Summer Recap - Looking Ahead

It was a very busy summer and fall, thank you to all our wonderful guests! We had people from all over the US, Canada and Europe and it was great to meet or revisit with all of them!

Our summer season started with a vacation for Ron and I and our kids going to Seattle to witness daughter, Jenna’s, graduation from the University of Washington, Tacoma, with a masters in Social Work. We had purchased a motorhome in Pasco,WA last April so we took this opportunity to pick it up and drive it home pulling a trailer with all of Jenna’s worldly possession while she drove her car. But first, we all took a 3-day vacation in the San Juan Islands to unwind and have a good old family time in a great house on the beach! It was so fun!

Jenna has now moved back to Minnesota and works for the Alzheimer’s Association in St. Cloud. It is so wonderful having her so close to home again.

Fast forward to this week after spending a great weekend here with the grandboys, Ron dropped them off and picked up his sister, Jan, to take “the big behemoth” to Hot Springs, Arkansas where it will be stored until we come back to pick it up in February and tour the gulf coast for 2 months. No worries, our wonderful in-keepers Cal and Bonnie will be here to welcome and take care of our guests during our absence. 

Ron left just in the nick of time as the snow started flying up here! Nothing is sticking to the streets yet and hopefully won’t for quite a while. The dalias were gorgeous this year and were flowering profusely right up until yesterday when the 30 degree temps got them. Now time to dig and store. Planted garlic yesterday from bulbs received from some wonderful California guests a year ago. Actually I planted them last winter and these are from the bulbs picked this summer. I was able to plant twice as many this year!

Quick sidebar for a craft idea: I saw the cutest checkerboard painted pumpkins on Etsy the other day. They used artificial pumpkins but I bought a real white (ghost) pumpkin and thought I would paint black squares on it like a checkerboard. Then decorate the stem area with fall leaves, etc, How cute would that be?!

Okay, 2 rooms to clean, pay some bills, take the dog for a walk, do some yard work and craft – maybe not in that order! Have a great day and always be ready to see the surprises and beauty around you!

Karen