Two for One Today

We headed for Mount Rainier today after what I hope was my last doctor's appointment in a long time.  I seem to have the "go ahead" to get back to normal life, albeit at a more reasonable pace.  I'm feeling much better each day.

We got up early this morning and cleaned the gardens in front of the square dance hall.  Raking, pruning, weed pulling and general sprucing the place up for the Labor Day Campout.  We don't have a garden anymore so Terri likes to pull weeds any time she can.

Kitsap Square Dance Center - Our Home Away From Home

Although we won't be at this year's Campout/Square Dance we are grateful for having had KSDA as our home base each time we had to return to the area for doctor's appointments.  We appreciate the friends we have made there over the years.

Grandma and Grandpa Ranger enjoyed going to the Old Time Fiddlers shows through the years.  The fiddlers and square dancers share the wonderful KSDA complex for 5 days of live music and dancing.  They will have 40 RV's using the campgrounds and several hundred people will visit during the long weekend.

The late night campfires make for the best music, as the fiddlers ply their trade.  Sometimes a little competitive fiddling, picking and playing happens in those late hours.  I can say that some of the best music I've ever heard was two fiddle players around midnight.  It was a teacher and her former student playing.  Each took their turn playing a short piece.  Each song became more complicated. They quietly played back and forth, each one upping the other.  I'm not sure who the best was; but it was a magical moment to be sitting around the fire.

Meanwhile we are going to spend a quiet week at Alder Lake near Mount Rainier.  We will drive up the mountain to Paradise and do a little walking (not hiking).  Most of the week is set aside for rest.  Saturday will be the big wedding of my nephew Sam and Laura.  My sister has described the wedding as, " a 4 minute ceremony and a 20 hour party".   I like that idea.

If all goes as planned, we will be heading to Yellowstone National Park the next day.  We will take a leisurely pace getting there.  There's several stops we'll make along the way, but the general plan is to spend the whole month of September in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons.

Life is good.  Retirement is better.

Random Picture #2 for the Day:

Sam - several years before his wedding.

Don't you wonder what mischief was on his mind?