Jole has also been heavily involved in the Glenhaven Book Club, in addition to her kayaking and becoming familiar with virtually every hiking trail in the area.   With each passing day, Jole’s love of her home, friends and this area is deepening.

A real highlight for Jole this year was being invited to dinner in Kennewich, WA by Tim (Jole’s ex-husband) and his wife Georgie who were hosting Tim’s three children (Mimi, Tim and Sarah in starting from the left in this picture) and their families from Norway.  Jole had not seen them for many years so this was a time that was very dear to her heart.  Thanks you Tim and Georgie for your hospitality and an inforgettable evening!

Somehow I got involved with the community here in Glenhaven Lakes and am on two of their committees; Vice Chairman – A & Z Committee (Architectural and Zoning), a committee that approves all of the cutting and pruning of trees and any new construction permits (new homes, remodels and sheds).  And as its Chairman, I  formed the “Reeders” – a committee that oversee the beautification and maintenance of the water quality of our little Reed Lake.  Does this make me the “Lake Cop?”  Maybe.   This “Reeders” project should be very rewarding.  My first official act was to convince the Association to create a grant supporting the cost to have a student intern designated by Western Washington University to conduct a Reed Lake study.  Our goal is take the results of this research and develop a lont-term plan to revitalize the lake.  I just recieved an email a few days ago confirming that WWU had made its selection and a Ms. Maggie Taylor will be our intern.  I have set a date for a meeting on Dec. 9th to meet Maggie and to let her know what she is getting herself into.  This may prove the old adage….”sometimes the best man for the job is a woman.”

Our major adventure this year was a 3,700 mile road trip in the Mini Cooper, from Washington across the Southern border of Canada.   This gave us the opportunity to spend a week with our good friends Pat & Gerrit in Toronto.  Inspite of the G20, that virtually cordoned off the city center, we had a marvelous week there.  We could not have had a better time.  Pat and Gerrit took us all over Ontario from one adventure to another.  We took train trips, went to farm markets, saw the Terra Cotta Soldiers at the Royal Ontario Museum, toured the Toronto Zoo and marveled at the view of Toronto from their 48th floor condo overlooking the city of Toronto.  Gerrit treated me to a drive around town in his little red Ferarri (which he sold recently).  It was a fun time. 

Before we left Canada, we spent a couple of days in Niagara Falls.  While the weather was dreadful for our trip across Canada, our last two days by the falls were “Chamber of Commerce” wonderful.  We found a little vineyard restaurant for lunch on the Niagara Highway built on the high escarpment overlooking the Niagara River.  The food was only topped by the check.  I told our waiter that I would have to call my bank to see if I could get a loan!

The next chapter in this grand excursion was our trip South out of Canada to visit my son Jim, and his family (wife – Julie; four sons – Ryan, Colin, Nolan and Caden).  We spent a fantastic two weeks with Jim’s family in Harrisburg, PA.  It was over 105% our whole stay there.  We were also lucky to have my daugher Kathie join the rest of the family.  Her home is in Pendelton, S. Carolina. She managed a week with us before heading back home. The only ones missing from the DeLany Clan in the Mini Cooper are Jole and Colin.  The other picture are Jim and Kathie.  I think we were either in the Antique Train Museum or waiting in the queue at Hershey Park.  We were impressed with how much Pennsylvania looks like our area of Washington State.  We actually saw two sets of fireworks this year.  We saw them on July 1st for Canada Day and again in Pennsylvania for July 4th. 

The last stop on our sojourn was in Salt Lake City, Utah.  We attended the wedding of my niece, Jennifer to Will Kriews.  We spent what time was available with Janet ( my sister) and Eric ( my brother-in-law) and their other two children, Phillip and Rick.  Of course, we met the rest of the Kriew clan also. 

The wedding went off with out a hitch (pun intended).  I will hear about this from both families.  My computer is in a sorry state of late and I lost all of the wedding pictures.    I even tried to ”steal” a few pictures from Jennifer’s Facebook wedding album.  This software (or Facebook’s) would not import the pictures.  Jennifer was at her most beautiful and Will looked very dapper in his military blues.  You will just have to take my word for these representations.  

The weather was just as hot in Utah.  I don’t think we had a day less than 105% the whole week!  Travelling was no fun with a BLACK Mini Cooper convertible with a black top!  We both took an oath that we will avoid anymore long road trips in a small car during the hottest months of the year.  Actually Jole ammended the original oath by saying “no more road trips period!”  I have a feeling that if, we get a comfortable motorhome or nice travel trailer, and can travel at a more liesurely pace — it might be possible to terminate the agreement.  Time will tell. 

