2020 - In Review~

Our fourth year in Iowa, January started out mild & beautiful.

Butch's first project of the new year, was to remove the sheetrock off the largest wall in our living room.  He added framing & insulation before installing new paneling, travertine tile & an electric fireplace.  The room looks so much nicer with a feature wall.  

New Years Sunrise~

The snow & cold came mid-month. By the end of January, I made the first of two-trips to Washington.  February in the Pacific NW, usually boasts a week or two of good weather. This year though, was very wet with rain almost every day. The Snoqualmie Valley was completely flooded & Duvall's water treatment plant was maxed out.

2-3-20 Riding at Bracken~

The weather did cooperate enough, I managed to get in some fine rides on Farah.  When I'm with her, it seems like just yesterday, rather than month's, since we've been together.  Our first ride, was at the Bracken Tree farm. The woods, ferns & moss seem so lush to me now!

2-9-2020 West Coast of Whidbey Is.  Ft. Ebey~

One weekend, David was golfing, so Courtney, Mason, Cassidy & I took the Mukilteo Ferry to Whidbey Island.  We shopped, enjoyed fresh seafood for lunch & combed the beach at Ft. Ebey. The rain held off until late in the afternoon, giving us enough time to hunt for agates & wish rocks. We left with full buckets!

2-10-2020 At the Monument~

On my 69th birthday, I was riding Farah! We trailered to the Victoria track of the tree farm, to meet-up with our old riding buddies Charlotte & Fancy. Afterward, Linda met us too. Our little group celebrated my birthday, with dinner in Arlington.  The visit was too short, as usual.  I missed getting to see our youngest daughter's family in Oregon.

3-1-2020 Butch feeding the chipper~

Arriving home to Iowa sunshine, was wonderful.  Late winter was mild & dry.  The end of the month, Butch rented a chipper.  We spent the weekend chipping all the dried stacks of invasive Honeysuckle & Autumn Olive.  The work resulted in enough mulch to cover the ground along the edge of the woods & part of one trail.

4-1-2020 Sunny on the Wabash Trace~

April first, I decided it was time to get back on my bike!  We are so lucky to have the Wabash Trace close.  My first ride was from Agriland to Silver City, eight miles.  A misunderstanding & no cell service turned my ride into a round-trip of eighteen miles!  A stiff wind didn't make it any easier!  With only three gears on Sunny (An Electra 3i) & balloon tires, the ride was longer than I'd planned!

4-15-2020 My new bike!  Speedy~

Butch suggested we go bike shopping!  Speedy is my new Electra 7d, an updated version of Sunny.  (It's a shame these bikes are no longer made in the USA.  The company was sold to Trek.)  Seven gears, smaller profile tires & lighter weight.  We added fenders & I bought a few needed accessories.  Speedy & I were on the trail two or three times a week.  My longest ride, was a round-trip of 24-miles, from Malvern to Imogene.

5-9-2020 City Sign

In May,  with funding provided by the Glenwood Garden Club, Butch took on the task of removing all the weeds & old overgrown plantings from around the city sign.  We planted new rug junipers - for a  low growing ground cover & applied fresh mulch.  Red day lilies will add summer color.

6-23-2020 Trail Signs~

June, I finished painting the trail signs for the woods.  Butch planted the posts & the trails now have names.  Thanks to several friends, especially Clara, I planted many, many starts of ferns, hosta's & sedums.  With such a dry year, watering was non-stop.  I lost almost half of the P.J.M Rhododendron's I'd planted in the spring.  The moles continually dug under them, leaving the roots bare of soil.

7-19-2020 Badlands~

Mid-July, after our visit with family in Sheridan, WY, we drove through Badlands National Park.  An opportunity to fly in a Helicopter is one we never pass up.  Since the pilot's wife was hiking & no one was waiting - we enjoyed an extended flight to find her! 

8-3-2020 Todd & Butch, planting the island~

August, was summertime hot.  Butch volunteered to help dig up a island, in the middle of the parking area, at Glenwood Lake Park.  With monetary donations from Sugar Makery & plants from Hillsdale Lily Gardens, the island will be a show stopper next year.

