The Mullen Family Site

2011-12-15T11:06:00.000-08:00

I guess it's that time of year again. We have the tree up and so far the cat has left it alone. As you can see there isn't much under it, but I haven't started shopping yet. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, with lots of good grits and family. We smoked a turkey and had some smoked salmon and smoked walnuts. It was all good. The nuts were from Jim and Kathleen's trees in Wenatchee. Cindy and I picked up the nuts and I cracked them watching football games on TV. I ended up with 5 1/2 pounds of nutmeat. You brine the nuts in salt water over night and then spray them with olive oil and sprinkle rub on. I smoked them for four hours and they are a keeper. Since I have smoked another batch and sent them to Germany for the kids to try. It will probably become a yearly deal. Many years ago my dad bought a black walnut cracker from a guy in Missouri. It was made from a Model A gear. His son later took over the business, but ran out of gears and they are no more. It is a fantastic cracker and leaves the nut whole. That makes the job a lot easier. From the pictures you can see the kids are enjoying the Christmas Market season in Germany. We had those cinnamon rolls last year too. They are fired in a wood burning oven. I guess the line was a lot longer this year. We will go to Wenatchee for Christmas again this year. Cindy will be here later today on her way to Seattle. We get to be doggie sitters for a couple of days. The cat really loves that. . . . . . not. We had a skiff of snow this morning. It is about gone now and hopefully the golf course will be awaiting shortly. May all of you and yours have a Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year.

2011-10-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a long time since I posted anything on this site. It has been a great summer and fall. We are starting to see the signs of the other side of summer. It is supposed to freeze tonight. I have blown the water lines and am ready for the long cold winter. Annette lost her mother on Monday night, Oct. 17th. We were expecting this, so it wasn't a shock. Barbara was 91 years old and had lived a long and for the most part healthy life. It has just been the last year that she has gone down hill quickly. I am sure that we will miss her on the holidays, as we generally get together as a family to celebrate the occassions. Annette is busy quilting and enjoying the big room out back. She is doing the Senior Quilt that they sell raffle tickets on now. She has done a number of Quilts of Valor that are given to military past and present. She got an email from an Austrailan Naval Warrant Officer who had served with our Seals in Viet Nam. He had been awarded one of Annette's quilts and wanted to thank her for the beautiful quilt. He had a flag that had flown over the Arizona in 1984 and said he was going to hang the quilt beside it along with a number of comendations from the USN. We are quite proud of her work.

We had a beautiful sunrise on Saturday and I happened to be able to capture it on the camera. It is another reason we love living in this area. The grapes and apples are being harvested now. It's a little late this year, but it is never too late for the good stuff. We are not planning any big trips this winter at this time, but anything could happen. We always enjoy the four seasons, but if it gets really bad, I think I could be persuaded to head South for a short break. Golf has been good to me this year. I am playing pretty good for an old guy. Brother-in-law and I won our flight in the Fall Bestball last weekend. I will try to get information here quicker. I just have no excuse for the delay, other than I must have been having too much fun.

2011-07-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

We are enjoying the time with Jim and Kathleen and Zmo home. We spent the evening on Tuesday in Wenatchee having dinner and playing. Annette is having a ball with the little one. Cindy and I went to her 30th reunion last Friday in Issaquah and saw many old friends. One of the guys that was there was in the second class I taught in Issaquah. He had his boys with him. It was really neat to see and talk to all. We went to Tonasket, WA on Tuesday to see a ex-student who missed Friday night because his son was in Pendicton, BC in a Hockey tournament. He lives in Sweden and was home for the Reunion and a family reunion. We had a good talk with the family before heading back to Wenatchee. We will head for the beach on Monday. We have a beach home rented Monday through Friday and will spend the time with family before they head back to Germany. We are going to the Long Beach Peninsula west of Portland. We are looking forward to spending time on the beach, kite flying and all the goodies that come from the water. Cindy has found a job and is back working, so she can't go. We will miss her but understand why she won't be there. We will send pictures of the trip when we get home.

