Sunday Brunch

Happy Mother's Day!

This morning we drove up to Manson to have Mother's Day brunch at Mill Bay Casino with our friends June and Roger Dorner.

None of us would normally make any effort to go to a Casino, but it was a beautiful day for a drive and the price for the brunch was about $10 cheaper than anywhere in town. We figured we could more than pay for the gas with what we saved on food. This theory would have held true IF June had not gone into the casino after brunch! Fortunately, June gave me her share of the gas money BEFORE we left home. :-)

The brunch wasn't anything to brag about, but the food was good enough, and it only cost $7.77 each less the $1 senior citizen discount (for everyone except me). Oh, the price of being young.

After we ate, June decided she wanted to go play the nickel slots. She took $5 and went to play. Max was looking a little left out, so I suggested he follow June and have her show him what to do. Little did I know she didn't know what she was doing either. But, they did get their $5 punchcard and stuck them in two separate machines. Max played a while and hit a big jackpot of 50 nickels and decided to quit. He came away with $6.20, a very respectable 24% return on his investment. Unfortunately June wasn't as lucky (or wise). She continued to play until her nickels were all gone. But, she had a good time and was still happy. Max was happy too and he gave me the initial stake AND the winnings so I was happy also. Roger was a good sport about it let us have our fun.

On our way back to Wenatchee we drove up into the Golf course at Bear Mountain Ranch, just outside of Chelan. That's where the pictures were taken. If you click on the images to enlarge, you will probably see a little of the golf course and Lake Chelan in the background. I have never played this course but it looks like every hole has a fabulous view. Because it wall all built on a hill, it would be very challenging with sloping fairways and many blind shots. This is the kind of course you'd need to play a few times to figure out a strategy.

It was a beautiful Spring day and we enjoyed it very much.
Carol

Carol@TopPropertiesWenatchee.com

Apple Blossom Pictures

O.K... here are some photos from last week-end, the wrap-up to the 2006 Washington State Apple Blossom Festival. The first picture is of Max and our friends, Carl and Tom eating pancakes and scrambled eggs Saturday morning at the Kiwanis Breakfast at Triangle Park. The Kiwanis put on this breakfast every year prior to the Grand Parade. The second picture is of the floats being staged prior to the parade. The next photo is our friend June Dorner and Max eating an ice cream bar at the Food Fair. The last photo is of the craft booths.

2006 Washington State Apple Blossom Festival

This last week-end was the final week-end of the 2006 Washington Apple Blossom Festival, which is held in Wenatchee the first full week-end of May every year. The festival starts 10 days prior and there are tons of activities and entertainment.

I'm having trouble uploading images right now, so I will post more pictures later. Many of the activities take place on the lawn to the right of the Chelan County courthouse (pictured above). They set up an entertainment stage for the full 10 days. The food and arts & craft vendors come in for the last 4 days of the festival.

The grand finale was the 2 1/2 hour Grand Parade held on Saturday. There are over 140 entrants in the parade including floats and bands from all over the region. It's really a pretty incredible parade. The first week-end of the festival has a Youth Parade which is nice too, but it's just for the kids. Other events include a full-sized carnival, golf tournament, pie bake-off, pie eating contest, blah, blah, blah. Hoards of people come to town and those of us who have lived here a long time generally try to avoid the crowds... especially the last week-end.

Well, the town is back to normal... whatever that is!

In Memory of My Dear Aunt Dottie

Here is a picture of me and my dear Aunt Dottie St.Clair in 2004, taken during a small family reunion held at her house.

Sadly, Dottie passed away last week at the age of 91. Appropriately, the day of Dottie's memorial service and the following day for the church yard gravesite service were beautiful sunny days. These days were declared "Dottie days" by her grandson, Steve. This is particularly meaningful because western Oregon is not known for it's reliable supply of sunshine. But, for these two "Dottie days", it was on cue.

