Checking Out the Devastation Left Behind

These dead trees are what's left behind from when Mt. St. Helen erupted back in early 1980's...

If you look closely .... in the background, you can see still more tress felled to the ground from the eruption.....

Signs of New Life amongst the Devastation

Where there's life.... There's still hope......

The Boys And Their Homemade Pens

So here they are.... The homemade pens the guys worked so hard on during our reunion.... Those to the left were made by Phil and those to the right by Steve.... And that lone little fella in the middle belongs to my guy, Bruce.....


Are these some proud faces..... And as they should be.... Phil and Steve were very diligent and spent nearly every free moment down in the shop creating one new pen after the other..... Had there been more time, I'm sure they'd be there still....

So when will be hearing about your new Wooden Pen business, guys??

Saying Good-bye

Before we were completely ready, the time to say "Good-bye" was soon upon us.... The week past very quickly.... Lots packed in, and many memories to take home with us.... The first to leave were the Ayers and the Gaddis.... Phil and Val were traveling by vehicle with Steve and Vicky and then they too would head off in separate directions.....

Bye Val.....

Bye Phil......

Bye Vicky......

Peace to you too, Steve.....

And they're off......

Last to arrive and last to leave.... Bruce and I wouldn't be flying out until later in the evening... Catching the 10:30 p.m. flight leaving Portland air port.... and heading home....

But before we left.... Bruce still had time to make a couple more pens.... I asked him to make one for my boss, Pete, and of course it wouldn't be right not making one for his good buddy back home, Vaughn.... So back to the wood shop for Bruce.....

Finally .... the last pen is made and ready to be packed for our trip home..... Good job, Bruce!!

Another wonderful, fun-filled reunion!!! Thank you John & Cindy for all you did to make our stay comfortable and filled with all kinds of neat adventures.... It'll be a while before we're done sharing our stories about all the things we did.... Already we're looking forward to our visit to Kentucky with Steve & Vicky.... Wow... a cabin in the Smoky Mountains!!! Just think of all the great photo opportunities we'll find there..... And, Steve, so looking forward to making my tie - dyed T-shirt!!! Maybe with your help, we can make some neat T-Shirts to equal the ones you make for yourself?? OK... might be stretching it a bit... but who knows.... You guys never made pens before and look at the great job you did there!!!

SEE YOU ALL IN 2010!!!