Just a ton of stuff to yak about today

Sittin' here munching on a tuna sandwich and sippin' a diet Coke.  I don't drink much soda these days but now and then, a soda pop just hits the spot. This bottle was one I took to the picnic yesterday but never did open as I nursed a bottle of rootbeer instead.
Have to post my Fred Gwynne page first of all.  Having chocolate moose for dinner.

I saw a commercial that made me laugh out loud last night. It's from 2011 for Bush Beans.  Tickled me partly because of a picture I made with a 3-D pig that hangs over the television set.

Came home to find some delightful mail in my mailbox yesterday. Joy Bland is a top notch photographer and artist.  I commented on some Xmas cards she was making and had posted on Facebook. I often order Xmas cards with red birds on them.  Anyhow, she sent me a couple and I'm very happy to have them.  Thanks again Joy!

I saw pictures of my Uncle Jim's old house online yesterday as it's for sale. Always fascinates me to see the changes a house has when new people move in. I barely recognized the rooms. Here's some shots of the outside over the years.

 this is the backyard now where Linda and Lillian are standing in the old photo above

And speaking of how things change over time....I took my friend by my old trailer in Hadlock yesterday on our way out to Port Ludlow for my class reunion picnic.  I got out to take a picture of the trees I had planted in the early 90's.

Here they are as new trees in front of my old mobile home.

Here they are a few years ago when I drove by.

And below is the picture I took yesterday. (I didn't realize until I got home and downloaded my camera that it wasn't on 'picture' but was set for 'video')   I suspect I'm  moving into the "goofy old absent-minded lady" stage of life.





Yvonne and I left Port Angeles around 8 a.m. yesterday. Stopped at McDonalds to get a breakfast sandwich and arrived in Port Townsend around 9:15.  I made a couple of quick stops and then we drove over to Chetzemoka so I could show her the park.  She couldn't get over how beautiful it was.

The last two pictures were of an area I'd never seen developed before. I don't know names of flowers and plants but I sure did love the big leaf arrangements, whatever they were.  And the "old" part of the park (by the garden club) has also been fixed up more. A kids' slide is over there and new benches and tables.  Very nice.  This park  keeps getting better.

I was  at the fair for two hours. Am hoping the crowds picked up in the afternoon and evening and today.  Noticed a lot of empty booths and fewer exhibits everywhere.  Sad.  Sometimes fairs (and other events) have their down years and then pick up again.  I hope that's the case here.  I didn't see too many people I knew so my picture taking was at a minimum.  I did buy a few raffle tickets and  mini doughnuts. Also picked up my PTPC wrapping paper and various odds and ends being given away like pencils, book marks, measuring tapes, keychains, and notepads.

 Rita Hubbard at the wrapping paper rolls

 Jan & Bob Higdon by an old fire engine

 Rita playing with the Tormala kids

 One of my favorite exhibits was this guy covered with beach glass

 No baby pigs this year but I did get a kick out of this llama eyeing the crowd. Tomorrow morning I'll be helping Hunter get his lego exhibit over to the Clallam County Fairgrounds. I only live two blocks away from it. His exhibit is kinda large so we may have to put the back seats down.
I had a great time at my class reunion picnic in Port Ludlow yesterday. There are only a handful of class members that we can impose upon to host our annual picnic. Karen Cuykendall Jovag in Port Ludlow, Lew Morello at Diamond Point, Ruth Kvinsland, Liz O'Brien, and Dave Marriott in Port Townsend.  I suppose I could host too but I doubt anyone would travel this far. It's kind of hard even getting folks to Karen, Lew's, and the PT homes. Some years are attended better than others, and I must admit...if I didn't live on the peninsula already, I doubt I would travel to these functions on a regular basis.  Between the cost of gas and ferries (and the dang traffic) traveling can be a challenge. Especially when you're alone.

 I really need to find a boyfriend before I end up in the nursing home and can't go anywhere.  I'm sure I'd travel to more events if I had a companion.  Maybe I should place an ad in the paper.  Nahhhh...that might get me in trouble. With my luck, I'd probably attract a chain saw fanatic. I'll have to give this some more thought. I have a heck of a lot of girl friends who could also use faithful companions. Everyone can't be gay.  But then again...gay would work just fine  because most of us are beyond caring about "that other stuff."  ha ha ha   Well, I am anyhow. I suppose some might tell me to speak for myself.

Well, back to the picnic....  Here's some pictures I took while there.

 tree in front of Jovag's house

 cute plaque on their front porch

 Linda & Yvonne sampling all the great food set out

 Baked beans, potato salad, pasta salad, ham, hot dogs, cake, cole slaw, fruit, jello....

 John O'Brien enjoying the company of the ladies

 Dave Marriott, John O'Brien, Herb Evanson, Judson Gammage

 I made people pose under the trees and on the porch as I wasn't sure which lighting would work for good photos. Then (LIKE A DAMN FOOL!) when I was downloading my pictures later, I cropped them before posting on Facebook and cropped in such a way that I can't get good reprints of the group pictures without cutting off some people.  Will I never learn?!

 Back row: Dave Marritt, John O'Brien, Jud Gammage, me, Lois Edney
Middle row: Lew Morello, Herb Evanson
Seated: Linda Wilson Farina, Ruth Kvinsland, Karen Jovag, Sharon Sofie, Linda Pedersen

Karen and Dick's back yard garden was WONDERFUL!  They even have a bird sanctuary area. She took us on walking tours (here she is with Ruth following) and later I had the  bright idea to take pictures through corn stalks. The two below are actually my favorites. I discovered later I had again left my camera running in video mode instead of "picture mode."  I swear the brain cells are slowly dying.

It does make for a funny video, though. At least I was amused.



I've spent all morning and half the afternoon on this computer again. Time to move on.  I did want to mention, though, that I watched the stars last night.  I woke up three times with foot cramps and at 2:30 a.m. I decided to stay up for a bit. Grabbed a blanket and sat on the reclining lawn chair to watch the skies.  Interesting. Saw about half a dozen shooting stars and made the same wish on all of them.
Was especially fascinating to see them moving around up there.

And last thing....I checked this book out of the library and recommend it if you have various health questions (and who doesn't these days?!)  It's called 'Medical Myths that can kill you' by Nancy Snyderman, MD. She's a NBC news medical chief and this book is EASY READING and it's got good stuff in it.  Covers a lot of ground on what is a myth and what is fact.

I'm heading in to see the chiropractor tomorrow morning. Nothing seems to be helping with these foot cramps so I'm going to go down every avenue I can think of.  And with that...I'm off.