Doing justice to the life of my Aunt Dottie involves mentioning at least four things... her zest for life, her devotion to her beloved 1957 Chevy Corvette, her lifelong fascination with Harley Davidson motorcycles and her love for her family... especially her daughter, Shirley. Dottie, although quite a responsible woman in life, never quite grew up and liked to refer to herself as the "big kid" and her daughter Shirley as the "little kid".

Shirley devoted the last several years to taking care of her Mother, allowing Dottie to stay in her own home where she wanted to be. Although she couldn't actually drive her Corvette or ride a Harley any more, she loved being surrounded by her substantial collection of Corvette & Harley memorabalia (including several trophies from car shows where she showed off her beautiful red and white Corvette). If you click on the image to enlarge it, you will be able to see a picture of her Corvette on the mantle behind me.

* * *
In the program from Dotties memorial was the following appropriate poem:

AFTERGLOW
I'd like the memory of me
To be a happy one
I'd like to leave an afterglow
Of smiles when life is done

I'd like to leave an echo
Whispering softly down the ways
Of happy times and laughing times
And bright and sunny days

I'd like the tears of those who grieve
To dry before the sun
Of happy memories that I leave
When this life is done

* * *
She is loved and missed!

Toppenish - City of Murals

Sadly, we were called away to Oregon last week for the funeral of my dear Aunt Dottie in Springfield (Eugene). The funeral was scheduled for Sunday, so we left Saturday morning for Corbett, Oregon where my brother and sister-in-law (Clair & Beverly) live.

I scurried around Friday getting my appointments for the week-end covered and other odds and ends taken care of.

We left early enough on Saturday that we didn't have to rush to get to Clair's house. For the first time ever, we took the time to drive through the main section of downtown Toppenish, Washington. They have done a fabulous job of scattering dozens of western theme hand painted murals throughout the town.

The purpose of the murals is to tell the story of the history and legends of the community, which still has a significant Indian population, and an agricultural economic base.

These murals are painted on the ends of buildings, at the top of buildings, over the doorways... you have to look around and pay attention or you will miss some.

The first picture above gives you a perspective on the size, with the SUV parked in the lower right section of the picture. They are absolutely fabulous. Click on the images to enlarge. This will give you an even better appreciation for the quality of work in these paintings.

Max On His Harley

Couldn't resist posting this picture of Max on his Harley back in the "good old days". We received this in the mail from Max's sister, Connie.

He looks like he's smoking a cigarette, but he has never smoked, so he must have a toothpick in his mouth. Click on the image to enlarge.

What a great photo!

Baseball season

I went to my first T-ball game ever this morning.

This picture is of my little friends Olivia & Eli. They "belong" to our friends Keith & Shelley Granger.

Eli is 6 years old and plays for the Pepsi team. T-ball is fun for the kids because they don't keep score and there are no outs. Everyone gets a chance to bat and run bases. One of the Dad's pitches to the kids and if they can't hit it after three pitches, they sit the ball on a rubber "T" and let the batter hit it from there. They get as many trys as they need to actually hit the ball. When everyone on the team has batted, the other team gets a turn. They generally play two full innings.

The kids are so cute in their baseball uniforms. If you enlarge the second picture (by clicking on it) you will see the third baseman playing in the dirt, while Eli takes his turn at bat. :-)

Spring Blossoms

We love the Spring and watching all the trees as they bloom and leaf out. TodayMax & I went out for a drive around town, stopping along the way to take pictures as we saw pretty flowering trees that we liked. The first picture is of Max in our little garden of Phlox. The roses, in the background, are leafing out nicely and we're looking forward to them blooming a good portion of the summer. The fourth picture is that of a small cherry orchard that continues to survive in the city. The rest of the pictures are from around town, in no particular order.

Shirlee's Birthday

Today we had a birthday party for our friend, Shirlee Spilker. Shirlee's birthday was actually last Sunday and she was feeling kind of bad nobody seemed to remember. Little did she know that our mutual friend, Barb Keeler, had a surprise gathering planned for today at Abby's Pizza in East Wenatchee.

