Summer in Sumner

Cyd’s area is warm and sunny and I’m enjoying the twins while Cyd recuperates from some minor surgery. She is off work the rest of the week but I think I’ll head back home soon. Some nice neighbor is taking out my front driveway for me and in its place will be a sidewalk. I just got a wild idea to do something different and now I wonder why. The sprinklers never quite cover all the area so my goal is sustainable, drought tolerant plantings. I’m always fussing about our obsession with green lawns and their continuous upkeep so I’m bringing in the cactus and rocks to remind me of the Columbia Basin.

Last weekend Miles and I attended the monthly kid’s build workshop at Home Depot. He was very good because his instructor was a teenage girl and he was eager to please the instructor. He made a hardware sorter for his dad for Fathers’ Day and his favorite part was putting the stickers on as the final touch.

Walker and Peyton have been very busy since I arrived. They love to ride their bikes around the driveway, just stopping every five minutes to select a different wheeled toy for a change. They require lots of pavement for their maneuvers. Walker likes to move ahead with different toys while Peyton sticks with one item for a longer period. Walker is mostly in charge and Peyton follows until he’s had enough and then he rebels. It must be weird to be so closely involved in day to day activities with one brother. They are sweet boys.

Dave drives two hundred miles a day now to manage several plants in Burlington which is near Betty and Brice’s home. The traffic is horrendous which I’m sure you realize after your weekend in the area. They may end up moving there but right now the housing business is shaky so they are waiting to see what happens. Maybe the Russians will order a few homes soon and I’m confident in a few months Barack will get things turned in a positive direction. I am thankful for the $250 gift he sent my way just because.

Are you up for flying back out for the Thirty-second Annual Summer at the Cabin weekend? We will float down the Leavenworth River again and it will be much fun. I know you would attend for sure if they could promise lawn mower races. Thanks for the donation on my ALS site. I have given a donation twice and my Mastercard account is showing “pending”. I’ve contacted the head director and still am not having a good time with this software. How did you do this?