granddaughter coraline

granddaughter coraline

grandson mason

grandson mason

grandson jaxson

grandson jaxson

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

01-31JUL18 - Sultan, WA (visitors, adventures & sightseeing)



Sunday AM (01JUL) we caught the Edmonds ferry to Kingston to visit kids/grandkids at their new house in east Bremerton & deliver plants.  That afternoon we all headed to a small street fair in Port Orchard, & then back to house for dinner.  Monday Dan started to “organize” all their stuff in garage; while Corrie spends most of the day gardening w/Rebecca.  Tuesday Corrie took the grandkids to beach, then returns to do more gardening; while Dan installed three large shelfs in their garage.  Wednesday (the fourth) we left Bremerton early AM & drove back to our house (ie we didn’t take ferry) – two hour drive w/o traffic, & a $5 toll on the Narrows bridge.  All-in-all, cheaper & faster if (and that’s a big if) if there is no traffic on I-5 thru Tacoma & Seattle.


Thursday (05JUL the “official” start of Seattle’s summer) very hot.  Dan decides that the walkways in Corrie’s new & expanded raised bed vegetable garden needs improvement.  Presently they are just exposed clay soil which are very slippery & muddy when wet; & weeds constantly want to grow there!  His plan is to frame them w/pressure treated wood & fill them w/one cubic yard of 5/8th minus rock.  Friday another hot, hot, day & Dan decides to unload 2500 lbs of 5/8th rock into veggie/fruit garden; while Corrie works on emptying the pool because of algae.


Saturday, 07JUL, Dan discovers that AC condensate drain line is plugged & backing up into air exchanger.  He cuts out plugged piping & runs short hose to bucket to collect water until proper repair made.  We finish emptying pool & cleaning algae, refill pool & hope algae doesn’t return.  Dan gets another cubic yard of 5/8th minus rock.  Sunday Dan unloads second load of rock; while Corrie starts getting house & RV ready for visitors.



Wednesday, 11JUL, after lunch Rebecca & grandkids arrive.  One thing grandkids really like about Oma & Opa’s is picking fresh berries on the propertyJ!  First berries to arrive are salmonberries, followed by huckleberries, & lastly is blackberries.  They also really enjoy helping Oma in the garden.  But their idea of helping is to eat the raspberries, blueberries, carrots, snow peas, etc, off the plants, rather than picking them for meal time.


The reason Rebecca is here is to pick-up her best friend from Houma, LA, Beanie (& her son Ethan) at the airport & sightsee starting from our house.  So Thursday, 12JUL, early AM Dan & Rebecca head into SeaTac area to them pick-up; then fight traffic northbound into Seattle for sightseeing.  First stop is the Seattle Center where we up to the viewing deck of the Space Needle.  We noted in our May BLOG that the Needle’s restaurant will soon have all glass floors & walls after remodeling.  What we didn’t know was the viewing deck would have all glass walls & benches!  The floor is still steel, but it is still disconcerting, especially when you sit on glass bench & lean back against a sheet of glass angling outward.  From the Center we took the monorail downtown, visited Pike Place market (home of the world famous gum wall), walked the water front, visited Ye Olde Curiosity Shop, lunched at Ivars, then to Pioneer Square (torn-up due to construction); back to car & over to Fremont (center of the universe); & home.





Friday Rebecca, Beanie & Ethan went tubing on the Icicle River & sightseeing in Leavenworth, WA.  Our son Joe & faithful companion Remus showed up at lunch.  They had driven from Louisiana to our house in Joe’s jeep.  Dan & Joe took the jeep to the Reiter Rd offroad park they had discovered back in January.  That evening with everyone back from their adventures, was a family fire in our fire circle.






Saturday AM Rebecca, Beanie, grandkids & Ethan load Rebecca’s car & head to her house in Bremerton.  Joe followed later w/Remus in his jeep.  Early that evening we headed to the Sultan Shindig (Sultan’s small annual summer festival) for quick walk about (even though early evening, still too hot for comfort).
Sunday, 15JUL, more hot weather; Joe returns from Rebecca’s & helps Dan w/projects where a little muscle needed.  That afternoon Dan & Joe check out the car show at the Sultan Shindig.


Monday, 16JUL, more record heat, we visit Aunt Madeline; & Joe goes rock crawling at Reiter ORV Park in his jeep w/Remus.  Tuesday hot & sunny; Dan & Joe go kayaking on Skykomish River from Gold Bar to Sultan (10 plus miles in 3 hours).




Wednesday cloudy & cool; Joe helps Dan w/some projects where extra muscle is needed; then late that night Joe heads to SeaTac to pick up his friend Bethany.  Thursday AM Joe & Bethany take off hiking, followed by rock crawling at Reiter Rd ORV park.



Friday (20JUL) Joe & Bethany go kayaking on the Skykomish.  Later that day Rebecca, Raymond & kids show up; after dinner another fire circle.  


Saturday, 21JUL, Rebecca, Raymond, Joe & Bethany go white water rafting on the Skykomish; followed by fire circle & smores after dinner.



Sunday AM Joe takes Bethany to SeaTac; at lunch time Rebecca & Raymond head home leaving grandkids w/us.  Late that evening Joe starts drive to LA but has tire issue & returns to our house.  Monday morning Joe solves tire issue & once again departs for Louisiana.
Wednesday, 25JUL, more record heat, early that morning we take grandkids to Flowing Lake Park/Beach.  Flowing Lake Park is a county facility w/a very nice beach, & a RV/tent camping area.  Thursday very hot; Raymond shows up after dinner to take kids home tomorrow.  Friday more heat; Dan empties & disassembles pool; Raymond departs w/kids & pool.



Saturday, 28JUL, continued heat, not much done.  Sunday more heat, not much done.  Monday more heat (in fact we have already had 12 - 90 degree days compared to “normal” four per year).

Tuesday (last day of July) the temperature is only in the 80s.  We head into Everett to check out the Grand Avenue Marketplace in Everett.  The building is the first building as part of a plan to “revitalize” Grand Ave.  The upper floors are very nice condos; w/the ground floor retail space dedicated to produce, meat & other artisan products from the local area.

Then we headed to Edmonds to check out the parking in the vicinity of the Edmonds ferry terminal.  We did this because daughter Rebecca has new job in Bremerton where she works part time – Thur, Fri & Sat, starting in late afternoon & going until 11PM.  Since Raymond works during the day, we will pick up grandkids from ferry on Thursdays & return them to him on Friday or Saturday.  Lunch was at Demetris Woodstone Taverna.  The Taverna is part of a small chain of Mediterranean/Greek style Cafes started in 1991, located in & around Edmonds (Arlington, Marysville, Mill Creek, Kingston).  Pretty good, we’ll be back!

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