Back after 20 Days

Been Busy in Boise and Seattle and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Suzy retired and finished work on June 6th and we took off for Seattle driving the truck and Suzy's Element to leave with Tate and Jeff while we tour. I left for the American San Juans on the 7th with Les, Steve, Wayne and Sheila. Great biking group who set up base at Friday Harbor on San Juan Isle and then biked Lopez Isle, Orcas Isle, and San Juan Isle. Lots of miles, hills and elevation. Learned lots of history including the great Pig War in the San Juans, where in the end Kaiser Wilhelm adjudicated a settlement giving the U.S the American San Juans and Canada their own islands. The San Juan archipelago has over 170 islands, so much biking to do in the future. Suzy and I did some of the Canadian SJs years ago.

Back in Seattle for Tate's graduation on the 14th from Seattle U with Masters in Counseling (Education). Great time, with brunch with Grandparents, and Aunt Terry and Uncle Al and then party afterwords on Shilshoe Bay in Seattle. Tate did great job working full time and getting all her course work done. She is working hard on applications as I type.

Then it was off to Manistique, MI in the UP eh! My birthplace and home of my Uncle Charlie. His daughters from Canada were there and Aunt Betty also of Manistique and her four children. My sister Judy and husband Esly and their three children and my sister Helen and her son Eric and wife Angela along with nephew Casey, plus Tate, Meg, Jeff, and Rusty made up the TC Slining contingent. Jeff won the prize for coming the furthest, Anchorage, Alaska. All nine living cousins were there. We celebrated Charlie's 90 birthday and our 2009 Family Reunion Saturday night at big banquet and ended night with Karoke. Was so good to have three full days to meet and eat and get reacquainted since the 1994 reunion. We were all getting refreshed on family history and telling and retelling the stories that are the fabric of our family. And no shortage of stories are there.

Great time only made better by daughter Meghan's acceptance of proposal to marry from beau Rusty! Rusty asked our blessing the day before he popped the question to Meghan out on the breakwater in the shadow of the red lighthouse on Lake Michigan. Same breakwater I fished off as an 8 year old. Rusty designed the ring and it was a big hit with his bride to be. (She is very pick (discerning taste)). Memorial Day 2010 in Durham, NC will be a long time a coming. We are all excited about this union and new member of the family. I was more surprised then most......

Back to Boise yesterday to prepare the 5th Wheel for the road. Tomorrow we pull out headed to Yellowstone. More on that in the next post. We are well prepared and anxious to hit the road in the morning. Can't wait to hear "Wagons Hoh!" when daylight hits the swamp tomorrow.