I take my woofing little dog a little more seriously here in the forest when she suddenly sits up and growls menacingly out the sliding glass window that steps out onto the covered porch.    The other day this happened when she was stretched atop the back of the sofa  and Lynn and I decided, without getting up to look for ourselves, that she was “barking at her reflection from the glass doors” again.    Moments later I was sitting reclined in front of the side window that looks toward the trees by the street when movement outside of the side window caught my eye and I looked up to see what I first thought was the neighbor’s dog.    However, as soon as it stepped completely out from behind the bush that has grown up to where it interferes a little with my view, I received a wonderful gift from. nature when it looked directly at me for a moment   I could see clearly, all the way from the beautiful tufted ears, to the defined stripes around its eyes and nose, on down to the bobcat’s stubby tail.   (This picture is courtesy of http://www.weforanimals.com./ )  It looked bigger than those I’ve seen next to the tigers and lions at the zoo.    By the time Lynn made it to the window our cat had stealthily crept the length of the lawn and was headed into the trees at the front of the property.      There wasn’t time to pull out the camera but we have since removed it from its case and have it sitting readily on a nearby shelf.

There’s been a lot of disturbing noise from the property behind this house as lumbermen have mercilessly “clear cut” the large trees that lined the back border and the acres behind us.     It has created a homeless situation among the wildlife that have been our neighbors   I feel sad when I think of their homes being destroyed; especially with winter blowing in so quickly.   I can’t help but wonder where all of my furry little friends will go from here.    We’ve seen squirrels, deer, and possums, and we suspect we have a midnight raccoon but we haven’t yet spotted the neighborhood’s black bears. Needless to say we are taking good care of our garbage and keeping a close eye and a short leash on little poochie while she takes care of “business”.  

We are loving our stay in the woods.     It’s different living where the skies are grey and it rains more than it doesn’t, but it has been comfortable … and healing.   As I write this I’m sitting by a crackling fire listening to the cadence of the rain that counts along with the 4/4 timing of the keyboard as I type.   The rain and I are the perfect accompaniment to the Tabernacle Choir’s rendition of “Sleigh bells”.  The stately pine trees are even swaying in sync.    I just love it, love it, love it!    A huge, from deep in the heart thank you to Warren’s friend, Tracy Green, for trusting us with his mother’s home for a few months.   Anyone would feel good here!

Goodbye 2010.    When all is said and done, it was another beautiful year for our family.    News stations globally recount their best ten stories of the year and so shall I; although I can’t put them in order of importance.      So … in random order (drum roll please) Grandma Henke’s “Top Ten from Two Thousand Ten”!

1.     Our oldest grandchild, Aubree, graduated from high school and she now is continuing her education at  Western Washington University.    She is a beautiful young lady with a love and enthusiasm for life and is skilled in home made lasagna and fudge!   I started a tradition of giving each grandchild a crocheted afghan to celebrate this achievement in their lives.

 

2.    We discovered another favorite   “Home away from Home” to park our motor home and spend the hot part of another summer in the cool mist of the ocean breeze.    My brother, Bill, and his wife were able to come and visit us there and we loved being able to show them around and share our love coastal living.    The time went by too quickly!       It was fun to have Kimberly’s family come and  spend days with us as well; particularly since there was a huge field and playground right near where we were parked and the children could play and run to their heart’s content.     The sunsets, of course, are always the perfect cap to any day.    

3.      The days of buckets catching the rain as it pours through the light fixture in the family room are over and our home sports a new red roof, made of steel.   No more leaks!!! No more mildew!!!   No more worrying anxiously about collapse!

4.        There are 29 healthy and, happy Lynn W. Henke’s in our family and we were able to spend wonderful days with them throughout the year.     Our quiver is full, as are our hearts.     We are so grateful for family and the love that passes freely from each member to the others.   Grateful that even the littlest cousins are aware of this great blessing of family.   It was fun when Brett and Kim’s family traveled to Washington and we celebrated the 4th of July with a fire fireworks extravaganza by Warren, Brett, and Brandon Allsop. 

