Mount Vernon Update

Well, another weekend in Mount Vernon has come and gone. We have accomplished one thing and that is we got all the dirt into the big garden bed in the rear of the home. Brandi is now planting. We also got the pond in place and edged it with stone from Millard's Nursery.

We also finished the stone work in the front of the garden as you see it this shot. It was a lot of work and we still need to put down some bark/mulch. We are using this product instead of the typical beauty bark that most use. It is supposed to maintain moisture better. We will do the bark next weekend. I fetch it while Brandi plants what needs to be planted.

This is a shot of Mount Baker in her glory. We actually see less of her from our Mount Vernon home because of our close proximity of the foot hills. You will actually see more of her from farther South on I-5.

We had a welcome respite on Saturday evening. Our neighbors Stephanie and Tim invited us down for a barbecue where we consumed some really great food and met other neighbors and friends of Stephanie and Tim. We did not stay long as we needed to get into the shower.

Sunday we went to my church and then we made a dash for a church that Brandi wanted to check on only to learn that during the summer months, the meeting begins at 9:30 which puts in 30 mintues into mine. Next week we will attend this church to see what it is about.

Oh, still no showings on our Hansville home and therefore, no sale.

Pop Corn

Well, for those of you who think cell phones are not dangerous in any way, take a look at this. Just copy and paste in your browser:http://www.koreus.com/video/telephone-portable-mais-popcorn.html

Second Amendment

If you do not know, the United States Supreme Court ruled in a vote 5 to 4 that the citizens of Washington, D.C. can and do have the right to own (or bear) weapons. That is the correct ruling based on how the Second Amendment reads in the Constitution. The issue is that four of those justices voted against. One vote the other way and our right to bear arms would have been in serious trouble.

Why is this important? If Obama is elected, he will likely replace a majority of Justices on the court and appoint many more judges around the country at various levels. If the liberals in this country get hold of the courts, this country will no longer be what it is today and kiss your Second Amendment good bye.

These are the same liberal judge that gave us gay marriage in Massachusetts and California. It is these same judges who gave us abortion on demand and will give the right to partial birth abortion on demand as well. Ah, does anyone not know what partial birth abortion is? If you don't, think about a new born that has come into your life recently. Imagine that baby's feet still in the birth canal, and then a doctor, if you can call them that, takes a scalpel and sticks it in the brain stem of the baby instantly killing it. Now, for the sake of learning. If you take that little baby in your life and kill it, you will be convicted of murder. In the liberal mindset, the difference in partial term abortion and murder is the matter of location. Since the baby is still within the mother, it is not murder. Why, because abortion is a legal procedure.

Look at history and fine a culture, nation, or dynasty that has survived that practiced infanticide.

You won't find one.

Sorry if the above was to graphic. Your vote counts.

Sunny Mount Veron

Well, another weekend has pasted in Mount Vernon. We continue to work on the big garden bed in the rear of the house. Brandi placed the first row of stones that give the garden shape and we unloaded another truck load of garden soil. Talk about arm busting, whew! She also did some more planting of both flowers and some veggies. I also mowed and edged the yard. I can cut the entire lawn, front and back, and not have to empty the bag but once. Nice!!!

The area we worked on this past weekend is to the left in this picture. You see the fruit trees and new walkway into them. We also placed her little pond, a must. That area has 8 yards of garden soil coming on Friday afternoon. Farther out is a nice shot of the park behind our house. Once that soil is in place, most of the work will be Brandi's. I will help put the mulch/bark down after she plants.

This is the trellis we put up last week for the Evergreen Clematis. This is right in front of our dinning room window, thus providing privacy.

Friday night we were joined by Ann, a colleague of Brandi and Ann's daughter Melissa. Melissa is a 16 year old soccer player from Bainbridge Island and she and her team mates were up in Burlington for a soccer tournament. Melissa's team won two games and will return on Sunday for the championship. Oh, should I mention that Melissa is Eurasian and is drop dead gorgeous, and has personality as well. Both Ann and Melissa were fun to have. Team picture after winning the championship. Milissa is kneeling bottom left.

Saturday, we did some shopping and went over to Christensen's. It is a big nursery where Brandi bought more perennials. I walked around and looked at pots and plants. Yawn.

