Slowly getting established in Colville, Washington

We are in the process of getting our drivers license, firewood, library cards, electric power and garbage pick up, all on line before the first visitors arrive.

Our very first visitors, twice a day, are the deer. Mini-buck here, and his herd are stressing my wallet by demanding treats such as apples or carrots.

Our son Jason and grandson Riley, came for a weeks stay. I had no trouble filling Jason's truck with free horse manure from the Northeastern Fairgrounds here in Colville.

Poor Riley, Granny didn't waste any time putting her grandson to work peeling beets (gloves- so their hands don't turn red) 

to pay for his room and board...:-)

OMG...next day Granny had Riley humped over planting and watering bulbs for her spring flowers.

Riley's cousin Ashley came to visit and "never rob a bank with Riley" comes to mind...first thing he did was to tell Ashley where Granny had him plant bulbs in Opa's garden...ha ha

The little guy can't complain too much after Opa built him his own "straw couch" out of some left over garden straw. Riley wasn't surprised at the couch but he was surprised that Opa could even build it?

Granny decorated the front porch with some of her 60th BD items from her party in Las Vegas last week. Hard to believe my girl is 60 years old...looks so much younger. It's just not fair...my hair was grey at 40 and Donna still has nearly all of her own natural color at 60!

Jason was helping the "old man" out with some of the normal maintenance that was sorely missing from the house we bought. I think what he constructed was a "redneck rain gutter cleaner"? What the heck, it worked!

Before Ashley came to visit, I took Granny, Jason and Riley to Lake Roosevelt, which is really the Columbia River backed up 150 miles up to Canada from the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington.

This weekend was the first time Ashley, who is just under two years older, and cousin Riley have met. You would of thought they were twins, the way they play and hung together from the first minute.

Well if Granny can get away with it, then I'll give a try. Opa got both kids digging and planting bulbs on the back patio but I did pay them with a trip to the "fabulous" Colville Corn Maze...:-)

The corn maze was a fun trip for Opa, Ashely and Riley. The kids took turns (without my direction) leading me down one path after another until we were exhausted. 

For two kids who had just met, they developed such an instant friendship and companionship, that would be the envy of many countries. I think when you add Ashley's maturity and Riley's openness it was a match made in heaven.

It was so natural for them to walk hand in hand that I kept hearing the theme whistling from the Andy Griffith Show. Oh how I miss Aunt Bee's apple pies...:-)

Granny found these fall decorations and added names to each. The kids loved them of course, so did Opa.

Riley is checking out Opa's crawl space looking for any leaks...times like this I wish I was 40 inches tall!

There is nothing like family members eating popcorn and playing on the computer together.

Aaaaaah! The kids spent so much time either feeding the deer and turkeys or just like this...sitting quietly watching the local wildlife.

I have to give a "shout out" to my daughter-in-law, Laura, for driving the 70 miles up to Granny and Opa's to bring us Ashley for the weekend.

The kids would of really liked seeing this rainbow, but they left the day before our downpour. 

Eat yer heart out Donna....

               Our first three weeks in the new house.

Soon after parking the motorhome in front of the house I needed to fly down to Vegas to empty our small storage unit that held some kitchen and bedroom boxes, which was about all we kept when we sold the house and retired.

Unfortunately I was very short on time and photography during my stay at Duane's house. Duane and the family had my birthday present sitting on the table waiting for me. Four bottles of vodka and my favorite, Agavero... "El Original Licor De Tequila"! Thanks buddy, I'll enjoy it tremendously. 

It is so nice to have our king size bed back in service.

Donna found an oak table in Las Vegas for me to buy to keep her bedroom set company on the long drive to Colville.

While I was gone Donna cleared most of the garden of weeds and stacked some of the firewood, good job babe!

When I got home I couldn't resist firing up the wood stove because after all...it was going to drop all the way down to 40 that night. Donna and I were both cussing me out in the morning because we were so hot all night long!

We spent this weekend at an auction in Spokane looking for things for the house. I scored this "16" place set of Mikasa stoneware. My son Denny helped load the stuff into our trailer and commented that I could break a lot of settings before Donna would notice. After the auction then we headed over to his house for dinner.

Before leaving Spokane with our auction goodies, Denny, Laura and Ashley had a little 60th birthday party for Donna...hard to believe my baby is turning 60 this week...no way! Ashley and Laura made Donna the beautiful necklace she is wearing.

We had a wonderful dinner with the family, we only wished we were closer to both our sons families.

Hard to beat a Baskin-Robbins birthday chocolate ice-cream cake.

We got home way after dark and unloaded all into the garage...Donna is quite the trooper.

 Poor Donna was stuck helping me unload the trailer. We picked up a bedroom set, library desk, bed frame and headboard along with a few other odds and ends.