2011-07-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

Well I think that summer is finally here. We are anticipating that there will be plenty of sunshine and blue skies to follow. The gang is back from Germany and Zmo is already taking swimming lessons at the local pool. We enjoyed the 4th of July with burgers and fireworks in Wenatchee. Earlier in the Day it was the Desert Aire Firecracker Scramble. My team tied for 5th and received $37.00 each. It was a fun time and the new irons are working well. Cindy's 30th class reunion is July 15th-17th and Friday night is party night at the Gas Lamp Tavern. I will tag along to see how the group is doing. They were one of my favorite classes. Annette and I chaparoned their Senior Party. We are looking forward to the month of July as we will be spending a lot of time with the family. As the weather is finally getting hot I guess I'll have to add more water to the grass. Water is no problem this year. The Columbia as most of the other River systems of the West is full and there is much more to come. We are lucky that we don't have a flooding issue. Many parts of country aren't so lucky. More to come later.

55th Reunion Trip

2011-06-07T07:32:00.000-07:00

We have just returned home from another wonderful trip. It is always fun to get together with family and friends. Particularly when it's old friends. We went to my 55th reunion in Stockton, Ks. over the Memorial Day weekend. 15 of the 30 remaining classmates where there and we shared many great memories. The reunion was at Rooks County Country Club and two other reunions were taking place. The Class of 1951 and the Class of 1946, so you see we were the young ones. It was a good night of conversation.

We had the opportunity to see Ralph and Glenda and Mike and Mary who had celebrated their 5oth and 4oth reunions at Planville. We met for dinner in Hays on Sunday night and Betty was there also. From Hays, we headed back to Sidney, Ne to see Dixie. She had just been to Minneapolis to receive her Doctorate in Ministry. We enjoyed our time there and I got a round of golf in with one of her flock. I would highly recommend the Sidney Golf Course to anyone that enjoys the game. Great course and only $19.00 to play.

We then went to Gary and Nancy's to live on the pond. The Platte River is very high and there are flood concerns. We hope they will make it through the summer with no problems. Gary and I fished three different days. He has planted both Hybrid rainbows and German Browns in his ponds. As you can see, the Rainbows have grown well in the short time they have been there. This fish was 24 inches long and weighed almost 6 pounds. It was a lot of fun on a light fly rod. But the good eating was the Bluegills. I have always thought that they are about the tastiest fish around. Needlest to say we had our fill.

Could not get over how green everything is throughout the mid-section of our country. The weather was beautiful and temperature very nice. I will post some other pictures when we get caught up.

2011-05-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

Annette took a two-week Grandma trip to Germany to get some hug time with Zmo. The weather in Germany was wonderful. I was home with the cat. It was cold here, but in Germany it was in the 70's all but two days. I think she really enjoyed the time with the kids and grand-daughter. I found out that our Class of 56 was going to have a 55th Reunion over Memorial Day weekend. We have decided to share in the festivies. We will be going to Stockton and other points along the way. Ralph and Glenda will be in Hays for Ralph's 50th in Plainville and Mari Ellen and Mike will be in Plainville for her 40th. It sounds like Betty will be in the neighborhood also. It should be a fun time. We will stop at Dixie's on the way to and from Stockton and Gary and Nancy's after Dixie. Jim will be on the Cape in June to work on the house there and Kathleen and Zmo will be home in early July. We are busy with yard work getting ready to be away for a couple of weeks.

2011-04-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

It's a wonderful day in Central Washington. The sun is shinning and the wind is quiet for the time being. It's supposed to reach 65 today. I think that golf will be on the agenda. As you can see I'm smoking some salmon and thinking about what wine will go the best with it.

As you can see the Ralf's were in Italy in March during a break. As always the food looks good. Annette is flying out to Germany on Tuesday the 12th. I'm staying home and watching the cat. Well I guess I'd better get the garden tilled and ready to plant. See you later.

2011-02-06T10:03:00.000-08:00

As I looked at the site this morning, I realized I hadn't written anything since Christmas. It seems we have been running around like chickens with our heads cut off as my Mother used to say. I am sharing a couple of pictures that were taken recently. The Elk picture was taken about 25 miles from here as we were coming home from the Tri-Cities. The Eagle picture was taken last week by a school mate of mine that lives on Hood Canal. He said this was the best eagle picture that he had ever taken. He thought the caption should be. "Don't come back to the nest now, it's too late." It is a beautiful shot. It is Super Bowl Sunday and I am getting ready to go play a round of golf and follow that with a good viewing seat in front of a 60 inch big screen. There's a group of five of us that have been going to my brother-in-law's for the Super Bowl for five years now. It is always a lot of fun. It shouldn't be any different today. Lot's of Food, Wine and Eloquent Expressions of Wisdom as the commercials are viewed and the action unfurls on the field. The weather today is about 46 degrees and no wind for now. They say we will get lots of wind tonight. But after a game of golf and football, I guess we can handle that. Hopefully we will back to regular on this blog shortly.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL !!!!!

