And a World of Blarney to ya...

Happy St. Patricks Day to all of ye Dearies!!!

I am sitting here trying to get my nose to quit manufacturing snot! I am so full of it. I have to go into the Playhouse tonight because I need to get the lights cues set and the lights moved, but I sure wish I dint have to go. We are filming the Commercial on Tuesday and the Press is invited in on Thursday, so There is not much time left. My head hurts so bad!!! My nose is soooo sore, and I am starting to hurt from Coughing so much.

I spent the whole day yesterday either in Bed or at the computer. I did not even change outa my night clothes. That really helped too. I remember the days when I would tough it out and go to work, because that was what I was Supposed to do. I never had time to take off and get well.

Now I am retired, and I STILL don't have all the time I need to get well. I know this is all volunteer, and I don't HAVE to go in, but I DO! Dot is expecting the lights set, and I have a new young man to train in the light booth. Why NOW!!! IM Sick... GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME ALONE..... Yeah right!!

I am also trying to work on the rest of the Family History, and my SIL brought me her Dad's history, but not her Mom's. Cant do a pedigree without that information.

Donna and Bob are getting over their colds, and I made sure that I thanked the both of them for sharing...Phyllis walked into my bedroom this morning, I didn't even hear her come in! She brought me Thera-flu for daytime and nite-time, and some Robitussin CF. Donna gave me her left over Nyquil, so I am pretty well doctored up, But I cant do it when I have to drive.

Sadie has stuck right by my side. She is afraid Mommy will go somewhere without her.

Our weather has turned into Winter again. Rain, Wind, Clouds, and more wind. We need RAIN! And lots of it. This has been the weirdest year for weather. No storms really, and hardly any snow in the Mtns. NOT A GOOD THING! We get all of our water from the snow pack, and since there is none, we will be on rationing before summer.

Well, got go blow the Factory!! I SOOO don't want to go tonight. Somebody wantta go for me? Please?

This and that...

LAst week I volunteered to have KB interview me, and Since I was in the middle of a travelogue, I postponed it until now. SO with out further adieu, my answers:

1) Name the most outrageous memory you have of your sister?When We were Teens, We shared a room, and I was bending over her trying to teach her to type. She was seated at the typewriter, I was hanging over her shoulder. She said something funny and I snorted! And when I did, the biggest lugie came out of my nose and landed right on the top of her head. We were both hysterical and jumping around, FUNNY to me, Not to her.

2) Ever laughed so hard you pee'd your pants in public and tell us the
story?

Too Many times to pick just one. You just wait, when you hit 55, you will know what I mean.

3) Ever farted real loud at work and blamed it on someone else?Not at work, But all the time at home. It is always Phyllis! Never me!

4) If you could have anything you wanted what would it be and why?

To be able to play the piano better than anyone who had ever lived. I have always wanted to play and never had the opportunity. Now I am too impatient.

5) If you could meet a famous person who would it be and why choose them?OMIGOSH! I don’t know!! Barbara Bush Probably, Because I think she is the real power behind her men. And I admire her for being average and loving it.

Now I realize that my answers are not as elegant as Leslies answers were, but neither were the questions! I mean how can you elegantly answer about LOUD FARTING AT WORK? LOLOLOLOLOLOL Or Blowing SNOT on My sisters head!!! LOLOLOLOLOLOL

Ah Well, Leslie is elegant I'M NOT!!! Mom always told me I was a Lady, and I was so frustrated trying to be one, when I was MYSELF I had more fun, so Here I is folks, Earthy, Fat, Old, And TONS OF FUN!!!!

Kim asked what a hex sign was, SO in order to give her the RIGHT answer, I googled PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH HEX SIGNS and found a lot of sites that have the meanings. So try it!! Actually they are really pretty, and are just good luck wishes, to drive away the bad luck.

I am sitting here wishing I was back in bed. My head feels like it is twice the size it should be. My eyes are all runny, my nose is running, and stuffy at the same time. (How does it DO that?) my throat is scratchy, and I ache all over. I have a feeling that DOnna put her HEX on ME. She is good at that...I told you I was screwed!!!

