Memorial Service For Our Brother Saturday April 25, 2015

The view from the hillside above the Pacific

Ocean in Brookings, Oregon

where we scattered Steve's ashes according to

his wishes.

Vietnam Veterans, friends of Steve.

Jim on the horse, to scatter Steve's ashes,

and Larry to present the flag 

to Rick and Steve's mom.

VVA Brookings Chapter President Bill,

and a retired military chaplain to honor Steve.

Gun Salute,

Marine Honor guard.

Taps.

It was predicted to rain

which would have cancelled the ceremony,

but it didn't.

Presenting the flag.

Afterwards we met at the Elks Lodge,

for the rest of the memorial service 

to celebrate Steve's life.

We served finger foods,

coconut cupcakes,

coffee and iced tea.

In the evening, we went to Lone Ranch Beach

 to mark a place where the family could

go to think of Steven in a special spot.

The ranch is private property 

and we won't be able to 

visit there again where he was 

put to rest.

So a small portion of his ashes were

scattered on the beach to be washed out to sea.

It was a beautiful, but emotional day.

We will miss you brother.

Rest in Peace.

We finally put out boat back

on the lake last Sunday, 

after more than a year

of it being parked here at home.  

We used the money not spent

on marina fees for the cruise 

we took last summer.

Letting the boat sit  covered

for the year (and four months)

 wasn't exactly good for it.

The impeller inside the motor dried out

and warped in the heat.

We had to take the boat to the dealer

for that repair.

Observing the no wake zone.

All of the vinyl mildewed.

It took two rounds of scrubbing

to get the vinyl clean.

You can't clean it with bleach

 as that would damage the thread seams.

We washed blankets, beach towels,

bathing suits, and everything else

stored inside.

Yahoo!

We launched the boat and

took it out for awhile before

the sun set.

We'd forgotten a little bit,

just how much we loved being out there.

The lake level is at 72 feet below the crest.

We were able to get the same 

marina slip that we had before.

Looking up at the underside

of the train tracks and Interstate 5

as it crosses over Lake Shasta.

The swallows are back 

building their mud nests just under

the eves.  

They show up every year.

Thankfully, it's illegal to disturb 

the nests once they're built.

They usually build on the dock that's 

closest to the shore.

The lupine are blooming on the lake bed.

This photo was from Monday night.

  I made a picnic dinner of baked chicken,

salad, and french bread to take out with us.

The wind had picked up,

the water was getting white caps,

and it was chilly out there.

Oh well,  it's over 85 degrees today,

and will be 90 degrees tomorrow.

Summer's on it's way.

Finally,

yep finally,

I recovered the couch cushions.

I've had the fabric for quite awhile.

  I purchased it

at JoAnn's Fabric store when they

were moving to a new and better location

and that was two years ago...

That project took me four days,

and it was just as tough a job as I 

thought (dreaded) it was going to be.

My fingers were poked with needles

too many times to count.

The fabric is thick and I think

it's micro swede.

It was really tough to pin the fabric.

I bent many of pins as I was trying

to use them.

It was even tougher to hand sew

  the final seams after inserting the cushions.

My hands were aching by the time

I finished.

Boy am I glad that project is over. 

  

Photos from the Phone Camera

On a recent stop at the hardware store,

I was lured into the garden department.

It doesn't take much to lure me there.

They had an abundant display of

lavender with the bees buzzing around from

flower to flower.  Ah, spring time.

I'm ready to go explore a real garden 

nursery and see what they have that's 

new and interesting.

I was there at OSH,  the hardware store,

to purchase a new hummingbird feeder.

One of my old feeders was hard to clean

and the plastic perches were sun aged and

cracking off.

I found an interesting one with a base

that comes completely apart for much 

easier cleaning.  The bottle part 

also had a wide mouth opening making

that easier to clean as well.

Our hummingbirds are already

zipping around protecting the feeders

on both sides of the house.

  

I've been wishful dreaming of a

 large fountain for a long, long time.

But they're too expensive.

I still love them, but it's not 

practical for our property,

beings as most of our property is 

a hill side... plus they're way 

overpriced.

But never mind about that,

one can still dream right?

Now look at the photo above.

That isn't a large fountain.

It's one of the least expensive ones,

but it was elevated up on a pedestal

of building blocks hidden behind pavers.

I thought that was a great idea

to get the look of a larger fountain

without the expense.

Maybe someday in the future,

with a different property,

this would be an idea to think about.

I can imagine it surrounded by potted 

plants with a wall of flowering vines

behind it.

Now for something else from the photos 

on my phone...

This is red curry, otherwise known as

medium spicy pumpkin/chicken curry

at our favorite Thai restaurant.

The bell pepper strips are crisp and barely cooked.

The chicken is tucked underneath all that

pumpkin goodness.

The coconut milk sauce is hot enough

to sting your throat during your first swallow.

After finishing, your lips will burn for

awhile.  But it's delicious for when

the weather is cool.  

I don't appreciate it so much during the 

summer months.

When we stop at Five Thais 

I'll read over the entire menu and settle

for what I always order.

It's pretty darned predictable and Rick

ask's why I even bother looking at the menu.

Because you never know,

I just might be in the mood

for the shrimp, basil and eggplant dish.

But then again...the pumpkin gets me 

every time.