I haven't written anything for a few days. Our trip is coming up soon. I was looking back at my pictures and decided to put these two pictures on from the Washington DC trip that Debbie and I took. This was in September of 2008. I am sure you recognize these pictures. It was hot when we were in Washington DC and it will definitly be hot when we are in the Midwest.

Today I went to Impressions

and got my perm. Sara is the beautician that works on my hair. She does such a good job. My hair is not easy to work with. Something happens to the texture of your hair when it gets white. I wanted my hair done before our trip. Right now my hair feels so nice and soft. Sara belongs to the Church too.

Donna is coming over tomorrow morning. I have to go to the Transit Center to pick her up. She is leaving her car on the other side. I guess we will have to use my car while she is here. We will be taking Kyle out to dinner for his birthday. Then I guess Debbie will take us to the ferry dock in Seattle to go back to Sequim. I think I am supposed to whine at this point. I never have been a walk-on passenger ever on the ferry. Dave and I used to go to Vashon Island a lot years ago. I won't need much for 4 days so I am just taking my little duffel bag.

I think everyone knows that I am still working on getting my car up to 10,000 miles. I am at 9,871 miles now. only 129 miles to go. My little Kia is 5 years old. I think I will have a celebration when I get to 10,000 miles. I am going to get an oil change when I get back from my trip. According to Grease Monkey I was supposed to have it done in February or 10,000 miles, whichever came first. I am really glad I bought this car. It is not a car for long trips but it is just right for me.

Picture of a street in Port Angeles. Donna, her neighbor, Marge and I went to Port Angeles to do a little shopping. It is a very nice looking old town. Some of the buildings are being repainted.

Donna and Marge in front of one of the shops.

Summer my favorite season is here. I love it when you can just go with no coat and wear sandals instead of shoes.

"That beautiful season, the summer! Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light.

By: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Debbie thought I should post another Bonney Lake Story---

I think I mentioned on one of my earlier blogs that we had to dig a well on the property. We had moved into the house in the summer of 1960 with just basically a roof and walls. We did not have water. We had to haul water. Your dad and David started working on the well in the summer. My baby was due in October and they were trying to get water before I had the baby.

We couldn't afford a drilled well. Bishop Neilson from the Buckley Branch came out to witch for water and told your dad where to dig. Several people had dug wells in that area but the wells always went dry late fall and depending on the rain, they would not fill up again until December or sometimes January. We hauled lots of water. We had rain barrels under the eaves to catch water. I always kept a good supply of drinking water. When Clayton and I got married he had rain barrels to catch water. I hated them. I had to watch in the fall for mosquitoes and dump the water. He insisted we needed them. I am sure he experienced the same thing I did in Bonney Lake; always afraid you wouldn't have water.

David was only 9 when he was helping with the well. Daniel was born in October 1960 and David would not be 10 until February 1961. We made David work so hard at such an early age. I guess that is one of the reasons he is such a hard worker and dependable person that he is today. He is the one who fishes in Alaska and that is not easy work. Your dad and David would dig the well and send the buckets of sand up to be dumped. I ended up helping dump the buckets. I helped with dumping those heavy buckets until about a week before Daniel was born. My days of miscarriages was long gone. My visiting teachers came out once while I was dumping buckets and they were sure something would happen to the baby. Daniel was a healthy baby but he was born breech and those sisters were positive it was because I was doing all that heavy work.

Anyway, we finally got the well done and your dad bought this old piston pump which stopped quite frequently. The pump was on this wobbly old platform. When the pump stopped, someone would have to go down on the platform and get it started again and then the pump would have to be primed everytime. The platform was not that large and a person could slip off it and fall into the well if you were not careful.

Your dad had been working different jobs and finally got one in Bremerton and only came home on weekends and sometimes every other weekend. We didn't have the money for gas for him to commute everyday. So, then, when the piston pump would stop I would send David down on that platform to take care of the pump. I would stand by and pray he would not slip off that platform. David never fussed about having to do it. In later years, I have thought about the way we lived out there. Sending a 10 year old kid down the well to take care of a pump, I think today they would take the kids away. It is also a miracle we did not get sick from the water.