Our Canadian trip was Gort’s (Mini Cooper) swan song.  Sport car convertibles are just out of step with the lifestyle here in Washington.  I traded Gort in recently for a crew cab, 4 X 4 Chevy pickup truck.  This beast that I have named “Taz’ (short for Tasmanain Devil) will serve us much better on many levels.  Our Tahoe was just a bit of a lightweight for hauling my boat – the “Knot a Yacht”.  This assumes that I will somehow have the boat finished in time for fishing and boating in the spring of 2011.  If there is anyone out there that understands boat mechanics, knows wiring, and has the time — I need you.

We just celebrated Thanksgiving dinner as a guest of Kathy and Marty, who are among a whole group of new friends that have made our transition to Washington so comfortable.  We have invited Kathy and Marty to join us for Christmas dinner along with Don & Marlene,  Ann & Steve and Gary & Marilyn.  Dunrovin’ will have a very merry Christmas for us this year.  Naturally, we do miss all of our friends from our many years living in California.  Maybe we can have them all come too………. 

I tried to do a panorama view of our back yard.  So this may look a little strange, and is a bit disjointed.  I took these the day of Thanksgiving before we went to dinner.  Now by noon of the next day, all 4″ of snow had melted and you could not see even a single bit of snow left.  I’m told that this is very typical of the snowfalls in this part of the world. 

I have to tell you that this looked like a Thomas Kinkade painting.   With any luck, we may even have a white Christmas.  We had a lot to be thankful for this year and next year seems to hold the promise of being as fruitful.   Well that was our year in a nutshell.  I was afraid to include any more details for fear of boring you.  There was really much more to share.  Perhaps when you decide to visit Dunrovin’, we will have the time to tell the whole story.  Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Summer has wound down, so we decided to gather the neighborhood and Jole’s Book Club cronies together for a BBQ cookout.  Even with the light rain it was a tremendous success.  Hot dogs, cheeseburgers and Margaritas.

Just a few days before our Memorial Day BBQ, we had our good friends from Carmel, Ca. visit for a few days.  Diane and Steve are new residents there, having moved from Southern California last year.  We palled around together when we both lived in California.  Jole and Steve had been business friends and later, good personal friends for over 20 years.

With fall fast approaching, it is the harvest season here in Western Washington.  One of the first events was the Whatcom County Fair. 

The picture on the left is of poor quality, but was my photo of the news article that appeared in the local newspaper.  When we took our guests to the fair, a calf was born while we were in attendance, and the event was so unusual that they thought it was newsworthy.

This past weekend, we took Jim and Gaye (Jole’s sister and brother-in-law) on the annual farm tour.  This is not to be missed and it was our second tour.  If you like to learn how to milk cows, eat hot corn on the cob, pet the goats and calves, have a fresh fruit sundae, and see all the fruits of the year’s harvests — this tour is special.

This is a picture of the four of us at “Mama’s Garden” in Acme, Washington, about 8 miles from home.  As you can see – it is not raining.

We have to put up with a lot of ribbing over this rainy weather tag WA enjoy.  So what? if I have webbed feet.  My distance swimming is much improved.

On the right is my charming bride showing off two varieties of Washington apples at the Bellwood Acres farm in local Lynden, WA. 

We stopped at Twisted S Bison Ranch to shoot the bull and chew the fat with the staff there.  Ughhh! It reminded me of a previous departure from what I knew to be right on a cable TV contracting gig,  when my work buddies goaded me into having a bison burger for lunch.  I was always convinced that the restaurant had switched the meat for a chunk of Annie Oakley’s original saddle!!!

Without a doubt, our favorite stop was at the Boxx Berry Farm.  This is by far the areas best marketed farm.  Essentially, it is a produce market.  The owner is a smart cookie.  He has created a huge playground for kids, and has a John Deere tractor pulling 12 barrel carts complete with one kid per cart.  This is the place that greets you with a berry sundae and hot corn on the cob.   My kind of place.

As fall approaches, I am getting ready for the cooler weather.  Just getting around to insulating my shop.  I did get my propane stove installed a few days ago.  It’s an ancient Empire stove that I located last year on Craig’s list.  It does the job — just a bit big & ugly.

I just figured out how much bird food that my critters go through each month.  It staggers the imagination.  I have tried to wean them a little. 

I have even resorted to “challenges” like  having them eat from the wrong type of feeder for jays.   They will just have to learn that Jole and I are now senior citizens on a fixed income —- will just have to tighten their belts too.

