28 July, 2007 – Saturday – Olympia, WA

Hard to believe it’s been 4 days since my last blog. Fortunately, Connie reminded me of this delinquency before dinner this evening. A dinner of Alaskan Cod, fresh corn, fresh radishes / salad, and 2-Buck Chuck Chardonnay (from Trader Joe’s) – wonderful eating.

To catch up on events: Carol (our daughter) arrived successfully on Wednesday (25th) for the Writer’s Conference at SeaTac. We met her at the airport and delivered her to the Hilton Hotel / convention site. After a less than successful dining experience Wednesday p.m., I returned to Olympia campground – leaving Margaret and Carol to get settled / ready for Thursday.

I am pleased to report that things are going extremely well for Carol and her encounters / meetings with the editors / agents at the conference. I’ll let Margaret fill in the details – when I pick them up tomorrow (Sunday).

In the meantime, I have been resting and picking up loose ends. Loose ends defined here as moving the motor-home this a.m. (couldn’t get a single “good” spot for the three weeks we’re in Olympia). But it was not a problem – nice thing about a motor-home vs a 5th wheel trailer – much easier to maneuver by yourself when backing into a tight spot. So I am now in a nice spot – fairly level and easy to get in / get out.

I have written about the camp-ground we’re in. It is the same one we were in last year – yes, the same one that had the brushfire last year; and scared us to death. To be honest, we weren’t scared to death – just concerned that it would jump the fire road and engulf the surrounding trees. Just worried. But it is a lovely campsite – amidst the tall trees and undergrowth. You’d think you were in the middle of nowhere – not 5 miles from the state capitol.

So what to do when No. 1 wife is off and I am left alone with Suki – the cat? In a nutshell, try to keep the cat satisfied with rubs and food – food being most important.

Yesterday, Friday, I re-visited one of Olympia’s most beautiful assets: Tumwater Falls Park. I’m including a couple of photos from my one-hour stroll. The park is located just south of the state capitol buildings and adjacent to the old Olympia brewery in Tumwater, WA. I’m told that it is most beautiful in winter with snow, but I am satisfied with sunlight and greenery.

When walking in the park – along the Deschutes River - it is hard to believe it is adjacent to Interstate 5 (yes, the one that goes through LA to Tijuana, Mexico). The sound of the river, rapids, and falls, drowns out the sound of modern civilization. Most pleasant; all that, and close at hand. There is also a park for public picnics. In late summer; early fall, you can watch the salmon spawning upstream – struggling through the fish traps and falls. Fascinating.

The state helps with this process. They harvest (?) the fish eggs and transplant them upstream and enable the spawning process to begin again.

Tomorrow, I pick up Carol and Margaret. We plan to drive into Seattle. Carol wants to see the Space Needle, Pike’s Place Market, and downtown Seattle. We’ll be back here tomorrow night. Monday, we’ll show Carol the Olympia environs. Tuesday, it’s back to SeaTac for her return to LA.

Lot’s to do; not a lot of time.