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March has always been a tough month for me. It’s long, the weather is grumpy, it’s Lent, and it used to be nothing happened in March.

However, March is birthday month in our family. In our small branch of the family there are five birthdays. 3 of our 4 grandsons, our daughter, our daughter-in-law, and our son-in-law. This doesn’t even count for a niece, sister-in-law, nephew, and a very good friend. So the first couple of weeks were spent selecting the right gifts, sending them off, and making birthday cards.

At this time we also had to drop the van at the shop in Corvallis. It had been making a clunking sound for a while and it was now affecting steering.

David kept himself busy with the “to do” list. He fixed the drain in the kitchen sink – for the third time – and replaced a light fixture in the guest hall.

I finished my painting of the Olympic Mountains. Now I need to incorporate them into a larger painting of sailboats on Puget Sound.

The middle of the month is when things got busy.   

We drove back to Washington for a “celebration of life” in Bellingham and a graveside service in Sunnyside. 

On the 13th we drove to Lynnwood to spend Friday and Saturday night at J & K’s house. The weather was dubious to say the least.  It was fine until we got into Washington.  We started hitting rain around Centralia.  By the time we got to King County it was mixed snow and rain with slush on the side of the road.  

We spent the night at the home of David’s sister, J and her husband, K.

The following day we were going to drive to Bellingham for a “celebration of life”.  We woke to fresh snow.  This did not bode well for our drive that day or the drive across Snoqualmie Pass the following day.

The weather broke while we were in Bellingham. By the time we drove back to Lynnwood it was a different season.

Sunday the passes in the Cascades were clear. This meant a much more relaxed drive than we had anticipated. We took this opportunity to meet up with our son and his sons to deliver birthday presents.

We met at a huge family sports center where grandson #4 was participating in the last soccer practice.

While he worked on soccer and his dad watched, David and I played a card game with grandson #2. He pretty much stomped us both. (I think he had lots of practice. ) After soccer wrapped up we all played some arcade games before going to a nearby restaurant for brunch.

For some reason I did not take photos of this restaurant. The Crystal Creek in Kenmore WA has an aeronautic theme. There is a large gas powered model airplane hanging from the ceiling. The food and the coffee were delicious. We would have loved to spend the rest of the day playing with these guys, but we had to be on our. way.

Thursday was another clear day so we ventured back into Bellingham and Boulevard Park on 

Squalicum Bay.  We found a place to park and after a quick lunch of left over lunch from the day before we decided we really needed a good walk to offset the lunch and dinner from the day before and the meal we knew we were having later that evening. 

Bellingham is a great town for walking and bike riding.  The 2.5 mile walk from Boulevard Park to Fairhaven takes you from the park along a board walk above the water.  It’s beautiful.  Do it!  Just remember to bring your camera. For some strange reason I left mine in the van and only had my phone.

We left Boulevard Park and drove north to Squalicum Harbor.  The weather was starting to turn but I wanted to get some pictures of boats so that I could start putting on paper an idea I had for a painting (a suggestion from Norma and Jim). This time I had my digital.  We walked around for a bit ogling boats of all kinds and the weather started to turn. The wind picked up and the sky got dark. It was time to fill up the van and grab some groceries.  

The drive to the North Bellingham Fred Meyer was when we saw how Bellingham had really changed in the 13 years since we lived in Whatcom County.  Eye opening.

After wandering a bit we went back to Everson and met our former neighbor Ed and his wife Loni at another favorite restaurant, Herbie’s Steak House, for dinner.  We learned from Ed that the restaurant was nearly lost in the December 2025 floods.

We built our first house in Everson with Self Help Homes and with five other families.  Ed and his first wife were one of the five other couples. It was great to catch up on families.

Before we parked for the night we stopped in at the Valley Tap House for a last beer.  We were so glad we did. The place was packed but they made room for us at the bar.  It was a wonderful evening of conversation, reminiscing, and learning who was still in the area and who was gone

Once we got home from Thanksgiving it was time to prep for the next adventure:  Christmas in Colorado.

We were flying this time. 

