Staying busy

Katherine is working, Randal is taking care of business, Kenda, Elisabetta, and the kids are shopping Charles is out buying shoes and I am trying to keep a low profile.
There hasn't been any slow down after Christmas. I have avoided any work around the house so far but this afternoon I think I will be Installing some flooring.
We have checked out Randal and Katherine's building, explored lava tubes in northern California, went ice skating, hiking trails in and around the area.  We have checked out Katherine's hospital and place of business.  Busy busy busy
Everyone has just returned so I now have to show excitement over their purchases.

Busy in Klamath Falls

It has been busy this week in Klamath Falls. There was a beauty parlor visit for the ladies. Cookie baking with Lois and then with Josephine. 

Tom and Randal strung popcorn for our tree and the grandchildren ate popcorn and decorated. We have a lovely fir tree this year!!

Santa brought Josephine an Elsa doll and we have all become too familiar with "Let it Go". 

Abby Gitlitz, glass artist from Bloomington, has a piece at the Oregon Institute of Technology. Out dear friend, Sandra, helped create it and it was wonderful to see. A collection of separate  windows with images from science but when viewed from a certain angle you see a heart and a brain. Fascinating!

Daniel has been helping Katherine cook some delicious meals. 

Katherine has been showing us her impressive work. She is spear heading a group to build a walking trail for which they received a grant. This picture was taken close to the trail site. Beautiful view and a family that I love. 

We hope your Holidays were filled with good cheer and love. Tom and I did miss our traditional Christmas Eve at Old Clifty with friends and family. 

Christmas is coming

Kenda and I have arrived at Klamath Falls and we are having a great time. Charles and family arrived in the states last Wednesday and made it to Randal and Katherine's on Saturday the 20th. 
They have put me to work wiring some switches and receptacles and then the bathroom sink plugged up so Randal and I spent a day fixing that. I'm still trying to avoid mudding the drywall but they are turning up the pressure.
All 8 of us drove to the forest to find and cut a Christmas tree.  We manage to all agree on the tree and decided it was the best one in the forest.

Randal and I also found some road kill but didn't really know what to do with it. 

Almost there

Kenda and I left Seattle this morning after saying goodbye to our host's Roger and Susan. We had a great time seeing Seattle and eating the food with them.
After a 5 hour drive we stopped in Albany Oregon to pick up Lois. Unfortunately to make room for Lois we had to leave 2 of the 4 kitchen chairs behind that we have been hauling around since Indiana.
Currently I am in the back seat with 4 suitcases and other various and sundry items while the 2 ladies are chattering away unaware or unconcerned with my predicament.  I am trying to suffer in silence.
We are now passing through some beautiful mountain's and should be arriving at Katherine and Randal's in a couple of hours.
Starting to lose feeling in my legs, send help.

We love Seattle

It was 3 days until departure from Dublin when little Daniel realized that his passport had expired recently. But he is so cute and entreated the authorities to let him come to America for Christmas or his grandparents would be devastated. They gave the darling little boy a 3 month extension. All is well and one should believe in Miracles!!

The sun followed us into Seattle and the view from Roger and Susan's home is spectacular!  We look out on the bay and watch ships go by and across the water are the mountains. 

We went to the fish market and bought oysters, shrimp and 3 pounds of mussels!  We had a feast. Tom was in heaven!

Sending some Seattle pictures. What a

great time

Tomorrow picking up Lois and on to Klamath Falls. Here we come Oregon!!!

Football, football all day on the radio!

Tom and Paul were right, the Great Camry drove right down the drive. We hated

to bid the Montana Jochims farewell. 

Yesterday Waylon came downstairs to tell us that a herd of elk was outside. We watched as they grazed about 500 yards away. Paul counted 197!  It was great. Can you imagine Paul lives in a place with elk in his backyard?  Then last night we heard the males bugling and the cows calling. They are such unique calls and we felt so lucky. 

Yesterday we toured Paul's "office" where he fabricates special order molded pipes. There is a picture of the son he helped to make inside a pipe!  Then Paul in his office. It was fascinating and very impressive. 

The picture of snow-capped mountains is a welcome to Idaho. Beautiful!  Trivia question:  it was 1:15 PM when we entered Idaho and 1:25 PM when we left Idaho. How can that be?

On to Seattle...

Arrived at the Jochims of Stevensville...

My new car is filthy. I took a picture and then, to my surprise, my car got even dirtier!  Paul's drive is long and muddy and the trusty Camry was throwing mud everywhere, but made it!

We were warmly welcomed and I was very excited to take a tour of the house they built. I had to be patient as Paul brought home "road kill" for supper and my tour was delayed!  Thankfully, Kristie and Charlotte had prepared elk steaks, mashed potatoes and salad. A true feast!

The house Paul and Kristie built is just beautiful with lovely wood, high countertops, unique showers and wonderful antlers as towel racks and door handles. Charlotte's window is striking. The view all around is not bad either. It is good because we are taking the drive again only when we leave!!

We have explored Stevensville and I highly recommend the drugstore. 

Waylon and Owen are lively, active cute boys. 

Today we went to an Elk Preservation Museum. An organization to promote and preserve elk areas by buying and preserving land and introducing elk back into the mountains in Tennessee, North Carolina and the Ozarks. They had some massive trophy elk. Just magnificent. Indiana has no elk at this time!  

We will leave for Seattle after breakfast on Sunday. We have 4 passes to go over before arriving in Seattle!  More beautiful and interesting things to see. 

Montana is a long way from home!

We have finally arrived in Big Sky country. Our day did not go exactly as planned...

We started with a dazzling early morning in Thermopolis State Park walking around this enormous area of hot springs water flowing down the hill and into the river. The mineral deposits cover the landscape and vary in color with pinks and greens and whites. As some of the water froze into icicles and there were sheets of ice flowing over the mineral terraces. The early morning sun reflected brilliantly off all these ice crystals. 

We had a beautiful drive to Cody, WY where we intended to spend the afternoon in a most fantastic Bill Cody Museum. But, it is closed in the winter from Monday-Wednesday. So we had a coffee and regrouped. On to Bozeman...

Ate at The Garage which was in an old garage with license plates as menus. Delicious food and very clever ambiance. 

We found Bozeman Hot Springs. Are you seeing a pattern?  First Steamboat, then Thermopolis  and now Bozeman!  They had 9 pools, a sauna and a steam room. We tried them all!  I do not think I had been in a steam room before. Cookie, we thought of you in the sauna. You would have loved it. 

A fine day with cool, partly cloudy weather and new worlds to explore. 

Tomorrow we will arrive at Paul and Kristie's. Very excited to see them in their home.

Where the deer and the antelope roam

A day of driving northwest in Wyoming. Beautiful drive to Thermopolis and the hot mineral springs. A short note with a picture of antelope and Tom in the hot springs in our historic hotel. Good night