This is going to be an experience, this above-100-degree heat. I checked some statistics just now, and Snoqualmie averages 3 days a year where temps get above 90. Three! That's the best part of the weather here - the summers. I've lived here 5-1/2 years, and I never have gotten hot enough to leave for an air conditioned place. I don't even remember being uncomfortable for more than a little bit at night a couple of times. On the second floor with just a fan.
But we haven't seen this.
So there are 4 days of above-90 temps in one week.
Reading the community page is so interesting. There are going to be cooling stations open all over the area since a good many homes are not air-conditioned. There's really not much long-term need, but people are certainly buying some window units this week. I believe they've sold out at the closest Home Depot and Lowe's.
I don't have a busy day planned tomorrow, so I think I'll be okay. I'll get up early and get my donations delivered to the Good Will truck and what little packing and housework I'm going to do over with. I have an open invitation to go to the Win-Bins any time I want to cool off, so I might do that if it gets miserable. I didn't need the fan today, and I believe it got into the high 80s.
Emily and the girls went to Cannon Beach in Oregon with a friend, and I've received a few pictures. I'm glad Emily is getting to relax and the girls are having a wonderful time, it looks like. Just give them some buckets and a couple of sticks, and they're content.
Mike and I drove to the Oregon coast on one of our trips up here, and we stopped and ate some clam chowder at one of the little towns along the coast. It was spring and cold and windy, so we didn't linger long. It's very different from the Gulf and more like the little I've seen of the Atlantic, lots of interesting rocks and landmarks.
Emily mentioned Haystack in an email, so the big one must be that formation.
It certainly wasn't crowded! Plenty of room for running around and making circles with sticks. I'm sure it was well thought out.
There are the people. Cannon Beach looks like a nice place with lots of cute cottages. I haven't seen a picture of where they stayed yet.
Emily said she noticed that Graysen had drawn this in the sand.
The beach always makes us seem closer to Mike, and this brought a few tears from both of them. Graysen is hanging onto the brief memories she had of him. They were buddies, and there's nothing he wouldn't do to make her happy. And she made him extremely happy. Of course, Katherine doesn't remember him at all, but she does like to hear the stories and know that he held her and took care of her that first year of her life.
I had gotten this picture of the Strawberry Moon on Wednesday night.
Emily was just going to the grocery store and saw it and ran back and got the girls. She recommended I go find it, but as hard as I looked, I just didn't see it from the neighborhood. I even went out last night and went up on our little Queen Kitty Hill but still no view of it. All I saw was the remnants of a beautiful sunset.
I think I was just too early, because I saw my neighbor Susan today who has the balcony across from me, and she said she had a perfect view from her balcony. One more try tonight. One of the excellent photographers from the valley posted this.
I took the girls to the grocery store to get something for lunch Wednesday, and we had such a good time. The vegan, or plant-based lifestyle makes it tricky for me to always have something for them. I am so pleased that they are taking it seriously and never fail to remind me if something has milk or eggs in it. No more corn dogs or chicken nuggets. They were to choose one fruit and one vegetable and a main "course" plus dessert. Katherine just wanted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a banana, and carrots, all of which I had at home. Graysen chose sushi. She gave me one of her bites, which was rice and a little slice of cucumber wrapped in seaweed. It was surprisingly good except for my getting my piece too close to the wasabi sauce.
I hadn't planned on buying a treat for them. They don't usually ask or expect one, but some brilliant soul put a Claire's Boutique kiosk just inside the Safeway door, and everything on it was SOOOO CUTE! I was very proud of them though. I let them look, and they discussed lots of things but didn't get excited about it. I know they would have chosen some piece of nothing just because they could, but I told them to look at the magazines and other things all over the store, which they did.
This collection of Beanie Boos has been in the store for what seems like forever, and their hearts just melted so hard for one of those. Graysen got an owl, Austin, and Katherine chose Tundra, a dog, I guess.
I guess we don't have a picture of the owl.
Tuesday was the last day of their gymnastics classes. They'll start new ones at a different time next week. The let their people go out on the floor and take pictures and watch them do their favorite skills. Both girls do excellent beams and bars and cartwheels and flips - you name it - but for their skills, Katherine chose a yoga pose, the candlestick, and Graysen didn't really show anything challenging either, but I was super proud of them.
We took videos of all their performances to show Mom, and I'm sure she was excited to see that they wore her least favorite leotards! At least I didn't let them wear them backwards this time.
Our family has suffered a great tragedy this week in the loss of my cousin Carol's oldest grandson. John David was only 17 and died Wednesday night in a car accident that has just devastated us all as well as the many friends they had in Andalusia and LaGrange, GA. He, along with his two brothers, were the lights of his CeCe and G Daddy's lives and will live in their hearts forever. So many prayers and tears for everyone who loved him.
This is one of my favorite pictures. Any time they could be in Auburn or with the Tigers for games, they would be, but when they couldn't, they would roll one of their trees to celebrate a victory.
Their mother Allison with brothers Spencer, Wilson, and John David on the right. My heart just hurts so for them.
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