01-30NOV21 - Sultan, WA (🍗 turkey day)

Friday, 05NOV,Dan starts stripping five old/unused bikes for recycling of the metals.  As we said in last month’s BLOG we tried to take them to a charity for renovation & donation to familys’ in need.  But the charity claimed they were “not worth the effort” needed?  Back in the day bikes were only made out of steel (no aluminum) and simpler.  You could break down an old bike in couple of hours for steel recycling, and the only non-steel was handle grips, seats, & tires.  And only tools needed were crescent wrench & screwdriver.  Working couple of hours here-and-there, using too many tools (including battery powered disc grinder), Dan’s task wasn’t done until end of the month?

Tuesday, 09NOV, rain returns after lunch; we go get our covid boosters & then have lunch downtown.  Friday AM, 12NOV, we take ferry to visit Rebecca & Raymond Pitre for overnight visit.  Saturday is last outdoor soccer game of season for the kids, Mason & Jaxson.  After soccer games we head home.  Sunday Dan finishes-up putting mud flaps on the Fiesta.

Monday 22NOV AM, Dan off to sleep clinic for possible apnea test requested by neuro doctor (he had one done in 2016).  Neuro doctor wants to rule out the slim possibility that sleep apnea caused his stroke?  We also had a tree guy come by to clear part of the fallen hemlock tree from last winters storm.

Wednesday, 24NOV, Corrie runs last errands before turkey day; before lunch propane techs show up to make sure our system is safe for refilling.  Corrie starts cooking for turkey day; Dan preps bonus room for Pitres’ arrival turkey day; dinner at Pho Thanh Na.

Thursday (turkey day) Rebecca, Raymond & grandboys (Jaxson & Mason) drive over.  After the boys burn off some, energy we have excellent dinner prepared by Corrie.  Then some cribbage & then the new marvel movie Shang-Chi (thanks to streaming).

Friday AM Corrie wakes Dan up early because our refrigerator is leaking onto kitchen floor.  After an hour or more of trouble shooting Dan believes it is a drain line from ice maker that is plugged and backing up?  After looking at YouTube it means emptying entire unit & letting it to warm to room temp for 24hrs.  Then couple hours of disassembly on interior of freezer bin & maybe that isn’t the issue☹?   So we secure the water and hope we can find repair person on turkey day weekend.  Around lunch time the Pitres head home; leftovers for dinner.

Saturday, 27NOV, another day of atmospheric river of rain; not much done. Sunday more & more rain, excellent lunch at Cabbage Patch Restaurant Snohomish (in business since 1978).  Tuesday (last day of November) more rain off and on rain. November ends up with most rain on record; and up by the USA/Canadian border results in record flooding on five separate days in a two week period☹

Cabbage Patch | Restaurant & Catering | Snohomish, WA (cabbagepatchrestaurant.com)

01-31OCT21 - Sultan, WA 🎃

Friday AM, 01OCT, Corrie heads to dentist; after her return Dan takes ferry to help daughter Rebecca with the boys.  Picks grandboys up at Y-kids to get them ready for jujitsu; after jujitsu everyone back to house for pizza.  Saturday AM & till after lunch soccer for both boys.  Rebecca takes Mason to game in Kingston, Dan takes Jaxson to local game.  Back at house late lunch & then Dan hits road home (drives around Tacoma rather than take ferry).  Back home mows half yard because rain returns tomorrow; not much else done.

Friday, 15OCT, Corrie feeling better and heads out for girl’s day with Jan Formisano; not much done during that day by Dan.  Saturday nice weather Dan mows.  Sunday Raymond returns from almost one year National Guard deployment in the Middle EastJ  Monday, 18OCT, Dan picks up skis for the ski seasonJ; plus new gloves.

Saturday AM, 23OCT, on our way to east Bremerton for first visit with Pitres since Raymond’s return😊  Only one WSF running, two hour waitL  Get off ferry and grab lunch to go from Grub Hut, good but pretty messy burger.  At Rebecca & Raymond’s house time for a couple games of cribbage.  Then dinner at Silver City Brewery & home & bed.