2010-12-23T11:47:00.001-08:00

Well, I guess it is time to enjoy the rewards of our labors. We are quickly approaching Christmas and we must have all been nice, as I see many presents under the tree. The gentleman you see in the trees is Germany's St Nicholas. He is sharing with Zmo's kinder class about how each one is doing and what they need to work on. It was wonderful spending the time during this special season on a different country. I think we all are looking for the same assurances that we are loved and have tha ability to share that with someone else. Jim brought the tree through the forest back to the apartment. Kathleen and Zmo decorated it and the candles were the finishing touch. It is a beautiful tree. May all of you take the time to share your christmas season with those around you. May we all reach out and make someone's day special. Merry Christmas

As we come to the close of another year.

2010-12-18T11:57:00.000-08:00

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.

It has been another full and prosperus year. We have enjoyed so many fruits for our labors and it seems they just continue. I hope this finds everyone well and getting ready to enjoy the holidays. We have just returned from Germany and are slowly getting our clocks back to normal. It doesn't seem bad going over, but coming home just takes longer to get adjusted. We had a great visit with Jim, Kathleen and Zmo. We were there from November 23rd to December 14th. I'm sure that they were glad to see us leave as we were using their bed. We certainly enjoyed the wonderful hospitality of Jim and Kathleen, but also the many interesting people we met along the way.

We were there for the season of Weihnachtsmarkts. It starts in late November and runs to Christmas. They are Christmas Markets. We had the opportunity to go to five different markets. Stuttgart, Strasbourg, Fr, Esslingen, Ludwigsburg, and Ulm. They were all different and and all very much alike. The food was wonderful and of course the Gluewein, which is a hot mulled wine. They had both red and white. Each market had it's own special mugs. There were booths that had almost everything you could need for Christmas. There were ornaments, nutcrackers, incense houses, leather work, wood work, and goods from all over the area.

We went to Ulm by ourselves and what a sight. The cathedral there has the tallest spire in the world. They have a pipe organ that was magnificent and we were lucky enough to hear a 30 minute concert while we were there. The building was huge. As we sat listening to the concert, we watched our breath. It probably was in the low thirties in the building. We traveled to Ulm by rail and it was nice to see the countryside all covered with snow. We bought scarfs in Ulm, as the wind was blowing and we needed the protection around the neck opening.

Our trip to Strasbourg, France was by bus, with a group of teachers from Kathleen's school. It was a long day, but well worth the trip. We had a group lunch at a small restaurant that was spectacular. We were certainly ready to get back on the bus at the end of the day. It was a two-hour ride.

Of course the biggest part of the trip was spent with Zmo. We really enjoyed seeing her and how she is progressing in her kinder school. Her languese is amazing. She speaks German very well and her English vocabulary is grow every day. She had a little friend come home with her one day who spoke no English. Annette is talking and Zmo said, "Grandma, she olny speaks Duetsch."

Jim is the chief cook and bottle washer. He is a very good cook and almost everything we had was german origin. He did make pizza one night which is one of his specialties. We are trying to get ready for Christmas here at home and that is going slow. We will go to Cindy's for Christmas and will probably spend a couple of days there. The ground was bare when we came home, but we got enough snow to cover the ground this morning. Hopefully it will melt, but the temperature is supposed to stay cold all this week.

Again, "Merry Christmas and may you have a wonderful new year."

Lake Wallowa

2010-09-26T10:30:00.000-07:00

What a view! We spent last week in Oregon. Annette had told me of this place and said she wanted to go back to see it. It is only 4 1/2 hours from home. We stayed at an outstanding B&B and enjoyed the beautiful area with Annette's brother Stan and his wife Terri. This lake is at the 4200 foot level and the Tram leaves you at the top of the area at 8150 feet. The restaurant in the picture is the highest restauant in the Northwest. The food was great and the prices were very reasonable. One of the tourists we met at the top said that this had been on their "Bucket List" for a while and I told her it should be on everyone's list. We will certainly go back. There are about three miles of trails around the top of Mt. Howard and we only did about a third of those. We would like to see the other side of the mountain. In the bottom picture you can see the mountain to the left. That is where the tramway goes. It is a fifteen minute ride and lots of views to go with it. We had breakfast with our friends from Dorset, Ontario yesterday in Wenatchee. We hadn't seen them for four years. Their daughter and boyfriend with them were on a bike ride to Winthorp and beyond. It was great to see them and spend some time with them. They run the Marina near Dorset, that we stopped at in 2006. It sounds like all is well in Germany as Kathleen has started back to work. We are shopping pricing for a trip later this fall. The weather is beautiful here and we hope to have much more of it in the next few weeks.