5.      I loved spending our 44th year  together with the man of my dreams.   

6.      The world is at my fingertips with just the click of a key, and with another miraculous touch of a keypad I am connected in real time visually and audibly with people I love.    I love all of the gadgets my sweetie gets for me.

7.      I found the most wonderful online support group for my PAH and I think in the process I found some new BFF’s (Best Friends Forever). 

8.       Lynn had both of his knees replaced with brand new, titanium ones and he is mobile once more!   We’re so grateful he went through it so successfully; grateful for the doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and other hospital personnel who took such good care of him.

9.      Ryan and Yeimy returned home safely from all of their  travel adventures, the latest being a Hawaii and Costa Rica.   Warren and Mikayla also had a safe and fabulous time going to Greece. That trip completed Warren’s promise to his children to take each one of them anywhere in the world on the dream trip of their choosing.

10.    Each of our children’s families had their worries and challenges in 2010, but each were blessed with the health, strength and wisdom to make it through successfully!     We have confidence that in this new year they will do it again.      Our grandchildren remain at the top of the Leader Board of all grandchildren.    (At least they are the top of our Leader Board.)   They bring us so much joy we can’t put it into adequate words.   They show capabilities and talents that amaze us and we love to watch their progress in school, listen to their stories and music, and cheer them on in their challenges.     We can’t imagine a better station in life than being Grandpa and Grandma Henke.

These are two of my favorite things.    Oh how I love this man!    This was one the last sunsets we enjoyed before we left the coast and headed up to Warren’s.   It was actually a pretty chilly summer but we didn’t mind at all, particularly since we went there to get out of the heat!

As beautiful as this picture is I am disappointed that it didn’t capture it like it actually was that evening … It was like a huge Niagra waterfall.   The sun came out over the clouds in such a way that it looked like it spilled and splashed right into the ocean.   It was magnificent.

Holding the sun in his hand … There was a lot of trick photography going on this night.    Some of the guys were jumping way high while their wives were belly on the sand taking their pictures so it looked like they were jumping above the sky.   Neither of us felt up to that.

Tonight there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and we drove down onto the beach and watched the sun disappear right into the Pacific Ocean.    Sunsets on the beach are different every time … all beautiful.     It was a reverent moment when just as the sun slipped beneath the waves to the west, the tip of the moon peaked over the trees in the east.    I watched it balloon into full bloom and just have to say:   Nature and all of it’s beauty and power leaves me in awe.   

Mossy covered trees covered in dust from the well used gravel road.   Kind of eerie, huh?

This looks like the perfect spot for a scary movie.   I for one would hate to be alone in this forest in the dark.  

I loved this lazy river.   I imagine there are plenty of times it is not lazy.

Just one of the interesting places in Ocean Shores.

Three little fawns grazing right along side of the road peaceful as can be.   This is in the middle of a residential area … I’d love to live there!    I wish I could have got a picture of the three raccoons that we had to stop the car for so they could cross the street.    I couldn’t get my camera out fast enough.

So many beautiful flowers … and so many pollens floating in the air!

I don’t know … there isn’t a lot of explaining to do about these pictures … they are just places and things that I’ve loved to see.   I love it here.  

        Today was warmer than yesterday and not raining, so there were a lot of beachcombers out and about.   None of them seemed to worry a bit about what any of the others were up to.  At the ocean’s shores it is almost like everyone has their own private little vacation pod, even though we are in plain sight of each other and go so far as to pass the time of day.

      Some of us thought it was rather chilly today in spite of the peek-a-boo sun that for the most part stayed behind the ominous gray clouds gliding silently above us.  

        The soaring kites, even the highest of them, weren’t a threat to the dancing clouds. 

       We were sitting inside our car with windows down but sweaters on.     Most of the casual walkers were in levi’s and sweatshirts with hoodies pulled up over their heads.        Other people had their hands jammed tightly in the pockets of their  jackets with caps pulled snugly down on their heads as they huddled together laughing and talking.    Some, believe it or not, wore jackets and caps and were out wading where the waves were hitting thigh high on their Levi’s.  