I did do my best to keep things clean. It was very hard sometimes. I didn't even have an automatic washer most of the time. I would have to fill the wringer washer, wash the clothes, fill it again with rinse water and hang the clothes out to dry in good weather and dry them on a rack in the winter. Of course, I had to wash diapers everyday.

I can't say that all that work shortened my life. You kids all managed to grow up even with a mother like me. We had a lot of good times there too, like our little picnics and I always read to you and we played games. The Bookmobile came once a week to Werley's store and I would walk all you kids to the Bookmobile. It was probably close to two miles round trip. We always looked forward to going there.

The long line of cars at the Game Farm Park that we went to in Sequim.I took a picture of this Peacock. He is right up by the fence with his tail fanned out. It is hard to see because he blends in with the background. He is right between the two posts. I just noticed if you enlarge the picture of the Peacock you can see him good.

Another picture of a bear. The bears are so well fed with the bread you are allowed to feed them that a lot of time the bears don't even give the bread a second look.

SKUNK STORIES

Debbie remembers these stories and she thought I should put them on my blog. Another Bonney Lake story---

A little background.....We had a dugout partial basement under the house. We had a few shelves in the basement where I stored my home canned vegetables and fruits. We also had crocks for pickles and sauerkraut that I made.

I don't think we realized for awhile that we had skunks living in the basement. Usually skunks come out at night.

I am sure David in Alaska remembers this story too. We had the cat's dish out back by the sliding glass door. We would fill that dish in the morning and it used to last a couple of days or more. Then the dish started being empty every morning. We knew some animal was eating the cat food. We thought it was probably a Raccoon. One night we saw a skunk eating out of the dish. Your dad got his gun and he and David went out to sneak upon the skunk and shoot it. Someone had told your dad that if you shoot a skunk right between the eyes, it won't squirt. (Don't believe it) I know a couple of you kids, probably Dan and Darrell, were upset and said "don't shoot the kitty". I got everybody away from the door. We heard the gun go off and the next thing we noticed was the smell. The odor even filled the house. Linda, my step-daughter, took a can of hairspray and was spraying all over the house which I think just made it worse. We could hardly breathe the odor was so bad.

Poor David, being the oldest, always had to help with everything. They buried the skunk and had to come in to get other clothes. I made them bury the clothes they had on. Maybe I could have gotten the smell out but I just couldn't deal with it.

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We were still in Bonney Lake and we had an old station wagon. I guess a window must have been open. A lot of time we didn't close the driver's window unless it was raining because we had to use hand signals and it was just easier to have the window open unless it was cold or rainy. We were all going to a Church activity in Buckley. All you kids ran to the wagon and jumped into the back. I was just walking to the wagon when your dad opened the backdoor of the wagon and said in a voice none of us will ever forget. He said "get out of the car and don't make a sound and get into the house". I couldn't imagine what was going on. I thought something was going to explode in the car and even Debbie thought it must be a bomb. (That was way before people thought about violent things like we do now). Your dad came in to get his gun. He said there was a skunk in the car. He left the car door open. I imagine he was hoping it would get out of the car, which it did thank goodness. I guess he took the gun as a last resort. You would think after his other skunk experience he wouldn't even think about taking the gun. Anyway, we got back in the wagon and continued on to Buckley with no further problems.

What amazes me most about this incident is when all you kids jumped in the back and were probably fighting about where to sit as you usually did; that the skunk didn't spray on you guys. Another miracle in life.

Our Church wasn't even a ward at that time. It was just a branch. It was called the Buckley Branch. The building was originally a funeral parlor. The members put in a baptismal font. There was only cold water running into it. The Priesthood members had to carry hot water in big milk cans. The Bishop would try to wait and have several baptisms at once because it was so much work to fill the font. Even with the cans of hot water the water was still pretty cold. Debbie said she felt special because she actually got to be baptized on her birthday. The building the Buckley Branch was in is now a Museum.