David and I made our 2022 Christmas trip to Colorado in the van.  It was our first official van trip.  It was cold.  We were warm in the van and got lucky with no snow, but December – even in northern Arizona and New Mexico – is not a trip we wanted to repeat.

When we arrived at our daughter’s house we found a very sick woman.  My daughter had what appeared to be a very bad cold or an upper respiratory infection. It was later diagnosed as a sinus infection.

Grandma and grandpa took over.  That first week we were more nurse, cook, and housekeeper than grandparents.

Since our daughter was feeling so ill we took the boys to jui jitsu twice.  It was interesting.  I had never been to the boys jui jitsu classes so this was a new experience for me.  

Grandson #3 is the smallest of all our grandsons and the smallest in the class.  Watching him work so hard for this was inspiring.  And he got his first stripe on his belt.

Because grandson #1’s class is more advanced, there are more age levels and more people in the class.  That meant getting any photos of him was impossible.

We went out as a family on two different days to two different parks. 

At the parks David, our daughter, and son-in-law played disc golf and the boys and I played on the playground equipment.

One of those days was Boxing Day and I was not feeling well.  The temperature decided to start dropping that afternoon and I was feeling worse as the afternoon wore on.  I was pretty much worthless the rest of the weekend and I was getting on a plane the following Tuesday.  

I was well enough to fly home, but boy did the flight take its toll.  I was pretty much in recovery mode through New Year’s day.  And that’s how I ended the year.

Content for this post was limited, Some months are like that. So I perused my photo library for some photos from 2025 that may not have been included (if there are duplicates, I apologize) and decided a photo “dump” was due. After all we are closing out 2025.

Here’s hoping 2026 is better for all of us.

Black Friday David and I babysat while our son and daughter-in-law took her parents out for her father’s birthday.  When they returned we had dinner and then all piled into the car.  We were on our way to Woodland Park’s Zoo Lights. 

We approached October brimming with excitement.  David was finally ready to travel and I had a severe case of cabin fever.  So armed with a voucher for a free (almost free) week somewhere in the US we started looking for a place to go.  Unfortunately, the voucher was on the verge of expiring so choices were limited.  

We chose Las Vegas.  It was on the way to Colorado – our ultimate destination – and an easy stop.  We reserved our week, booked tickets for Wizard of Oz at The Sphere and Penn & Teller at The Rio, notified our daughter of our estimated date of arrival in Colorado, found a spot to spend our first night via iOverlander, and packed the van.

We left Eugene on October 3rd.  This would give us two days to reach our scheduled check-in date of October 5th at Tahiti Village Resort in Las Vegas.

Our first stop, once we got to eastern Oregon, was Klamath Falls. We needed lunch and to stretch our legs. The town of Klamath Falls is in south eastern Oregon at the south end of massive Upper Lake Klamath and north of the head waters of The Klamath River. Although we didn’t spend much time here I was impressed by the abundance of outdoor art. I took so many photos, but chose only a few to show you. You’ll have to see it for yourself someday.

On our way over to the east side of Oregon I told David I was still hearing and feeling a rhythmic thumping in the van.  It wasn’t too bad until we started driving I-97 and it got really bad the further south we drove.  By the time we reached the Diamond Mountain Casino in Susanville, CA it was feeling like I was sitting on top of the washing machine during the spin cycle. We sat in the smokey bar and had dinner and beer while we watched the NWBA game between the Aces and the Mercury. ( We were pulling for the Mercury since there is a former Oregon Duck on the team.) 

We vowed that our first stop in Las Vegas would be a Ram dealership. But first, Tonopah, Nevada for our second night on the road. 

David found a star gazing park online located in Tonopah, Nevada. Tonopah is located southeast of Lake Tahoe at the southern edge of the Humbolt Toiyabe Forest.  At 4,332 feet the park is at a pretty high elevation for us valley dwellers; but offered a gradual way to adapt to the extreme elevations of the Rockies.

Our plan was to join the other star gazers and attempt some night photography.  I had even watched a couple of YouTubes on the subject and taken notes.  After stopping for groceries we followed the GPS to Clara Blackburn Star Gazing Park.  

