We start the month of August off still babysitting the grandkids
(Jaxson & Mason); until we return them to mom Rebecca on 04AUG (aka Coast
Guard Day). We celebrated Dan’s birthday
(07AUG) at the Timber Monster Brewery, a small brewery that opened in Sultan a
couple of years ago. We tried the lobster
mac & cheese, gyro, & watermelon w/feta, two thumbs-up.
The next day, Thursday, the grandkids (Jaxson & Mason)
returned. They didn’t really need
babysitting but Friday, 09AUG, was the annual 13th Coast Guard District
CG Day picnic for all CG units in the Seattle area. They still are at the age where they think it
is a great event & are eager to go again (3rd in a row, see below internet
link for last year). Then it was back to
the house to play in the lawn clipping piles.
Saturday Dan took the grandkids into Everett for a Jiu Jitsu
competition. While there they discovered
an unsupervised rock climbing wall. Then
it was off to a local playground & skate board park. Sunday, 11AUG, after lunch Rebecca &
Raymond came to the house to pick up kids & have a slightly late b-day/BBQ
dinner for Dan.
On 15AUG (Thursday) we had an electric garage door opener
installed on the house garage. Why now,
eight years after house was built?
Because we never had a vehicle that fit.
You could barely get the old Toad, GMC Canyon, in - but hardly had room
to walk in front of truck to get to the house door. Now with new Toad we have plenty of room
& don’t want to be bothered by manually opening the door (especially in the
rain).
Saturday, 17AUG, was the Formisano’s (Rich & Jan) annual Riverwalk
BBQ. Each year they have the event at
their house on the middle fork of the Snoqualmie River; inviting neighbors,
family, friends, & in Rich’s case – Coast Guard Academy classmates (like
Dan) living in the Seattle area. They
provide the BBQ & drinks, you are asked to bring a salad, side or dessert. Unfortunately Corrie was under the weather
& couldn’t make it. (see below
internet link for last year)
Monday, 19AUG, we drove the Fiesta (aka new Toad) to Burlington,
WA, for installation of a towing base plate on the front, & modified
electrically system for a supplemental brake system. This is the third car/Toad we have had
modified for towing behind the RV, & with each one it gets more & more
complicated. Not only are there fewer
cars that can be flat towed (ie not on a dolly or trailer) but the modern
electronics require extra caution. On
the Fiesta (the only small car automatic that can be flat towed without mods)
you have to completely disconnect battery before towing. This means all computer pre-sets (radio, sat
nav, AC/heat, etc) are lostL! On many
cars you simply cannot flat tow (ie all four wheels down) the vehicle, not
because of mechanical limitations, but because of electrical?
Wednesday AM back to Burlington, WA, w/RV to pick up
Fiesta. They did an excellent job, but
Dan ended up standing in rain for 20 minutes trying to figure out all the
differences & where electrical connections were? Thankfully the mechanic eventually walked him
thru the process & explained things that differed from old Toad; & we
had an uneventful trip/tow home.
The rest of August was spent getting the RV & new Toad ready
for a long trip SEP to NOV for Dan’s 45th Reunion of the Class of 1974, USCG
Academy, in New London, CT, - along with Corrie trying to harvest & can all
the veggies coming to ripeness! In
addition to:
---dog sitting Rebecca’s dog Gracie, so Raymond, kids & her
could go camping on Second Beach, WA.
---installing WeatherTech floor liners in Fiesta. We do this for all our cars & usually no
problem? But their trunk liner for the
Fiesta wasn’t even close & we had to get one from Ford?
---taking Rocket our Jack Russell in for grooming – big mistake!
---getting & returning special car shield for the
Fiesta. Getting it back three days
before our trip, & still having to make minor mods.
---siting a bobcat on the property sitting in one of Corrie’s
flower beds looking for wascally wabbits.