While Jole was rowing the lake, I was busy with the construction of my new shop.  After much deliberation it was decided that the shop would be built on the back of the existing garage — even though the build required it to be constructed on posts over a small drop-off.

I can only tell you that Dunrovin’ has added a jewel in the crown in the form of my new shop.  It is perched on a hill overlooking the lake and has an 180 degree view of nature that would give a naturalist goose bumps!

Honestly, I cannot claim credit for most of its construction, but I did help.  My contractor had to charge me a little extra for my assistance, but he didn’t lose his sense of humor over the process.

Jole insisted that our boat the “Knot a Yacht” be placed in the front of our house in order to enhance the home’s curb appeal.  This is the delivery truck bringing me 12 yards of gravel to creat a resting place for the boat when it is at home.  Frankly, the craft is so large this was the only flat spot on our property that allows for entry and exit.

To prove that there are fish in the lake, I entered the annual “fishing derby” and did catch 5 beautiful trout.  I am a member of the catch-and-release club, so they will live to fight another day ( all but one that died, so I ate him).

I got my little Jon boat all set up with my power bait, my rod & reel, and the troll motor.  I putted down the lake (actually electric motors just sort of purr like a cat).  After about a distance of two blocks I noticed that my friend Gary had a fire going in his fire pit and it was sort of cold and rainy.  He offered a place in front of the fire and a beer.  I spent the rest of the derby there with my bait tossed into the water at the end of his dock.  We really enjoyed the day and both did quite well.  All I got of Gary’s catch was his butt.  Just as I got ready to take a picture for posterity, all I got was his posterior.  He dropped his huge fish and shall be just a memory.  Too bad, his children would have been proud of his efforts.  The fire and the beer was wonderful and the day shall remain a fond memory for me … just not for Gary.

I mentioned milestones in this chapter’s title.  Well, we had the pleasure of hosting my brother-in-law’s 75th birthday party.  He insists that his was his first 75th birthday party, so I will take him at his word.  It is hard to tell much about the cake from this shot, but it is a heart shape with a battery-lighted model of “Superman”.  That he is.  He is probably in better shape than most of the people I know in their sixty’s!

This is the Knot a Yacht in the canvas shop.  They guy in the cap Greg)  is in the process of adding canvas and vinyl to the top and upholstery in the interior.  As I mentioned, this boat is sort of a “fixer” that will require a lot of work.  We may not even get it into the water this summer because of our upcoming trip East to visit family and friends.   We are turning this boat into a Northwestern craft.  I expect to have the boat back this next week and will show you its new look in my next chapter.

This was one of our new visitors this Spring.  He has a mate somewhere in the local forest and they visit daily to sample the suet and seeds.  I had to shoo him away last week…..he decided to test my new shop for grubs!!!  We also have  a mating pair of regular redheaded woodpeckers that decided to pick the dead cedar tree outside of our livingroom window.  There a lots of critters that call Dunrovin’ home.  I thought it was going to rain, so I started to go down to the dock and bring in my troll motor and battery.  It seems that raccoons will make daytime appearances at any time.  I make it a point not to get too close as these guys can be a bit crotchety and decide that I am not friendly.  I am trying a new version of the webb blog and it has a mind of its own.  I tried to add these two pictures of the interior of my shop, but I have no idea of how they will ultimately be viewed.  I have a rather eclectic collection of tools, many of which have been willed me by friends.  Some I have carted around the country and packed away.  I was amazed at how many tools that I really did have.  It will take a few years for me to really create the shop I envisioned.

Jole has spent may hours creating focal points in our yard.  perhaps you can see the log in the background…this was a hollowed-out log that has been a part of our backyard for many years.  Jole has planted it with a variety of perrinials and it is a work of art.  In the foreground is a round accent planting that is right in the center of our backyard between the house and the lake.   It really is a camouflaged cover for our septic system.  Yes, it’s a little like putting earrings on a pig, I suppose.  But who would know?  It’s a thing of beauty now.  In my in-basket, Jole has placed a request to add a few items to the round to add flavor.  I will reserve this for a later chapter.

That’s all for now and we will keep you posted.  There are lots of plans for the next couple of months and we are having a ball here.

Well spring prompts a resurgence of thoughts of what kind of fun we can look forward to this summer.  We have always toyed with the idea of exploring the area in a variety of ways: either by RV, a tent, by bike or by water.  Washington is surrounded by fresh and salt water.  We considered buying an RV but realized that they can be rather costly to operate (gas, KOA fees, etc.).