Wedding Reception at the Winery.

2010-08-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

I fear that summer is coming to a close. It's still warm and sunny, but the nights are a little cooler. Today the wind is blowing at a stiff rate. They say it could be as high as 40 mph until 9 PM. Our weather has been very good lately. We went to Leanne's reception last Friday. She is Phillip's daughter, that's Annette youngest brother. It was a really nice reception and the food and drink was very good. They had a DJ and the dancing was good also. Met some new people and saw a lot of old friends and family. It's always nice to see the family grow. James, Leanne's husband is a gymnastics coach. He works in the Bothell area of Seattle. That's the north end if you don't know Seattle. He is not a teacher, just helps run a gymnastics program. Who knows, we might see one of his proteges in the Olympics some day. The quilt was a gift from Annette and Maggie. Maggie put it together and Annette quilted it. It is a beautiful quilt. We spent the time with Stan and Teri, Annette's other brother. We went to Cottage Grove on Sunday to see Jodi and Jim. We haven't been there for a few years. It was good to get together with all. And of course the food was good everywhere. We are getting ready for a busy September. As you can see by the photos, Kathleen and Zmo were at a biergarten somewhere enjoying the time. She starts school next week. Their time here seemed very short, but time flies when you are having fun.

Goning Home Again

2010-08-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

Well. we haven't written for a while. We got home from Kansas on the first Thursday of August. We had a great time. Saw a lot of people and I think this was the biggest group of I'm not sure who you are reunions. I think the family is in good shape. We spent a couple of days at Gary's and Nancy's and of course had a fish fry. Dixie was able to come and join us for the festivities. Yesterday we loaded Kathleen, Jim and Zmo for the ride to Seattle for the flight back to Germany. It seemed such a short time that we got to see them. They are home now and Kathleen said that Zmo was a good traveler on the way back. She did shed a tear while landing at Amsterdam. Cindy and I put the office back together and all is well on the home front. I'll write more in a few days.

Happy Birthday Barbara

2010-07-19T19:01:00.000-07:00

Well, it took a little doing, but we finally celebrated Annette's Mother's 90th Birthday. She was released from the hospital on Thursday and placed in an extended living home. She has a nice room and it is a beautiful building. We have a friend whose wife is there with alzheimers. She is happy doesn't remember much of anything. He told us that the staff was great and that he did some volunteer work there each week. We are now in the getting ready to go phase of the trip. We are looking forward to seeing Dixie on the 27th. We will be in Topeka on the 28th. We had a very scary incident occur last night with Jim, Kathleens husband. He and a riding buddy had stopped here on their way back to Wenatchee from the BMW rally in Redmond, OR. When they were about 15 miles north of here a wind shear hit Jim and blew him off the road. He was doing about 65 and he was able to walk away from it. Good clothing and helmut made the difference. He's stiff today and probably will be for a few days. He spent the night here. He has a few cuts and bruises, but he should mend OK. We thank the Lord that he is with us every step of the way. We'll see you soon.

Aren't Grandkids Fun?

2010-07-13T12:12:00.000-07:00

We were at Kathleen's on Sunday and Grandma got to make cup cakes for Zmo and family. Jim was on a bike rally near Mt St. Helens. He arrived home in the late afternoon. It was very hot and the pool on the deck was used by people and animals alike. We had hamburgers on the grill and enjoyed the time together. Our plans got a little changed this last week. Annette's Mom was placed in the hospital early Thursday morning. We are taking everything day by day. The Birthday party for this weekend has changed. We are not sure what it will be like. She should be released from the hospital tomorrow. She probably will not be able to come out, so we will go into town to celebrate. We will know more tomorrow. We have also decided to cut back on the trip. We will be in Topeka for the Reunion, but will probably go right back home after. Kathleen and Jim and Zmo leave here on August 14th for Germany. We felt that with all that is going on, we should be close to home. Hopefully we will see those we planned to stop and see later. We are looking forward to the trip, but also know that things could change at a moments notice. See a lot of you soon.

