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July 18, 2008

IT'S FRIDAY, MY FAVORITE DAY!!

It finally feels like summer has arrived. We have had a few days of sunny weather and have been actually been able to get outdoors to enjoy it. I once again tackled the jungle next to the house. This is something I work at each year, but it seems to grow even more before I can get back to finish the job. This time, the idea is to get rid of all the unwanted vegetation before fall. The electric "jaws of death" that I got for my birthday last year have come in handy for clearing out the hillside!

We decided to put the steamboat in the water on Saturday and so with the help of some friends, we got it launched. Dave wasn't happy with the feedwater pump. It wasn't working and so he had to manually feed cold water into the boiler and thus we would lose pressure and our speed would slow down. Such is the life of a steamboater.

We took the Captain Bell down to the Kahrs' dock for the summer. Since their son and daughter-in-law, Devin and Pinky were down for the weekend, we had our usual celebration of wine and cheese after arriving. We took them all for a quick ride and then were invited for dinner. It was a beautiful evening and we had a great time.

We attended a radio station reunion (a group that Dave used to work with) on Sunday. The party was on a houseboat on the Columbia River in Portland. It was really hot so I spent most of my time inside by the fan. This group is kind of special because everyone got along so well while they worked together and has kept in touch over the years. But I was glad to be heading back to the coast after that and we went from 95 degrees to 70 degrees in a matter of a couple of hours.

On Monday, we had promised to take the friends who had helped us launch the boat out for a ride. Their granddaughter - who is five - wanted to steer the boat and toot the whistle. She was a great skipper and we awarded her with a special certificate for her help. This time when we took the boat out, the feed water pump worked just fine and we didn't have any problems. Like I said, you just never know if the boat is going to run smoothly or not.

I finally decided that I had better finish painting the outside of the deck rails. It has only been three years since I began this project and got to the point where it was too high and the ground was too unlevel for me to finish the paint job. Since I started the job, we bought levelers for the ladder and so I didn't mind tackling the job. Since Dave was busy with an electrical project at Kahrs', I had Leanna come over and hold the ladder for me while I climbed up about 20 feet with paint can and brush in my hand. It took us about an hour and half to finish that job but it is done and hopefully will not have to be repainted for a few years. I was so sore and black and blue the next day that you would have thought that I was in an accident! Dave wants me to wear a sign around my neck stating that he didn't beat me! I bruise very easily and clinging tightly to the ladder was all it took.

We are getting ready for some summer company. On Sunday a friend of Dave's will be spending the night and then on Monday, we are expecting my sister and brother-in-law from Phoenix for a few days. There will be a quick change of the sheets between visits, believe me. Believe it or not, I really am looking forward to having company.

I wanted to include this picture from a couple of weeks ago. Leslie, Jason and the girls took us out to breakfast on Sunday after the 4th and the grandgirls wanted pancakes. Little did Ashtin know that the pancakes at the Bunkhouse Restaurant are huge! Her reaction to the size when they were served was priceless!

Dave is now on the Wheeler City Council. There was a vacancy that came up and he waited until the last possible minute to apply. He agonized over the decision, because he was on the Planning Commission and really didn't want to leave that job when he felt there was still work to be done. He he finally decided to step up and try the council. This is just an appointment to fill an empty position. If he wants to stay on, he'll have to run for election in November. He likes being active in the political side of Wheeler. This town is so far left and far right that I have decided to stay out of the mix because there are people on both sides that I like and I just want to stay neutral to everyone. Being in the political spotlight is not my thing. I am just happy doing my part on the Park and Recreation Committee.

We have to make a trip into Portland today. Dave has a foot doctor appointment and is also getting a much-needed haircut. I want to get my nails done while in town and also do some shopping at Costco. We are going to spend the night as on Saturday we have a wedding reception to attend. My nephew, who is almost 50 years old, finally decided it was time to get married!