Having owned a series of boats over the years, we considered the costs associated with boats can be daunting, particularly the slip fees.

What really got our juices flowing was attending the Anacortes, Wa. boat show.   What we realized was that our boating could be affordable if we adopted the right approach.

We decided to launch a quest to find the ideal boat.  This boat would have to meet the following criteria: 1) it could be towed by my Tahoe and stored on our property, 2) had an interior layout that would accommodate sleeping arrangements for at least two couples, 3) had to have a “potty”, 4) a deep “V” hull for safety in the Puget Sound, 5) the power to get-up-and-go, 6) shelter our passengers from the notorious whims of the Pacific Northwest weather, and lastly, 7) the investment could not force us into the poor house.

Our poor friends, Gary and Marilyn, were sort of sucked into our quest with us.  We dragged them around Washington from one prospective boat purchase to another.  Finally, we decided to do what we did with our home — we bought a bit of a fixer!  And much like our home, it will really not need too much to turn it into our “ideal boat.” 

The “Knot a Yacht” will officially launch in the July/August timeframe.  It really could be ready sooner, but we are planning a trip from mid-June to mid-July to visit family in Pennsylvania and Utah.  We will be travelling in “Gort”- our Mini Cooper.  We have never seen Canada so we will take a route through their Provinces to Ontario to visit Gerrit and Pat and then turn south, stopping at my son’s home in Harrisburg, Pa.   We will celebrate July 4th there and then head back home, via Utah.  In Utah, we will attend my niece  Jennifer’s wedding.

Back to the events of the present.  The lovely couple on the left are our friends, Gary and Marilyn.  This photo was taken atop Mt. Erie, near the Port of Anacortes.  

The picture to the right was taken on the same trip.  Jole’s cute isn’t she? 

My SUV is only a 2-wheel drive, so Gary offered to bring my boat home from Lummi Island.  To be totally honest, I was a little intimidated, having never towed anything in my life!!!  Gary has an RV and has done these things(g).

You have to take a ferry to reach the island.  We returned with a boat on a boat coming back.  It was a novel experience and quite fun.  It was even an experience for my GPS.  It just seemed quite relieved to be back on dry land.

Something else happened this past week.  When mini Coopers come from the factory, they are equipped with “run-flat” tires and NO SPARE TIRE.  I needed to replace the tires in anticipation of my trip in June and had to make a decision.  What do I do about tires???  Well, new run-flats are $275 per tire.  Regular tires are less than half that price.  I have not had a flat in the past 40 years.  So…. I decided that as long as I remain current with AAA, I would replace them with regular tires.  To remain legal with Costco I had to show them a spare tire.  (Note the spare tire I showed them?  It came off my garden tractor).  One of their technicians questioned the 10” tire and I carefully explained that if aroused Gort turned it into a 17” incher.  I now carry “tire-flat” goo if I get a nail or small hole in the wilds of the north.  One needs to be resourceful.

We had some house guests this week.  Gina and her daughter Angela, Jole’s cousin from Ohio were enjoying the splendor of Washington’s springtime.

We took them to see the glorious Tulip Festival.  The colors were spectacular.  I loaned Angela my camera, so have little to share of our adventure.  Jole is hugging Gina in the picture in the far right.  We also took them to Fairhaven, a small historic suburb of Bellingham.  You cannot help but notice Jole groping a senior citizen right in the heart of town.  I have told her about public displays of emotion, but to no avail.  Disgusting!!!

The four of us visited Friday Harbor on San Juan Island yesterday.  This was a pleasant little journey that put us on another ferry trip.  Again, Angela has all the photos.  You will just have to take my word for the fact that we had another “chamber of commerce” sunny day and had a blast. 

Angela is a little 12 yr. old sweetheart that really enjoyed her stay in our Dunrovin’ B & B.  She experienced many firsts: her own bedroom on vacation, a piece of genuine “Washington Funnel Cake,” a chance to meet Darth Vader (our Stellar Jay patriarch), Our diminutive Douglas squirrel friend, and a ferry ride to an island.  We really enjoyed her visit and look forward to their return.

I know that this is a strange title for this chapter.  but, bear with me and I will try to explain.

A couple of days ago, Gary and Marilyn joined Jole and I for a quick trip to see the daffodils.  These flowers bloom just after the crocus and just before the tulips. We are pushing the season a little, as the Tulip Festival begins in April.  But we couldn’t wait and wanted to push Spring a little

I caught a shot of the three of them in front of the windmill at the Roozengaarde’s flower garden.  Virtually every bulb type of flower was smiling at us (a bit early yet for tulips).  the garden was ablaze with purple, pink, white, blue and purple. 