Shirlee is the volunteer coordinator at Central Washington Hospital. She couldn't figure out how so many of the volunteers kept the secret all week. At least now she knows who she can trust with a secret.

Truthfully, I didn't even realize Shirlee's birthday was so close to mine, so we agreed we should celebrate together more often. I originally met Shirleee through golfing at Three Lakes, but we've had some real estate dealings in the past... and have become friends off the course and away from business.

Happy Birthday, Shirlee. Yes, we do care!

Das Puttermeisters

Here is a duplicated post from my golf blog:

Last night I had a (belated) birthday dinner with my "Puttermeister" golf team friends. We have a 6 year tradition of celebrating each others birthday at Garlini's Italian Restaurant in East Wenatchee.

The birthday celebrations started when Karen turned 50. We all turned 50 within a few years of each other and have been celebrating every birthday ever since. This means we meet 4 times per year just to socialize and reminisce and laugh about the great times we've had playing golf together as a team. Sometimes we leave the restaurant with sore stomachs from laughing so much.

We were trying to figure out last night how long we've been playing together and decided it's about 8 years. Sadly for us, Barb and her husband Leonard are retiring and will be moving to Arizona this June. We will sorely miss Barb because it's been so much fun being a "team". We hope to still play together in the future when Barb and Leonard come back to town, and have talked about Barb finding a tournament in Arizona that we could all play in. This would be so much fun. Max's sister lives in the Phoenix area, so I know he would be entertained while I'm off playing golf.

The name "Das Puttermeisters" came about during one of our first tournaments together when Barb and I were goofing off, trying to talk German, as a way of making jest at Lisa's 100% German Heritage (I am 25% German). Lisa works at Cashmere Valley Bank and can certainly count perfectly well in English, but she always counts up the scorecard in German. It's pretty funny to witness. So, after much ado, "Das Puttermeisters" was born and has been a force to reckon with ever since.

Team members from left to right are:
Lisa Schmidt, Carol Williams, Karen Madison, Barb Keeler.

Long live Das Puttermeisters!

Blogging Consultant?

I've been told by a number of people how much they like the blog(s) and it would be great to have one for their family. They've suggested I offer a Blog set-up service, which would be kind of fun. I could do the basic set-up and some training on how to post pictures and text.

You wouldn't need to learn any coding because I could work with the template if you want sidebar links etc. They could have a blog set-up to post pictures of family history, family reunions, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, baby pictures, etc. It can be totally customized for the individuals.

The actual blog hosting service if FREE, so there is no monthly charge. The only fee would be an initial set-up and training fee for me. The blogs can be archived by the month, with the most current posts showing up on the home page. I have this blog set up for the most recent 25 posts to show and the rest are in the "archives" by the month. This can be customized.

Although it's fairly new, you can see a sample of what I did for my cousins on my Mom's side of the family at:
www.StClairClan.blogspot.com

Other blogs by Carol:
Carol's 2006 Golfing Season
Investment Real Estate Blog
Max and Carol's blog: This blog
Carol's Residential Real Estate Blog : This is a more comprehensive service and requires a monthly fee. This is too time consuming and I wouldn't be interested in doing this for a family blog. This is primarily to enhance my Search Engine Optimization for my real estate business, but not necessary for a family blog.

If anyone knows anyone who might want to set up a family blog, have them check out my blogs and then contact me.

Have a great week-end,
Carol

CarolWilliams@charter.net

Mom & Dad

While I'm being nostalgic, here's my favorite picture of my Mom & Dad (Amy & Bruce). Aren't they a good looking pair? My Mom died in 1957 and Dad died in 1964.

I miss them, but my life is good!