The biggest score was when Donna went toe to toe with another bidder and won the right to take home this beautiful moose entry lamp. Hard to tell from the photo but it is wood and stained glass...I love it!

After our long weekend in Spokane it was up early so I could drive Donna to the Spokane Airport. I go to Vegas and get 36 hours there, she gets a week...what's up with that? First thing I do when I get home from dropping Donna off is stack the last cord of wood for the year...I hope.

I'm in the fall mood so some corn stalks for our entry way should spice the place up, the dogs took no time at all marking the stalks.

This is the "eat yer heart out Donna" part. Salad with avocado and Caesar salad dressing, pan roasted brussels sprout, fresh corn and a rare rib eye.

Mmmmmmm, roasted virgin olive oil and butter brussel sprouts!

Donna...look at this, sweet meat squash that was given to me for free at the "corn maze". I keep telling Donna that some day I'll run into him, she says "who". My response is "the towns asshole"! Donna says maybe it's like poker, if you are on a game looking for the donkey and can't find him, chances are YOU are the donkey! She may be right?

When I cut and scraped out the seeds and pulp of the meat squash I thought that maybe some of the locals would like them. I didn't realize they were in the yards and threw out the scraps. The two young bucks didn't spook, but instead went right for the squash.

Happy 60th dear...I love you.

I have had complaints of no new blog in a while.

Right after buying the house we had to get busy looking for furniture and ready for winter. I had to steal the recliner out of the motorhome so one of us could sit in it and watch TV, ya...the same TV I stole earlier from the motorhome.

First we had to get the motorhome up here to make sure all fits where it is supposed to. We are sleeping in the motorhome until I can bring back a few things from Vegas...such as a bed!

I was so stoked to get the motorhome in the driveway but soon found out that every time I plugged it into the garage, and it will be plugged in all winter, it tripped a GFI. My brother Jack had to walked me through removing the GFI because I would personally rather have needles shoved into my eye than do electrical repair. I did get it out...so I am proud of this one small accomplishment.

Donna and I went to the elks club in Colville for a beer and found out they own this beautiful 18 hole golf club. As soon as I can get my knee fixed and it is spring time, I'll be out golfing.

Our weekend habit of late is garage sales. We need just about every thing for the house since only a few pieces of furniture are stored in Las Vegas. I haven't done a lot of garage sale looking in the past but am finding out that it is a "man eat man" culture. They not only get there an hour before opening, they push, grab and all but take from your arms, anything worth while...I don't care for it.

This is my only "self" portrait of doing any manual labor such as weeding. I am used to going down to the local nursery and hiring a guy or two for the day...oh how I miss them!

A view in the morning after our first rain storm was awesome.

It cracks me up that this wild turkey will lay here patiently waiting for the young buck to leave before he/she moves in for some grain.

Wouldn't you know it...my back goes out after picking up three pieces of wood. I did help by having Donna pick up the wood from the ground and hand it to me so I didn't have to bend over.

Only the first of four more cords to stack. Five cords should get me through the winter without worrying about running out. The big ones in front need to be halved once more with a splitting maul. I wanted Donna to give it a try but she just flipped me off and said it will have to wait until I get better. Ah, the love never fades...even after 37 years.

Still working on the house.

I can remember while traveling the west coast and seeing folks out working on their yard or painting...I'd think, suckers! We don't have to worry about all that nonsense because our house is a rolling...not anymore.

You buy a used house you had better be prepared to invest in at least...5% for repairs. I was, but hiding a basement vent is just wrong...but you buy as is, you get as is!

We have now met 4 of our neighbors...which is 3 more than we ever met in Vegas after 7 years? They all talk highly of the former owners but who in there right mind plants "thorny blackberries"?

They are so sweet...but also...so invasive and not native to the northwest. Believe me, I love blackberries and we picked 10 or more pounds last summer in Oregon to make "vodka cordial" from it....but on my property? No way, I don't want that crap spreading all over!

Neighbors Bill and Becky came over to welcome us and show us photos of bears and cougars that their game camera behind the house has caught in the last month or so...I am so excited about the prospect of seeing one or two of these allusive mammals. They cautioned me about feeding the turkeys cause they make a mess. (I didn't have the guts to tell them I already put out a poultry block that morning)

This young buck was sampling the poultry block until one of our little havanese chased him away.

Two young bucks hanging together, one with developed antlers, the other still had velvet this late in the year

The neighbors had told us that Jan (previous owner) had kept gate open for the deer so they had easy access...ok by me.

Time lapse photo of the town of Colville from our patio. As Ronald Reagan said so brilliantly...."If it wasn't for the trees you could see the forest"! (actually he said if you have seen one tree...yada yada, whatever!)

If I could get my new neighbors down the hill to make some firewood of these trees, it would be quite an accomplishment!