The picture on the left was a little mural that I noticed in the men’s rest room.  It was beautiful so I thought I would share it with you.

This place is owned by Washington Bulb Co. — the largest bulb grower in the US.  We cannot wait for the festival next month.  This place shines and they do not have all their plants in bloom yet!

This is a “before” shot of the back of my garage.  In this past week I have cleared the hill of probably five years of growth.  It was hidden under tons of ivy, blackberry bushes, salmonberry shrubs and other of Washington’s wild undergrowth.

You will have to wait for the “after” shot.  Later this week my contractor will begin the build.  The first effort will be to dig the holes for the 16’ 6” X 6” cedar posts to support a 12’ by 24’ shop.  The county will have to come inspect the holes before the posts can be cemented into place. 

Essentially, the completed building will house two cars in the existing part of the structure with the remaining 10’ X 20’ portion of the old garage opening into the newly built section; forming an “L” shaped building for the new shop. 

Just because I am building a shop, you cannot assume that I really know how to use it!  The tool pictured on the right is really the only implement that I know how to use.  Any additional tools I get will require some training and practice.

I was able to construct a small shed-like enclosure for my emergency generator this winter with this hammer, the use of a donated table saw given me by my brother-in-law Jim, my battery drill and a T-square.  It’s OK., but I hope that no one really looks closely.  I would grade it as a C+.  However, it does rain occasionally here and my “dog house” did not leak.  I turned the generator on yesterday for the first time since I installed it and it worked as advertised.

And now about the sewage part of the story……

Since I live on a hill overlooking Reed Lake, I am the proud owner of a “ mound septic system.”  It is the third illustration down from the top.  all of my adjacent neighbors enjoy the same type of system.  It seems that because I am a new homeowner in Whatcom County, Jole and I were selected to attend a voluntary school presented by the county for an experimental program that they have just launched for new residents.

I am happy to inform you all that we are two new graduates and are now certified to self-inspect our own sewage system for the next six years.  So, if we brag that “our shit does not stink” – you can count on it!!!  Do not accept this claim from your other friends.  They don’t know shit (g).  We do.

We are on a roll now that Gaye and Jim have returned from their four-month adventure to South America.  We managed to keep “Pete and Repete” alive (their pellet stoves) and the animals: Scooter, Tommy and Miss Piggy. 

This should be an interesting couple of weeks coming up.  We have a St. Paddy’s Day dinner with Jim, Gaye, Jole’s sister Joye, and her mother – Stella.  The building of the shop begins.

The picture of the boats is from the poster for the Anacortes Boat Show at the end of this week.  We will be attending and drooling over them.  If there remains any funds left after paying for my new shop & tools, perhaps something that floats may be in my future……hmmmm, who knows?  I really miss my boat.  My good friend Oscar is giving my friendly Bayliner a happy home back in California at our old residence in Marina Pacifica.

Sometimes you just have to smell the roses.  Our friends – Gary & Marilyn Miller offered to take us up to see the annual migration of the Eagles back into the Skagit Valley Finney Creek Salmon habitat.  They certainly have a lot of strange names in this Sedro-Woolley  area, don’t they?

In order to have you understand this chapter, I must take a little time to explain a little bit about this unusual ecosystem that makes up the Salmon/Eagle relationship.  So, bear with me as I try to have this make sense for you.  It’s complex and wonderful.

Within an hours drive of Dunrovin’ is the community of “Concrete”, which is little community where my story begins.  I will start with the Salmon, which is the main character and the reason Eagles come here.

Salmon always return to their birthplace to spawn (make babies).   They have to be at least two years old, and some species seven yrs. old to reproduce.  There are five different species in this area, and I have shown pictures of the two types most common found here.  The picture on the left is the Chinook and the one on the right is the Pink Salmon; referred to as a “humpie” for the dorsal hump, which is only evident on a spawning male.

The spawning season begins in late fall and can continue through about mid-February.  Essentially,  adults have returned from the Pacific Ocean where they have fed and matured.  They then must migrate up the streams and rivers to the place they were born.  The females clear safe areas under logs and in back-water eddies in the stream bed to lay their eggs.  The males fertilize the eggs and the eggs mature hidden in the gravel.  These “alevins” (eggs) hatch into “fry” (baby fish).  Once they emerge, the fry are driven by instinct to seek saltwater.  The fry head down stream and emerge into Puget Sound.  Once they hit saltwater the fry are called “smolts.”  These smolts will eat and grow to staggering sizes for up to seven years before they return to spawn.

