It’s been a terrific summer so far and today is only the last day of spring! We’ve been back in Montana since early May, and it is a happy place! We swung into Anaconda, Montana and spent a couple of days in early May in the snow and rain, but boy is Washoe Park a pretty place.
You just gotta love small towns with a place to park your RV while you spend some time enjoying the community. We were able to spend some time with James and Jaime. Good food, games, a sleep over and a walk or two in the rain, and on to Hot Springs. It’s just like getting back home! We’re enjoying spending great time with Jim and Paula, and of course, with Audrey and Kason and their Mom and Dad, Randi and Justin. We so appreciate that they have a spot for us and seem to enjoy our company too. We also have a million dollar view!
Best of all about being back in the Northwest, we took a trip to Whidbey Island to see Joanette’s brother Dave and his clan, son’s David Lynn and Jesse as well as Jesse’s wife Alison and their girls . We were able to stay with Dave for a few days while enjoying a span of terrific weather and quality time with Jason, Tina, Gracen, Lincoln and Jackson, our Whidbey Island Family.
On a hike we discovered some lesser known remains of Fort Casey, the Army Fortification erected in 1897, whose disappearing guns were installed in 1901. Joanette’s Dad was stationed at Fort Casey during WWII. A great photo op!
We had one day all to ourselves with Grandson Lincoln. We took him to Mt. Erie, a local landmark. The pictures of those views are so amazing. The pictures of photogenic Lincoln are precious!
The views from Mt. Erie, Fidalgo Island
We treated him to lunch at McDonald’s in Anacortes which, of course, was a hit! We took him to Flintstone Park in Oak Harbor and told him the story of Joanette’s Dad making the Flintstone Mobile, back in the day. Dad worked at Everett Bros. Construction (cement construction) which provided our family of 7 a good life, from the time he got out of the Army in 1945 until he passed away in March of 1976, my senior year in high school and just before his 58th birthday. Happy Father’s Day Dad.
One last photo of our day with Lincoln – an ice cream from what used to be The Wet Whiskers and a walk on the Coupeville Wharf!
While on Whidbey Keith and I took a trip to the local Meerkerk Gardens, a springtime attraction that neither one of us had ever taken the time to see. The rhododendrons were in full bloom and we had a great time, a nice walk and dogs were welcome!
We enjoyed a drive by our old home on 9th Street in Coupeville. It never ceases to amaze us the size of the two trees we planted back in 1996! A Giant Sequoia (that turned out to be two trees) and a Deodar Cedar!
Mother’s Day 2021 was spent with Jason, Tina and the boys, a visit to Sunnyside Cemetery to see Mom, Dad, Grandma, Sister, Aunts and Uncles and our latest, Joanette’s Cousin Bonnie . We were born three weeks apart, walked at Coupeville High School 1976 Graduation together and sadly Bonnie spent most of the 9 the last Covid months in the hospital, alone, battling her latest round of cancer. After some quiet moments there, we headed to the bluff overlooking Ebey’s Landing, a nice walk on a beautiful day with stunning views.
Time to return home, saw this beautiful black bear on the banks of the Skagit River between Marblemount and Newhalem. We’ve never seen a bear on that side of the Cascades and this was in the general vicinity where the child Joanette would go camping with her family and sleep on the ground outside in sleeping bags! Yikes!
Good to be back home again, our next summer adventure in the blog following this one! In a more timely manner!
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