The Fourth of July

2010-07-05T17:33:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. We had 58 golf carts in the parade this year. As you can see, grandma is getting the goodies from the drivers for Zmo. She had quite a day. Time in the pool with Grandma and Cindy and then time in the pool with Grandpa and then out to the street to watch the Golf Cart Parade. This is becoming quite a show. All are decorated and most throw candy to the kids along the route. Zmo also had time to try out the new flower pot. All in all it was a wonderful day. We had ribs on the Traeger and good wine to go with it. What can get better than that. The wind was blowing so the evening fireworks were cancelled. It was too bad, but we have so much fuel on the ground it's better to be safe than sorry. Today was our big Firecracker Scramble and my team finished one shot out of the money. That's about normal. Annette's mother is turning 90 on the 17th of July. We are hosting a party for the kids and hope to have good weather, good food and good vibes. We are starting to plan for the trip to the reunion. We hope to get away from here about the 23rd or 24th of July. We will probably take four days to get to Topeka. We will stop at Dixie's on the way and maybe see Gary and Nancy there. We will spend time with Gary and Nancy on the way home. We are looking forward to seeing many friends along the way. Kathleen will leave Stuttgart tomorrow to fly home. Jim will pick her up in Seattle. She spent the Fourth in Brussels for a conference. We are looking forward to seeing her. We know they will be very busy this summer seeing old friends. I think they have to be back in Stuttgart in mid-August.

Summertime, Finally

2010-06-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

Summertime and the living is easy. This is Francis, Kathleen's cat, enjoying the beautiful weather. Annette is in Wenatchee visiting the granddaughter. I stayed home to play golf. Many little projects to get done and the Reunion Trip is getting closer every day. We have not decided the complete trip. I was saddened to hear that Ted Coulter had passed away last week. I was planning on seeing him again this summer when we were in Topeka. I'm glad that I got the chance to see him in 2006. We'll probably be in the area about two-weeks. So many people to see and not alot of time. We will determine soon our route and let you all know. We need to check with a few people to see when they will be around and if schedules match up. We are looking forward to the trip and seeing many old friends.

Home again!

2010-06-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

Jim and Zmo enjoyed a walk on the beach at Lake Sammamish State Park. We had lunch there after picking them up at the airport Tuesday about noon. We had some great lunchmeat we picked up in Burien and some Bitburger Bier I got at a QFC in Burien. So, we had a lunch similar to what we would have had in Germany. Jim said, "Everyone in this park speaks English, what a concept." We enjoyed the sunshine and the almost empty beach. Once we got to Wenatchee, Zmo had to get reaquainted with all the toys she used to play with. The little car was a hit and she can really make it go now. As you can see, she has grown alot, but that's what kids are supposed to do. She finally crashed about 6:30 PM. Cindy said she was up at 4:00 AM That time difference is bad.

It looks like it's heating up in Germany

2010-06-08T19:26:00.000-07:00

What a pleasant place for a glass of Reisling. A small tributary and a cool bottle of the German good stuff. That's what they are famous for. It looks like the kids are having a good time too. Our Bestball Tournament is this weekend and we'll see if the shoulder will produce. Dave (brother-in-law) and I will see if there is any thing left in the tank. I really have been playing pretty good of late. I hope it continues. I am going to the Seattle area to play in a benefit tournament on Monday. A bunch of my ex-students are playing and I will join them. It will be interesting to see if any of them are any good at the game of golf. I am sure a few are. It will be a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to it. July is filling up. Annette's Mother celebrates her 90th birthday on the 17th. I thought the reunion was on the third weekend, so we had planned to leave the 18th. Now, I think we will wait a week and plan on arriving in Topeka on Wednesday the 28th. We will plan on seeing friends and family after the reunion. I think Kansas City for the Fiskins and Salina for the relatives and the Harding's then on to Stockton and ScottsBluff and home. I hope we will be able to see most of you at that time. We are looking forward to the trip and getting back with friends and family. I think that Jim and Zmo are coming the 22nd of June and Kathleen will follow July 6th after a seminar. We are just taking it one day at a time. Isn't that something I heard some great coach say?

BRIGHT EYED AND BUSHY TAILED

2010-05-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

I guess that the weather is nice in Stuttgart, too! It certainly looks like the fathers are having fun using the strollers as seats as the children play. It was very nice in Desert Aire today also. I played golf with friends and enjoyed my beer, although it was Budweiser, on the Deck. I'm getting a new computer tomorrow. It is a Quad Processor and has a lot of goodies on it. I'm sure it will be faster and more fun it play with. It also has Windows 7 and that will be fun to learn. We have a big Senior Golf Event on Wednesday. We have players from around the area coming here to play. We have 124 signed up. That will fill up the course. We have 12 golf courses we play each year and this is our turn. We will have Hamburgers and all the trimmings after golf. Annette said yesterday, Did you realize that it is only six weeks till we head for Kansas? I knew that. We are looking forward to seeing all of the cousins. But, for right now let's just keep the sunshine coming every day.

