RIP Hawley

Hawley

October 30, 2001 - July 30, 2015

Hubby and I gave the boys a puppy for Christmas in 2001.  I named him Hawley.  The boys had their eyes closed, I set Hawley down and then told them to open their eyes and meet Hawley.  Sam had a few seconds of disappointment.  He thought Hawley was a little sister named Holly and that we were adopting a little girl.  He got over it pretty fast.

 Hawley grew up with the boys.  He was a fun puppy.  Sam was  the dog whisperer and taught him good manners.  Hawley sat on my lap whenever I was weeding and planting until I had to tell him that he was just too big.

 Sam would leave a treat on Hawley's nose, clear the table on the patio and then tell Hawley, "okay", only then would  Hawley would toss his head and gobble the treat.

 As the boys grew up and left home Hawley aged and started to spend more time hanging out with Hubby and me.  I bought him a new bed at Costco each Fall and so we had beds all over.  That way if we were working in the back yard he had a bed there, or in the garage he could watch Hubby work on the trailer, one on the patio, one in front of the wood stove and one in his dog house

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Hawley loved the wood stove and many times as I came into the house carrying firewood he slammed me out of the way to get inside to his spot by the fire. This picture shows him on a towel but that wasn't the norm, he had a bed by the fire.  He liked to lay so close that when we walked by and petted him his fur was too hot to touch.

 On the patio he took over my chaise lounge and then ignored me.  If I don't look your way then you do not exist and I don't have to get off of the chaise lounge.  Right?

 Hubby was Hawley's person and they loved each other.  It started on Hawley's first night with us, Hubby built him a dog house and then at bed time he crawled in with Hawley.  Hubby laid with him until our new puppy fell asleep.  It was his first night without brothers or sisters and Hubby knew he'd be scared and lonely. 

 Hawley met Hubby every night and did not want to be on the patio or in the house at 4:30 because it was time to meet the boss in the driveway.  Hawley and Hubby got gray together, raising those boys wasn't easy!

 We were told that we'd know when it was time to say good bye to our faithful friend and that was true.  It seemed to happen overnight though we knew for a year that the time was coming.

It was harder than we thought it would be.  Sam was able to come help us say good bye.

Hawley is buried under the apple tree.

A wise friend told me that when it's time to say good bye that is the time we pay for having loved a good dog for so many years.  It is hard, but we loved him a lot so it is worth the pain of losing our dear, faithful friend.

Family Reunion with Hua'kai Annie

On Friday Hubby and I packed up to go to George, WA to his Mom's place for a family reunion.  It was our maiden voyage with the '57 Aloha.  It ended up taking a long time to get out of town.  We decided to put new tires on Annie.  Then of course, traffic was terrible because of Seafair and Watershed.  Sam and Angela picked up Danny and drove over earlier. 

 We had a small window when our whole family was there.  Sam and Angela left Saturday morning to attend a wedding and Kassie left a bit later to attend another wedding.

The boys had a pic with Aunt Laura because every time they see her that is what we do.

 We went to Jake's for tacos at lunch time and then I played Mafia with this group.  There was a lot of lying and killing and some saving and investigating for this game.  A lot of laughing too!

 Tom was in charge of grilling this year for Saturday night.  Oh my, this is a fantastic meal!

 The kids love reunion because there is a bouncy house, a swimming pool, and a soft ice cream machine. 

 The aunts and uncles started this family reunion many years ago,  It was different this year without Hubby's dad, Court and without Aunt Joyce.  They were missed but both would have loved that the tradition is continuing.

On Sunday morning it's a fat boy breakfast.  There are trailers and tents everywhere on the yard,  Pretty soon things get going because no one can sleep through the sausage and bacon cooking.  Scrambled eggs, fresh fruit and pancakes too.

Kassie picked fresh blueberries for the pancakes.

 The kids love Max and he spends time with them.  On Saturday, Sam took kids swimming in the morning and then Danny and Max took them in the afternoon.  They swim in the canal.

After breakfast on Sunday the kids finish working on their bottle rockets.  A compressor is used to shoot them off into the field.

 Michele came with seven of her eight kids, her husband was working,

She is a brave, sweet Mom.

 It was our first trip with Hua'kai Annie.  She isn't quite finished but was road ready.  It was so great to have her there.  Remember, she came from this corral area on the farm.  Now she is spiffed up and looking a lot different.

 It was 102 during the afternoon but she had afternoon shade.  We have a fan and it was comfortable by bed time.

John and Carla Fischer came to tour Annie.  John's parents owned Annie and he had slept in the canvas bunk as a boy.  It was an emotional reunion.  Unfortunately, the person that took pictures of John and Carla didn't actually push the button so I don't have pictures.  

I am so bummed about that.

Danny rode home with us and we decided to take the scenic route.

We had a good trip home, stopped at the Red Horse Diner in Ellensburg and in Thorpe for peaches.

It was a fun family reunion, we had our guys together for 12 hours and Hua'kai Annie's first trip was successful.  A win, win, win, for sure.

Just Call Me Becky

Just call me Becky, as in Becky HomeEcY.  I just made fig jam, cooked fig jam that got sealed in jars.  I am usually a freezer jam kinda gal but there are no freezer jam recipes for fig jam.  I don't can.  No can can here.  So, it is a stretch for me.  Our fig tree bears fruit and something has to be done with it.  And the fig jam at Safeway is eight bucks for a teeny tiny jar.  After all, I am Dutch.

Lastly and most importantly, the fig jam is fantastic baked with brie cheese or poured over cream cheese and served with crackers.

 Since I have a lot of figs and I like the pretty color without a lot of green I peel my figs first, and then add just a bit of the green.

 I don't own a canner so I use a big deep fry pan on the stove.

 I really need my friend Becky here with me to make jam.  Becky moved to MO and jam making hasn't ever been the same for me.  Move back where you belong BECKY!

 On Friday evening some girlfriends came over for a little happy hour before we went to the vintage show at the Lavender House.  I happened to serve my last jar of fig jam.  I entertained in the '57 Aloha.  Just for fun and because I could.  It was cozy with the rain coming down.

 Speaking of the '57 Aloha, Hubby and I hitched her up and went for a little ride on Saturday.  I was so happy after three years of restoring to actually hitch up that I could not stop smiling.  I was giddy.  We went straight to my Dad to see if we had the hitch in order, turns out the chain needed to be crossed.  Thanks Dad!

I think her name has been decided, she is Huaka'i Annie.  Huaka'i is the Hawaiian word for a  journey or trip with a defined purpose to learn or see something new.  We've got purpose.  We plan to have and see some FuN!  She's Huaka'i Aloha Annie, Annie for short.

I will be posting a final trailer tour soon.  I am still hanging curtains, painting some things and enjoying the decorating.  This is the fun part for me.  Hubby is installing the rain gutters and one last polish before we hit the road.

ALOHA!

This and That and Pie

 It's been hot here in the Pacific Northwest.  It's been one of the sunniest sunny summers evah in the Pacific Northwest.  We turned our hot tub into a cold tub for some heat relief.  Our house has stayed fairly cool in spite of no AC.  I keep the shades drawn, windows open at certain times and fans humming.

Of course, we are still working on the Aloha.  I have little tedious jobs to do, parts to find and Hubby is polishing.

 The work is rewarding as I can see where I have been.

 We celebrated the 4th of July at Birch Bay in the evening with family and friends, berry pies, a beautiful sunset and a spectacular fireworks show.  I made the raspberry pie on the left and Sue made the one the right.  Her lime blueberry corner was sooo good.