BUSY BUSY BUSY...

I have been running around like crazy for about 4 days, trying to get all my loose ends tied up. THe weather here has been SPRING SPRING and is due to turn back to Winter just before Spring arrives. We have had GORGEOUS weather, no rain, and warm! THe birds are nesting already, and the hummingbirds are draining my two feeders daily. TIme to drag out the other 8 and get them up. I have a feeling it is going to be a two brood year for some of these little guys.

Mike came over and mowed the yard, and finished chopping up the wood that Bob threw in the front yard last Fall. (I'll be back to chop it later never happened) So Mike chopped most of it, DOnna stacked it.

I got the Primroses planted and Sadie promptly jumped into the planter and laid on them. SO I had to cut a piece of Chicken Wire to wrap around the Barrel so she will stay out of it.

I got the deck cleaned off, the Table cleaned off and the grill cleaned out ready for the season. I still need to get another gallon of Deck Cleaner, to get the places I missed. Then I will paint it with Thompson's wood sealer, and it will be ready too.

I got out the Bird Houses and the faded Hex sign and put a coat of paint on them all. THe Hex sign still needs to be outlined and highlighted. I am not an artist by any means, but this turned out pretty good. sorta. at least from a distance it looks ok, and it will be on the back of the house, so it wont matter.

We are in full production for TEN LITTLE INDIANS, and I have to set the light cues this week, I have them all designed, but now I need to program the computer.

I also have started work on A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM. Got the press releases written for Auditions for that show, and the logo made for the poster. Got the poster and Program finished for INDIANS, and am working on the logo for my show next season, BLITHE SPIRIT.

I also have been going through some closets and pitching like crazy. Donna MAY be moving out in April, And when and IF that happens I want my house to be MINE!! It will take me several months to get it back to what I want, but I will get rid of everything I dont own! TIM COME GET YOUR CRAP!!!! I have been carting around Star wars toys for 30 years!

Donna is sooooo sick. She woke up Saturday coughing and croaking. Mike needed the wood stacked, so I made DOnna go do it, I had no idea she was as sick as she is. I did not realize until she would not come out of her room, and was hacking and puking and choking and groaning. I feel like a stinky piece of shit for not realizing she was that sick. I am a rotten Mom. I hugged her yesterday and apologized for the gaff. I think I am forgiven. Maybe. for now. I hope. If not, she will get even. Oh GOD!!!!! I am sooooo screwed!

South Bend, Wa

Barbs Place

The Town where Barb and Butch settled is South Bend. Just a blink as you are driving down US 101 and you have missed it. Barbara told me to call when I got to town, and she would come down and drive me up. Okay….I called, and she said to wait on the corner, and she would be right here. About 10 minutes later she drives up, and I follow her about 4 blocks and turn onto this dirt road that headied up a hill. Straight up! Warning signs that said Primitive Road, no warning signs, was at the beginning. It was dark and twisty, and I followed Barbara about 1.5 miles up the mountain. We turned off onto an even smaller road, and then onto an even SMALLER road. She was right, I would NEVER have found it by myself. It was a bout 8:00 when I pulled up. She had dinner ready, and Helped me unload the car.

Barb had stopped at the corner on her way in this afternoon and bought oysters, which she poached with mushrooms and breadcrumbs. YUMMMMMY! Topped off with a salad. After dinner she showed me around, and then we sat and played cards until We were ready for bed.

I slept like a log, I actually had the whole bed to myself, no animals at all. It felt really weird! But I slept until 900 the next morning.