If you look at the Humpie shown on the bottom of the picture, you will notice he looks a little ragged.  He is actually dying.  Once they finish spawning, their life-cycle is over and they become either fertilizer or food for Eagles.

American Bald Eagles follow the food-chain.  Our little adventure was very successful.  We lost count, but I’m sure that we saw perhaps thirty Eagles in our half day-trip.

Just before we left, we discovered that last night’s windstorm flipped our car cover over.  When we returned, Gary and Marylyn helped Jole and I to right  the cover and reposition it.  Fortunately, the canvas was not harmed. 

It was a rainy day, considered ideal for Eagle watching.  The indigenous Indian tribes lived by harvesting Salmon.  The early pioneers to this area also enjoyed fishing and hunting.  This picture is an actual wood carving — also very popular here.   Logging still continues today, but was the major economic factor in the history of this area.

At the base of Lower Baker Dam, is the tiny burg of Newhalem.  We found this little totem and a little steam engine used by the local power company in the 20’s.

We enjoyed the trip and found time on the way back home to stop at a small chapel to renew our vows.

The views were nothing short of spectacular.  This is the foothills of the Northern Cascades.  The Western side of these mountains is a temperate rainforest covered with lush vegetation.  

If you look closely at the trees, they look like they have hair.  This is a special type of moss called Lichens. 

The water is sort of blue-green, tinted by the metal elements picked up in the mineral-rich earth here.  Our trip weaved through the valley basin following the salmon rivers.  Your views are constantly captured by the mountain peaks on both sides of the road ,  each one streaked by little run-off streams.   As we headed back home, we all vowed to come back in the Spring to see this area in newly minted foliage and bright sunlight.

Oh, by the way, I almost forgot to tell you that my friend Gary was able to video a pair of otters playing and gorging themselves on catfish and trout on our Reed Lake this past week.

It’s hard to aptly describe the joy we feel living so close to nature’s bounty.  Our area just explodes with life and it is so invigorating.  I hope that this chapter shows a little of the beauty that surrounds us here.

After several years in two different storages and no fewer than three moves, it really was like opening up brand new Christmas decorations. 

Some, quite honestly, we did not remember.  Some of the items were from over 30 years ago.  It was fun and brought back good memories of Christmas’s past.

We’ve already had a hail storm or two and have had ice on both patios.  That’s right – two patios.

Jole and I shuttle back and forth from Dunrovin’ to Jim and Gay’s home – Marmalade Manor.  It’s just a three-mile trip.

We spend some of the day in Dunrovin’ and the nights at their homestead.  We agreed to spell them on their vacation as guardians of the house and their five charges: 1) Scooter – a 200 lb. retriever, 2) Tommy – their white and black huntress, 3) Miss Piggy their fat black hunting cat <mostly hunts a place to sleep>, 4) Pete – the living room pellet stove, and 5) Repete – the unreliable pellet stove for the rear of the house.

I am only going to show you Pete, because I am really ticked with Repete.  Supposedly, UPS has the new exhaust fan on its way here from Manitoba, Canada and we will be back in business by next week.  This has been the only hiccup thus far.

I will show you some of the Christmas photos to give you and ideal of what the place looks like with the decorations.  

The little hanging tree with the bubble lights on the right is one of those older decorations. I got it in Haiti in a previous life.  It has Merry Christmas spelled “Merri”.

The porcelain tree on the left has been with me for about 30 yrs. It came from a garage sale and I think I paid $2.00 for it.  The detail is exquisite and I would never part with it.

The only new decorations that I got this year were two boxes of glass balls for the tree in the opening picture.  Everything else has a history.  This seems to have much more meaning for me this year as we start our new live here in Washington.  

This blue jay is one of our wild friends here in Dunrovin’.  He currently hold the record for the most peanuts snatched in one raid.  He has been seen swallowing three peanuts and carrying the fourth in his beak.  

The picture on the right is part of my “man cave.”  We had a freak accident when one of our friends – Anne was visiting.  For no apparent reason the glass table just shattered just after she walked passed, scaring her to death.  We found a replacement top and are ready for the season.

I will end with this picture from Marmalade Manor evidencing our first hail storm on November the 18th.  It was all gone by 10:00 AM after the sun came out.

We are poised for a wonder Christmas – our first in Washington.  Let’s hope you also have a memorable season and that Santa leaves you nice things.  If Pete and Repete act up, I may wish for Santa to leave me a lump of coal (or 2).

