April Celebrations

We start with my brother-in-law Bill Yake’s Celebration of Life in Olympia at the end of March.  This is the most family we have had together since my Dad’s funeral in December 2019.  Roger and my brother Joe joined the other musicians for another “Outlaws and In-laws” jam session.  Jeannette designed a rich program (among his copious talents, Bill was a poet so many poems were recited) and we came back to her house for a combined Barreca and Yake potluck dinner.

Roger and I stayed with his brother and sister-in-law at their home near Lake Tapps and we were able to leave Maggie Mae with them and their labradoodle Leo.  We hadn’t been out to their place for many years and they’ve made a ton of improvements, including a garage/workshop/rec room.  We and the dogs got along fine.

As soon as we got back the new carpets were installed throughout the upstairs and the tv room.  We stayed out in the cottage through all the chaos and during the “off-gassing” period.  My we have a cozy cottage!

On April 1st the twins turned seventeen.  We celebrated by taking them to lunch and touring the campus where they are doing a “running start” program.  They grow up so fast!

Lots of birthdays in April!  Jeannette came up Easter Weekend for her birthday.  The weather was not great.  Too windy for good bird watching and the cold Spring has delayed the wildflowers.  But at least it didn’t rain on us.  She reported two inches fell in Olympia the four days she was away.

More birthdays and tax day pass by and then it’s our Anniversary Weekend!  We traveled all the way to Port Townsend and stayed at Old Consulate Inn | Port Townsend’s Premiere B&B – NY Times Favorite Hotel.  Can’t get much more Victorian than that in PT.  It was fun reminiscing about all our other trips to that city over the 35 years of our marriage.  The highlight of our adventure was driving to Bainbridge Island and touring Bloedel Reserve.  I had never been.  Bloedel Reserve – Wikipedia. A good friend from Seattle dog-sat with her labrador Fargo.

In the evening we met our next door neighbors on their boat at Port Hudson Marina and went to dinner in “The Green Room” at Manresa Castle.  The Castle Restaurant & Bar (thecastleinpt.com)  A fun time was had by all.  And on the way home the next day, we stopped at Deception Pass State Park and hiked around a little. Deception Pass State Park | Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission See, you don’t have to travel far to have an adventure in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

This week we came home to have the painting started in the rooms with new carpet.  These are rooms that haven’t been repainted in the 22 years we’ve lived here.  And someone else is doing the work!  What a nice anniversary gift to ourselves.

In two days Bjorn turns 45. Time to celebrate!