Their land is 10 acres abutting the Weyerhaeuser managed forest, so there were no neighbors. The loggers had clear-cut the 50 or so acres just to the southeast of them, and from that point on there was nothing but forests for MILES! NOTHING.


weyerhauser

I asked what kind of wildlife she had there, and she took me to the front yard and showed me where the elk herd had decided to homestead. RIGHT IN THE FRONT YARD. There were none around because we were there, but there were plenty of elk seed left for us to find. ;)


Elk Seeds

Herds of deer, flocks of Blue Grouse, quail, bears, cougar, owls, and a few birds rounded out the rest. I saw no rabbits, but I am sure there were some. Butch had cleared about 5 acres around the place, planted an orchard, set up a wood fired hot tub on the deck that surrounded the front of the house, built the workshop and garage, and had retired waiting for Barbara to do so also. Barbara works in Seattle, so only comes home on weekends. It was on one of those weekends home that Butch was leading her down the mountain, to the flatlands to see her off for the week, when he had either a heart attack or massive stroke, and died instantly. He was only 62! What a tragedy! Barb is taking it very well. She says she has her moments, as I am sure she will still,. But she is a very strong woman, and is determined to keep the place going in his memory.


where the elk sleep

It was so quiet there, no planes, no highway noise, no neighbors dogs, nothing but quiet. It was magnificent. The land there is so CHEAP! Pacific County is the most depressed area in the state, and a 3 bedroom home can be purchased for under 85,000! Trust me, I am thinking about it.

The town of South Bend was started because of the oystering and the logging, but as the oysters were depleted and the trees were all cut, the town died back. The oysters have returned, but the type of oyster is not the native ones, but ones that were brought in and re-seeded. The trees are also coming back, thanks to Weyerhaeuser and their managed forest plans. Driving along the highway there are signs in front of different sized plots of trees, that tell when the original forest was cut and reseeded, and then harvested, and re-seeded, and when it is to be harvested again.

The size of the stumps of the original old growth timber is awesome. I would love to have been able to see a forest of old growth, virgin forest. Some of them were bigger around than my living room. Seriously, they were big enough to hollow out and live in.

Sunday morning while Barb went down the mountain to Church, I took my coffee out to the deck and just sat there listening to the far off buzz of the logging chainsaws, and then the total quiet that followed. The hummingbirds were dive-bombing, but Barb does not want to start feeding them because she is only home twice a month now. She does not want them to get used to her feeder and then starve. Good thinking. I packed up the car and said my thank yous and good byes to Barb and left for home around 12:00.


Raymond

The town of Raymond is 2 miles up 101 from South Bend, and the highway all along the way is seeded with Iron Sculptures. These are a series of enchanting steel sculptures of wildlife and people, designed by local artists to reflect the heiritage of the area. Loggers, native americans, elk, bear cougar are some of the subjects cut out of the steel. The top of the light posts have Brants all stretched out and sunning their wings. Owls and squirrels are perched where you would expect them to be. It is about 3 miles of road, and really awesome to see.

I Drove on up 101 to highway 12 then up to 108 to 101 again, and then on up along the Hood Canal and the Ferry from Port Townsend to the island. AHHHHHHHHH this is a gorgeous state!!!

Long Beach

After we had our Lunch at SHIPS restaurant, we drove back across the Columbia River to the Washington Side, and turned Left towards Ilwaco and the Pacific Ocean. This was the road that followed the route that Lewis and Clark followed when they first saw the Ocean and knew that they had reached their goal. I had always assumed that they were on the Oregon side the whole time, as they wintered there and all of History has them at Fort Clatsop in Oregon. HOWEVER! They originally were on the North side of the River, and Pocahontas and Clarks slave York, both suggested that they stay on this side, and continue on to the Ocean. They did this, and then because of a need to establish a more permanent camp they crossed the river into Oregon.


shipwrecks

Ilwaco is right on the Pacific, and we turned North to drive up the Long Beach Peninsula, which forms the longest drivable beach in the world. 33 Miles of hard packed sand, with a very shallow reach out to sea. The tide was out, and there were clam diggers out everywhere. We stopped at the Boardwalk, and walked the ½ mile down the beach on the dune.


tsunami

Along this walk there are signs showing the natural history of the area, and how Tsunamis, had and will again, change the landscape of the area. Right behind one of these signs was a brand new condo being opened. I wonder who will be dumb enough to buy there? I would not, as much as I would love to live there, I would not invest in an area that it is predicted to be erased at any time. But what do I know?


whale skeleton

There was a whale skeleton on display, and the Gray whales were being sighted out at sea, on their way North for the summer breeding season. Barbara wanted to go get her feet wet, and as the tide was waaaaaay out there, I let her go alone, and I stayed up on the Boardwalk to document the event. (walking sticks and sand don’t work too well) The weather was wonderful, just a tad bit hazy, which put a chill into the air, but it was perfect walking weather. Bad hair day though.


