sun, 8/22...day 234

En route to Nehalem Bay, OR, for our annual camping by the ocean. Most peaceful trip so far, thanks to the DSs the boys now have (and the portable DVD player).

This is the first time we've ever stopped to see the view after crossing the bridge from Longview to Oregon. Beautiful!

Less beautiful: the malfunction light going on in the car halfway across Highway 30. :-(

sat, 8/21...day 233

This afternoon a small bobcat tried to get into the chicken tractor! The hens were completely freaked out, and of course did not have the sense to go into their henhouse.

Bobcats are not afraid of people, unfortunately, but I was able to get it to slowly go away by hitting a broom on the deck and make a big racket. Hoping it gets discouraged and doesn't keep coming back! :O

fri, 8/20...day 232

Cory had quite the facepaint on today when I picked up the boys from their last day of Y camp. He also had a friendship bracelet on that one of the camp counselors had found and given him: "She said we'll be best friends *forever*!" So sweet.

In this photo, Cory is demo'ing some of his Lego battledroids in their various "closed up" positions. He's such a passionate Star Wars fan.

thu, 8/19...day 231

As I was getting the mail from our mailbox, the sun slanting through the trees highlighted the curling bark on this little madrona tree.

wed, 8/18...day 230

Cory made this fun hat at Y camp today and was eager to model it for me when I arrived at pick up. What a cutie!

tue, 8/17...day 229

Today was Niall's last day of OT with Carissa. She gave him a "graduation" certificate, that he's enjoying in this photo.

We had a grand time at the last session, playing with balloons and swings and laughing a lot. But Niall has also been very sad about this time coming to a close.

We gave Carissa a little loaf of homemade zucchini bread and a small bowl of succulents, since they are Niall's favorite plants. Hopefully we'll keep in touch through email. And I promised Niall that we'd go back to visit in another month or so, so this wasn't the very last goodbye. That would've been too much to bear.

mon, 8/16...day 228

Our garden is going bananas! Look at those pumpkin and zucchini leaves! The poor little zukes are kind of trapped in the enormous stems down below, with hardly any room to grow.

We're not getting a lot of veggies this year (though we've also got more peppers plus herbs and tomatoes up on the deck in pots), but we're lucky to be getting anything with the very late start we got. Next year: more carrots and much earlier! Plus potatoes. I can't wait. :-)

sun, 8/15...day 227

Heading back to civilization after our trip to the island.

Tynor and Cory are watching the dock fade into the distance, as we head around Pt. Disney on our way to Orcas and the ferry.

sat, 8/14...day 226

Ollie came by with his amazing brush cutter, attached to the ancient, rebuilt 1947(?) Ford tractor that we've had on the island forever. It's now a hybrid of two old tractors - the best from each one. I remember driving the tractor around the island when I was about 11. Amazing!

We spent the afternoon on North Beach, looking out over the Canadian islands. Here Tynor is giving Cory some pointers on skipping stones. Such a precious big brother-little brother moment. I love it.

fri, 8/13...day 225

We visited the island schoolhouse today, where I went to school when I was age 10-12. It was a one-room schoolhouse then. Now it has three rooms! :-)

Niall climbed the enormous old Big Leaf Maple outside the schoolhouse, and took this photo of us all gathered by the climber.

I really liked how this photo turned out. A total chance shot, but it caught my dad walking in the reflection of the window as I was looking in at the ready-to-be-waxed floors in the schoolhouse.

thu, 8/12...day 224

We went to Waldron Island this weekend, for the first time in many years. Took the ferry to Orcas, then Grandpa and Grandma came by in their boat to take us over to the island.

Grandpa let Niall and Cory each have a turn driving the boat, and they were so happy!

This is Grandpa and Cody rowing back to the dock after setting the anchor in Cowlitz Bay and tying up the boat. Love this shot of them.

wed, 8/11...day 223

Part of learning to drive is learning to pump your own gas. :D

tue, 8/10...day 222

The first fountain at Microsoft, between the original cluster of buildings (where my office is located now).

It's a maze trying to find my way between all these look-alike buildings! The fountain helps orient me...when I can find it. :P

mon, 8/9...day 221

To make it easy to brush-and-go in the morning, we keep a set of toothbrushes and toothpaste in the downstairs powder room. Definitely helps with the morning routine, to not have to run back upstairs after breakfast to brush teeth.