Home Again

 I've been gone for awhile , over the mountains and far away !

 We were enjoying our place there where there is always plenty to do .We had our children & grandchildren with us for Easter. Our 8 grandchildren were able to spend time with each other , playing in the woods , building a fort, hunting, and hanging out.

 My husband got to drive a tractor ( he harrowed the fields ), thanks to our youngest son who loaned us his. I know my husband enjoyed this ,good thing, because it took all day to harrow the fields to get them ready for hay.

 Everything we did outside was observed with great interest by the cattle next door. They often lined up at the fence line to nose our dogs and would follow us from their side of the fence like curious puppies. I could hear them commenting to each other about our comings and goings.

 Spring turkey hunting kept these three out in the fields and woods. There are wild turkeys everywhere. The turkeys hang out in the fields with the deer and they bed down together at night. If you're in this part of the country you can even find wild turkeys in the towns and cities.

The weather put on quite a show. We experienced snow, hail, rain, sunshine, and amazing cloud formations . This huge pink cloud rolled in just before sunset one night and hovered over us for quite awhile, finally dropping a quickly dispelled rainstorm

It makes my heart glad to see my grandchildren together outside. Here they are running for our woods because the sunshine they began their walk in turned to a down- pouring of rain. When they came back in from the woods there was again sunshine.

What we do not have at our place over the mountains is the internet or television and I rarely carry my cell phone . To me , this was bliss. Sometimes I just need to disconnect from those distractions and take time to think , to appreciate the timeless things and blessings in life. That being said , I am back on this side of the mountains, ready and energized to jump back into the things I enjoy here, and blogging is one of the blessings I enjoy. We are home again at Cedar Pond. "Only that traveling is good which reveals to me the value of home and enables me to enjoy it better." Henry David Thoreau

Bus Stop Fun...and Memories

Babies surely do love babies, don't they? Here our two youngest grandchildren are cuddling. #6 granddaughter is just goo goo over our youngest grandson and shows it too!

Daniel and Breezy's Jack Russell terrier will NOT be left out of any cuddling going on in the house and also takes this opportunity to clean off any bits of a tasty breakfast left on baby grandsons' hands. ( note grandsons' grip on his toy WITH HIS TEETH!)

Meanwhile.....The view from our sons' home in the morning is beautiful. We are up early, 3 little girls have to catch the school bus. We have breakfast, and there is plenty of time to talk and play before the school bus comes.

The six older grandchildren walk down the long driveway to wait together for the bus. Three of the grandchildren who live here will catch the bus soon. The other 3 , visiting , will be left behind to await their cousins' return , so they can again resume building forts and riding bikes, and having fun together.

The six oldest grandchildren pose for a picture just before the bus comes.

They then mill about and play together for awhile.....

Ah! Here is the school bus! Bye, have a good day, we'll see you when you get home!

I think they already miss their cousins, but they'll be home before you know it!

Almost There.....On To Deer Park, Washington!

Our trip to Deer Park in Eastern Washington goes ever on. Just crossing the bridge over the Columbia River you will encounter the Wild Horse Monument. If the day is void of fog and drenching rain you cannot help but notice the silhouettes of wild horses up on the bleak hillsides. We did not stop to see the monument so this is the best picture I snapped as we drove past at 55 miles per hour. There are 15 horses in this silhouette and they were created by David Govedau of Chewelah, Washington. ( we love Chewelah and have looked at property in the area for purchase. It is fairly close to our youngest sons' home) This lone barn in the midst of plowed fields has always captured my thoughts. I wonder who built it and why it stands vacant , in need of repair, and obviously soon to collapse. "Washington ranks # 3 in the U.S. for revenue generated by hay, #1 for income generated by sweet corn, hops, mint, grain corn, barley, and Kentucky bluegrass." WA St. Economy The rain on the other side of the mountains has not made it to this side, and we encounter only blue skies and beautiful clouds. Washington ranks # 2 among the states in potato production, #5 among the states for wheat production. There are many picturesque barns and farms along the way. Some are still very productive, some stand deserted among productive fields of crops..a reminder of times past. Not sad though because the crops surrounding them are abundant! Amazing , isn't it ? This looks like the prairie , or farmlands in the fertile mid-west, not what you would expect a scant hour or two away from one of the highest mountain ranges, or most densely forested areas in the United States! "Aquaculture, chicken eggs, and broilers are other major livestock products thriving in Washington." Economy of WA Now we are much closer to Spokane, the second largest city in Washington. You would not know this from the news networks though. Spokane is a politically conservative area, but very populous and liberal Seattle reigns in votes, tax revenue and dominates politics because of its' large population. Eastern Washington has often threatened to secede from the state because it is truly NOT represented in most government forums and causes. The little lake just off to the side of the freeway in the picture has 2 islands and we always see many wild fowl flying above or swimming in it. Isn't this rocky formation along side the free way just amazing ? It is just really not much more different or incredible than many along the way.....we are almost to Spokane! "The state of Washington generates more apple revenues than any other state. About 20 % of the states' total agricultural receipts are generated by apples. Washington produces about 64% of the nations' apples.. ....beyond apples, cherries ( #1 among the states) grapes, pears ( #1 among the states) and raspberries are the leading fruits grown in Washington." Economy Of Washington My husband and I have noticed there are many, many wineries in our state on both sides of the mountains that produce great wines, notable wines! The wineries are well worth visiting even if you are a teetotaler , the gardens and views alone are worth a visit! We are almost there ! This barn is in the Deer Park area, where our sons and their families live. Deer Park is a few miles north east of Spokane and very much a rural community. The Spokane area has many lakes and hills bordering mountains. It is rich with productive crops, herds of cattle, horses, sheep. You cannot drive many miles without encountering pheasant,quail, wild turkeys, deer, elk, moose. A hunters' paradise!A naturalists' paradise!