9-20-2020  Late afternoon~

September, I flew to Washington for the second time.  I needed to move Farah yet again.  This time, to what I hope will be her forever home.  The first week, we stayed with friends & enjoyed some quality, if smoky riding.  Thankfully, I had Farah settled in with her new owner, before the ride that resulted in my injury.

9-22-2020 "Bridge" & leg~

I had a total dislike of this bridge for many years & always refused to ride across it.  This day, I didn't recognize where we were.  When I did, wasn't smart enough to turn back.  Instead, I decided to dismount & lead Farah across.  The result of  that decision - sent me to Skagit Valley Hospital with a shattered tibial plateau.  

10-01-2020 At daughter Courtney's~

What was to be a two-week visit - was extended by six additional weeks. I'm so Very Thankful for our daughter Courtney, son-in-law David & grandkids Mason & Cassidy!  They took excellent care of me during my convalescence.   I was so happy when daughter Jentry brought Skyla & Josie up to see me!  How they could grow so fast - in such a short amount of time - is a mystery!  The Doctor's cleared me to fly home, after my six-week checkup.  By then, I'd missed our 37th Anniversary :-(

11-18-2020 New Owls~

The first week of November, I flew home!  After weeks of rainy WA weather, the sunshine & warmer than normal temperatures were welcome.  I sat out on the back deck with Nika most afternoons.  Thanksgiving was a quiet one, just the two of us, at home.

The remainder of my year has revolved around physical therapy, exercising at home & the YMCA.  At eleven-weeks, I no longer had to use the walker.   My goal remains to be riding my bike by spring!

12-25-2020 Christmas gift from daughter Jentry~

2020 is a year most of us would like to forget.  So much sadness, so many who have lost loved ones.  Seniors suffering in isolation from their families & many kids unable to attend school.  The list goes on...

The virus has made us appreciate all the more - the many things we've always taken for granted.

Together - we pray for the success of the vaccine.  Just in my lifetime, other vaccines eradicated measles, small pox & polio to name a few.  Praying - this one will be as successful!

Past year - 2019~

Happy New Year! 2021~

Here Comes the Sun!

We drove away from yesterday's pouring rain.  Greenfield was overcast, but dry!  Shops were open & I'd had my eye on beautiful butterfly!  He came home with us :-)

Our bunny is to the left in the photo~

Today started gray & drizzly - but soon the sun appeared & the day turned dazzling!  Things were wet enough outside - we used it as an excuse to leave yard-work behind. 

Butch, ready to ride~

Lake Manawa was our destination.  Smooth trails & some beautiful scenery.  Butch is cruising right along on Silver now.  We decided to forgo helmets in favor of comfort.

Under the Eastern Cottonwoods~

Riding along the edge of the golf course, you can't help but be impressed with the size of these great old Cottonwoods.  Now we know the trail, we didn't miss any turns & still took our route through what was an old campground of sorts.  It's been sold & I can imagine it would be the perfect place for a nice condo development.

The Lake~

The water of the lake was choppy with all the wind.  Lots of people were out, both on the water & sitting on the shore.  We passed several families out on the trail.  The old Beatles song came to mind as I was peddling behind Butch.

Canadian Geese families too!

We stopped on the levy, all the little goslings had been on shore with their respective parents.  Suddenly, one family decided to enter the water & soon all the others followed.  Such a darling procession!  With good gusts blowing, they took the easy direction, heading downwind.

We finished our nine-mile loop in good time.  I mentioned to Butch we might go visit the new Sugar Makery location in Council Bluffs!  The peach was yummy!  A sweet end to a sunshine day~

Chipping Away!

After a very cold night, down to about 22, the minute the sun crested the horizon it started warming up!  This winter, reminds me of the first one we enjoyed here the end of 2016.  February 21, 2017 - I'd ridden Farah on the Wabash Trace from Mineola to Council Bluffs.  Exactly the same ideal weather.

Bronco with the chipper~

We picked up the chipper last evening. With the help of the Bronco, Butch maneuvered it down the slippery hill, as close as he could get it to where we'd be working. Close, but not close enough! We had the length of the backyard to drag & carry all the branches, especially those at the far east end.

