We have wild turkeys roaming the downtown streets this week.

My sister Susan arrives for a visit today.  Almost finished the necessary house cleaning. Changing sheets. That is the most difficult household task for me these days.   Got the grandgirl Isabel detritus picked up in the guest room. Isabel claims that is HER room.  She's moved all the books for ages 10-12 in there. And all the projects she's made here and some from home.  Heather says it's not just the bedroom that Isabel thinks the whole place belongs to her. Time to start teaching her to clean it. :-) Now Susan and I can walk in there without falling over something.

I had Isabel and Adam all day yesterday as usual. Isabel had to go next door to her Mom's office to do homework. I am terrible at getting her to do it, Adam just does  his. So Adam and I played Battleship and Scrabble until lunch. Then we got in the van and headed for the Tamastslikt Museum on the Confederated Umatilla Reservation.  Neither of them have been there and it's a really good museum. I meant to leave  home at 1pm but Isabel dawdled some more and we left a little later. They were all excited because they had never been on the reservation before. Not sure what they expected. We talked a lot about how the reservations came to be and what I know about living there, not much just what friends who had lived there had told me. This one is pretty nice compared to many others in the country. Beautiful country too about 40 miles from our home and almost in Pendleton.

We were almost there when the Oregon State patrol blocked the highway in front of us. Good thing traffic was light because we all had to scramble to stop. Turned out a woman coming north (we were going south) had crossed over the median and sideswiped two southbound semis, rolled up an embankment and died. Broke the axle on one semi and dumped gallons of diesel fuel all over. The other people were uninjured. It was still closed last night. And they still don't know who she was.

I feel like my guardian angel was watching over us because if we had left on time we might have been in the middle of that accident.  It happened about 15 minutes before we got there.  I turned around right away and tried to find the other road into Mission where the museum is but found myself dead-ended at someone's ranch gate.  I couldn't get my phone map to come up. Internet is sketchy out here in places. Yes, I pulled over and parked to do it. Made me wish I had a paper map.  Then it started raining. So we voted to drive back to Fort Walla Walla Museum again as none of us had seen the Latino Exhibit there and I gave them each some $ for the gift shop.  We will try for Tamástslikt again next week when the kiddies are on spring break.

After I left the kids at their house and got home I starting thinking about our day I started crying.  I felt so sad for that woman and so thankful that it wasn't us she ran into. That 15 minutes or so Isabel dawdled may kept us away from the accident. Life is a crap shoot. Think the rain is here to stay for awhile.

Love and hugs to you all.

Strange week. Both good and not so much. 

Monday I went to the volunteer recruitment/welcome back for all volunteers at Fort Walla Walla Museum. I signed up for lobby duty and gift store help. I like to talk to visitors more than I like typing and sorting, although I will help with that if needed. Turns out they need someone in "acquisitions" who is familiar with data management. That would be me but I really want to see people and be in the daylight most of the time, not an office. I had a great time though.

Pioneer Village summer. Photo: Fort Walla Walla Museum.

Museum front door waiting for spring. Photo: Fort Walla Walla Museum

Something is awry with one of my back molars. Saw my dentist who took an x-rays and referred me to a fancier dentist who does surgery. He thinks a root canal is failing and is infected. I was surprised they didn't give me antibiotics. However my lovely Heather who is a hygienist for my dentist says all is going as it should and the referral is to an excellent office. Expensive but there isn't much choice here other than having the tooth pulled which I didn't want.  I just got my van repaired when the cruise control died on me.  It's older but has got only 66,000 miles on it and I'm hoping it will last, uh, forever. Last year I replaced some innards that have a spec life of about 60,000 and I'm just not into shopping up a newer car.

It's been both a fun and stressful week. I'll be in the store at the museum this morning and then pick up my two 5-year-old grandkids for the afternoon. Busy day.  Had wild and crazy dreams last night. Among other things I dreamed I was at some kind of outdoor fair in Canada. With the extra expenses that may be the only kind of vacation I have this year. Or maybe meeting and greeting out of town and out of country visitors this year will be my vacation.  You just never know.

Flying home

Sophie's on the plane and on her way home for spring break.

Amazing how her smile seems the same.

Hope I can make it to Portland to see her even if it's only a couple of days.  She's two months from finishing up her sophomore year at Colorado State University. Seems like she just graduated from high school.

Alandra lives here but I see her just a little more often.  She graduated high school last year.

She's carrying 20 hours and working three jobs to finish her 2-year AA at Walla Walla Community College this June.  Then she's going to Western Washington University this fall as a Junior.

They were our first two grand-babies, born 6 months apart.  Where did the time go?

Spring Maybe

So I didn't go see "Hidden Figures" or "Lion" last week. My sons and I went to see "Logan."  It was very violent and surprisingly good.  Huge Jackman put in a tremendous performance.  I won't be taking the younger kids to see it.

This afternoon son Chris and I are seeing a production of "King Lear" on the Whitman College campus.  It's a contemporary setting with Shakespearian language. We are fans and it's been a sparse year for Shakespeare. The theater is just a few blocks from both our homes. Whitman has lots of interesting things to do and see. So do the other two colleges here. Walla Walla Community College and Walla Walla University next door in the town of College Place. Sometimes, such as after two months of icy snow, I have to remind myself why I moved here.

The March weather is being its tricky self again, 55° one day and 37°. Sunshine and then buckets of rain but not freezing so far.  It amazes me what a little sun can do for my attitude.  Last week Isabel an I took a little walk on one of the colder and windier days.  I gave up before she did.

Isabel roaming the grassy banks of Bennington Lake

I'm emerging from my winter hibernation I think.  Decided to volunteer at Fort Walla Walla Museum again.  There's "new" volunteer orientation on the 22nd.  Lots of things have changed.  I was a volunteer a few years ago but gave it up to help with babies on a regular basis and to avoid my ex-husband who still worked there. He's no longer there and the babies are 5 and almost 6 now. Been a long break. I'm planning to help with events, research and am looking forward to driving the golf carts around.  The lower grounds are separated by a steep hill from the upper grounds and they use golf carts to transport people who can't walk down to the village and then back up (mostly back up) for whatever reason.  If they were street legal I'd get one to drive around town.

Dang. I published this in the middle of typing it. Here's the rest plus corrections.

I've got a family membership and assorted kids and I go visit several times a month during the long hot summer.  I'm planning on taking the 10-year-olds to see the new exhibit of art from Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, and other Latin American countries. The population of Walla Walla is over 30% Latino with many young people. I'm excited to see it. 

Looking down hill towards the village. Photographer unknown. Not me.