You know how you look at a place online and you get all excited about getting there and fulfilling a dream,and then you arrive and find the online image was kind of distorted.  So it was with Clara Blackburn Star Gazing Park.  The actual fence-in park with tables one could put their tripod on was about the same size as our 1,388 sq ft home – maybe smaller – and it was empty of any people and it was locked.  To top it off, October 4 was the night of a gigantic, super moon.  Needless to say, my first attempt at night photography failed.

Humbled by that gorgeous super moon we backtracked to the west side of town and spent the night at Love’s.

The next day was the last leg to Las Vegas.  It was a good thing too.  The shaking of the van had reached an almost intolerable intensity.  

First we detoured at Silver Springs, Nevada.  Just a few miles south of here is Fort Churchill State Park.  We just happened to arrive on the Grand Re-Opening of the park following storm repair, so no fees.

Fort Churchill was not only a former army outpost but also a Pony Express way station, a re-enactment we were treated to before we moved on. There were several booths set up with historic information on the Fort and its function during the 19th century.  Several of these people were dressed in period costume and all were very knowledgeable in the day to day life of the period.  We probably spent a couple of hours at the Fort just walking through the ruins and listening to these people who knew so much.  One of my favorites was Rebecca Van Sickle.  This young woman knew every detail of the life of a 19th century housewife she may have lived as one n a former life.  For instance; I now know what a chatelaine is.  Rebecca is wearing one on her belt.  Rebecca shared her email address with me if you would like more information: hearth.and.sickle@gmail.com.

To make life more interesting, I noticed David had taken his glasses off and was fumbling for a pair of sunglasses in the compartment under the steering wheel.  (David never pulls over in these situations).  When I asked what the heck (my grandson might read this so it’s pg) he was doing he said his lens had just fallen into his lap.  He gave the glasses to me to pop the lens back in and I discovered the glasses had broken at the nose piece.  Something else we would need to take care of in Las Vegas before we could let fun begin.

The following morning we searched online for a Les Schwab since David was convinced the van’s problem was tire related.  Well there are no Les Schwab in Las Vegas or anywhere else in Nevada.  So once again David and I found ourselves at a Ram dealership.  As soon as one of their older employees came out he pinpointed the problem – from ten feet away.  The left rear tire was separating.  Not sure how we made it from Eugene to Las Vegas without the tire blowing. 

The next morning Jesus called to let us know the tires were in.  After an hour or so we left with two new tires and were on our way to Hoover Dam.

This was not our first trip to Las Vegas but, we had never explored the area outside the city so took the opportunity of not having a set schedule to see Hoover Dam.  

This is a huge engineering feat full of history as is evident from the original art work in the form of architecture and tile and marble work.  At the same time it’s smaller than we expected.

Due to the ongoing drought the west has been enduring for several years, the water level of the Colorado River is very low as one can see in the photos I took. 

This was Wizard of Oz day.  I was a bit skeptical.  I mean, this was a lot of money!  I was not disappointed.  In fact I was pleasantly surprised, once we finally found the theater, stood on line, and found our seats.  The search for The Sphere was interesting and included lots of walking. My advice: Uber. 

I’m not going to say much about the Wizard of Oz since everyone who has been has either shared video or detailed descriptions online.  I’m so glad I didn’t see much before I went.

After the show we ate at  Surgarcane in the Venetian.  The food and the service were delightful.  When my husband pulled out his yellow debit card with the big green O on it our server got very excited.  He was so grateful to the U of O for Bo Nix.  Apparently this young man is a huge Denver Broncos fan.

Penn & Teller night. That meant a lazy morning and another trip to the Lazy River.  Great way to start the day.  We spent the rest of the day being lazy and storing up energy for the evening.

After the previous night’s experience we Ubered to the Rio for Penn & Teller.  I know we ate dinner at the Rio but, honestly I don’t remember the meal.  I’m sure it was great.  

Penn & Teller had just returned from their 50th Anniversary show in London.  And that was the show we saw.  They are incredible performers.  Objects were flying out into the audience.  People were desperately trying to catch them.  Although we didn’t catch anything I did get bonked in the head with a giant yellow die.  David saw them at WSU when he was in college in the 70’s. This was probably the highlight of Las Vegas for him.

