Frannie

Happy Birthday Frannie!

There was a birthday party held at the Eagles for Frannies' 80th Birthday. Clint, Sallie, Keith, and I went and, tho' I can't speak for the others, I had a great time! There was lots of great company, I saw many old friends and renewed acquaintenances, and ate until I couldn't chew another bite! We listened to stories and tales of Fran's life via her children, friends, and many customers of the Cabin who've know her during her many years there.

Getting ready to get ready!

Wow!! S'te really put a post on her blog!! Not any real info - just a sign of
intent to put real info LOL!!
As we pretend that we are actually getting ready to head south (I wonder sometimes) - we have a new project started. Don't know just what the actual completion date will be...... So anyhow - here is the new "chicken shed" - or actually lack thereof. Keith, Clint, and Tim had it down and burnt in just 2 days. The ashed actually are still smoking - but for all intense purposes....

It is down.... And here is the new pile of materials that should replace it at some point.....


And someday we might actually do something to the house!! Keith has been working really hard on getting the washer and dryer re-plumbed - since the vent had to be moved for the new and improved "chicken shed". Not such an easy job!! As with everything else - a "simple" job has turned into a nightmare!!

And amoung all of this - I am trying (without much progress) (but I do have oven cleaner in the oven!) to get things cleaned up to close up to head out!! Not an easy job either.....

TUNA!!!

We didn't get our fish on Monday as planned - but on Tuesday - WOW - boy do we have fish!!!!

We filleted one - so that I could get some loins to BBQ next summer. I love BBQ tuna - It's sooooo yummy!!!! Then Clint, Sallie, Tim, Keith, and I went to work. We have 16 fish to "process" ~ for lack of a better term. hehee




Here we have the tuna in the ovens and are taking our lunch break before starting up the CANNER!!! It's in caps because until recently - I've never seen such a big canner!!! It will take 51 half-pint jars at once!!

At the end of Day 1 we had 120 1/2 pint jars. Some oil packed with peppers, some with garlic, and the rest was baked whole and then canned. Keith had a bowl of tuna for breakfast this morning before he helped me get the next 5o or so jars ready for the canner.

Look at our fillets! Can't beat that for waste!! I don't think we will run out of canned tuna anytime soon!!

End of day 2

I SMELL LIKE FISH!! EVERYONE SMELLS LIKE FISH!!! Keith and Tim went to Sears looking for a tractor part..... The salesgirl told Keith ~ "You smell like fish!" it was funny.... then when Keith had to call her back ~ he just said ~ "it's the guy who smells like fish" ~ and she knew right away who it was..... heheee!!

We now have 217 1/2 pint jars of tuna and 5 more fish to "process"!!! Think we have enough>>>> I haven't had the urge to make a tuna casserole just yet - but soon I'll have to! ROTFL

Family

On Saturday we went to Robin and Rick's for dinner. It is the first time I've ever seen or been in a geothermal house. It is great. The floor heating and the solar hot water. Truly amazing. McKaley and kids came down from Philomath, Kerry and Mat brought Aunt Peggy out and we had a wonderful dinner of ham, criossants (McKaley made them), all sorts of other goodies, all topped off with one of Robin's cakes. We had a great time catching up and renewing our ties with relatives that have been far apart for a really long time.

Here is Kerry with her little granddaughter of 4 months

On Sunday, Grandaughter Amanda brought her two georgeous babies up to see us. Here is Danica, Amanda, and Koby! We went got acquainted again here at the house and then took the kids to the Outdoor/In to play and eat.

We had a wonderful time and I look forward to keeping all of my family a little closer........

Tomorrow is Tuna Day!!

Keith's Birthday

We (at least I) had a blast for Keith's birthday. On Wednesday morning Keith, Tim, and I hurried around and got our "chores" done. I finished moving most of the gardening and yard "stuff" up to the barn and got that set up and organized. I thought I had most of it out before - but you know how it goes! Every time I moved something around - I found some more!!




Tim ready for hot tub (shorts, sweatshirt, jacket, boots, and hat)

Then we got into the car and went down to the Mill for Keith's birthday - we got into the hot tub (ahhh! it felt so goooood!) and I swam for a bit in thier new pool. We had a room there for 2 nights so I headed up to get ready for dinner while the guys soaked some more. Clint and Sallie met us and we headed for dinner ~ somewhere in the transition from the pool to the restaurant we lost Tim ~ but that isn't all that unusual. LOL
We had a great dinner - good food, great company, and a lot of laughs. Sallie and I both hit little jackpots on the way into the restaurant ~ so all was great going. After dinner, they went on home but we stayed around for awhile. I hit another little "real" jackpot and now am invited to the "Winners Circle" buffet at the end of the month. Tim later hit one - so he has an invite too! Looks like I know what we are doing a couple of days before we leave.

We spent out 2 nights there while enjoying the wonderful weather we've been having. Oh, it rained on Thursday, but soon the wonderful sun came out and we had another great day!

Happy Birthday Keith!!

The Shed is DONE!

After finally getting a pro to complete the building part - IT IS DONE! Tim and Keith are now doing the inside part of the completion. I hope it gets done in time to "move in" before we head south!! It is a very, very strong building - It'll be there long after our house falls down :-)

In other news - Cousin Robin called today with the news that our tuna is going to be available for pick up on Monday so we will be canning tuna next week. It will be the first time I have tried to do it myself but I plan to "practice" by helping Sallie this weekend with hers. Everyone needs to wish me luck!!

I hope to see Amanda and her children sometime this weekend - if not - at least before we head south! I haven't seen her since Brayana was a baby - so it will be a wonderful thing to see what a woman she has grown into and it is so hard to believe that she is a Mom herself! But I do know that we have all grown up (or in my case - out) in the last 11 years! Yeah!!!

Rod will be home from his deployment tomorrow - I know that S'te and the kids are all waiting as impatiently as they can - It will be great for them to have him home again. I know they all missed him very much.

We will celebrate Keith's birthday tomorrow - we will have dinner with Clint, Sallie, and Tim so fun and laughs will be had by all of us. I am looking forward to it.

Since we are "short timing" it right now - I doubt that we will have any other guests during the rest of our time here this season. I have gotten all the "kid stuff" cleaned up and put away for the remainder of this year. We had a total of 9 littles stay with us - 3 for respite and the rest either returned home or to relatives. What a blessing!! Some have trouble understaning the reasoning behind having our guests with us - but are very supportive during the acutal processes. We all really enjoy "our" kids!

So that's my update for this month. What's yours?