Barbara


We then drove back along the beach to the other end of the boardwalk, and then continued down the peninsula to Oysterville. This is another story for another time, as We were running out of time and light and wanted to be home before dark. Leave it to say that there was way more history here than I ever knew about. All of the history deals with the settlement of the Seattle area, and Fort Vancouver, and the Mercer Girls, etc. But hardly anything more than a brief mention goes into the oystering, and fishing, and logging, and cranberry bogs that are all along this beautiful area. I will go back before Summer spoils it all and update you on it.


drive

Tomorrow I will talk about Barbs place and South Bend and Raymond. See ya..

Astoria still...

ASTORIA…Still


columbia

The view from the Astoria Tower was so awesome. Even though I did not climb the 164 stairs , I had a great view. You could see the whole mouth of the Columbia River, and the Bar that is one of the most dangerous bars in the world to cross.


me

Barbara took my camera and got a picture of me from up on top. I am the white dot on the ground. (Never thought I could look so small). Once Barb came down from the tower, we toured the rest of the grounds. The Canoe is a replica of the ones that Lewis and Clark used to explore the Columbia River. Now I don’t know about you, but I would need a bigger boat. A MUCH bigger boat! It amazes me to see how SMALL the vehicles and craft were that the pioneers used to cross this vast continent. My big SUV is bigger than most wagons were, and they had their whole life in those wagons and canoes. It really brings it home how much they struggled and how hard their journeys were to conquer this wilderness.


canoe

After we were finished, and I had gotten my walking stick, We decided it was time for lunch. Barb knew a great place called The SHIPS that had good English Fare…Bangers and Mash, Fish and Chips, etc. And was right on the River. We had The Halibut Fish and Chips, and sat right on the water. A Freighter was passing while we ate, and it was really close. The River channel ran right up against the Oregon Border, and the rest of the water was all Sand Bar. WOW!


the river

The Fish and Chips were absolutely WONDERFUL!! The Halibut was flaky and the Fries were so crisp and fresh. I could have sat there for hours watching the River traffic go by. But we were ready to go to the Long Beach Penninsula. The longest sandy beach in the world. 33 miles of ocean front…but I’ll save that for tomorrow

2nd Eruption...

2nd plume

I was trying to get these two posts together but blogger wont let me.

It appears that there was a 2.5 quake and now there are signs of fresh lava extruding from the crater. The plume has been measured as 40,000 feet high. There are all kinds of reports coming in, and no one has said anything other than a crater eruption, no Lahars, or pyroclastic flows, associated with this SO FAR! THere is an ash advisory for those down wind of the plume which puts it over Yakima. We are all safe and fine.

THAR SHE BLOWS!!!!!

Breaking News!!!!!

Mt St Helen's has just erupted with a cloud of ash and steam up to 36,000 feet high.

Blogeois has her camera pointed right at it. www.blogeois.com Go see. More news as it happens.

Astoria Tower

Astoria tower

ASTORIA COLUMN

The Astoria Column, in a clearing atop Astoria, Oregon's highest hill, draws an ?Oh, Wow!? from most visitors with its spectacular views of the city and its surrounding forest, mountains, rivers, bay and ocean. The Column, built in 1926 for $32,550, is 125 feet high and has 164 steps spiraling to the top. While the view is best from the column's summit it's also pretty impressive from the surrounding park.

