Mason's Celebration of Life~

Today would have been Mason's 23rd birthday & was to be the day of his Celebration of Life~  

Butch & I got up early, anxious to get ready & on the road.  It was over 60 miles from our camp site to reach Novelty Hill Farm, just south of Duvall.  I was very familiar with the back roads, so rather than take the chance of a traffic snarl on the highways, we enjoyed a much quieter, familiar route.

Memory table~

We were the first to arrive, but it was just a short while before David & Cassidy pulled in, with Courtney right after.  It was so good to see them!  Cassidy got busy right away taking boxes filled with fresh flower centerpieces (from Courtney's gardens) out of the car.  I did what I could to help with tablecloths, flowers etc. while asking Cassidy how things were going with her recent move to her first apartment in Fairhaven. 

Finnigan watches~

Finnigan by now - had things figured out.  We drove somewhere & hugged people he'd never seen before but were soon his friends!  While we were busy, I gave him a chair out of the way where he sat & people watched.

Friends & Family begin to arrive~

It was a beautiful afternoon with high clouds & a light breeze. The parking area began to fill up!  The musician set up outside, while inside were more tables where the catered dinner was served.

A wonderful turnout of Mason's tribe~

Mason's best friend had traveled all the way from the east side of the state to attend.  I had a hard time recognizing some of Mason's friends.  They'd grown up in the last few years since I'd seen them.

From the hillside~

The meal was wonderful, Mason's favorite foods were on the menu.  I wish I'd taken photos of inside too.  Butch & I caught up with son-in-law David's family.  His father Don is 94, as is Peggy, his Godmother. 

4-4-2003 Our Camo Grandkids~ 
Cousin Ben, Sister Cassidy & Mason

David had set up a slide presentation in one corner of the barn.  Butch & I sat down & watched as so many memories glided by...  A life well lived by a strong, resilient boy who grew into a brave & well-loved man.  Mason touched the lives of all who knew him.  His indominable will, incredible spirit, smile & sense of humor will be sorely missed. 

The Way West~

 We were making this trip to attend Grandson Mason's Celebration of life.  The gathering would be held on August 11th - what would have been his 23rd birthday.  We discussed flying out, but both of us felt like traveling cross-country. 

8-7 Crossing the Missouri River at Chamberlin, SD

We left bright & early Wednesday morning the 7th.  Butch had made it home a couple days early, so we had plenty of time to plan & pack the Explorer.  We'd sent both the girls our itinerary & maps of our planned daily drive.  This drive is now more familiar to Butch than it is to me.  My last time was going the opposite direction when we made the move to IA from WA. 

Rain, passing Sheridan, WY

We'd planned our first nights stop for Rapid City, but The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was in full swing & room rates were outrageous.  We decided to drive 620-miles to Sundance, WY.  We think it was Finn's first time at a motel, but he was so good!    

8-8 We ended our drive with a cool one~

The following day, Thursday the 8th, we finished another big drive of 636-miles stopping in Missoula, MT for the night.  We put Finn's bed in a quiet spot & fed him dinner before we left for ours.  When we returned, he was waiting patiently & very happy to see us!

The following morning, our goal was within reach!  Camano Island, WA where our youngest daughter & her family live.  Things greened up as we crossed into ID & WA.  Spokane traffic had tripled since my last time through.  It was our first real slow-down of the trip.

The Columbia River at Vantage, 2:19 p.m. ~

Once we crossed the river, we made a stop at the fruit stand just outside Cle Elum. Smoke was thick in the air & had been off & on the further west we drove.  

We'd be coming down Snoqualmie Pass & into Seattle during the Friday afternoon rush hour.  I-90 jammed up early on. Both the exits for the back roads we used to take to go north, were backed up for miles. 

I-90 West Bound, 4:38 p.m.

Taking the exit ramp off I-90 & finally going north on I-405, I was amazed at how Bellevue had changed!  More high-rise buildings & cranes in the air!  I'd commuted to my office in Bellevue from the Homestead for several years.  In those days, it had taken under an hour each way.    

I-405 northbound - Bellevue, 4:52 p.m. 

The highway was undergoing yet another widening as we approached downtown.  After merging onto I-5 near Lynnwood, it took us 40-minutes just to pass the Bothell exit.

Bothell 5:28 p.m. ~

Rather than continue to sit in standstill traffic, we decided the state could send us a bill & took the HOV lane.  If you enlarge the photo above, you will notice the fine for violating the HOV lane is $536. There were other signs stating that if you had two occupants or more & didn't have a pre-pass, you'd receive a bill in the mail.

North Broadway, Everett - 6:07 p.m.

I finally asked Butch to take the Everett exit so we could take a potty break!  I was hopeful we'd be able to follow Broadway north, cross the Snohomish River Bridge & return to I-5. Plenty of people had the same idea.  The other thing we didn't expect - was to find the bridge closed down to one side, only one lane each direction due to construction.

Our camp!

Jentry had messaged me & sent the above photo of our camp!  She had left work, gone home for her trailer & set it up at the campground!  It looked so inviting & kept us motivated to finish the 540-mile drive that was taking hours longer than it should have.  

As we took the Stanwood exit, we left the traffic behind.  We stopped to pick up a few things at the store, before crossing over to the island.  What a relief it was to pull into our camp site!  It was about 7 p.m. & dusk.  Jentry, Ben, Skyla & Josie drove over to welcome us!  Finn was ever so happy to meet our family!  The hugs were the Best!  After the kids left, we sat outside for a while to enjoy the peace & quiet.  We'd missed the fresh, clean air of the Pacific Northwest.