There's a Rainbow round my shoulder.

2010-05-19T16:55:00.000-07:00

There's a rainbow round my shoulder. That's a song that my mother used to sing and yesterday we truly had a rainbow round here. These pictures were taken about 7:30 PM. We had been to Yakima in the morning and the surgeon said get out of here and play golf. It rained most of the day and in the late afternoon it got pretty nice. All of a sudden I looked into the sky and there it was. You could count all seven colors and you could see the double rainbow above. It was truly a beautiful sight. We had it for about a half hour. We had visitors from another course today and it was a great day. We had 74 golfers and played in the morning. We served lunch afterwards. I had a good day, shooting an 83 and getting a closest to worth $36.00. The shoulder feels good and I know that I have to continue to work it to get the strength back. No more traveling for therapy though, so things are looking better. Maybe I'll even get going on a garden. More later.

2010-05-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Desert Aire. We reached the mid-eighties. I was on the 6th tee-box watching for a hole-in-one. This was the annual couples tournament. One of the Cart Dealers of the area puts up a cart each year for the prize of the hole-in-one. And again this year no one succeeded in getting one. We are getting ready for summer. It seemed to be a long cool spring. We have no garden started, but that might come later. I see the surgeon on Tuesday and hope he takes me off the therapy. The drive to Yakima twice a week is getting old and expensive. They say that I have full range of motion back and am improving as I go along. I still do not have much strength in the raising of the arm. I guess that will come with work. I spend abour 45 minutes to an hour a day on working out the shoulder. The golf game is coming back. It doesn't hurt to swing, so I am a happy camper. More to come.

The Glockenspiel

2010-05-10T08:12:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken in Munich and this is the famous Glockenspiel. If you have been there you know what a great experience it is to watch as the knights challenge each other in a joust that unseats the loser. It was raining, still a great sight. The entire process takes about ten to twelve minutes. It doesn't run every hour, just 11 AM, 12 N and 5 PM. The crowd gathers to watch. If you haven't seen the glockenspiel, go to Google and write in glockenspiel. Select the one from Munich and you will have the opportunity to watch as many people have placed this viewing online. The weather is finally warming up here. Wore shorts for the first time this year on Friday. Golfing is getting better. I very happy with how the shoulder is doing, but it will be quite before the strength is back. We had a Mother's Day Brunch with Cindy in Wenatchee. Went to a Bed and Breakfast called The Wild Ivy. The owners are friends of Cindy. He used to be a chef in California. Wow what a meal. We dined on the patio in the sunshine and thoroughly enjoy the food and the champagne. Talked to Kathleen yesterday morning. They had been to the Wilhelma Zoo and Bier Garten as it was evening over there.

2010-05-06T06:39:00.000-07:00

These are two pictures from Heidelberg. The one on the left is a bridge over the Neckar River. There is a lock just above this bridge. The picture on the right is the local castle of Heidelberg. We spent the day there our first weekend. It is truly amazing to see the buildings that were built before the USA was even thought about. There is a high water mark on the bridge dating back to 1539. It was the highest mark of all. That must have been a wet year. I know that there is much more to see, so we'll probably have to go back.

The Food Was Good Too!

2010-05-04T07:22:00.000-07:00

I asked Jim when we were going to have snitzel and he said how about tomorrow. We went to a little hole in the wall in Stuttgart called the XXL Snitzel Paradise. As you can see from the picture the servings were ridiculous. What you can't see is about 5 or 6 potatoes cut up and cooked with onions and gravy under the two snitzels on my plate. Jims's had mushrooms and gravy. Annette's was just the snitzel and the salad bar. There was a small guy at the table next to us that finished one of these. The three of us had about four big pieces left and we took the potatoes home for hash browns the next day. The two guys behind us looked pretty stuffed at the point of the picture. On the right you can see that Annette enjoyed the grits also. She did eat the whole thing. She said later that it wasn't very big and the bun was thin. Oh, and the beer was good as always.

