A joyous southern style holiday to Y’all. A literal translation as per Mr. Mason and Dixon to be sure, but you couldn’t prove it by the temperature around here.
The most exciting news of this annual Barkereport is from the Growth Management Department – at least the growth part. May was the big month, beginning on the 7th with the birth of Jonathan to Karen and Barry. Added to Alaina and Alyssa, a boy was just the ticket, and they are really excited. The old apartment was getting a bit tight to support a full time zoo, so later in the year they moved to a new house, with large back yard and a huge garage/basement with two extra potential rooms. Pad one of those suckers and they are home free.
Joshua, another grandson appeared in Tribune KS to Diane and Jeff on May 24th. This of course, inspired a trip in June to Kansas. We arrive just as harvest was beginning and at 105 degrees F. We watched in shocked amazement as Tribune went through a complete transformation in 12 hours, from a low-key “intersection” town to a bustling beehive of activity as the contract cutters moved in on their way north following the harvest. We enjoyed the action, riding the combines, and Bob actually “helped” plow 120+/- acres of summer fallow. The Houston’s were very gracious to put up with us during such a busy time. Oh, Diane and the baby are doing just fine, and Jake, like quick silver, is all over the place (could it be we are just slowing down a bit? – nah!). They have a nice big house and yard, and Bob was the main barbeque man for the week. Since Jeff worked late, this worked out just fine.
On May 31, Pam and Bruce announced a daughter, Greta. She was the only girl in the ’88 crop. They all came to visit in October. Robin at 21/2 lives up to the billing for that age, and is a little dynamo. He had fun playing with the little girl across the street.
George and Karen (KRO) were able to visit us twice this year: once in September on vacation, and then for a weekend in October when KRO came up here on business. In September we had a full schedule (as usual) which included: the Capital, FBI, Washington Monument, George Washington and Robert E. Lee’s birth places, and Wolf trap Performing Arts National Park (the only national park so designated). In March, Gordon and Martha dropped in on their annual pilgrimage to Florida’s West coast. We had a good time in Old Town Alexandria. Over Memorial Day, Jane and Bob Elliott came for a nice visit. It was fun catching up after 15 or so years.
Trips with SPOT included Calgary and surrounding country including Banff, Lake Louise, the Columbia Ice Fields, Olympic village, and Drumheller archeological site, and Royal Terrell Museum of Paleontology, east of Calgary. We also took a 10 day swing through San Antonio and the famed River Walk, Alamo and Mexican Market, Anaheim CA and Disney Land, and Sacramento where Bob has a project going with the California Almond Board. A busy year but a good one. Hope yours was also, and that ’89 will be even better
Love