Patterned after the Trajan Column in Rome, the Astoria Column is the world's only large piece of memorial architecture made of reinforced concrete with a pictorial frieze in sgraffito technique. The column artwork illustrates the discovery of the Columbia River by Captain Robert Gray in 1792, the establishment of American claims to the Northwest Territory, the winning of the west and the arrival of the Great Northern Railway.


top


After nearly 70 years of exposure to coastal weather and salt air, time had begun to take its toll on the Astoria Column's unique artwork. By 1995, many of the pictures had deteriorated nearly to the point of invisibility. But the Friends of the Astoria Column and the Astoria community worked together to restore and preserve the artistic character of the column. Internationally renowned experts spent six months cleaning, reconstructing and restoring the images to their original luster and their completed work was unveiled in November, 1997.


Something else that is so neat about this tower, is the Airplanes. The concession stand sells balsa wood airplanes for .50 and then you can fly them off the top off the tower. Since it is 164 steps up there, I personally did NOT go up, but Barb did. She has been there many times before, and had a stash of airplanes at home to fly . So she flew it down to me and I retrieved it. She then put our names and the date on the plane and took it back home to fly again.

After reading all the names on the tiles around the tower, and then history of it, I have decided that I will have to go back again and again during this bicentennial of Lewis and Clark Expedition, and live even more history. If you are interested go here... www.oldoregon.com And learn all about the celebration and the life around Astoria. It is AWESOME!

astoria tower

What a sight!...

I had a wonderful weekend! I will tell all about it in several posts this week, but the post today is about 1 hour of the weekend.

I left Barbs house around 12:00, and drove up 101 along the Hood Canal. This road is very sparsely habitated, and follows the fjord right along the water. There are several pull offs to allow faster moving traffic to go by. I was pushing along about the speed limit +5 and enjoying the ride. I noticed several people out on these pull outs looking out at the Canal. I glimpsed a guy on a skidoo, so just kept on trucking. About Liliwaup, I noticed a LOT of people watching the guy on the skidoo, so I assumed he was making acrobatic movements.


Along the next big pull out there were people with Binoculars looking at the guy, so I said...Self, there is something more going on than what you think, so pull over and see. So being the good girl that I am (I always listen to my conscience) I pulled over and grabbed my binoculars. I always have a set handy, and when I drive I have them hanging over the head rest of the riders seat at the ready.

I looked out and the guy had fallen off his skidoo, and was no where to be found. Then I noticed a fin, and another fin, all black, and small, SO I knew then that the guy on the skidoo was really a bunch of dolphins playing.

I was right across from where I thought the SUBASE Bangor was, and I knew that they kept Dolphins for security porpoises. (pun intended) I thought that they were out on maneuvers.

Suddenly I saw a white patch on a bigger fin, and realized that what I was looking at was a pod of Orcas! There were 2 huge females, and about 6 juveniles. They were breaching, and spy hopping and the little ones were sticking their tails out of the water and waving them. It was sooo spectacular!! They were about 1/2 mile off shore, so they were safe, and we were so blessed with the show that they were putting on. The Females would pop way out of the water and splash back down then the youngsters would Sound. And then they would jump. It was a real treat.

I sat there for about an hour watching them frolic, and then with a sigh, I put my glasses down and drove on up to the ferry landing in Port Townsend. I was hoping for the 315 ferry, and I was the 2nd to the last car allowed on, so the timing was PERFECT. I got home about 4:00 and Sadie almost turned inside out wiggling, when she saw me.

I gave her lots of loving and promised I would take her next time I went. Hopefully by then the laptop will be fixed and I can post daily from wherever...So I can take ya'll along too.

Time out...

I am going to be gone for a few days. I am going to go over to the mainland down towards Oregon and on the coast, to visit an OLD, OLD friend. Barbara lost her husband just before Thanksgiving.

I first met her Husband Butch when I was just starting to date. He was a sailor from VP-1 here on base, and was more fun!! We dated for about 6 months, and then he found my best friend Elaine, and went with her for about a year and then he met Barbara. Barbara had been part of the gang, but was going with Willy at the time, so Butch just never asked. When Willy and Barb broke up, Butch made his move, and then they were married.