Back from the Ashes

2010-05-01T09:53:00.001-07:00

Here it is Derby Day and you can see we have already run the race and Zmo won by a nose. It was a wonderful trip and we really enjoyed spending the time with family and seeing a new world. It was an eventful trip from the start. We were an hour late leaving Wenatchee and were the last two seated on the plane to Amsterdam. The plane pulled out about five minutes after we sat down. During our second night in Stuttgart, they had an electrical fire in the elevator area. We had to go to the outside. What a Chinese fire drill. Imagine waking out of a deep sleep and going outside to hear only German. We had no idea what was going on. Jim kept us up to date. We finally got back into the apartment about 2 AM. The problem caused no phone or Internet from 4/8 to 4/23. We were in the dark about what was going on in to outside world. Annette and I traveled by train to Munich on the 14th for three days. When we got back, Jim said that maybe we would be staying longer. He was right. We got an extra five days in Stuttgart and the weather was wonderful. In the high 60's or low 70's each day. We enjoyed the extra time, but I'm sure that the household is more settled since we've gone. The top right picture is the apartment complex where Jim and Kathleen live. It was built in the early 1970's. They live on the fourth floor of the middle building. The building on the right has a top floor restaurant. We ate there one night. Very good food and you can see a long ways. The shoulder is continuing to improve and I am playing golf regularly. Annette has two quilts to finish for customers, so we are keeping busy. I will add more later.

2010-03-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

Haven't posted anything in a while. My shoulder is getting better. I played five holes last Friday and five holes on Saturday with Men's Club. There is no pain when I swing, so I guess that all is going well. I am still doing physical therapy twice a week in Yakima. They say all is well, but I sure do notice the lack of strength in the shoulder. I feel it will be a long time before the strength gets back to normal. I am working daily to build that area. It gives me something to do with my time. As you can see the grass is getting green and we are having a very nice end of winter. This morning came too early with the daylight savings time change. We are having our first tournament this weekend. The Winter Best Ball. As you can see by the picture I took yesterday, the weather couldn't be better. You can also notice the trees missing on the right of the fairwayof #3. The picture on the right is the area between #4 and #5. It looks like the plantings are doing well. We are getting ready for the trip to Germany. We leave on the 6th of April. Annette can't wait. It has been snowing in Stuttgart and I sure hope it is gone by the time we get there.

2010-02-20T11:48:00.000-08:00

Big week last week. We went to town about every day. On Wednesday the Elk were quite close to the highway and by chance we had the camera. It is such a beautiful sight to see. There were probably 250 to 300 animals. As you can see they are not concerned with the passing traffic. We also purchased a new vehicle on Wednesday. We stayed in the Korean group. This is a Hyundai Tucson. Hopefully it will be as dependable as the Kia. I see the surgeon again March 2nd. I am hoping that he will let me start hitting a few shots. I am chipping and putting now. He said that in March he would probably turn me loose. We'll see and will keep you informed. We leave for Germany on the 6th of April and return on the 20th. We are looking forward to the trip and the sightseeing. We have never been across the pond. Stuttgart has had a hard winter. There has been snow on the ground quite a while. We are hoping that Spring will come before April 6th.

The Big Catch-Up

2010-01-05T11:50:00.000-08:00

As another beautiful day dawns in Desert Aire will try to get you all up to date with the comings and goings of the Mullen family. Thanksgiving was a little different this year. With Jim, Kathleen and Zmo in Germany we celebrated with Cindy, Dave and Maggie. Cindy did a 21 pound turkey on the Traeger. We had it in brine for a day and then smoked it for about 6 hours. There was a little bourbon in the brine. It was one of the best turkeys we have ever had. We had a chance to have it again, New Year's Eve at the neighbors and the result was the same. Since my surgery on November 4th, I have been diligently working on therapy for my shoulder. We have a therapist in Mattawa which is five miles from here. It is an easy trip as compared to Yakima or the Tri-Cities. She is very good and I really enjoy her helper, who is a 49er fan. I had an old 49er sweatshirt that I had picked up from the lost and found at the Junior High in the late 70's or early 80's. It was like new and I gave it to her and she thought it was wonderful. It is an old style and I told her if she sold it on ebay, I wanted a cut. She said it was going on the wall. As you can see by the pictures, we get to see a lot of the kids in Germany. The sled that Zmo and her buddy are on was by the garbage one morning. Jim picked it up and reconditioned it and when the snow came it worked fine. The sledding hill is very close to where they live. As you can see Santa comes to Hamburg also. He looks alot slimmer than the one we have here. The kids went to Hamburg for Christmas. Jim has relatives there. They had a great time. After Christmas they went to the Hamburg Aquarium, which looked wonderful. The picture of Zmo on the Dodge truck was taken in that area. Can you imagine an old Dodge truck in Hamburg with one American on it. I thought it was a interesting shot. I don't know if Kathleen or Jim thought about that connection when they took the pic. We went to Cindy's for Christmas. Cindy is now living in Jim and Kathleen's home in Wenatchee. She really enjoys the change. She is working out of the house as a medical recruiter. She is caring for the dog and cat and I think they enjoy her too. We had a wonderful prime rib, with leftovers for sandwiches and soup. We didn't have snow for Christmas, but did get it for New Years. Cindy came here for the weekend and we had alot of football and food. Aren't the holidays fun. We saw the surgeon yesterday and everything looks good. I can use my right arm now, but can't lift anything heavier than a cup of coffee. I am proceeding with therapy and hope to be back in the swing of things in March. Hope all of you had a great Christmas and will have a bountiful New Year.

