Ahhh...summertime!

For those of our family and friends who do not have access to or use Facebook let me share here some pics and comments from our recent July camping trip to Trillium Lake. It is just a beautiful spot, a feast for the spirit, and our family enjoys going there each summer, usually more than once. This year we went in mid-July for 4 days and 3 nights. The weather was warm and clear, the lake was cold and beautiful and the scenery was, as I said, just wonderful. Trillium Lake sits on the shoulder of Mt. Hood about two hours drive east for us. As lakes go it is a small lake, but they stock it with rainbow trout, and there is a great shore for playing and swimming in the lake, so much to do besides just deep breathing and relaxing. Anyway, to the pics - in no particular order.

The family gathered on one of the fishing piers looking across the lake with majestic Hood filling the horizon.

Sara brought her Kindle. What a better place to relax and read?

Kids playing on the beach. They love to catch salamandors and build ponds for them.

Jon is always the acrobat. He is amazing!

Can you spot what does not belong here? This was one of two stumps lying together near camp. Imaging how huge they once were, how they dominated the forest all around.

Dexter made sure he made the rounds of all the laps. He was not as much of an out-of-door dog as I imagined. He spent a lot of time in the boys tent! I think this trip was a first of a kind for him.

Corn on the cob wrapped in foil with butter and baked in the coals of the fire. Wow!

There is so much beauty all around if we would but stop and look. This Lupine (?) was one of a cluster growing in the rocks at the end of the lake.

This IS my smile. I so enjoyed hiking with the family on the trail around the lake.

 Jon is always busy and here is finds another use for our firewood supply.

We have two pontoon boats now, and it is so enjoyable to climb aboard and head out on the lake trying to fool a trout.

And lastly, morning campfire smoke filtering through the trees. Can you smell the bacon and eggs being readied with hot coffee?

A Special Time

We enjoyed a special time this week as older daughter Sarah came to visit for a day. She was in Oregon/Eugene for the last two weeks playing in the annual Bach Music Festival. And she was able to come our way for Sunday before flying Monday early to Sacramento and time with more family. It was so special to see her and enjoy her for the day. Unfortunately Radu was unable to join her this time, but that was totally understandable since med school and purchasing and getting ready a new home can occupy and fill up one's time. But we are thankful for any time we get to spend with the kids, any or all of them, and having Sarah for a day was special. We didn't do a anything special, just enjoyed each other's company and cooked a nice dinner. Sarah made shortcakes for our strawberries, and we grilled some red salmon and asparagus on the BBQ. So a real nice time. And thanks again Sarah for coming our way, and thanks Radu for allowing her to do so. Next time hopefully you can join her.
And a post script; unfortunately Pam and 'little' Sara were not home to enjoy 'big' Sarah's visit. Pam and Sara are in Texas for a week to visit with Courtney and Chris and the rest of the family. So sorry they were not her for Sarah's visit, but sometimes life just works out that way.

And a couple of pics; Sarah preparing homemade short cake and encouraging/feeding Sammy to get her to eat all her dinner.

Happy birthday to All! - UPDATE
It is June 20th and at our home it is time to celebrate birthdays! Today we have three 'children' who celebrate their birthday today; Mr. Dave Norvell in North Richland Hills, Texas, Mrs. Courtney Stevens in Euless, Texas, and Samantha McMurray in Warren, Oregon. Happy Birthday and lots of love from the Northwest family to each of you!

Well the party is over, at least the party for Samantha. She had a great time and was so excited to open her presents and be able to say she was 6 years old. She told us yesterday that she couldn't be 6 until she had her presents and cake. Well she made it to 6 last evening, and I wanted to share a few pics of her time. She is such a cutie!

-Walt

Update for Thursday, May 3. Went to see the surgeon this afternoon. She was pleased with the progress this week and wanted us to continue the present course for three more weeks. At that time she will attempt to remove the pin and see whether the bone has established itself again. The pain and discomfort has lessened considerably, and I am learning how to do things with my left hand, but it is a challenge. However, Lord willing I will save the finger and by June  will be well on the way to recovery. A very sincere thank you to all who have prayed for me. God is so gracious and kind in and through all of this.
A final note; Pam has been such a trooper and support through all of this. God's great kindness is shown so much through her patience and help.

Walt

Oops...Ouch...Recovering

Hello family.
Well, as  you can see, I had a bit of a mishap the other day. I was riding the mower cutting the back field, and the grass being somewhat long was not being thrown out as it should but was building up under the deck. I had almost finished when, without thinking, I reached down to remove the end of a clump that was hanging up and blocking the chute, and stuck my finger a little too far into the deck housing. And bang! The spinning blade caught the tip of my index finger on my right hand, and it pretty much exploded it. It's not as if I don't know better. I have operated mowers before, both push mowers and riding mowers like this one. I have no explanation for my action except that I had previously removed the guard to improve the performance, and I didn't realize how little the tolerance was between the end of the blade and the deck housing. Anyway, we spent the rest of the day first in emergency at the hospital, and late that afternoon in surgery with a hand trauma specialist. The doctor attempted to put the many pieces of bone back together from the last digit on my finger, and put the nail pad together which was in three pieces. She put a pin in the end of my finger to anchor the bone pieces, and is hopeful that they will fuse and grow together. If they don't then she will have to remove the tip of my finger above the last joint. So that's our excitement this week. We would appreciate your prayers that we might be able to save the finger.
Forgive this way of sharing with all of you, but it is easier to share once here, rather than repeat many times over the phone. And apart from this mishap all is well with our family.

