone and four hours later printer works; Dan ships old printer back to Epson via FedEx.

Saturday AM (15APR) Dan is ready to head to Pitre’s for grandboys soccer games and calls Rebecca – Jaxson very sick (flu?) change of plans.  Not much done, more clean-up in shop/RV garage, rain all day.  Sunday more rain☹ Jaxson still under the weather so we stay home and skip Sunday soccer game.  Now Mason has right wrist injury due to soccer and won’t play soccer for awhile☹

Monday St Patty day lots of rain; only thing accomplished was Dan getting another blood draw to check on low platelet count.  Thursday, 20MAR (first day of spring), Dan has annual check dermatology; followed by endodontic check on root canals done about two years ago.  Being well trained coastie, Dan shows up early for both in two different locations.  And is seen right away and gets home one & half hour early from both appointments.

Tuesday, 22MAR, early this AM in the dark Corrie took Rocket our rescued jack russell terrier out for morning constitutional.  He immediately ran under the fir trees on the back of our fenced back yard.  He started barking strangely.  Corrie finally got to him, to get him out of low tree branches and discovered his muzzle was covered in blood!  Woke Dan and off to the emergency vet clinic we went.  Rocket had puncture wounds on both cheeks, wounds on right front and left front legs, along with scratched right cornea.  Worst wound was right "cheek" area.  Now on antibiotics, and eyedrops.

Corrie only got very poor look at animal.  Vet not sure but probably not cat, probably not small like rat or squirrel, not larger than Rocket because wounds would be on upper back of neck.  Most probably something close to Rocket's size (raccoon?).  Estimate is two weeks for wounds to completely heal

Thursday before noon Dan heads to Class 74 luncheon at Dukes Seafood at southcenter mall.  These luncheons are every two months usually one of the many restaurants around the mall. Last one was 30JAN.  Another good time!

Saturday AM, 29MAR, Dan heads to Pitre’s for Jaxson indoor soccer game.  Then excellent dinner at the Loft in Poulsbo and then back to their house.

Sunday AM Dan gets up and first thing hits road to Kingston ferry to beat ferry lines; and head home to Corrie and Rocket.  Monday AM, last of March, sunny day and Dan starts another year of constant mowing two acres of lawn☹

EPILOGUE - while at Rainier National Park Dan shared a picture and story from 1978 when he four friends climbed to the top of Rainier.  The picture showed Dan standing on top with Rainier Beer cap holding 16 ounce can of Rainier beer.  Dan also showed xerox copy of his entry to National Park logbook to note the successful summit.  Son-in-law Raymond discovered online actual USGS benchmark for the summit, and used 3D printer to make Dan a set of coasters in memory of accomplishment!