Grandpa & Grandma St. Clair

Last Fall I started a family blog, for my Mother's side of the family. In looking through pictures to post to that blog, I came across this picture of me and my brother, Clair, with my Grandpa Frank and Grandma Pansy. We must have been about 5 & 6 years old, making this picture taken in about 1957.

Grandpa Frank is my Mom's Dad. Pansy was actually my step-Grandma but she treated all the kids the same and she was a swell Grandma. My favorite memory of her is that she would always make applesauce when I would come visit. I was such a picky eater in those days, it was the one thing she knew I would eat (that and fudgescicles). My Mother's side of the family were loggers and I remember that they would eat a huge breakfast. I remember thinking how odd that was.

My Mother's side of the family has always confused me because Frank was married three times and had something like 12 children total. His first wife died after having four children and then his second wife (my biological Grandma) died when my Mom was about 3 years old. My Mom was the only child by the second wife. Pansy is the third wife and the only Grandmother on that side of the family I ever knew. She and Frank had 7 children. If you want more info on that side of the family go to:
www.StClairClan.blogspot.com If you scroll down to the first post on that blog, I've put a simple family tree that helps alleviate some of the confusion.

Anyway, this picture is proof that I used to be skinny and cute... but I got over it! :-)

The Birthday Azalea

Here I am, at the kitchen dinette, with the Birthday Azalea Max picked out for me. It's now sitting on my office desk (where I spend most of my time).

54

Today is my 54th birthday. I'll be doing a combination of working and playing, while staying close to home most of the day to spend time with Max. Tonight we will go out to dinner at the Peking Restaurant in East Wenatchee with our friends June & Roger Dorner. Max and I go there fairly often on Sunday afternoons. They usually don't even offer us menus anymore... just bring us a #3 combination plate (mild): Kung Pao Chicken, Deep Fried Shrimp, Fried Rice, and BBQ pork with the hot mustard sauce.

Homemade German Chocolate Cake (made by the birthday girl) for dessert.

Tel-Emergency System

I've gotten to the point that I worry about Max whenever I leave for a few hours at a time. A couple of weeks ago he fell (for the first time) while I was out getting my hair permed. He fell in the carport, but can't seem to recall exactly where or the circumstances. He hurt his hand bad enough that it swelled up and bruised significantly. He also complained of sore ribs and a tender knee, but nothing broken that we can tell.

As a result, I purchased one of those "tel-emergency" systems at the medical supply store the other day. It's not one of those monthly service fee kind hooked into a central call center... but, as we discovered, does call 911 BEFORE it dials my cell phone.

The gal at the medical supply store warned me it could be a bit of a challenge to set up, but I've gotten pretty good over the years at programming techy things and I can certainly read a set of instructions.

I did all the set-up and was testing it. Within seconds we received a 911 call wanting to know if everything was o.k. I assured them that I was setting up this new tel-emergency system and thought I had programmed my cell number... but didn't know I had called them. So, I tested it again... with the same results. Oops!

This morning, after some overnight inspiration, I tested it again. Within a short time 911 was calling us once again. I told her I was still trying to program this system, and she informed me an officer was on his way. The very polite officer did arrive shortly. I explained what had happened and assured him I would call the customer service number in the paperwork to get some help with this system.

It's good to know the system is working, but it was my understanding we could program my cell phone number (and up to 4 other contacts) into the system for notification. I didn't know 911 was still the first number called.

This isn't really a bad thing. Now, at least, I don't have to worry when I leave. I'll hang the emergency necklace around Max's neck and make him promise not the "experiment" with it. We already know it works! At least he knows what to do if he does fall or have some other emergency when I am away.

Gives me comfort...

Remember The Archives

Just a reminder for those who may get behind in their reading of this blog. This blog was started last September (2005), but only the 25 most current posts will show when you open the page. Scroll down the right sidebar to the "archives" and every article is stored in the month it was posted.