They were perfect for each other. They had a wonderful life together, He got out of the Navy and then after some time with Georgia Pacific, he started working for the US Govt again. This time in communications. He was transferred to Korea, and Puerto Rico, and West Virginia, and finally back to Washington.

We had kept in touch through the years, but never visitied, as we were on different schedules, different places. When I got the email in December telling about Butch's sudden death, I was shocked and immediately called Barbara.

It was so wonderful re-connecting with her. It was like we had never been apart, just like when we were still in college, and high school. I saw her a few weeks ago, and had made arrangements for me to go down to her place this weekend. They just finished building this house, and had both retired, to enjoy the rest of their lives together, when Butch had a massive heart attack and died.

This should be a fun weekend, just sitting around talking like old times, playing card games, eating crap, walking along the beach at Astoria, exploring the woods. I need this break. She needs this break. We both need each other. I am leaving Donna in charge of the animals, and running away! See you when I get back!

scrapbooking anyone?

You are 7 GYPSIES paper!
Oh la la...you are sophisticated and enjoy fine
wine and a candlelight dinner. You envision
travelling the world someday. Your scrapbook
pages are elegant and well thought out.


Which Scrapbooking Paper Collection Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

I found this quiz over at Valkyries place and since I LOVE to Scrapbook and buy pretty paper, I thought I would give it a go.

The Whidbey Playhouse

playhouse

Tonight we went to the rehearsal of TEN LITTLE INDIANS at The Whidbey Playhouse, a community theater group on WHidbey Island. The set is still being constructed, and the Director did not want her picture taken, so she put me in front of her face.

State Park

sp dora

Well THIS is the entrance to the State Park Fort Casey...Mary Lou Boo=booed when she put it under the conference centers picture.

The COnference Center is on State Park Property, but it is owned or run by Seattle Pacific University. They have the 6 graders from the Seattle Schools come up for 1 week in the spring, and learn off campus history. Every school child looks forward to 6 grade camp. They also have Soccer Camp here, in the summer, and the Seattle SOunders run this camp.

Seattle Weather

seattle weather

This evening, I watched the Seattle weather reports with Mary Lou, isnt the weather man CUTE? Todd is his name, and I think I have a crush on him.

The Ferry Lady

ferrylady

This is the nice Lady at the Ferry Terminal, who laughed and let me have my picture taken with her. We chose not to wait until 730 for the next sailing. It was getting dark

Port Townsend Ferry landing

ferry

This is the Ferry Landing on WHidbey Island. In order to get off this Island, we need to either take the Ferry to the Olympic Penninsula or drive 70 miles down Island to the CLinton Ferry to the Mainland north of Seattle. The Ferry has just left...we missed it.

Fort Casey State Park,

casey

This is a picture of Fort Casey State Park on Whidbey Island, Washington. It is an old Army FOrt that was built during the late 19th century. It was one of three forts that covered the entrance to Puget Sound.

School Project...

friend

This is the Friend from Alberta Canada that Leslie showed on her blog today. It is from the Neices, and the FRIEND has to be photographed in many different places.(CORRECTED LINK)

I thought this would be fun, so I photoshopped the Rum and Coke out of the front of her, and printed it. Now I will take her with me tomorrow, and get pictures in several places, with place names. then send the photos to Leslie, so she can print them out and give them to her neice.

Now Michelle, If you could copy her, print her out and take her to CAPETOWN and get her picture. ANd Tine, You could get her picture in Belgium and ANJI you could get her in France, and CAS, if you have a digital camera, can you cover England?

Anyone else have a digital camera? We can CYBER move her all over. I printed her out as an 8X10, and she should show up pretty easily . I think I will even take her to rehearsal tonite, she can stand in with one of the actors in TEN LITTLE INDIANS.

We'll get covered. And all these have to get back to Leslie by THursday so she can get them printed out and given back to her neice!

FUN !!!!!