To everything (turn, turn, turn)...

It must be nice to turn over the wheel to your permitted driver... ...and then doze in the backseat while the Other Adult sits shotgun, breathing deeply while repeating ad nauseaum, "Slow down".
I "heart" wind turbines.So what if I mocked the very name "Walla Walla" as a smug Western Washingtonian youth? I'm older now, and wiser. I know it's warm, I know it's dry, and I know that combo makes for good wine. A college town with scads of history, Walla Walla ~ in the far southeast corner of our state ~ really is lovely. Plus the park has this cool sculpture.

Yes, boys, we're at Pioneer Park in Walla Walla and that means you have to sit in a row on a branch of a sycamore tree while I take your picture. I'm so original.

"On the road again..."

"Look, Ma! I went all the way up Hell's Canyon to see some...cows!"

Ahem.

I just reread my opening entry of the Road Trip 2010 report and I do believe, "Second verse, same as the first!" sums it up nicely. Hitting the road with no particular destination in mind was once again our modus operandi, and it still produces exchanges such as this:

Child: Where are we going?

Mother: We don't know.

Child: Do we know where we're staying?

Mother: Of course we don't know where we're staying! If we don't know where we're going, how can we know where we're staying?

Child: Why don't we just, ah, pick some place, like the (insert the last name of Boring, Normal Family Who Plans Ahead)?

Mother: Because we don't want to. We don't need to. I don't know why on earth everyone thinks they need to plan a road trip. That defeats the whole purpose!

(Five hours later...)

Child (specifically, Kai): I hope we get to sleep in the car again!

Mother: Why, oh why, can't we be like boring, normal people and plan ahead?!

Alas, we did not sleep in our car again. Nor did we make use of the tent that we brought along in my meager effort to duplicate the Boy Scout motto. No, much as I hate to admit it, we didn't come away this year with any stories worthy of Ripley's Believe it or Not.

In other respects, though, our adventure reinforced much of what I shared in last year's report. My children are good travelers. I love hot, dry weather. And running at altitude is still a far cry from running at sea level. I'm also happy to report that Wal-Mart hasn't yet permeated every nook and cranny of the country. There are still some "Where-the-Heck in America?!" spots amidst the Anywhere, America. Some of them may even have motels that offer complimentary beer. Wide open spaces and people with beer. America, the beautiful.

Early Summer Happenings

We spent a day out at Birch Bay, where Rafe took a yen to kayaking.
Easy-peasy, close to shore on a calm day!
My brother Kevin spent a few days with us in late June.
We enjoyed a hike up to Fragrance Lake.
These woods...
...and glens of moist, green fern are so drastically different from the landscape we explored during our road trip.
Can you imagine spending 7 hours taking over 1000 close-up photos of cows on pasture? Mmmm, no, I can't either. People get paid for stuff like this, though. And the Perfect Picture ends up on a milk carton.
Western Washington typically endures a rather bland (at best) Fourth of July, after which summer truly kicks in. This year we enjoyed an exquisite Fourth, after which we reverted to our endless "Winter is as Spring is as Summer" weather. Needless to say, we took advantage of the opportunity to hike to the top of Oyster Dome and appreciate this grand vista. (I chose not to photograph the disgruntled 16 yo who opted to sit on a bench shortly into the hike while the rest of us completed the journey. Let's just keep that lovely memory out of the picture, shall we?)
After the fairly grinding hike and a meal at Boundary Bay, we joined the masses at Boulevard Park and awaited the big fireworks display. I love this silhouette.

Late Spring Happenings

Some how, I became the mother of a young man. He used to be that little guy peering over shoulders of big kids. And now here he is, in that strange still-a-child-but-not-an-adult phase of life. Not a phase I'm particularly enjoying, I might add, but I'd better get used to it! Shortly before his 16th, Jan competed in his first triathlon.

He also played in his last piano recital.

Per gamely tolerates piano lessons.

While Luke is a musical man.

Rafe eagerly began lessons this year.

Here they are all with their lovely teacher, Carrie. She was Jan's first instructor, back when he was a Rafe's age (8) and she was finishing high school. He was smitten by her. Then she left us to go to college, get married, and start a family. Last year she moved back, allowing Jan to start and finish his piano education with the same teacher. But to think he's almost the age she was when she first taught him...I can't wrap my mind around it!

Canoes floated past our place during the annual Ski to Sea relay.

And Hans & Albert again powered one of those canoes.