         A few of the real die hards were out in the ocean in their swimming suits just north of the one lone, wannabe surfer.      I saw two brand new babies swaddled tightly and held protectively in their father’s arms while darling toddlers were throwing sand and and trying to get away from their parents.    The only way they will ever know they’ve been to the Pacific Ocean is from the photo albums.   

        There were trucks, bicycles, horses, cars of all sizes, and even motor homes parked on the sandy shores.    Up and down the beach were trails of smoke as people attempted to burn the semi dry wood purchased from the venders along the highway.    

        I have a some troubling questions:   (1) How can so many people feel they are having private outings in such a public place?   (2) How can so many people be so differently affected by the temperature?    (3) If dog owners have to pick up their dog’s poop how come horse owners don’t have to clean up after their horses?

Disclaimer … I don’t know any of these dogs or people or horses and out of respect for large bottoms everywhere I did not post the picture of the back sides of the really large people in low riders who were bending over by the water!   (Lynn you really need to get a grip!)

This trail leads to the ocean from our RV park at Copalis Beach.   There was a road that went clear down but a storm washed it out.  Note I have cropped half of my body from the picture … the reason is obvious!   Half of it is quite enough!    Just over the bridge you get into deep sand until you get down near the waves where it is nice and smooth.

Well, it seems Lynn just likes to take pictures of my behind, what can I say?   In spite of the fact that I chew him out when he does this, I like this picture because of the reflections on the sand.   Notice how pretty and white Fresca is on the top and on the bottom.

This fish came flopping onto shore and we tried to throw it back but the seagulls got it before it could swim away.  

Sometimes it is sad to watch nature in action  …

This wasn’t supposed to happen …  She got tired of us being distracted by the fish.   Add this to the deeper, dry sand on the way home and you have one big ball of mud.   

Still, it was a beautiful walk and we are so grateful for our chance to live by the ocean each year.   We love it.

As we drove towards Grayland today I was thinking the Kite Festival was going to be impossible because of the fog/mist that has come in from the ocean the past few days.   I expected to see a meager showing of kites.    Boy was I wrong!   What an awesome day for a Kite Festival!     Notice how the kites seem to fade into the fog?   If you walk in that direction you run just open up the view to a whole bunch more.   It’s spectacular!          

The kites were bright and beautiful, floating eerily in the mist.   The pictures don’t do it justice because you can’t see very far at once.   You have to move down the beach to get the full effect.   The cars were stretched out a couple of miles on the wet sand and driving on it is a cool experience all of its own.   The huge kites have to be staked out and tied to heavy trucks.   They are much bigger than they look in these pictures.    My guess is that some of the flat looking ones below are at least 30 foot kites. There are some pretty intent kite fliers who have invested thousands of dollars into their hobby and travel all over to attend the festivals.     Their kites are awesome and leave you spell bound as they hover quietly over you.      

                                                 My favorite was the kite dancing and we were lucky enough to get our car right in front of where they performed.    It takes a lot of control to get those kites to skip and flutter and flip like they do to lively music over the loud speakers.      The kite below is sitting patiently waiting for its cue.  I think this particular type of kite is controlled by 4 strings held by one person who steps back and forth pushing and pulling and twisting their hands and arms to the music.   These can cost from $200 to $500.                                    I’m sooo glad we went!    There is still one more day of the festival so maybe after church tomorrow we’ll have to go by it again.

Ryan, remember the coke in the face story?    Well, this is me sitting on the ground yesterday after I hit a pot hole and twisted my ankle.  I had a mug full of diet coke and the lid flew off and all the diet coke went into my own face just before I did a full body slam face first into the stickers.   For your information, after the lid came off my mug I made a hole in one with one of the girls.   You will note my first thought was to have Dad take a picture of it all for my blog.    Well, not quite “all”.   He offered to take a “mug shot” of my spectacular bruise today but I think not.        The rest of my body isn’t quite used to doing a triple gainer into the stickers either and today I am moving so slow I decided to take a sick day and lounge in my pj’s.     And then, according to the Allsop way of looking at misfortune … I began to chuckle.

I’ve been looking at this picture trying to come up with the best words to describe how these kids make me feel; incredibly, incredibly loved.   And, of course, I love them too!