granddaughter coraline

granddaughter coraline

grandson mason

grandson mason

grandson jaxson

grandson jaxson

Thursday, June 30, 2022

01JUN-01JUL22 - Sultan, WA (volunteer work in okanogan)



Wednesday first day of June; due to unbelievable rain last month, May ended being the second largest rain for that month ever.  Let’s hope June is better; but remember its not June, its called Junuary by Seattleites😊   Weather starts great but heavy rain storms by late afternoon,

Friday AM, 10JUN, Dan helps at food bank while Corrie has medical; Dan heads home & we pack truck for visiting Rebecca, Raymond & grandsons for weekend.  Unfortunately ferry system only running one boat (vs two) on Edmonds/Kinston ferry route; two hour trip takes four hours  After everyone gets to house, Raymond & Mason go to jui-jitsu practice, Rebecca, Jaxson & us head to Jaxson’s B-ball training (something he just started).  Dinner is various take-outs eaten in the car (or cold at the house); a very hectic day😊



Saturday early AM we head to Starfire Soccer Complex for a two day soccer tournament for Jaxson’s team; one game at 0930 and one at1530.  Starfire is presently the Seattle Sounders training complex & Jaxson’s soccer team was warming-up for second game when the pros came out to catch their bus & took photos & signed autographs😊!  Unfortunately no parents around to get photos to share.  After a very long day we all head back to the house, dinner and watching more episodes of Disney’s Obi Wan Kenobi.




Starfire Sports – Indoor/Outdoor Soccer – Seattle, Renton, Kent

Sunday AM, up earlier than yesterday & on the road to Starfire for Jaxson’s third tournament soccer game.  Rain hits right at end of game & we jump in truck to head home to Sultan.

Saturday, 18JUN, not much done, Dan takes junk metal to recycling; after dinner Rebecca, Raymond, & grandsons show-up for fathers’ day; watch jiu jitsu match on roku & then cribbage.  Sunday AM (father’s day) off to Denny’s, even with staff shortages & large crowd, they still handle all the customers.  Back at the house Rebecca dyes the boys hair bright colors as is their ”tradition for the summer.  Then Rebecca & Raymond leave kids with us & head home; that night family fire with smores.  Monday AM Dan goes to food bank with grandkids then home; put up the pool; then mows.






Tuesday, 21JUN, wake up to great sun/weather finish filling pool & boys are instantly in it even though water temp is 56 degrees.  Jaxson has idea for invention/experiment & it works great!  Jaxson’s idea/invention is to take 5 gallon bucket, run a hose into it, he holds bucket on head & walks around pool looking at bottom & not running out of air!  Worked pretty good as long as he didn’t tilt his head😊





Dan finishes hooking-up solar pool water heating panel only to have pool pump circuit breaker fail & become non-operable; off to wally mart for only pool pump in town.  Then dan spends hours mowing grass that has become overgrown in just four days.  After dinner has zoom meeting about United Methodist Volunteers rebuilding homes in Okanogan, WA, next week.

Wednesday, 22JUN, wake up to more rain  So after lunch Dan & boys head to the Snohomish Aquatic Center, last visited JAN2020.  Once again great time & lots of energy burned off by the boys; As the center website says:

“This facility has everything aquatic under one roof - swim lessons, surfingdiving, water play, recreational swimcompetitive swim and water fitness classes.  The Snohomish Aquatic Center is a 52,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility owned and operated by the Snohomish School District.  It includes a competition pool, a dive area, wibit floating play structure, recreation poolhot tubspray-play area, zero-entry area, surf-simulation machine (FlowRider), lazy river, and the Splashtacular waterslide.”

The Ryan RV Express: 01-31JAN20 - Sultan, WA

Thursday Dan runs errands in the AM; then grabs grandkids & gets them to Edmonds ferry to rejoin their dad, Raymond, in Kingston; then back home & quick time volunteering at Sultan Food Bank.

Sunday AM, 26JUN, Dan finishes loading RV for one week volunteer house building in Okanogan, WA.  This will be continuation of projects started by many volunteer groups several years ago to help rebuilding the rural/farm homes in Okanogan County destroyed by wild fires in 2014, 2015 and again in 2020!  Support is provided by the community, but is no frills (cots in Methodist Church, potluck dinners, car pooling to job site, etc; Dan was invited to join the volunteer effort by his old Habitat for Humanity friends, but Dan decided to provide his own lodging in the RV.  Great four hour drive eastward on US2 to Wenatchee & then north on US97 to Okanogan and set up camp at the Okanogan County Fairgrounds.

That evening meet up with rest of group at Methodist Church; group is made up of (Dan#1, Dan#2, Mary & Bret from the United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) out of Sedro Wooley, WA, and old Habitat buddies (Jan, Dennis, Bill, & Dan who is now Dan#3).  Dinner that night at Rancho Chico, Omak, WA.

Monday AM, 27JUN, meet up at house being built for family who lost everything in 2020 fire (3 Dan’s and a Jan on the job).  Long day in high 80s heat; deal with minor complications caused by on again/off again visits by volunteer workers & not having full set of tools on site or stored in secure storage back in Okanogan;.  Results in trying to remember where are the “parts” (say for plumbing fixtures) are; or did anyone bring a two foot level or 3 foot step ladder, how about three inch decking screws, etc (nearest major hardware store is 45 minutes away).


Tuesday early AM back to house/jobsite and ten hour day working on kitchen countertop install.  Cooler temps than yesterday but still hot.  Dinner with group in Methodist church basement.  Wednesday another ten hour day but earlier group dinner at the church.  Dan continues work on kitchen countertop; laying plastic sheeting in crawl space; installing hot water tank, etc; future home owner, Chrissie, comes by to thank us for work😊


Thursday (last day of June) another early day at Chrissie house.  But early afternoon four of us move over to Todd’s house right down the road.  Apparently, several houses being built throughout Okanogan County by various volunteer groups.  Back to church for group dinner.

First day of July AM, work crew split into groups to work on three different houses, off to Todd house for Dan.  End of work day all three crews recombine at the church for final potluck dinner of baked salmon, baked potatoes with all the fix-ins’, and fresh asparagus👍; Dan says his goodbyes before departing for last night in the RV & hitting the road tomorrow AM.