opped Rob at the conference center, and headed out to Astoria to visit my good friend Gigi Crowley for a couple of days. We spent some time down at the docks, watching the seals ~ and the crazy people off a tour ship who were determined to get themselves knocked into the harbor by the bull seals they were antagonizing. Gigi, her husband Mike, and I were all rooting for the seals!Mike & Gigi Crowley
Harbor Seals enjoying the warm docks
This guy seems to think he's pretty special!
Returning to Portland, I made contact with a birding acquaintance who took me out for an afternoon of birding. We had a wonderful time, and I was able to add two new lifers to my life list.
After his meeting, Rob and I headed out to Cannon Beach, OR, for a couple of days of R&R. He got in some great bike trips, and I scored a third lifer, with plenty of time left over for reading by the fireplace, some photography for me, and some lovely dinners out. I LOVE seafood!
Thanksgiving in Bellingham again
We headed over to Bellingham the following week for another Thanksgiving at Lutherwood with Carole, Brandon, and Brandon's folks. It was pretty quiet this year: Melissa, Brandon's sister, and Connor and Kendall were unable to join us, but we talked to all of them during the holiday. It was a relaxing visit with Karen and Stan and the kids. We arrived on Tuesday evening and enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner. Karen and Stan returned to St. Louis on Friday. Carole, Brandon, and Smsokey took us on a couple of great hikes.
A hike at Washington Park on Fidalgo Island
Kendall called on Saturday to let us know he had arrived safely in Ft. Bragg, NC from Ft. Sill, OK. He told us he thought he might be deployed, but no sooner than late January. Not the best news for Thanksgiving, but we had no idea how much worse it would get. As we were packing up the car Monday morning to head back to Plains, he called again at 7:30 am. Once again, the Army plan had changed: he would be deploying to Afghanistan on Dec. 15.
Once the details were worked out, he was told that instead of the leave they said he'd have, he would get a four-day pass. So we started looking for flights to get him home. Unfortunately getting from Ft. Bragg to Spokane isn't the easiest flight schedule to work out, and he basically spent two of his 4-1/2 days on a plane. Carole, Brandon, and Connor met him in Spokane, and they spent the night there so Kendall could connect with some of his college friends. Then all but Connor came over to Plains on Friday.
Suddenly Christmas
Rob and I had gone into high gear. We went from thinking it would be our first Christmas with no kids home to having three of the four arrive 2-1/2 weeks BEFORE Christmas. So there was shopping, wrapping, baking, and decorating to do, all at a lower level than in ordinary years, but we wanted to have something like a mini-celebration under the circumstances.
We invited several of Kendall's special friends over for a couple of hours Sunday afternoon. It was a nice chance for him to see some people without running all over Plains.
Celia Huygens was one of the family friends who joined us to wish Kendall well on his new adventure.
After everyone left about 4:00, Carole, Brandon, Rob and I all piled into the cars to head to Spokane. Kendall's plane would be a little less stressful than trying to get him there at tha hour from Plains. We had a nice dinner together, Kendall went out for a bit with some friends, then came back to the hotel. We were all up and on the way to the airport by 5:30 am. Many hugs and some tears later, he got into line for security and disappeared into the crowd.
The four of us still on the ground went back to the hotel, showered, packed up, and then went to find some breakfast. Then Carole and Brandon headed back to Bellingham. Rob and I went looking for a good map of Afghanistan, then headed back to Montana.
Back to the first Christmas Plan
When Rob and first learned that none of the kids could make it home for Christmas, we decided to find somewhere to go to celebrate quietly on our own. We didn't want to fly anywhere, and considered the Southwest, but then also thought about Cannon Beach, OR. We'd had a nice time there in November, and finally settled on that option; it would be a much shorter drive and so more time to relax.
We took a small artificial tree, our stockings, and when I found we had a mantle over the fireplace, I went to a store and found a nice garland to hang there. Even if we weren't home, we still had the Christmas spirit.
The weather was variable, giving us some nice days, some not so nice, but we came prepared with books to read by the fireplace in our room while we watched the rain (this is Oregon, remember!). Connor came out on Christmas Eve from Portland and we all took a walk on the beach; it began to drizzle, then to rain, then to pour, then to hail. We were soaked when we got back to the cabin, but warm showers and a glass of wine warmed us back up. Then we went out for a lovely Christmas Eve dinner. Christmas morning we gave Connor his stocking, had breakfast while the rain pattered on the roof. Connor had plans that evening with friends in Portland, so he took off about 1:00.