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Bellingham has an abundance of charm to share with friends.  We have been blessed with visits from some of our good friends from California and our cruises around the globe.

You have to look closely at this photo to tell that the town with the electric poles is really a mural.  The classic old building down the street is the old county court house.

We really surprise our guests with all that there is to do and see in this local area.

Our dear friend Anne visited us two weeks ago. We had a ball — lots of wine, Martinis, Trains and Sequence.

You can see Anne and Jole doing what comes naturally — shopping; in the Fairhaven section of Bellingham.  Anne caught “Fall” at the right time

to see the trees in their best color.  Since then, most of the leaves have now turned brown and adorn our lawns.  Anne’s husband, Colin, had a business meeting and could not come with her this trip.  Hopefully, Colin will come back in the Spring.  

On our way to Sudden Valley for lunch, we saw about 20 dear, including an 8 point buck napping in a driveway.  The deer are virtually tame in this local area because hunting is not permitted.  I missed a photo of the buck, but caught these three doe munching on the local grass.

We would entertain one another at least once a week.  Naturally we really miss Anne and Colin.  When Colin speaks he sounds just like the Gecko in the Geiko commercials!  He’s just as believable too.

Speaking of animals…one of my neighbors corrected a misconception.  We were discussing my  “IHOP” bird feeding station and I mentioned that I was fascinated by how tame and active the chipmunks were .  Just as I said that one jumped up on the feeder and started to munch on the corn kernels.  Lynn then informed me that we were looking at a very rare squirrel, known as a Western Douglas Squirrel, almost extinct in this area because of the Grey Squirrel introduced into this country a couple of decades ago. The size is about half-way between a chipmunk and a typical squirrel.  They are beautiful.

Our next guests who arrived last week were Gerrit and Pat, our friends – friends from our cruise.  We both attended cooking classes – cooking being Gerrit’s passion.  He treated us to several Asian dishes while here, and is a master.  He is also a “bit jockey” (computer guru) and taught me how to blog.

Pat convinced him to “think smaller” and he agreed let her take him for a spin around Reed Lake.  He mumbled something about the accommodations; couldn’t find the “head,”  nor a waiter to order a drink!

You can see Gerrit in our kitchen preparing to braise Tuna for dinner. He also made what I would call California rolls – with various Oriental ingredients; including eel.

You can see some of the ingredients for both dishes on the right.  I made my famous Mango Martinis and poured wine.

We took them both on a local shopping tour and made another stop in Fairhaven.  This is a dynamite little section of Bellingham.  There is a little something for everybody there.

I have made a little more headway around this place.  I completed the hardest part of my dock.   In the Spring, if it doesn’t float away,  I will  permanently affix it to the bank.  I need to see how the weather affects the depth of the lake.  I’m told that the water level varies from 3’ to 4’ with the winter rain & snow.   This will determine where and how I can give it a permanent location.

This next few months should prove interesting.  Jole and I have taken on the responsibility of house-sitting for Jole’s sister (Gaye) and brother-in-law (Jim).

We drove Jim and Gaye to Bellingham Airport the day after Halloween.  They flew to San Diego to board a cruise ship to South America.  They have a dozen destinations that will keep them travelling until the end of February.  We will keep Scooter (180 lb. Golden Lab.), their two cats…”Miss Piggy” and “Tommy” and their two “pellet stoves” alive until their return.  So….we are sharing their adventure too.  Their 5 acre estate (known affectionately as Marmalade Manor) is about 3 miles from Dunrovin’.  Please wish us luck!!!

The two smiling faces to the left with Mt. Baker behind them are sister – Janet and my brother-in-law – Eric.  They joined us for a few days of adventure in Washington and Dunrovin’.

As you can see —- it was another Chamber of Commerce day; not a cloud in the sky!  This was a picturesque ride that put us back home at 5:30 PM.

I forgot one picture that was worthy of including from our trip to Boxx Farm on the Farm Tour through Whatcom County in my last blog.  There were 13 beaming faces on all the kids.

I looked through my Book of Northwestern Birds and found a “Loggerhead Shrike” that looks like the bird Jole is feeding on the left.  The birds seemed almost tame and showed no fear in eating peanuts out of our hands.

On the upper right is a picture of Eric in a “blueberry meadow at the base of Mt. Baker.

Isn’t this Mt. Baker a majestic peak?  It is only about 10,400 ft. high, I think.  The top is covered by snow all-year-around and we see it every day as we travel around the area.  It was our first visit to the mountain since we moved here.

