Dining rooms and marvelous views.

Our home can't be billed as a View Lot.

We can't see mountain tops from the dining room.

We can't see large rivers running by.

For a few days we could see nearly nothing!

One warm day, shortly after we had listed the house, Jari took the pressure washer and cleaned off the house walls. Got rid of the accumulated silt and dust.

The dining room window had a bit of a gas leak in it, but could be considered tolerable.

Replacing it still sat somewhere behind gas and groceries ...

actually it lagged quite a distance behind.

That sunny day the cold hose water hit the window and our view dimmed considerably.

It cleared a bit, but ....

not quite enough.

Once again I went on a journey of learning.

We learned that you can buy a piece of glass (this one is double paned, argon filled) and just replace it within the wood frame. I never knew that! I thought you had to replace the entire thing ... wood included.

The glass came in on Tuesday and Wally came by to help put it in.

That was about when I should have started the voice recording!

The window was put in place with carpet glue or something else that would last forever.

It took some work to get it out.

"If this window falls out, it is not going to be good!" comes from the man standing on the top rung of the ladder outside. The wonderful guy who is bit closer to 50 than 40.

Next, "I'm too old for this!"

It came out with the help of some crow bar taps and pieces of glass tingling among

the strawberry plants below and the carpet above. New window up ....

and in! (This time without carpet glue!) To anyone who wants to replace it some other day later in life, "you're welcome!"

Once the window was in (actually at about the time the old one cracked and we saw the film inside) we came to the full realization that the previous window was tinted.

I could never take a picture of a moose in the yard because the pictures weren't clear.

Ah Hah! Tint!

This one is clear. Crystal. Clear.

I would have to call it a picture window.

With a view.

The trim went on outside yesterday so there aren't those little blocks holding the window in place anymore.

Last night as I was leaving Bible Class, I got a text from home that said "the moose is here." I missed it, but she'll be back to check out the growing vegies and try get in to the greenhouse for more goodies.

There is a good reason for the green.

It has been raining for days.

On our way home last night, Tia said "Wow! This is like Arizona rain!"

We usually don't have Arizona rain here. I don't really know Seattle rain, but it is probably more like that. Light stuff.

Should the sun come out in the near future and the weeds dry out,

we'll be mowing the lawn every 12 hours for a while!

Hoping to be back by the end of the weekend with some fun pictures ..

we're off to play for a few days after this loooonnnng one is over.

Celebrating the Colonists

with a small town parade.

Heavy in the tractor department.

Light in the music department.

Loaded with personality and flavor.

Isn't this the sweetest little rig you've ever seen?

The first time I saw it driving down Trunk Road I did one of those

double double takes.

Then I smiled.

I'm sure it is a frequent reaction to this this wagon driving down the road.

In honor of the Colonists who settled Palmer so many years ago.

I'm imagining these lovely ladies just chatted and giggled their way through town. 

 Plenty of lovingly restored treasures ....

 of many varieties. The drivers were just about as varied!

 Booths of goods for sale.

Plenty of treats to eat.

Activities galore, including things like the egg throwing contest and salmon dip contest.

All topped with beautiful weather

that was too good to ask for!

 Saturday evening services.

Sunday services and then visiting in the evening.

And the calendar rolls back to Monday again and the start of another week ...

that looks like it will be topped by another weekend of outdoor busyness

and more visitors.

All I need to do is make it through the next four days!

He's still awake!

Saturday Dinner Menu

Fresh Copper River Red Salmon

Red Potatoes

Green Beans

Ciabatta Bread

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

We do have some things in our lives which make us feel downright spoiled.

I made it ...

to my little corner of the basement! The sweatshirt pieces are all sewn together. Finished. Complete. If you sew, you know how good that feels. :) Now I just need some good fleece for the backing and a lot of top stitching to do ... hopefully in some fun colors. I can't wait to spend some chilly air nap time out on the porch wrapped in comfy "sweats".

We showed the house again at dinner time, which meant an hour drive around a looong block with a stop for a quick bite.

Came home and I was itching to mow the lawn.

To be perfectly honest, I really didn't care who mowed it. I just wanted it done.