Five piles~

I'd managed to burn the largest pile last Sat., before we were told to put it out. Thank heaven, it hadn't been a problem for the first two-years. I'd drug all the mess from behind the Cabin, across the front, through the double gate & down the hill to our fire pit. I'd spent weeks & weeks cleaning up the mess that had been dumped on the property over the years.

Butch operating the chipper.

By sheer luck, a low wet spot along the creek bank, lined up with where the chips flew. We had our system down. I'd break the stacks of branches into manageable piles, then drag them up to Butch. When Butch wasn't chipping, he was dragging piles too. It took us most of the day.

Clear!

We did stop for lunch at Adriano's, following that with hard pack ice cream from Sugar Makery! They had lemon! I can't even remember the last time I've enjoyed lemon ice cream!

Pile of chips!

For a while, I didn't think we'd end up with many chips at all, but by the time we'd finished, there was a sizable pile!

From the deck~

Tomorrow, we tackle the piles in the Timber.  At least - I say least in the broadest sense of the term -  they're all Bush Honeysuckle.  Just as invasive, but slightly smaller branches, no thorns & not as heavy as the Autumn Olive.  Introduced in 2003 for erosion control, it rapidly got out of hand & is one of the top invasive species.  If you live in the mid-west, read up on these plant pests & eradicate them from your yard or property.  Native plants will thank you for it!

Feb. 27, 2019

 The difference a year makes~

2010 - 2020, The Decade ~

I've been looking through my photos from the last ten-years...  It seems like yesterday!  Ben, our first Grandchild, was born in 2000, Mason in 2001 & Cassidy in 2003!  Busy years!

1-29-2010 Cassidy, Mason & Ben

2010 - Our favorite three Grandkids visited Papa in Redmond at his construction site.  Visiting job sites was one of the field trips the kids enjoyed most!

4-10-2011 Jentry & Skyla Jean

 2011 - After ten-years, Jentry & Joe presented us with a beautiful Granddaughter!

7-27-2012 Papa with Josie Lynn~

2012 - About eighteen months later Jentry & Joe welcomed another daughter & bundle of beauty!  We call the girls our second generation of Grandkids!

7-27-2013 - Josie & Grammy

2013 - Josie, our youngest, turned one!  We had a wonderful party at the Wright's on the river.  It was a year filled with good family times. 

1-14-2014 Moon over Three Fingers Peak, from behind the barn~

2014 - The above photo had over 5,000 likes on the Seattle KOMO 4 News web site.  A "Wolf" moon.  

It was another busy year Butch.  He was building a high-rise storage facility in Ballard. Long hours - with longer commutes - leaving me with plenty of ride time.  (Farah & I traveled over 1,400 miles.)

11-27-2015 Cassidy, Connie, Nika, Butch, Ben, Rascal & Mason~

2015 - We made time for three-day camping trips with both families.  Logistics were convenient, with two of the grandkids 35-miles south of us & the other three about the same distance north!

10-11-2016 Courtney, Connie & Butch - Duvall, WA

2016 - In October, accompanied by daughter Courtney, we packed up the Homestead & moved 1,732 miles - to the Home Place in Iowa!

8-21-2017 Eclipse, Indian Caves State Park, NE

2017 - Our oldest daughter Courtney, grandson Mason & granddaughter Cassidy came for a visit!  We enjoyed every day they were here.  Besides two days at the Zoo & stopping by Sugar Makery for the grand opening, we drove to Indian Cave State Park in Nebraska to view the solar eclipse!

9-16-2018 Venice, Italy

2018 - Daughter Courtney & I take a trip to Italy!

2-14-2019 Cassidy, Connie, Courtney, Mason & David -
Leaving Children's in Seattle~

2019 - Grandson Mason beats Cancer!  Our Superhero!

2-16-2019 Skyla, Connie, Ben & Josie - Fort. Stevens ~

Even our youngest two - are growing so fast!  How long will it take for them to be taller than I am?  Ben is grown!

A new year & a new decade!  For couple who book-ended the 50's - we've marked the passing of the years - watching as our five Grandchildren grow.  I know they're going to do more of that!  We're loving every minute!

Here's to 2020!  

Happy New Year!