Summer Trip - Final Installment 5

It seemed like we were gone all summer, nearly 8 weeks. After 10 days in Michigan surrounded by Esther's family and friends, we headed back to Indiana to see family & friends in & around Wakarusa with the grand event, my 60th Wakarusa High School class reunion! We spent our week with Norma & Gene Slagle. Our first stop was Uncle Bud Hartke in Mishawaka. As always Bud has sharpened his sense of humor and manages pretty well alone with a little help from niece Tammy. It's always scary to have breakfast at the uptown restaurant. . .but decided to go for it. And as you would expect, an old girlfriend and 6 other old folks that knew me right away and. . .I did get most of them right but was relieved when it went better than I expected. I can't tell you what I ordered and if I even ate it . . .but it was a nice memory!

We had a great time with Tammy, Allison and Brandon in Wakarusa, Sharon Poe, a 1st cousin, Al & Barbara Beutler in South Bend, the Ludwicks and Wises in Wakarusa and others.

After the reunion, we headed for home. After two nights in motels (9 nights in motels for the entire trip) we reached Kay & Tom Branches in Crawford, Colorado. They took us to the National Monument Park in Pueblo. It reminded us of the many beautiful scenic places that are preserved for all of us to enjoy. On to Salt Lake City and Sacramento, CA where Chris & Carlon, our long time friends from College days greeted us for a long week-end. The week-end was a special celebration for their kids. It was a farewell at the church they started in Rocklin, CA.

We were now anxious to get home and collect two months of mail!!! and, see what bills we had forgotten to pay. Things were quiet in Ashland with very few problems awaiting us. It was a wonderful trip! The 2000 Mercury Villager gave us a comfortable even after 125,000 miles! But best of all was Ashley's wedding in Austin, TX and our families and friends that we loved to connect with and make new memories with. You were all grand people!!!

Corsicana, Texas Bulletin

THE BASS ARE COMING IN to Roly's dock apparently feeding on the small fish who live in submerged trees and weed cover. Just received the photo taken quickly at night after catching this 8 pound largemouth bass! It does make all fisherpeople want to board the next plane for Texas! Congratulations Roly!

1st Photos from UC Monterey Bay, California

Amanda and roommate enjoying the cool Pacific Ocean breezes. She is also pictured with the University of California team where she landed a starting position in right field. The campus is in Monterey Bay and next to the ocean. She is pursuing Marine Biology. What a place to be for this study where they are equipped with robot deep diving subs to retrieve marine life from the ocean bottom. This ship was recently featured on the National Geographic Channel. So far she has survived a few detours and some homesickness. We'll all be glad to see her this Thanksgiving in Ashland, Oregon!

Big Trip East 4 - Ind.-Mich.

Back in June, we left Texas stayed overnight in Jackson, TN and made to Indianapolis where Dan & Donna Monroe (right bottom)welcomed us for several nights. Dan's dad, Wayne, was there - a long time friend from Anderson, Indiana. To and from their place we connected with Dot Berkey and Ruth Berry a former neighbor in Ashland, OR.

We moved north to Jan and Steve Kings in Ft. Wayne (middle bottom) where their daughter Susan joined us. They took us to the Ft. Wayne Zoo. . .a magnificent layout with many interesting sights along the way for all ages. Highly Recommended! We connected with Kim & Tom Swank in Ft. Wayne, where Mike Reynolds surprised us! This was a real treat for Esther & I which took us back to our days in Elkhart & Wakarusa. As we were about to leave for Michigan, Tom presented us with a family heirloom he had rescued from Bethel Publishing in Elkhart as they were closing it down. My grandpa & grandma Freed, who had started the Shoe Store in Wakarusa in the early 1900's, had purchased a large, leather family Bible published in 1888. They had filled in all the family pages in the center of this Bible with dates along with a certificate of their marriage. I couldn't believe that this Bible was almost lost to our family had Tom not discovered it in the basement of Bethel Publishing. This was a wonderful gift to me and our family!