For example:
Our England trip will show from mid-October through early November
Our Palm Springs trip from late January through early March

Allergy Testing

Today I did the arm-full-of-pin-pricks allergy testing at the office of Dr Cromar in the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center. Dr. Cromar is a very nice guy, who happens to go to our church. He is very active in the church, and is a very good speaker.

Anyway, as one of the tests, he wanted to have my sinuses x-rayed. At least that's what he said. I think it was just an excuse to get my head in an x-ray machine to see if there was any "gray matter" up there. He was so kind as to actually walk me to the x-ray department instead of sending me off to find it on my own. Now that's good service! I wasn't worried about the results, though, because I know with the medical privacy laws he can't reveal the results to anyone without my permission!

After an initial consultation for a variety of allergy issues, Dr Cromar had the nurse, Stella Visser, poke 28 holes in my right arm and another 12 or more in the left arm, testing for food allergies. I happen to know Stella because she is the wife of Dwayne Visser, the guy who was Max's technician for many many years when he worked at the U.S.D.A. research lab here in Wenatchee. Dwayne was an excellent technician and helped Max tremendously during his career.

Oddly, ALL of the food allergy tests came up negative. I had recently determined that I am definitely allergic (or at least have an intolerence for) peanut butter, but peanuts did not come up positive... nor did anything else. The odd thing is, I cut peanut butter out of my diet about 2 months ago and it has made a huge difference. There are other "intolerences" but I have not been able to isolate them (like peanute butter). Therefore, we are inclined to believe it is the preservatives (or some other additive) that is the culprit. Unfortunately, there isn't a test for preservatives and it's a difficult to monitor anyway.

We're working on some other alternatives... so stay tuned...

Life could get even better if it works!

The Golf Blog

I've started posting to the golf blog... so check it out when you get the chance.
Click here.

More Doctor Appointments

In a recent post I mentioned we had met Max's new primary care physician. We used all of our influence and favors to get Max THE doctor, so I was assigned a different doctor. Monday, I had the opportunity to meet this new doctor of mine... Dr. Toth. Not that it makes a real difference, but my doctor isn't even in the main clinic building and, frankly, he looks younger than some of our grandchildren! The picture posted to the left makes him look older than he actually does in person. I'm sure he must be older than he looks. The good news is, I suppose, we shouldn't have to worry about him retiring in my lifetime! Anyway, he seems fine and his professional profile looks good... and I'm sure we'll get along very well. He's a good listener and that's important.

As a result of the appointment, I discovered my blood pressure is on the rise. This is unusual for me because I generally have low blood pressure. It's about time I have something to show for what those step-children have put me through. :-) Anyway, it's something we will monitor.

The doc also ordered some blood tests, full-fledged allergy testing, and a bone density x-ray... plus we're working on a new course of action for my hot flashes. I've been on PremPro for over a year and not comfortable with staying on it much longer. He has me taking the Progesterone lotion and cutting back on the PremPro tabs. Over the next couple of months, I'll ween off of the tabs altogether. I go back in a couple of weeks to review the results of all these tests... and figure out what to do about it.

This all sounds like a lot, but I'm actually feeling quite fine. Just some nagging issues to tend to before I get too old for any of it to work. <grin> I will, afterall, be turning 54 in a few days!

Cheers to all!
Carol

One More Blog

You're not going to believe this, but I've set up one more blog. The newest blog is going to log my entire 2006 golf season, less the Palm Springs portion which is discussed elsewhere in this blog.

The purpose of the new blog is to chronicle my experiences this season game-by-game, couse-to-course. I promise to write about every game, whether I like it or not! I've only made one introductory post so far, but will add more as I get out on the course and have something to report. This coming Thursday is our first 18-hole Ladies Division event at Three Lakes Golf Course... so that will kick off the upcoming season.

Here is a link to the new blog. And, also, there is a link down the right side bar of this blog, cleverly listed under "links".