About the Grub Hut - The Grub HutThe Grub Hut | Burgers, Shakes, Salads, Snacks… and more! (peaceloveandgrub.com)

Sunday AM we head home, instead of taking Kingston/Edmonds ferry we decide to drive around via the Narrows bridge to I-5.  We decided this because gusting winds (aka Bomb Cyclone) & driving rain forecasted which would mean rough ferry crossing or maybe even ferry runs cancelled?  Lots of rain but drive ok & make it two hours; unpack & not much done.  Monday happy b-day Corrie😊 (another day of Bomb Cyclone)

Wednesday, 27OCT, yard work & disconnecting drip irrigation system for the winter; for dinner we head to small hidden restaurant in Duvall, WA, Flavour Bistro (late b-day dinner for Corrie).  Excellent Corrie went with the Kangaroo & Dan went with the Wild Boar (pricey but two thumbs up)

HOME | flavourbistro

Saturday, 30OCT, cold but nice sun.  Take dogs for walk around Lake Tye.  After lunch Dan tries to donate four bicycles collecting dust in the shop.  Bikes in good mechanical shape but paint pretty much gone with surface rust that does not affect mechanics; also bikes do not have modern items like quick release wheels, center pull brakes, etc.  Charity says no thanks, give them to goodwill (who probably will not fix them)?  So now we will strip off all rubber/plastic & toss frames in metal bin at recyclingL

Sunday (halloween) another nice day lots of mowing.  Our security system starts alarming(too bad instruction book doesn’t cover all the “critical info” to properly change a sensor battery); two hours wasted on the phone for what should have been a simple fix!

01-30SEP21 - Sultan, WA (🎈grandson mason is eight)

Wednesday AM, (first day of September), Dan follows Rebecca to the elementary school for first day of school for Jaxson & Mason (hope is this will be all in person this year, with no covid remote learning, fingers crossed).  Then catches ferry home to Corrie.  Although still sunny days no one around to use pool & it is cooling, we start emptying it.  Disturbing news that the Dankers (neighbors about 1/4 mile down the road) llama and 2 alpacas were killed by a cougar.  State wildlife says due to loss of habitat the cougars are moving from the national forest lands into settled rural areas😕

Wednesday, 08SEP, Dan arranges a luncheon at Kingston Ale House for Joe Bridger (remember he “left” our place with his RV Trailer last day of AUG, now he is in Port Angeles, WA).  Also there were ten other CGA Classmates - Brantner, Hunter, Harvey, Auker, Iremonger, Wicklund, Formisano, Courtois, Petersen, Weston – great time and no lies were told!

The Ryan RV Express: 01-30APR19 - Sultan, WA

The Kingston Ale House - Family Restaurant in Kingston (business.site)

Thursday AM Dan catches early Edmonds ferry to help Rebecca with two sick boys; afternoon Rebecca takes Jaxson in for covid test; then comes home & takes Mason to urgent care for “stomach flu”.  Friday Dan still grandkid sitting at Rebecca’s; Jaxson fully recovered; Mason on the mend.  Saturday AM up early & one hour drive to Jaxson’s first soccer game of the season; then Dan heads to Kingston ferry terminal to head home.

Sunday, 12SEP, wake up to rain; Dan spends late morning fixing burner igniters on gas stove with help of YouTube.  YouTube is one “good thing” about the internet.  This is third time it was essential in home appliance repair where online manuals were useless!  In this case the video showed how to access electrical connection buried at rear of stove without pulling whole unit out & completely removing the top (which would have meant turning off & disconnecting gas supply).

Thursday AM, 16SEP, Corrie takes dogs to vets.  Then Corrie heads to east Bremerton to help with grandkids.  Early that evening Dan heads into Seattle for dinner with Steve & Marijo Brantner; and Steve & Anthony Venckus at Pomodoro in Seattle.  Excellent restaurant combining Spanish tapas with Italian pastas and the chef/owner cooked for the King of Spain.

Italian Restaurant Seattle - Pomodoro offers Italian and Spanish dining until late night.

Friday AM, 24SEP, we catch Edmonds ferry & drive to east Bremerton to help Rebecca with Mason’s eighth b-day; get helium in balloons & pick up cake; then when everyone home from school & work off, to Defy extreme sports,for the party.  One hour of extreme sports before pizza, cake  & presents.  Then home to Rebecca’s by 830PM exhausted.

Saturday very early start to get soccer team pics, then Rebecca takes Jaxson to his game, & we take Mason to his game in Kingston.  Then a little relaxation for lunch before Rebecca & Dan assemble new trampoline for the boys.  Dinner at the Boat Shed (one of our favorites) before finally no more “things” to do.  Sunday AM catch Kingston ferry to get home before lunch; early afternoon light rain, not much done for rest of month😊