Rob and I spent the next few days pretty much doing what we felt like. Biking, birding (yep, another new lifer for me), eating, reading, chilling. We began checking for emails from Kendall, and learned that he had arrived "safely in his current location."
After his meeting, Rob and I headed out to Cannon Beach, OR, for a couple of days of R&R. He got in some great bike trips, and I scored a third lifer, with plenty of time left over for reading by the fireplace, some photography for me, and some lovely dinners out. I LOVE seafood!
Thanksgiving in Bellingham again
We headed over to Bellingham the following week for another Thanksgiving at Lutherwood with Carole, Brandon, and Brandon's folks. It was pretty quiet this year: Melissa, Brandon's sister, and Connor and Kendall were unable to join us, but we talked to all of them during the holiday. It was a relaxing visit with Karen and Stan and the kids. We arrived on Tuesday evening and enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner. Karen and Stan returned to St. Louis on Friday. Carole, Brandon, and Smsokey took us on a couple of great hikes.
A hike at Washington Park on Fidalgo Island
Kendall called on Saturday to let us know he had arrived safely in Ft. Bragg, NC from Ft. Sill, OK. He told us he thought he might be deployed, but no sooner than late January. Not the best news for Thanksgiving, but we had no idea how much worse it would get. As we were packing up the car Monday morning to head back to Plains, he called again at 7:30 am. Once again, the Army plan had changed: he would be deploying to Afghanistan on Dec. 15.
Once the details were worked out, he was told that instead of the leave they said he'd have, he would get a four-day pass. So we started looking for flights to get him home. Unfortunately getting from Ft. Bragg to Spokane isn't the easiest flight schedule to work out, and he basically spent two of his 4-1/2 days on a plane. Carole, Brandon, and Connor met him in Spokane, and they spent the night there so Kendall could connect with some of his college friends. Then all but Connor came over to Plains on Friday.
Suddenly Christmas
Rob and I had gone into high gear. We went from thinking it would be our first Christmas with no kids home to having three of the four arrive 2-1/2 weeks BEFORE Christmas. So there was shopping, wrapping, baking, and decorating to do, all at a lower level than in ordinary years, but we wanted to have something like a mini-celebration under the circumstances.
We invited several of Kendall's special friends over for a couple of hours Sunday afternoon. It was a nice chance for him to see some people without running all over Plains.Celia Huygens was one of the family friends who joined us to wish Kendall well on his new adventure.
After everyone left about 4:00, Carole, Brandon, Rob and I all piled into the cars to head to Spokane. Kendall's plane would be a little less stressful than trying to get him there at tha hour from Plains. We had a nice dinner together, Kendall went out for a bit with some friends, then came back to the hotel. We were all up and on the way to the airport by 5:30 am. Many hugs and some tears later, he got into line for security and disappeared into the crowd.
The four of us still on the ground went back to the hotel, showered, packed up, and then went to find some breakfast. Then Carole and Brandon headed back to Bellingham. Rob and I went looking for a good map of Afghanistan, then headed back to Montana.
Back to the first Christmas Plan
When Rob and first learned that none of the kids could make it home for Christmas, we decided to find somewhere to go to celebrate quietly on our own. We didn't want to fly anywhere, and considered the Southwest, but then also thought about Cannon Beach, OR. We'd had a nice time there in November, and finally settled on that option; it would be a much shorter drive and so more time to relax.
We took a small artificial tree, our stockings, and when I found we had a mantle over the fireplace, I went to a store and found a nice garland to hang there. Even if we weren't home, we still had the Christmas spirit.
The weather was variable, giving us some nice days, some not so nice, but we came prepared with books to read by the fireplace in our room while we watched the rain (this is Oregon, remember!). Connor came out on Christmas Eve from Portland and we all took a walk on the beach; it began to drizzle, then to rain, then to pour, then to hail. We were soaked when we got back to the cabin, but warm showers and a glass of wine warmed us back up. Then we went out for a lovely Christmas Eve dinner. Christmas morning we gave Connor his stocking, had breakfast while the rain pattered on the roof. Connor had plans that evening with friends in Portland, so he took off about 1:00.
Rob and I spent the next few days pretty much doing what we felt like. Biking, birding (yep, another new lifer for me), eating, reading, chilling. We began checking for emails from Kendall, and learned that he had arrived "safely in his current location."
