A  Visit with Grampy and Grammy at Depoe Bay

Annie wanted to take the girls down to Oregon to visit Grampy and Grammy Disher.  Thomas did not want to go, so I went in his place.  We left on the afternoon of Thursday the 13th, and returned on Sunday the 16th.  Annie did all of the driving.  I paid for three nights at the basic Four Winds Motel on the north side of Depoe Bay, and Annie paid for all our meals.  Bob and Kim Disher were serving as volunteers at the Whale Watching Center there.

On Friday, we spent most of the cool and windy day at Beverly Beach State Park after visiting Bob and Kim and spotting a whale.  This was Charis's favorite beach.

Valerie ordered off the menu at the Chowder Bowl by pointing to a picture of a corn dog.

On Saturday, we spent most of the day at Fogarty Beach.  The weather improved and Valerie decided it was warm enough to do more than just curl up in my arms.  For Charis and Valerie, this was a big adventure.  For Annie and me it seemed to be a working vacation.  It may be even more so when Annie delivers the one Charis calls Mystery sister.

We made tasty trips to Ainslee's candy shop on both Friday and Sunday.  We watched salt water taffy being made and I blew both my diet and my blood sugar.  I've enjoyed Ainslee's since I was a boy and on at least five visits to Depoe Bay as an adult.  Alas, my weight shot up above 180 this month, a six pound rise.

We alternated our meals between food brought from home and fast food.  Annie and I agreed that Wendy's is far superior to McDonald's.

Cynthia's Birthday is Our Annual October Family Party

Sunday the 2nd found us all down in Auburn to celebrate Cynthia's birthday.  With nine kids under five, the event was another play date punctuated by lunch.

Each family gathering provides a snapshot of the growing clan.  And soon we'll be blessed with the next Miss Disher.

I had fun in the hammock with four little ones.  But most amazing was the sight of two-year-old Reuben learning to play his authentic yet miniature violin!

Here are the grandkids in age order.

Charis Disher                    Rowen Pastrick                          Jonathan "Jonny" Sleight                     Corvin Pastrick               Reuben Sleight

Valerie Disher                                      Vivienne Pastrick                       Galen Sitte                                                Isaac Sleight

Mariners Win ALWCS

The Seattle Mariners played the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto in the best of three American League Wild Card Series on October 7th and 8th.

The first game on Friday was a comfortable 4-0 win by the Mariners thanks to a two run Cal Raleigh homer in the three run first inning, and stellar pitching by ace of the staff Luis Castillo.

But the Saturday game was one for the ages.  Starting pitcher Robbie Ray gave up four runs in the first four innings and then reliever Paul Sewald gave up another four in the bottom of the fifth inning.  By then, the Ms were down 8-1 and it looked like a certain loss for Seattle. 

But in the top of the 6th inning, Carlos Santana hit a two run home run, part of a four run inning of their own, and the team narrowed the score to 8-5.  Then J. P. Crawford's bloop double in the top of the 8th inning drove in three runs so that by the top of the 9th the score was tied at 9-9.  In the 9th, Cal Raleigh doubled and Adam Frazier also doubled to bring him home.  Young George Kirby, our #4 starter, came in and shut down the Blue Jays to get the save in this improbable 10-9 Seattle victory. 

This was one of the top three come backs in major league post season history.  The two game sweep in Toronto sent Seattle on to the best of five American League Division Series against the Houston Astros.  Alas, Houston swept the M's including an amazing eighteen inning 1-0 loss in Seattle, the first playoff game in Seattle since 2001.

"Trunk or Treat" at Bellevue Presbyterian

On Saturday, October 22nd, Bellevue Presbyterian Church hosted a Trunk-or-Treat event in their lower parking lot.  Dozens of cars were decorated and their trunks were opened with costumed church members handing out candy or small toys at each one.

Valerie was slow to figure out the free candy give-a-way routine but eventually caught on with delight.  Charis enjoyed much of the event but was very shy.

Mom guided Charis while dad kept tabs on Valerie.  I wore my AFROTC cap and my long Air Force coat and of course followed along for the photos.

It was a test of will to not snitch a sweet or two for myself, even when they were offered.  My rare low blood sugar number of 106 that morning may have helped my will power.

Autumn Arrives in My Garden

Summer 2022 was officially the driest summer on record in Seattle. During the summer, June 21 through Sept. 21, Seattle only saw 0.5 inches of rain.  The dry season lasted right up until October 20th, then the rains came.

By mid-month, only one of my slicing cucumber plants was still green and producing.  The pickling cucumbers were not at all successful.  I have yet to harvest my bulb onions and leeks.  But all seven varieties of peppers have produced well.  They were planted so late that not all have changed to their fully ripe color, but they are still tasty.  Three peppers go into each batch of salsa I make, and dozens still need to be picked.  And I still look forward to the first frost so I can discover what has become of the 5 oz. of horseradish I planted in March.

My large tomato crop stopped ripening early in the month.  The Disher girls helped me pick about a hundred green tomatoes to wrap up that harvest.  Per the advice from sister Laurie, we're enjoying them slowly as they continue to ripened indoors.

I've yet to mulch my raised bed of garlic with fallen autumn leaves.  I built a smaller box and planted Walla Walla Sweet onion seeds to see if they can get through the winter to be transplanted in the spring.

Once the leaves have fallen, I'll take down the Cottonwood trees growing near the house.  Like grass, they'll just start growing again from their stumps.  Nancy has also given me permission to top the big multi-trunk holly tree shading my garden.  If I deal with one trunk a week, it'll be topped before the spring.

A Pre-Halloween Play Date

On Saturday the 30th, Cynthia invited the Dishers and Pastricks to join her boys at the new children's playground at the modest North Kirkland Park.  She had all three Sleight boys in tow by herself since Nathanael was away for the weekend larping.

We were fortunate to have a rare few rain-free hours there in the early afternoon.  The variety and number of large toys made the trip worthwhile.  The kids outnumbered the adults 8 to 7.  Valerie was especially sad when we decided it was time for everyone to head home.

Bits and Pieces 

Even when Galen is brought to our house so Jean and Joel can get some time off, I become his main companion.  I walked him round and round our cul-de-sac in the stroller until he fell asleep for an hour.  Of course, I also sat beside him for that hour outside on a beautiful 77 degree October 1st afternoon.  The first ten days of October were a wonderful extension to the dry summer.

I've already been booked for November 1st and 9th to visit the Sitte house to give Jean a break as I play with Galen.  Around Thanksgiving, I'll dog sit Luna for as much as a week while Joel, Jean, and Galen fly back to Massachusetts.

Jean brought Galen by briefly on Halloween morning.  For the record, his first Halloween costume was that of a NASA astronaut.

I was asked to move my two months of Bible teaching on Jeremiah earlier in 2023.  I agreed to teach five Thursdays in March and three in April with a break the week before Easter.  I'm suddenly way behind in my study and preparation.

Nancy's home project of the month has been to replace the second floor deck boards and railing and to re-calk where the joists pass through the siding.  The new composite lumber is waiting on the lower deck, but this $2,000 project moves ahead slowly as the October rains allow.  I removed the screws that held the old deck boards to the joists.  I did some painting and do any heavy lifting, but Nancy, as usual, has been doing most of the detailed work.

I have a lot of work ahead of me on the West Seattle High School class of '73 50th reunion.  Updating the website, getting out a "save the date" email and mailing, and preparing a form to facilitate donations are urgent items.  Laurie and I met via Zoom to hash out issues on the finance side of this project.

My Quote from October