After four days of beautiful weather we woke to rain.  This is not a problem for us but it is for Las Vegas.  The streets do not drain well or quickly.  When we pulled up to the Pinball Museum the parking lot resembled a small lake.  We hopped from curb to curb in the rain to the door.  
The Pinball Museum is amazing.  Located in a very large hangar-like metal building there are all kinds of pinball machines with a few old video games in the mix.  There are pinball machines so old they have no flippers.  The coolest thing about this place is that all the money you spend goes to charities.

Breakfast was at The Little Wonder Cafe in Richfield, thanks to my good buddy Angi for the recommendation.  It was very cute.  On the wall above the table were wood signs indicating which famous person sat in that booth. 

On the road again and the terrain was once again changing as we entered the Rocky Mountains. 

One stop of note here was at a rest stop called Grizzly Creek.  It was right below I – 70.  I say below because this section of I – 70 is actually an elevated road.  It’s long and impressive. 

At Grizzly Creek I was taking photos of the trees and creek when I noticed a couple just putting their fishing poles into the water.  Within a few minutes the man was excitedly calling to his companion.  She rushed over with a net and helped him pull a good sized trout from the creek.  They noticed me taking pictures.  When I asked if it was alright for me to be shooting them they were happy to oblige with a pose.  This was my introduction to Jackson.  After exchanging contact information I agreed to send him the photos.  Once I got home and figured out the tech I sent him the digital copy so he could send it to his mom.

Gotta tell ya; there is no feeling like the one when your grandsons greet you on the lawn with a big  hug from the seven year old and “Grandma! I really missed you!” from the four year old.

It had been a year almost to the day since we’d been here. 

We spent the next seven days playing games, working puzzles, and just hanging out with our daughter, son-in-law, and the boys.

Then, sadly we were on the road again with promises to come back at Christmas.  

On our way through Wyoming we stopped in Rawlins for fuel for us and the van.  

Lunch that day was courtesy of Pinchi’s Tacos.  If you blink on your way into Rawlins you will miss it – and you don’t want to miss it.  Our intention was to have one taco each.  You know what they say about best intentions.  Once we tasted the green chili sauce we had to have a burrito.  Needless to say we were over full when we left.

The following morning we were off to Idaho to visit my brother and his wife.

Traffic along I – 80 was pretty heavy due to a lot of construction.  About an hour or so east of Boise the construction dissipated but we were getting into rush “hour” traffic so there was a lot of jockeying for that perfect spot.  During all this jockeying a rental truck had been shifting lanes with very little room shifted in front of us, also with very little room. The next thing we know there was a large pop sound.  A rock hit the left edge of our windshield and it was spreading fast. 

A few inches to the right and higher and it would have hit David.

I got on my phone with the insurance company who helped me set up an appointment to have it replaced in Nampa the next day.

Friday while my brother and my husband took the van for the new windshield, my sister-in-law took me to one of her favorite quilting stores.  After making 4 quilts for 4 grandsons I learned that I am not a quilter.  I definitely do not enjoy quilting.  Embroidery is my thing. However, I can get lost in a good fabric store regardless of size.  This was heaven. 

I think I’ve mentioned before that I hate cooking.  As it happens I am the only adult in two families that does not cook.  (I do not include my brother-in-law, Kevin.  He bar-b-ques.)  I am fortunate that all the cooks in the families do it well and my brother and his wife are no exceptions.  We enjoyed wonderful meals at my brother’s house.

Saturday my brother took us up into the Bitterroot Mountains.  His goal was to get me up into higher elevations for photography.  Although the weather was not very cooperative I did get some nice shots.  I appreciated his efforts.

It was time to head for Oregon, about 30 minutes from my brother’s house.

I made David promise before we left Eugene  there would be no 7 hour drives on this trip.  So he agreed we would stop in Bend for the night before driving to Eugene.

We had made Harvest Hosts reservations at Bridge 99 Brewery.  This place is on the north end of Bend and a bit difficult to find mainly because you keep telling yourself it couldn’t possibly be where GPS is telling you it is.  It really is there and most definitely worth the effort.  Laura and Eric were friendly, gracious hosts. Great pizza. Great beer.  And David has made both so if we say it’s good; believe us.

