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I just got word that Seth and his friend Jon are climbing El Capitan in Yosemite ! They started out early this morning at sunrise. It's been a dream of Seth's since he was about 12 years old. It will take them 2-3 days to complete the climb , sleeping on narrow ledges or in slings tied onto bolts.
They also will be hauling up their food, sleeping bags and warm clothes......all that and still be able to literally hang by their finger tips. Am I a little freaked out........I sure am ! I know Seth sees this as the pinnacle of his climbing career and will certainly secure his place as among the elite of climbers, still ......no mom wants to think about their son spending 3 days on the granite face of a huge mountain.
That said.....I'm so proud of you, Seth......your love of your sport and the amazing grace and talent you bring to the world of climbing is nothing short of incredible Come home safely.......my precious Blackman.
Tomorrow's the day ! Jill, Anders, Johan, Espen and Espen's girlfriend, Malena will be here from Norway ! They'll be boarding their plane in Oslo about 11pm tonight our time and arrive in San Francisco 3 pm tomorrow.....it's a long, long flight! They're picking up a rental car in SF and will get up here about 9 or 10 tomorrow night. I've promised them homemade pumpkin pie when they arrive
I've spent the last week getting Jilly's room ready and I hope it looks pretty inviting to her.......a bed of nails would probably look inviting after that long of flight !!!! Tomorrow we'll spend the day getting the pool up and running .......
ugh.....a real pain, but well worth the effort. Yesterday was a Costco run, today a trip down to Raleys......I hope I have enough food stockpiled for at least a couple of days !
Josh, Melanie, Taige and Tia arrive on Friday......after a grueling 12 hour car trip across Utah and Nevada......that's when we start playing musical beds ! I think all kids under,,,,,,hmmm.....18 .....will be outside in a tent . I think Molly, Ross and Tess may be showing up around then also.......maybe we'll make it 30 and under !!! Well, actually, Tess will get a pass in the tent this year, she's mightly pregnant and I doubt she can get up off the ground ! I'm sure we'll figure something out and I know we'll be having a blast !
Big change in the weather since last post.....it hasn't gotten above 60 for the last couple of days and last night we had quite a bit of rain !! It's supposed to stay nice and cool for most of next week and possibly on thru the 4th of July. That would so wonderful since we'll have at least 11 people staying here that week , possibly more. Lots of years it's super hot while everyone is here and it makes cooking and cleaning so much harder.
I spent today getting the extra bedrooms in tip top shape. Jim spent the day taking apart our bedroom and dusting the whole place.....ceilings, under the bed, behind the dressers......the whole nine yards !!! I ran up to Wortons for a few things and then sat out in the sun and finished the baby blanket I'm making for Tess and Boyce's baby. I did the stitching by hand.....so relaxing ......gives me lots of time to think about our new baby grandson !
Molly's driving over from Marin to finish cleaning out their apartment in Auburn . She'll be staying up here tonight . Barbecued pork, baked potatoes, salad and cherry pie for dessert.....no doubt some strange streaming movie on Netflix !
Phew........I think this is the hottest Father's Day weekend I can remember !! It's 104 down in the valley......about 94 up here......still way too hot ! Luckily we're headed down to the Bay area tomorrow to visit with Jim's dad.....along with Jack and Donna. Hopefully it'll be a whole lot cooler over there and we can bask in the sun on their lovely deck !
I've been very lazy concerning blog posts lately.....seems like the days have way less hours in them than they used to......maybe it's because we sleep until about 8:00 every morning .....instead of our usual 4:30 of the past 16 years !!!! Not complaining mind you !!
Latest news is that our love, Jenny, has heartworms......despite our sporadic preventive meds. There is a very drastic, painful treatment, but after much thought and discussion we've decided to go with a treatment less sure of total eradication, but kinder and more humane. As of now she's doing great......happy, healthy and always hungry !! We hope for a great outcome and , as for now, we enjoy each and every day with her .
So......to all you Dads out there.....enjoy the day, laugh with your kids everyday and always reward curiosity !!
We spent a most enjoyable day yesterday up at Tess and Boyce's beautiful home. Boyce had organized a little get-together to celebrate Tess' birthday. Tess' 30th birthday must be amongst the longest celebrated days in history.....a good week of celebration !! Anyhow.....yesterday was a highlight of the celebrations. Granny and Amanda drove up with me and Jim and we were joined by Tess and Boyce's friends John and Tedda......a wonderful couple from Davis. Boyce had scored the most delicious ground beef and homemade buns from a little local store near where they live.......so yummy !!! They have a beautiful swimming hole on their property and it was a warm day ........ the water was delightful. Thanks, T&B, for the hospitality.......the day was a blast !
Jim and I have spent the day today inside by the fire ! What a change in the weather......in the 90's yesterday ........struggling to reach 50 today ! It's also been pouring all day.....over an inch of rain already. Tomorrow's supposed to be a little cooler, but not so much rain. I'm missing the warm sun......this weather is just wrong in June.
Just a quick little post to show you all my beautiful Peony !! Tessy bought it for on Mother's Day about 10 years ago. I gave it a place of great honor on the front porch and although the plant did well , it never did well at blooming. It would bud out and then right before the buds looked like they would open.....they would dry up. Last Fall I moved the plant out to the back deck , hoping it would like it better there.......and it does !! There are 4 more blooms just like the one pictured .......so beautiful !
Speaking of beautiful......my Tess just turned 30 on the 31st of May .......she's never looked more beautiful or seemed more happy ! She does pregnancy like a champ......her sparkling laugh has never been brighter. Happy Birthday ...... to my blue-eyed girl.
Yesterday we found Lupine Hill Farm II, yes it almost matches this Lupine Hill for beauty, peacefulness and remoteness......actually, if I'm being honest, it surpasses our humble little piece of earth....hmmmm,......probably by about 40 fold! Well, really no comparison anyhow, since one Lupine Hill has purple Lupine and the other, yellow. Anyhow, #2 was spotted on the Marin coast in the Point Reyes National Seashore .........an amazing and beautiful spot. If you've never ventured there I highly suggest it ! Jim and I have been there several times ,but never hit on this particular spot.......
but we will return !
We spent the entire day yesterday exploring and picnicking vast areas of West Marin......it's pretty fun to have a retired spouse ! In the evening we headed back over to San Rafael to watch Ross and Dan play at Terrapin Crossing.....where Ross is working. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner on the patio and were joined by Dan, Anna and Ross's friend, Scott.......a lovely time. After dinner we ambled into the room where the band was set up.....and found a table reserved just for us......we felt pretty special.....Thanks, Ross ! Ross, Dan, Scott and Andrew played some awesome music for about an hour and half.....the room was buzzing .....a great time had by all ! Molly showed up shortly after they were done playing....she'd had to attend graduation at her school and so couldn't get there until later, but we had time to chat with her abit. We left to head home an hour or so after the music stopped and were sound asleep by 1:30 am..........when Jim was working that was about the time we woke up !! I say it alot, but I think it all the time......we are so lucky to love and be loved by all our kids.....and their partners......each and every one of you add such joy to our lives.