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ANOTHER SKUNK STORY----This is a story that my mother told me about herself. My mother was actually somewhat of a tomboy. When she was a girl she said she was in their barn and she saw a skunk. She said she picked up a pitchfork and started to chase after the skunk. She said the skunk ran and hid in the hay so she decided not to go after it. I am sure that was very fortunate for her. Another thing my mother said was she and her sisters and brother did was get on top of the barn . She said you could look for miles. This was in Iowa where everything was so flat. My mother also lived through tornados. They had a storm cellar (like in the "Wizard of Oz". She said usually the cellar was half full of water when you had to climb into it. They could see the Tornado coming and they would run for the shelter. I hope Donna and I don't experience a Tornado in the Midwest.

A picture of Donna and Laif's dining room. The Grandfather clock is one that used to belong to Clayton. It has such nice chimes. I always loved it and I am glad it has a good home.

Donna had plants in the wooden barrels. They filled up with water and her plants were turning yellow. Donna is dumping water from one and Laif is drilling holes in the barrels. Their back yard looks so good.

This is the fence that Laif is building around the back yard. It is very nice looking.

Donna and laif had a rock wall put in along where the fence goes. You can see the top of it from here. When you are driving up to their house you can see the rock wall. It was very beautifully done.

Just a little information on "Our Great Adventure". I am working on our agenda. We fly into Minneapolis on July 21st. We are going to spend the first night in a hotel close to the Mall of America. On the 22nd, we are going to go to Pepin, Wisconsin to see the Laura Ingalls Museums. I am looking up other sites in and around Pepin. That is about as far as I got today.

Laura was born in Pepin.

A little info----Pepin County is Wisconsin's second smallest county and is one of the state's most colorful and historic vacation destinations and named for Lake Pepin. Lake Pepin is 28 miles long, 3 miles wide. It is a spectacularly beautiful and tranquil body of water formed where the delta of the Chippewa River flows into the mighty Mississippi River.

The front of the radio station KSQM 91.5 Sequim. It is a very nice looking building inside and out.

This a picture of Laif making a donation to the station. The owner's mother is 86 and is the receptionist one day a week.

I have been so busy today the time really flew. I took Erik to a luncheon given by his Seminary teacher. Decided to go to Safeway while I was out and barely got back when he called to have me pick him up. I ended taking two others home. I was just getting ready to fix my lunch and Richard called. We had a nice visit. I also did three loads of clothes. I finally got my lunch finished about 2pm. I am glad I can still drive and help out a little.

Today while I was taking everyone home I told them to be sure and tell me where to turn because I do not have the best sense of direction. After I said that I remembered an incident a long time ago that happened to me. If David and Debby in Alaska are reading this, David will remember.

We were building our house in Bonney Lake. Your dad had been blowing up stumps and he needed more blasting caps. We were still living in Buckley because the house wasn't far enough along to move into. I had to go to Enumclaw to get the blasting caps. I got to the hardware just fine, bought the blasting caps and stuck them in the glove compartment. You had to turn from the highway onto the Vandermark Road to get to our property. I turned one road too soon thinking it was the Vandermark Road. Once I turned, I was lost , very lost. The trip to the hardware store and back to Bonney Lake should not have taken more than a half hour at most. I drove and drove trying to find my way back at least to the highway. I ended up in South Prairie, Orting and all over the place. I finally came out at Duane's gas station where we bought our gas and then I knew where I was. By this time about two and a half hours had passed. I had the littlest ones with me. If I remember right I had Richard, Debbie and Darrell was lying on the front seat and I was pregnant with Dan. No car seats back then. I just kept hoping I would find my way back before Darrell woke up and wanted a bottle because I didn't take one because it was just going to be a short trip. Of course no one had cell phones and we didn't have a phone yet in Bonney Lake.