Janet and I took my Jon boat out on our Reed Lake and I took this picture of the wild ducks lounging on a log near the shore.

We also have Canadian geese visiting, but they were active on the other end of the lake.

On the way to the airport we made a detour through the metropolis of Sedro Woolley.  What trip would be complete without the addition of this little tour? 

Eric is posing with a logger-carved eagle in downtown S-W.

I have made the decision to postpone the building of my “SHOP” until next year, if, and when, the budget can make that happen.  However, I found that by mounting casters on some of my tools and putting the “Mini” outside under a cover,  I can create a somewhat truncated, but workable area to enjoy the pleasures of re-arranging wood into various shapes.  

Today, I added an “experienced” propane stove to the garage so I can toast my buns while working.  Yes, I now have heat along with my microwave, my radio, and my fridge (stocked with soft drinks and various domestic and imported beers).  This retirement thing is really burdensome, but I manage(g).

Well, we had a little “bi-valve” treat today.  Jole and I joined Jim and Gaye to take advantage of the Festival of Family Farms in Skagit Valley.  It seems that we cannot get enough of farming lately.  What intrigued us was the idea of visiting an oyster farm.  It was a harrowing ride for me sporting a scary road with one-land wooden bridges down the side of a cliff to the Sound.  It had one way in and one way out. 

It was well worth the visit.  We were treated to clams and oysters — freshly barbequed!!

They even had a “petting zoo” for the kids.  Naturally, I will be back for oysters, clams and the Dungeness crabs.

Our next farm was the Golden Glen Creamery.  This was a real kick for the kids.  They had tractor rides and hay rides for them.    

Does this face look familiar to you?  I ran into this little piggy at our last farm -  Sakuma Bros. Market Stand.  The pig and I shared a wonderful fresh raspberry sundae there. 

One little side-trip of the day was a stop at a local Japanese Garden.   It was a glorious day and the gardens were lovely.

As you can see, it was another banner day in the Pacific Northwest.  I guess that I forgot to take any pictures of the Koi.  Oh well,  You take your chances when you read this stuff.

We actually had a little frost on the pumpkin this morning.  The leaves are just now starting to turn colors.  It has been a long time since I have enjoyed a seasonal change.  We are enjoying it.

I felt sorry for the local birds and felt that someone needed to take better care of them.  My first project  (outside the house) was to build a filling station for them. 

It seems that the word got out and I think that most of the local wild critters have now decided that I have the best grub in town.  It’s a hit!

Some climb in, some fly, some jump.  We have them all.  The most spectacular of them all have to be the Stellar Jays. 

We have seen the jays swallow four whole peanuts at once, and carry another off in their beaks.  Does this remind you of anyone you know?  How do their little digestive systems handle whole peanuts?

Jole talks a little to each of  the apple trees before she plants them.  These are sort of  “before and after” shots.

We now must wait two years to be blessed with baby apples: a) Florina, b) Elstar, and c) Akane.  she also planted a Frost Peach and a Methly Plum.

Naturally, we had to take the Whatcom County Farm Tour, especially since we have now become amateur farmers. We skipped Cloud Mountain Farms. That’s where we went to purchase our fruit trees. 

Our first stop was Joe’s Gardens.  Jole adopted Nathan, the son of the owner – see right.  Their farm is the last of the original remaining truck farms in the Northwest.

Our next stop was the Silver Springs Creamery.  It was a disappointment, but I now know how to milk a cow.

Boxx Berry Farm was the hit of the tour for me.  They had hot corn-on-the-cob waiting for us.  Then they had fresh strawberries over vanilla ice cream for us!

This was another banner weather day, which we were told could not happen in Washington.  The farm views were just hard to describe.  Beautiful!!!

It is still too soon to pick a pumpkin to carve, unless you want the “warty” variety.

I had a little fun with a young kid that stopped with me in front of the turkeys.  We learned that if you whistle in a certain way,  the four birds would all cackle at the same time.  The kid was empowered and drove the birds crazy.

#618 was my favorite cow.  She had the nicest smile of any of her farmyard kin.

We actually stopped at 8 out of the 10 stops on the tour, but won’t bore you with all that we saw.  I will tell you that this was a memorable day for both Jole and I.  We needed a break from the house.  We have pushed ourselves very hard to get this place ready for guests.  Aren’t “goals” for working folk?

 We finished the week by meeting Trudy and Bev at the Silver Reef Casino.  I asked Trudy (gal on left) to just act natural.  She misunderstood and thought that I asked her to look goofy. 

See, this is the risk you take when you visit.  I plaster your picture all over the Internet (g).