We then headed to Michigan where Ruth's and Jim's and Betty's were expecting us. The days ahead were filled with reunions and get-togethers. We also were blessed with meeting Rose, Scott Tuckey's new wife, pictured above. Notice Gary & daughter Julie busy cooking for us.

Our friends from the East, Jane & Larry Wilson, were traveling in Ohio and were able to join us at Ruth's for several days. Jim gave us a tour of his wood working shop and was explaining his drum sander. We also visited his favorite spot in Michigan, the cabin in the woods. Time passed swiftly as we headed back to Wakarusa for more reunions. . .the next installment.

FIRE IN ASHLAND near Lori & Bob's

Esther had an appointment yesterday, Monday, with Lori for a therapy treatment. I dropped her off at about 10am, went downtown to get our mail. . .we just got home from a week in San Diego with the Kresses. . .had to wait for a fire truck. . .and proceeded to get our mail. After the usual 20 minute wait, I headed back to pick up Esther. As I headed back, I was astounded at the huge column of smoke billowing like a huge explosion in the direction or Lori and Bob's place. The distance from me seemed closer, perhaps near the university. There were lots of sirens and flashing lights ahead of me so I decided to take a back route on old main street towards our house. Now traffic was doing the same thing and I slowly proceeded the back way home. The radio had already picked up the excitement. In Oregon, any fire anywhere at this time of year with temps near 100, gets every ones attention. I could now see the fire was another mile towards I-5 and closer to our street and much closer to Tolman Creek Rd, Lori and Bobs Road! I turned back to pick up Esther and alerted Lori to what little I knew. Most of the roads were now closed going to her place but after her appointments, she hopped on her motor bike and managed to get home down sidewalks and back streets. There were fire trucks, helicopters, fire retardant tanker planes, bull dozers, and firefighters pouring into their area right in front of us. The 30 mph winds were taking the blaze towards their place. Bob had already got word and rushed home and was watering down the buildings and the yard. The heavy smoke was pouring upwards and in their direction. When I arrived via back roads, the power people were disconnecting the power in front of their house and copters were filling their buckets in a pond about 3 houses down. At times we could see 5 copters, and 3 planes(2 twin & 1 four engine plane) in the air above us. Lori climbed on top of their shed to get a better view of the fire. This was Adam and his friends perch as well as other friends who wanted the best view. There was fear and anxiety everywhere. Lori could hardly talk about it over the phone. Then the wind changed slightly and moved the path of the fire up the mountain rather than down. With the fast response of all the fire folks, today the fire is only smoldering after burning over 100 acres and losing only one structure, a home that was empty. Even last night, we talked about midnight and they were very apprehensive about the hot spots flaring up all night but today we went up and looked and even with another 100 degree day all seems well and folks who were evacuated are able to return with thanksgiving. It certainly makes you realize how unimportant material things are. . .but you can't replace people and animals.

Great Grand Child Two

September 3, 2009 at 1:10am, Jaime, brought into the world a beautiful daughter, Celeste. Dan and Sheila are now accepting their new role as Grand-Parents! It's strange for Esther & I to step back into our still new role as Great Grand-Parents! We made a quick trip to Portland Sunday to see this new miracle of life and get these photos. Jaime and baby Celeste are doing well as are grandpa and grandma Freed.

Big Trip East 3

After the June 13th Wedding, we headed to Roly & Candy's place in Corsicana, Texas. Dan's, Jana's, Lori's and us landed there for nearly a week of relaxation and fishing. There was family sleeping everywhere! Tyler & Adam managed to catch the biggest fish and Lori & the kids lived in the water. Payton jumped from there to Houston and then to Costa Rica for a week living with a local family & then enjoying the sights down Mexico way. We all enjoyed the wonderful fish caught and lots of the great Alaskan catch. Many thanks to Roly & Candy for all their tender loving care!!!