Love to each of you,

Dad

Welcome Spring?

Woke up this morning to an inch of snow, some parts south of us and those at highter elevation in the hills got much more. I like the snow, always have, but it should know its place. Anytime during winter is fine, especially around the end of December. Let it snow during that season and I am happy and to be honest gleeful like a big kid. But let it snow during the first week of spring, and nope, not glad to see it. Daffadills do not look good covered in the white stuff. They do best with a warm blanket of sunshine under a blue sky. It IS the third week of March, and though I know it still may be a ways off for us northerners, yet I know spring will come, so I will grit my teeth and endure.

Tongue-in-cheek, in Warren, Oregon

Whew!

Summer is such a full time. What did I do today? Well, I began by taking our three youngest to their swim lesson at 9 AM. That lasted half an hour, so not too bad. And, the pool is just 10 minutes from our house, so that makes it easy. Coming home - Pam was already at school for her morning class - I set to washing our truck and getting it ready for our trip to the Dalles this weekend. We are taking the three foster kids to see their younger brother for Friday and Saturday. The whole family is going and will overnight in a motel with pool so they all can swim. Nathan use to live with us, but his father received custody from DHS, so Nathan lives with him now. It has been two years since we have seen him, so all are exited for the trip. I cleaned up the truck - washing and detailing it with a spray wax, cleaning up the inside - because we are taking it. It is our only vehicle right now that holds all six of us, so when we travel as a whole family it has to be two cars or take the truck, and with gas prices the way they are it is cheaper to take the one vehicle even though the truck does not get the best gas mileage.

After cleaning up the truck I broke off the concrete forms I had set yesterday. The previous two days I have worked on the front flower beds. We are putting in large flower beds that will wrap the front yard, and I had worked with shovel and RR ties the past two days setting one edge against our neighbor's property. I filled spacings against their fence posts with concrete last evening to finish the task, so today broke off the forms to see how it looked. The result...pretty good. T 'will do just fine. That task completed I fixed the kids lunch and myself as well. After resting a bit, it was back to detailing the truck, this time vacuuming the inside and wiping it all down. Pam is home now, and then she left to take Jon for an eye appointment. Returning she again loaded the kids in the car and it was off to the store for dinner and to the library to return their books. We have made it a habit this summer to get the kids to the library regularly. The older two are avid readers and the love the library. While she was gone, my task with the truck competed, I hung out laundry that was washed but stacked up waiting to be hung - yes, I built a great clothes line for Pam a couple of weeks ago, much to her pleasure - and then I cleaned up the kitchen from the lunch dishes, and the "snacks" this afternoon. Pam not home yet from the library and store, I hopped on the mower and cut the entire front yard to the road. Was in the process of finishing that up when she and the kids arrived home again. Then it was set the BBQ grill for grilling burgers and relax with a beer while they cooked. And that's been my day.

As I type this Pam and the kids are on the back porch shucking peas. We have a great big crop of peas and beans from our garden and the kids are learning to pick and shuck. Should also say we are going to have a great corn crop as well. The corn is taller than I am right now and is putting on ears. This is really only our second year at a garden in this home, so we are pleased to see what we can grow. We have a huge crop of green tomatoes also right now, and hopefully we will continue to have more beautiful weather to ripen all of them. Let's hope.

Well, I realize this is not my usual post, but thought I would share a bit of the ordinary with our few readers, family and friends, near and far.

It has been a busy summer. We have been camping three times in our travel trailer and plan to go again once more for a week before the end of August. I, Walt, took 15 days and made a trip across the country from Los Angeles to Philadelphia, which was very enjoyable and rewarding. I got to see my newest, #2 grandson, Calvin Walter Norvell, as well as all the rest of my kids and my father. And I had a great time with Mike as we drove from Dallas to Philly together. And then I got to spend time with Mike and Rachel AND Connor. I had not had that opportunity yet to spend time with the three of them in Philly, so that again was a highlight of my trip and summer.

And then Sara had a great time in NM with her Dad this summer. And we got to see my mother Marie, and her husband Mac, and my sister Jini for the better part of a week as they came through heading back from a family wedding in Washington.

There is more, I just don't want to bore my readers further. But it has been a great summer, and we have enjoyed beautiful, almost perfect weather for the most of it. So wow and whew! I have many projects in the yard that I keep doggedly working on and one day I will have it all done...maybe.

So much for now. Pics to follow once I get them re-sized.

Blessings on each of you.

Walt, for the six of us.