We had a very quiet night and pulled out the next morning as the brewing crew arrived.

We had a 2.5 hour drive home and were really in no hurry, so we stopped in Sisters.  We don’t usually stop here because of the tourist crowd.  Wouldn’t you know the one time we did want to stop we passed it and had to turn around on the highway and go back.  The DOT had routed through traffic around the town.  Surprise!

Lunch was leftover pizza in the van.  After lunch we browsed a bit looking for a birthday present for Buddy Angi. Then it was time to head for the barn.  

I know this blog was long, but we really packed a lot into 24 days.  I hope you found something that interested you enough to want to explore yourself.  I really hope you enjoy the photos.

We hadn’t seen grandsons #2 and #4 since March and #2 just started kindergarten, so there was excitement.  We walked in the door at our son’s house and #2 wanted me to go upstairs with him to see the plant he “grewed” at school.  ( I think this was pre-school since kindergarten just started).  We aren’t able to spend much time with these boys so I was loving this special time.   While in his room he showed me all his special things in a special box Momma had given him. His dad always loved little boxes as a child.  He gave me a “jewel” which I am going to find some way of keeping in the van.

The following day it was old people time with J, David’s dad, and us.  David was set on buying me a nice camera backpack for my birthday, even though I had already dropped off my 52 year old high school graduation ring to be repaired so I could wear it again.  

David being David had researched camera shops in the north Seattle area.  We ended up at Kenmore Camera where Jim showed me several camera backpacks.  I settled on a  Shimoda Explore More Ladies style.  It has pockets in pockets for most of the gear my son and son-in-law have given me.  Left on my own I would have purchased something a lot less expensive.  David, however, wanted more for me.

We also went to J’s favorite nail lady and all four of us got pedicures.  The ladies were very sweet, especially since we did not have appointments.

This was a short trip because of David’s rehab schedule.  So we arrived on a Saturday and left on the following Tuesday.

We decided since we were home this summer to grow a few vegetables and herbs.  I had to have a tomato plant and both of us wanted a pepper plant.  So in September David harvested his basil  and made pesto.  Yumm!  The tomatoes and pepper weren’t really ready until the end of the month.  But that was ok.  We took those with us on our October van trip.

I decided to include a couple of photos of some of our garden visitors this year.

I have never seen a praying mantis or a cicada before this year. This year we found 3 praying mantis, 2 praying mantis egg sacks, and a cicada

The first week of August was the 6 week post-op check for David.  The physician’s assistant was very pleased and answered the many questions we had been adding to a list.  With that milestone out of the way my cabin fever had reached a pretty high temperature.  Time to get out of Eugene – even for a day.

The following Monday we took off for the coast.  The Oregon coast is dotted with state parks.  Some are day use only others are day use and overnight camping.  And it’s all one to 4 hours away from our house.  

We ended up at Carl G. Washburn State Park, 14 miles north of Florence OR.  We had never stopped here before.   This was a very unusual beach and quite frankly not my favorite.  The tide was out revealing that the beach was made up of sandbars.  There was an area that was covered with crab parts.  It was molting season, but this was not just shells.  It was almost as though something happened out at sea and the crabs were washed up on the beach and it stunk.  We did get our walk done and considering how deep the sand was in places it was a workout.

On our way home we stopped in Florence for an early dinner at Homegrown Public House & Brewery.  Homegrown is located in Florence’s Historic Old Town.  The restaurant looks impossibly small with indoor and outside eating areas.  I was surprised when we were shown our table.  There is a room down a short flight of stairs with several tables, including a table for 6.  We had been here before and I didn’t even know this room existed. Needless to say, the food was yummy.  I don’t eat hamburgers often but I am so glad I ordered this one.  Nothing fancy but so good.  Although we didn’t have any of the House brews, they did offer a couple of our favorites.  I settled on a Monkless Belgian White from Bend Or.  Yumm!

We did come home to find our brand new ICECO waiting on the carport. YEA!!!!!