Visitors and a Unique Birthday Gift

Ron's sister, Evie, and husband Dick were here over the weekend - they are always "good visiting".  Family is very special.  Evie brought me a very unusual birthday present.  A woman in her crafty group is making these special flowers from a plate, a white dessert bowl, and a clear tumbler - if my other flowers fail, then this one will keep blooming.  It is cleverly made, and will only need to be removed when frost comes in the fall.  Birthdays are special, and even though this one means that I am moving right along, it has been a good one.

Washington Visitors, and the Prize Gourd box

Evie and Dick came from Lake Stevens to spread a little cheer. We always enjoy family visits, and appreciate the good feelings that exist in our family. What a blessing! Evie, the true gourder, brought us a gift of a gourd box (I know, it's round, but that's what it's called), that she had chip-carved. It's quite a masterful work of art. Her friend made the bead that sits atop the lid as a handle. Be sure to enlarge these pictures so that you can see the workmanship on this. She also gave me a gourd nightlight, but I'll save the showing until another post.

More Scenes from Paradise

Just a humble little house down in the valley.

Evie and Dick in a more relaxed pose.

Have You Ever Been to Paradise?

The sign at the orchard south of Paradise in the far southern part of Cache Valley, on the way to Avon.

Apples looked crisp and the orchard was beautifully kept.

The reason for our trip - Ron's sister, Evie, and husband Dick were visiting, so we wanted to show them some of the sights of Cache Valley. Of course, we did the most important thing first, which was visiting Hobby Lobby (Evie had never been to one!) and Staples in Logan. Then we lunched at the Copper Mill - we think it's the best food in town! Oh, yes, after lunch, we went around the corner to the Bluebird Candy Company, (owned by former NBA coach, Dick Motta and his wife, Janice - incidentally, he started his basketball coaching career in the tiny town of Grace, Idaho, which is about 42 miles north of us in Preston - he said he chose basketball over football for a coaching career because of the sometimes severe fall weather in Idaho.) Back to the Bluebird Candy Company. When you walk in the door, the seductive perfume of chocolate is in the air - and the candy counters are full of tempting hand-dipped chocolates. Wow - hard to just pick a few! Ron chose peanut clusters, with a cherry-chocolate bar for me. You can buy small surprise packages (we got one), and a zillion other wonderful confections. Best not to go too often. Then it was on our way south.

Back to the orchard - just a one-tree shot.

Paradise had many older homes that were wonderfully kept. When you enlarge this picture, you will see some areas that look a little suspicious. That's because I attempted to clone out the huge power pole that stood just to the right of the house, with electric wires going through the sky, and across the roof. Remember, nobody's perfect, and I'm still learning.

More about our adventures later...

Visitors from the Pacific Northwest

We enjoyed seeing Evie and Dick as they "motored" back from Iowa in Dick's Mother's 1993 Ford (it only had 15,000 miles on it.) We had to have the obligatory poses on the front porch before they left here for Boise. There is nothing like a visit from family members who thrive on a sense of humor and look on life with optimism. When it comes down to it, the bonds that families form are about the best thing going on in this world.