Several males here said they would rather do it tomorrow than this evening.

I headed to the green house and repotted some of those zucchini/cukes.

I think I figured out which is which.

Then ... two of those males headed out the door several hours later.

Fred made it back home this evening after a trip to Arizona and a stop in Colorado ...

then a long drive back to Alaska.

Tonight, he and Jari headed down to try fishing the Klutina for the night.

I hope Jari manages to stay awake. Fred didn't intend to. He took his pillow along.

Lately my dear hubby has turned into a "10:30 pm Turn Into a Pumpkin" kind of guy.

The kids all left after Anna came home from work.

So that left me home alone.

Audio book (had to quickly download another one!) and the sewing machine.

Now I'm ready for a day of running tomorrow.

I did grab a few shots of our world at 11:15 pm outside. 

 Hard to believe, isn't it?

Now I must really turn in ...

or I'll be a pumpkin tomorrow at about parade time.

Rhubarb picking begins!

The pictures I've been taking lately are just not working.
I don't know what I've done to the settings on the camera.
Guess I'll have to figure it out this weekend.
Ugh.

I picked and cut up 16 cups of rhubarb this evening. Our favorite use for rhubarb has become this tasty beverage. Tia took one look at the rhubarb on the counter and said, "What are you ..... are you making?!" to which I finished "punch" to which she replied something like "Yes!!" It really is a winner around here.

(click on the recipe to see it larger ... unless your readers are a stronger level than mine!)

I cut the water about in half. I really don't want to fill my freezer with unnecessary water. This time I'm trying to freeze some in ice cube trays. Add a cube to a soda and make an individual drink instead of needing to make a gallon at a time. Will see if it works or not!

Other than that ... a post MRI visit today with the Dr to find out that the xray probably showed what we needed to see. We're on hold for another 6 months unless I want an epidural steroid injection before that sometime. A visit to the Physical Therapist this afternoon. He does some "regular" therapy, but mostly he does muscle release type therapy. I was shocked to find that it had been over two years since I saw him last! That means that for the past two years my hip (what I now find to really be my back) has been functioning well. Will see what miracles he can perform this time around. I do know that he recently bought a second home in Tucson. Should our move be successful and I need him .... I'll have him relatively close. Whew!

Today, in the middle of my wandering, I was searching for pinking shears. My "wrap around throw" was wanting some pinked edges. I couldn't find any at either of the stores I tried. I might just have to change my mind or go visit Amber ... she probably has a pair hidden somewhere in the dreamy craft room of hers. I don't know when I'm going to have time to visit that corner I've got going. Maybe I can just ignore my family tomorrow evening and disappear down there for a while? With my book?

Our days are geting longer and longer. The light is just awesome. Splendiferous.
The radish tops are growing a lot faster than the bottoms. I checked.
The carrots still aren't popping up. I don't know what's up with that.
The zucchini took so long to pop up that I planted more.
Then I planted more cucumber seeds.
I labeled none of them.
This new breed of round zucchini and the cuke leaves look just alike.
This could be interesting.
The chickens are tending to like the strawberry blooms.
I think it might be time for some protective chicken wire in some strategic places.

This weekend we're going to play a little at Colony Days. I hope the weather cooperates!

It's a Cat's Life.

She is a tad bit loved.

Weekend camping.

Our weekend camp out days were spent under skies of gray colors

dotted with a bit of rain, making me thankful for the campgrounds close

proximity to my bed. :)

 "A sandbox!"

Bennett who certainly enjoyed his bottle ... not that we can tell.

He wouldn't flash me his brilliant smile ... and he has one!

 Babies en masse. Ahhh. We are so lucky!

 Rain slickers adding color to the faces that have played hard all weekend.

Friends sharing giggles.

 Volleyball between rain drops.

 All under mountain tops covered with a fresh new blanket of white.

 The skies were never clear enough to see a rainbow all weekend.

According to one wise one, this was the promise we were treated to.

"God's promise that summer will not last forever."

Today the skies are a brilliant blue and the sun is streaming in my yard.

So that would mean .... I'm off to work!