Monday Morning in Darrington, Washington

Good morning to all my old friends and relatives,



It's a beautiful morning here in Darrington, although it's a mite cool and misty. You can't see the tops of the mountains yet, but maybe it'll clear off later. It rained hard last night which made Uncle Al really glad because it has been very dry here and the grass is getting brown. They have the sprinkler going all the time which is unusual at this time of year. Some of his flowers look a little wilty so I offered to dig them up, but he declined my offer. In fact, he was a bit grouchy when I tried one spot. I guess I'll stop. He has a vole......that's what he calls it...along with some other names that I already told you......who keeps digging holes and Uncle Al keeps trying to shoot it, but it's faster than he is. I'm not sure I would be.......



So, let's see....where did I stop? Friday morning, I think....Mommy said she had a really good time with the old heiffers and has some nice pictures, but she'll have to wait until she gets to her hotel tonight to put them on my blog. She had lunch with Aunties Jan, Mary, and Bridgett. I haven't met Aunt Bridgett yet, but I may get to today. I'll tell you about that later.

So Saturday we just worked all day to get ready for Uncle Al's tamale dinner. He had to do all of the preparation in the morning and afternoon.....getting the pork marinated, the corn meal made, the potatoes cut up, the salsa made with all fresh from the garden veggies.....and then he puts all of the ingredients in a banana leaf, folds it like an envelope, and wraps it in tin foil. He used to just tie it with this grass-like stuff, but he has a hard time finding that now. The banana leaves he gets from a special store near Seattle. Then he puts it all in a huge pot on a gas burner outside, puts a lid on the pot, puts a big rock on the lid so it won't come off, and lets it boil for three hours. Then he takes them out and lets them cool off for a little while, and unwraps them onto a plate. It's an entire meal in a banana leaf and by the way everyone was wolfing them down, they must have been pretty good. I didn't even get one taste!! No one would share!! Not even the two little kids, and there were seventeen people here wolfing!! I was almost ashamed of their greediness. The only saving grace was that the two little boys, aged five and seven, let me eat a lot of corn chips. They were good sharers....not to mention short, so I could easily come up behind them and grab what was in their hands.....heh heh heh.....

We also went swimming Saturday afternoon and Mommy took some pictures but they'll have to wait until tonight, too. We went with some new friends up the road and their dog Jack. He's a blue healer and a nice guy, but he's a woosie when it comes to water. I really swam circles around him. There were places in the river where I could swim with my front paws while my back ones were still in the sand....that was great, but Mommy laughed herself silly when she saw me. Oh well, it worked for me!! Yesterday, Mommy and Auntie Jan went down below to Everette, about an hour's drive, to some swap meets and markets. Aunties Jan and Bridgett put together really neat baskets to sell in the fall to make money for the Darrington Senior Center, and they get a lot of stuff at lawn sales and swap meets. Auntie Jan found some things, but it rained all day, so they places were pretty empty. Mommy says she has a good time anyhow 'cause the day gave her a chance to get caught up on all the gossip....er....news in Darrington!! Daddy and I helped Uncles Al and Charlie around the house and then we napped. I needed the rest after all that swimming and partying on Saturday.

So, today Mommy and Daddy are going off to the Olympic Peninsula with Aunties Jan, Mary, and Bridget and Uncle Hal. Uncle Hal is married to Auntie Jan. He's a really nice man and Daddy likes him a lot so is glad he is going. Daddy gets a headache when he's around all the old heifers too long..... I get to stay here with Uncles Al and Charlie and I'll be a good girl. I promised Daddy I wouldn't dig, or go after the chickens, or anything bad. Mommy will have to write to you from wherever she is.....and I'll tell you how things went when she gets back with the computer.

Have a great day everyone and I'll talk at you later! Love, Juni