Then of course when I got back your dad was so happy. He said he was just about ready to go to a phone and call the State Patrol. He was so scared that somehow the blasting caps went off and blew us up or we had been in an accident.

I certainly put those blasting caps to the test. I was bouncing all over those country roads. When I talked to Richard today he thought blasting caps had to be hit hard to go off. I decided to read about blasting caps. You are wrong, Richard. My guardian angel was riding with me that day for sure.

This is what I found out---Blasting caps contain what is called a Primary explosive. A primary explosive is a high explosive compound that will explode from flame, heat or shock. Because of their size and appearance, blasting caps are sometimes not recognized as explosives, leading to injuries.

We lived dangerously in those days. Lead paint, no car seats and many other very unsafe things we did because we didn't know any different. When I look back now, it a miracle in itself that all you children grew to adulthood, but you all did and having children is the greatest blessing there is.

A picture of Donna and Laif's cabin. They have really fixed it up nice. I am standing on the new porch Laif built.

Just a picture of one of the streets in Sequim. The Kim's Nails sign on the right is where Donna gets her nails done.

The bottom picture is one of a couple of bears I took at the Game Farm Park.

I am finally home for awhile. Donna and I didn't get to Debbie's house until about 2:30pm. Of course to start with we had to get up early to catch a ferry so Donna would be in time for her doctor appointment. Her Asthma doctor is near the Children's Hospital. It is a good thing she went because she has a Sinus infection again and one of her Tonsils is enlarged. After that we headed off for Renton. By the time we got to Renton, it was lunch time. We ate at 5 Guys near the theater in the Mall by Lowe's and Fryes. Donna had never eaten there before. Also she had to go into Fryes to return a mouse. After that we continued on to the East Valley Highway near the theaters there to go to Triple A. Donna bought a one year membership. We had a very helpful, informed agent to help us. He gave us a lot of information and we left with a bag of maps and tour books for the area in the Midwest that we will be going through.

On the news they said that there was a car left on the Bainbridge ferry so there was a helicopter looking for a passenger. That was not on our run. On our run we were escorted all the way from Bainbridge to Seattle by Coast Guard boats with machine guns in front at the ready. The announcement was made about our escort so that we would not be worried.

It is nice to be back but I really had a very nice time with Donna and Laif. Being in Sequim is just like a different world. No traffic jams and very quiet. The only "traffic jam" we were in over there was at the Game Farm Park.

I will be over there from July 1st to July 5th. Then I will have to settle down and get ready for our trip. We have a hotel reserved for our first night (Minneapolis) near the Mall of America. It is only $61 because Donna used her Triple A Card. It is my job to study the maps and the travel books and mark things. I know it is not until the 21st of July but time just seems to be flying by this year. Donna is calling it "Our Great Adventure". It will certainly be that for us. I am getting very excited about it already.

This will be my last post until I get home. Yesterday afternoon we went to the Game Farm Park instead of the Civil War re-enactment. I am happy we did that. I have never been there. They had a special day. Dan Haggerty from "Grizzly Adams" was there. The admission for adults is normally $10.00 but for this Saturday it was $4.00 each for anyone. You cannot believe the people that were there. We did the car tour which normally takes 45 minutes but it took us one and a half hours. It was the worst traffic jam you can imagine. I doubt Laif got much above 2 miles an hour. I took some pictures. There are Peacocks and Peahens all over. I never realized how noisy they are. Except at least one of them will not be making noise as we saw Peacock feathers by the Bobcat cage.

We went to Church this morning. Donna gave the Relief Society Lesson. She did such a nice lesson. Now we are home and ready to eat lunch. I will have to pack this afternoon. I talked to Marge at Church again today. Laif invited her over for the 4th of July. She was excited about that. So now there will be Kyle, Marge and me for the 4th. Kyle will probably bring me back on the fifth.