For the first time since going up to Mount Vernon, we did not go out to eat. I have picked up some type of stomach bug and will not tolerate much food. Soups and crackers for the most part. I do think it is getting better.

We attended church on Sunday and both Brandi and I had some difficulty sitting for the 90 minute service as our bodies were really hurting. We managed to stay away from Remington and family(see June 15), though we met Katelyn, Braeden, and Ryan. Little Katelyn is just a little talker and mom likes to talk to her about keeping quite, but does so in a conversational voice. Not one meant for Sacrament meeting. Oh well. Oh, we had one of the ward families sing a special musical number and they have 8 children. I'd tell you their names , but I don't have a program or ward roster, therefore, I can't think of how to spell the family name. It is not a common name. We also learned that Remington's family has 6 with one in the oven. Typical Mormon families.

Father's Day Visit With Ethan, Jared, and Michelle

Jared, Michelle, and Ethan came over this weekend and spent time with us in our Mount Vernon home. Ethan has changed so much since I last saw him in February. He is less shy, comes over and gives nice hugs, and kisses. He is so sweet and cute. He is going to be a lady killer when he is grown.

Friday, Brandi and I had dinner at Olive Garden. I had my soup and salad sans tomatoes. No tomatoes due to the current problems. Later that evening, Jared and family arrived.

Saturday was a day of labor. We continue to work on the flower beds in the back yard. We hired a couple of teenage boys to finish the sod turning. They earned their money. Then Brandi and I planted our cherry trees and an assortment of grapes, and raspberries. To do this, we had to put two pickup truck loads of dirt in.

Sunday, Jared, Michelle, and I attended my ward, the Mount Vernon First for sacrament. I have concluded, that I must find a different seat away from Remington. He is a little three year old who is unable to keep his lips sealed or sit still. Michael will remember him as he was all over Michael last week. Good meeting, though they have seemed a bit slow in coming to welcome new people.

We came back to the Hansville house Sunday afternoon taking the Edmond to Kingston ferry. Here is a picture Jared and Ethan. We tried to get him to do "I'm on top of the world", but he put his arm down just prior to me shooting this shot.

All in all, a wonderful weekend. Couldn't have had better weather. Finally.

A Visit From Natty

Actually the visit was with Michael and Jenn, but little Natty stole our hearts. She is just a cute little bug. A smile that lights up the room and your heart. She is very bright, inquisitive, and trusting. Wherever we took her, she just drew people to her and was loved. She is special and I do not doubt that her progress in this life has been made better by the love of Michael and Jenn.

We had a good visit and Michael said he slept okay, even though he and Jenn had to sleep on the air mattress. As we are still two home owners, we can't move all the furniture up to Mount Vernon.

Saturday was a bit grey in the morning, but we had sun later on. We decided to run up to Birch Bay, which is about an hour from the home in Mount Vernon to check out our WorldMark and Diamond International time shares. They are actually right beside each other. The Sand Castle is the Diamond International facility and is quite, quite nice. I would stay there in a minute. The WorldMark facility is not as posh, but very well put together and would be very comfortable to stay at.

Oh, on Friday before Michael and Jenn got in, I moved the remainder of the garden soil around to the back and Brandi planted more flowers and bulbs. we still have lots of sod to turn over, dirt to move in, and wall stones to move into place. Then we get to do the front bed.

We are happy that Jared, Michelle and Ethan are coming over next weekend. It would be nice to have sun.

Still waiting for some pics of the house from Brandi to come across and then I will post them.

Another weekend in Mount Vernon

Just a short note regarding our trip up north to the Mount Vernon home. We worked hard in putting down some flower beds. Brandi is turning over the sod. I get the dirt and mulch for the beds and help move it around from the truck to the beds in the back of the house. She distributes it where she wants it, plants the flowers, and then mulches. Then we both ache for a couple of days.

We did go to Olive Garden. We usually do an eat out after working so hard. She doesn't feel like cooking and I don't cook, so eating out is fine for both of us.

We each finished a novel we were reading. She finished Patterson's 5th Horseman and I finished John Sandford's Phantom Prey. I think it might have been his best Prey book to date. Oh the 5th Horseman is the 5th book in the Women's Murder Club. It is the new series on TV. The books are better, of course.

I will be posting some pictures of the Mount Vernon house, I hope in a few days.