I'm even wondering how to keep up with posting on all of these blogs. With the golf blog, I'll have a total of 4 blogs plus my regular real estate website. Here they are:
Our personal blog (this blog)
Carol's golf blog
Carol's residential blog
Carol's investment blog

Carol's Top Properties website

Gee... maybe I won't have time to play golf afterall ! Stay tuned...

One Sentence

Today we had out first consultation with Max's new primary care physician, Dr. Peter Rutherford. Our other doctor retired at the end of last year, so we were left to find a new one. We solicited the help of a doctor friend, who is on mission in Brazil, to get us a referral to one of the best and most popular doctors in the Wenatchee Valley Clinic. The nurses, and others in the know, are shocked we were able to get into this doctor because he has a 1 1/2 - 2 year waiting list for taking new patients.

Anyway, we talked about Max's Parkinson's and his meds and I wanted to discuss his memory issues. The doctor ran Max through a series of questions, including what day and month is it, spell some words... AND then he asked him to write one sentence on a piece of paper. Can you guess what Max's one single sentence was? "I love Carol". How sweet is that?

Tough to top that, so will sign off for tonight.

A New Art Site

A shirt-tail relative of mine has put up a new website, featuring her unique art work. I love her use of colors. Check out her gallery and narratives here.

Another Birdhouse

Only patriotic birds will want to visit this house. Isn't it just the cutest thing? This was a surprise find yesterday as I wandered through the new Apple Annies Antique Mall in Cashmere. It certainly isn't antique but I wanted it anyway. It was only $8.

This came about because yesterday I was scheduled to see my massage therapist, who works out of her home in Cashmere. Max was whining about how much his hip and back were hurting so I offered to give him my massage time. So, I dropped him off for the massage and this gave me about an hour to take an unplanned trip over to the Antique Mall. My reward for sacrificing my massage time!

The Mall which was completed several months behind schedule and hundreds of thousands of dollars over budget is phenomenal. It's huge. I don't know how many vendor booths there are, but a lot! And, they're nearly all full. It's almost overwhelming when you walk in and every booth is full of stuff. Warning: Do not take small children in here. It would be too scary with all the dishes and other glassware.

In addition to the new building, their old building across the street is still used as an annex for consignment furniture and other things. When I have some spare time I'll stop in there and check it out.

Anyway, this new birdhouse which is now the second in my collection, has inspired me to consider starting a collection of birdhouses. It will be fun to watch for unique birdhouses in my travels about. I won't buy just any birdhouse... only those that jump out at me!

By-the-way... Max's hip is feeling much better and he's definitely walking with more spring in his step today! So we both benefitted from the change of plans. And... I will get MY massage treatment next Tuesday (if he doesn't sweet talk me out of it again).

Home Safe

Hi everyone,
I keep getting calls to be sure we are home safe. Yes, just haven't had time to post yet. Had good travel weather.

Will write more later.

A Public Warning

Today I am offering a public warning. Yesterday I spent about an hour getting analyzed for a new set of golf irons. Could this be the beginning of an improved golf game? I certainly hope so. For a girl, I'm not a bad golfer... but having a new set of irons that are custom fit to me should make me a more "consistent" player. Hopefully it will be consistently good, and not consistently bad.

This is all theory, of course... so I'll let you know how it goes.

Carefree Driving In California?

Is that an oxymoron? Could there actually be such a thing as carefree driving in California? Maybe not, but having an onboard navigation system is as close as one could ever come. I was pleased to be able to focus on traffic and not when the next exit was coming up.

We got up at 4:00 this morning, so we could leave Palm Springs by 5:00 in order to beat the rush hour through the high traffic areas. We were on the road by 4:50, and I was amazed at how much traffic there actually was at that time of day! But, we did get through without ado. "Maggie", our onboard navigator, makes weaving through the maze of southern California freeways a breeze.

