HOME!

Of course, in the midst of all the moving confusion and jet lag, we made immediate plans for Dan to fly out. I needed to stay behind which was and is hard because of all the moving confusion, dogs, cats and everything else. This was hard for both of us and then the fun began…………..

Dan really screwed up his plane ticket. This is what exhaustion  and jet lag due to you. He thought he booked a flight at 1 pm Tuesday from Seattle to Tampa, but he actually booked a flight at 1 am Tuesday and discovered his mistake at 10:30 pm Monday evening. Uh huh….and Seattle is a 6 hr drive from here. He was able to cancel without penalty and re book a flight ( the ONLY flight) for 11 am Tuesday- So….after being up since 6 am on Monday, he got in his truck at 12:30 am Tuesday and drove all night to Seattle.Took 8 hrs as he got caught in rush hour traffic. His flight was then delayed 1 hour.  In total he was “up” for 36 hrs! Wait…. it gets better…….He did not have his Passport with him so he used his Drivers License for ID at the airport and that was the last he saw of it. Yeppers…….he has now lost his Drivers License and has no ID to get back on a return flight. He has a German Drivers License, but he is not German and no longer lives in Germany.  I told him I would get his Passport and Fed X it overnight to the Holiday Inn Express in Florida where he is staying, except…….this is Republic, WA and I have never used a Fed X drop box before. The Fed X box is located in front of the  Beaver Trap Junction Gas Station. The problem became apparent immediately as my eyes are corrected only to see in the distance. I have this FORM to fill out in teeny tiny lettering and I can’t read a thing! I put all kinds of information on the form whether it is what is needed/ required/mandatory. Then, it appeared to want a credit card number which is slapped on the front of the envelope for all the world to see. THIS CAN NOT BE CORRECT, but it is done and the Passport is on its way….I hope. It may or may not reach my beloved. In which case he may become a permanent resident of Florida while I live here in Washington. My credit card number may or may not be plastered all over the internet for all the world to see.

But this I know for sure. My view of Mt. Elizabeth from my kitchen window is stunning.

There is a very pregnant doe in the lower Aspen Grove and I hope to see a fawn  soon. She kind of disappeared today, so I think we may have a wee one.

Watching Otto and Gracie playing in the pasture makes my heart soar. Two years apart faded in an instant.

Everything is so overgrown, but the orchard grass is wonderful. No weeds. Dan cut a path and these 2 romp and roll their way through it.

Spending time with Bobbie and Mike, my octogenarian friends and neighbors this morning was priceless. They are so knowledgeable about this area and the history.

Seeing Bandit testing her her limits makes me anxious but happy. She is one tough little tripod! When I re-introduced Otto to Bandit, he was completely bored. “Oh hi….you back, huh?” It took her a couple of days to relax around him but all is well now.

Cleaning and scrubbing my house is tedious and tiresome, but seeing it come to life again and making it my home is worth its weight in gold. And yes, we women “nest.” Amongst my first orders of business was to transform this house to a home and hauling out the flower pots and planting those red, white and blue Petunias. Both the front entrance and the back entrance now say “Welcome.” That means so much to me. Yes…y’all are welcome!

Seeing the Gold Finch, Mountain Blue Birds, Orioles and Hummingbirds and hearing their songs all the day long just makes me smile. Looking at 15 shades of green up the hillside warms my very soul. Greeting old friends in town, (Hi Sarah!) and just picking up where we left off reminds me that no matter how far I have roamed, there is no place like home.

The beauty of the world astounds me. The fact that this little dot in the universe is so stunning in its glory, and I live here…..makes me humble. The old railroad trestle on Curlew Lake.

Yes, we are home.

Wherever your journey leads you today, I wish you a warm hearth and a warm heart and a place to call ” Home.”

Journey on.

Love, Mom ( AKA, Karen, TJG)