Chapter 277

Happy Birthday, Ryan...

Happy Anniversary to Kyanne and Ryan...

 ...a belated 30th Birthday to Kyle...

...and Happy 7th Birthday to Bear! Whew!

A few weeks ago I found myself accidentally volunteering to be the editor of our Jaguar Club's newsletter, the JagMag. Oh, I've edited newsletters before and it usually involves me answering the doorbell to find a box on my porch and the former editor's tail lights tearing out of the driveway.

This time the newsletter is all electronic and a whole new experience for me. I can't just fan all the stuff around me on the floor until I have it straight in my head. I'm not really interested in the Jag club, I've never read the newsletter, and pay little attention to who is who when I attend events. I had to get up to speed fast. After one disaster or another, four complete re-starts later and other fails you don't want to hear about, I managed to put out a decent looking newsletter. Here's the link if you want to check my premier issue of the JagMag.

Bob decided it was time to whip up a batch of beer. It's hard to believe that boiling up a pot of grain and hops + a little vial of yeast can make beer. It's truly a science project of note. Too bad Chelsea can't do this in class but the students would probably drink all the beer at the PBR stage and not wait for the Bavarian amber ale stage.

First Bob puts the grain into a mesh bag then starts the process of boiling the grain for a couple of hours.

Then two kinds of little hop flowers are boiled for a couple of minutes to get that beer-y flavor into the mix. (Recognize the girls' old dresser in the background?

Then it's time to cool the whole bucket of grain and hop flowers as quickly as possible by using a coil to run cold water through the broth that has now become "wort". 

While Bob is brewing beer, I brewed up a nice pot of raw beet, carrot, apple, cabbage, ice cubes, chia seeds, and yellow pea protein powder, (I can't do dairy or some yogurt would have been good), in my new Ninja Kitchen System. A meal in a glass. Speaking of Ninja Kitchen Systems, WOOT!.com accidentally sent me two. Shortly afterwards, Woot! sent me an email that it was their fault and they would credit me $30 on my next order and the return order email was on the way. No email ever appeared. Sooo. If anyone out there is reading this, you too could have a complete Ninja Kitchen System for only $30! See the very bottom of this blog for the details of Ninja Kitchen System that is up for grabs. Just like Craig's List...first one I hear from gets it.

So, back to the beer. Bob cooled the it with the cooling coils. Of course he made his cooling system from scraps around the homestead instead of buying an expensive one from the beer store.  It's just like the TV show about making moonshine around here.

Afterwards the wort is strained into a clean bucket with a little vodka in the airlock to keep the bacteria from growing and we wait for the little yeasties to do their little yeastie things.

Meanwhile, I take the spent grain from the brewing process (grain carcasses) and make it into some Number One yummy WHOLE grain bread. 

We went to a Seattle Thunderbirds hockey game this week. This is Reagan's first game and Chris and Carissa prepared her for the goal horn with her own cute little head muffs. She totally loved watching the game, the lights, and the movement.

Dad is wearing his hockey shirt...it's from Maine, but he's hockey-ized.

Bob sat next to his co-worker Jason. His daughter Ruby and Reagan studied each other, as babies do, throughout the game. Cynthia, Bob's boss, is directly above Ruby's head.

Reagan didn't mind her ear muffs at all.

Like everyone else there, Reagan kicked back to watch the game with a drink. At least hers was good stuff and not the $2 PBR special of the evening.

The Walker Family at Hockey Game #1.

New Year's Day Kyanne took time out of her grading to meet me for lunch then haul me around Federal Way to thrift stores to see what there was to see. We waded through a bunch of previously owned stuff, some better than others, then a couple of craft stores for a shadow box for her wedding memorabilia. While looking for the perfect shadow box, I saw this sectional "painting" that looked like a project Chelsea would make since she uses multiple canvases to express her creativity.

Kyanne's project was not only awesome, it was creative and functional at the same time. And just in time to hang up for their anniversary. I have such good memories of our trip to England and Scotland and the kids getting married at Gretna Green in the Blacksmith's Shop.

Later Bob, Nitro, Bear and I headed for the cabin to make sure it hadn't been blown or tsunamied away. Since we were Bear-sitting while the "kids" are in Maine for a wedding, he's getting his much loved trip to the beach.

There is nothing so beautiful as nuclear cooling towers in a sunset. The Satsop nuclear project was started in the 1950's and mothballed in 1983 by the Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS) or, as we all knew it, W.H.O.O.P.S. Total cost of the project "exceeded $24 billion" but no total was ever (clearly) published.

Since I'm trapped in the car with a German shepherd a cat and a husband, all of whom are ignoring me, I listened to my book and took random pictures. Here's a bored Nitro looking about as scary as the Satsop cooling towers in the sunset.

When we got to the cabin Bear went straight to the cabinet where we hide his ultra-noisy dog toy and pointed, German shepherd style, until I released it to Bear to happily deafen us with.

The next morning we noticed that there was a buoy in our backyard. Actually, it's the city's property, but I like to think we own the entire block since we are the only ones on it. Bob said the tide must have been really high for a big buoy like that to be washed 3 blocks inland. I PhotoShopped a couple of pictures together so you can see the entire block. We are the little gray house behind the "For Sale" sign.

B.E.A.C.H. is not a word you pull the trigger on unless you are ready actually take Bear there. He LOVES to chase seagulls, (poop), and dig holes when he hits the sand.

Bear's foot print next to my size 13's. If I were to see this footprint in the wild, I'd be heading to the safety of my vacation resort immediately!

Then dinner and a lie-down by the fire completes his day.

While Bear is in doggie Utopia, Chris, Carissa, and Reagan are in Maine. Reagan is getting to meet her other grandparents, Grammy and Grampy Walker. Through the magic of technology, the adults feel like they know here but she really doesn't know them and was slow to warm up. Although it was hard for them to wait for Reagan to warm up to the Walkers, she eventually rewarded them with her usual sunny personality and antics.

While we wake up to this:

The fortunate Walker grandparents a waking up to a much better sight in Maine.

Grampa Walker sings Reagan to sleep. I LOVE this picture!

Like everyone that visits Maine, Reagan has to visit the L.L. Bean boot in Freeport, Maine.

Speaking of Maine, this is how to party Maine-style.

Since there is nothing like someone dragging out the humiliating pictures on your birthday, here's some of Bear. Here he is smiling for the camera.

Just a country chap about to take a fall drive in his Jaguar.

Ready to go out for a walk in his rain coat.

Let's form a possey and round up those critters.

Please sir. It's so cold outside and my children are hungry.

It's 5:00 Somewhere.

A dignified Bear lays in the grass at the cabin after playing with his Frisbee.

Tuesday I will be 

to visit my parents for a week. Yay!!! Oklahoma, here I come...along with several hundred displaced Boeing workers.

JoAnn, Reagan thinks your effort to get the riding toys up to Washington was well worth it. She loves to ride her horse. She "spurs" the sides to make an awesome thumping sound to go along with her giggling.

Kyanne "helps" by watching Reagan while Chris and Carissa pack but how can they pack when Reagan is in their suitcase???

Aunt Joann gave Reagan a fun activity table. Here Grampa "shows" her how to use it while Reagan pays no attention to him. 

Grampa still "demonstrating" 

Still "showing" Reagan how it all works. Eventually he'd played with it enough that he let Reagan have a turn.

Another ride on the rocking horse while Reagan looks at birds in the yard. 

Have a good week Everyone!

 

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