We were braced for rainy and snowy conditions today as per the forecast. We did experience on again and off again rain throughout the day (and a little snow through the Grapevine). Later in the day, we were shocked to find a 2-3 mile stretch of highway with a thick blanket of hail on the ground just north of the town of Willows. It was very bizarre. One minute we were breezing along at 70+ mph, then we were immediately slowed to about 40.

Tonight, we ended up in Redding, California which is about 650 miles from Palm Springs. It was a long day of driving, but this puts us in a good position to evaluate the weather conditions for the Siskiyous tomorrow and take off if conditions permit, or stay put if that's more prudent. I-5 has been closed on and off over the last few days, including today because of numerous accidents. With our all-wheel drive, we're not so worried about getting through the passes, but I do worry about some of the other drivers out there. I'm constantly amazed at how many dumb drivers there are in the world. Many of them have macho 4-wheel drive rigs that they think can go anywhere they want... as fast as they want.

Will check in again tomorrow or the next day to let you know how we progressed.

Dessert in the Desert

I bought some fresh strawberries, while at the College of the Desert Street Fair yesterday morning. Yum... there's even some left for dessert again tonight. I also bought a new blouse, a couple new visors, and some golf towels. It's a good thing we really are leaving here on Friday, because there is no more room in the car to put things!

Click on the picture to enlarge the strawberries (and Max). They're huge in real life... the strawberries that is. :-)

Last Days in Paradise

We are settled into our one-bedroom villa at the Welk resort. This place is really nice, as were our accommodations at Canyon Shores which is, literally, just across the street. Here there are two big pools, instead of the several small pools serving each building at Canyon Shores.

The Welk resort offers a lot of activities to keep you as busy as you want, including a Champagne Welk-um the evening that you check in. Isn't that clever? Remember Lawrence Welk and his "Champagne Music"?

Today's selection of activities included: Treasure Box Painting, Tote Bag Painting, Flower Pot Painting, Bug Painting (they're into painting here I guess), a pool tournament, root beer floats, happy hour at the pool... and they have some kid activities and evening family activities.

Tomorrow morning my friend, Dorothy, and I are going to the Street Fair without the men. Max likes to go, but after about an hour he gets tired and wants to leave. So, Dorothy and I are going to stop by Starbucks on our way and wander around leisurely.

We're scheduled to leave here Friday and plan to be home by Sunday... so just a few more days in Paradise. Don't be too sad for us. We've had a good time!

Spring Training

It's almost time for another baseball season to start. I was so pleased to find a Spring Training game on TV this morning while we were waiting to check out of our motel, and move to the villa at the Lawrence Welk Desert Oasis Resort. The game wasn't a Seattle Mariner game, but it was a game (Dodgers vs Braves). I told Max someday we should consider going to Arizona during March and taking in some of the Mariner Spring Training. We'll see if that ever happens.

Another week in the desert coming up. We'll definitely be on our way home by next Friday, so we should arrive back in Wenatchee some time Sunday, the 12th.

Change Of Plans

We were scheduled to be on the road headed home yesterday (March 1st), putting us home on Friday. BUT, Max's mobility hasn't been that great so when our friend, Dorothy McIntire, offered to let us use her week at the Lawrence Welk Resort, I decided there wasn't any point in rushing Max back to the cold and wet. At this time, it looks like we'll be heading home next Friday (March 10th), getting us home within 3 days.

I had to do some scrambling to change some appointments, but everything seems to be under control. I continue to do my real estate work via computer, phone and Fax.

Will check back in a couple of days.

The Team

Here is a picture of the gals I played golf with on Sunday and Monday at Cathedral Canyon Country Club. We were lucky that it wasn't as hot as originally forecast. The cloud cover helped.

From left to right: Janet, Cheryl, me, Dorothy

We were only a few strokes out of the money, but we had a great time! These ladies know how to put on a tournament. It was an "Oscar Nomination" theme, with (fake) oscar trophies... and tons of door prizes for those of us who didn't win by virtue of our golf scores! The day after the tourney, it rained about for the first time in the desert since October. What good timing.