IS WINTER ON IT'S WAY?

2009-11-15T11:10:00.000-08:00

It looks like a good weekend in Germany. Kathleen seems to really enjoy the new education process. We are slowly settling in for the cool season. We have had below freezing for the last few nights. The days have been very pretty. Fall is always a nice time of year. We had trace of snow on Thursday. It's a little early for that. My shoulder therapy is going slow. It was torn a lot worse than we thought. The surgeon said he had to search for the end of the tendon. He felt he secured about 75% of the tear. He said that there is a better than 50% chance that I could tear it again. If that happens, there is no repair. Needless to say, I am following orders very closely. I am writing this completely left handed. It's taking some getting used to.

The Fall is truly a beautiful time

2009-11-09T12:50:00.000-08:00

It has been a beautiful fall this year. Weather has been pretty good. Man, I'm glad that don't live in Scottsbluff. 30"of snow and it was still October. The picture above was taken about the 2nd of November. Well here is the surgery update. I went in Wednesday the 4th and had surgery on the right rotator cuff. He scoped it, but found a much worse situation than the arthrogram had shown. He had to put a patch on the rotator cup and the surgery went for about 2 and 1/2 hours. Recovery was awful and I was in the hospital for two days. Evidently I was allergic to something in the antibiotics. After 5 days my tongue and back right part of my throat feel like I've been to the dentist. The shoulder has been fine, not much pain and I am working on the first of the PT assignments. They felt after the surgery, that I had sleep apnea and I took the sleep study last night. I see the Surgeon again tomorrow and hope that the road to recovery will continue to get better. Cindy was here over the weekend to help with both of us. She brought the dog and cat. Everybody loves everbody here. But, Doggy don't you ever try to get into my food dish again. We had some interesting confrontations this week end, but the cats certainly have the dogs number. Fun to watch. I'll write more in a day or two.

2009-10-19T07:45:00.000-07:00

I've used this photo before , but it seems that it is time for the last rose of summer. And before long it will be on the ground. This was a big week. Our last two-day tournament and I cooked spaghetti for it. I had lot's of help and we had a great time. The surgeon's nurse called Tuesday and said that November 4th had been set for the rotator cuff surgery. She asked if that date would work for me and I said get it on. Now that it finally set we can start looking at time frames of recovery and possible trips here and there. The trip that Annette wants to take the most is to Germany, but that one will probably wait until Spring. They still have beer in the spring, don't they. Our power went out at 6:00 PM last night and we were without power for an hour and fifteen minutes. It was different, because we are seldom out of power. It seems that a group of Ravens got involved somewhere along the line and blackout. It covered a large area. Oh, well it was sure quiet for a while. Candles and flashlights. I thought we were going to set off the fire alarm when we blew out the candles. Peaches was really chasing shadows. Anything that moved was attacked.

Not a way to start Sunday

2009-10-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the slide that took place early Sunday morning. The highway there is route 410 from Yakima to Mt. Rainier. This happened about twelve miles west of Naches, WA. As you can see the river is finding a new path and the road will be closed for a long time. They say the slide is still moving and might for some time. Although there is another road to the west, this one is the scenic drive to Rainier. The Naches River as you can see will have to find its way around or through. It's really amazing what Mother Nature can do and She did it a lot faster than we will be able to correct the action.

2009-10-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

Annette was at her Monday quilting at the Senior Center and the phone rang and it was Jim and Kathleen wishing Mom a happy birthday. We talked for about an hour. They had spent the weekend at the Canstatter Volksfest which is Octoberfest. The one in Stuttgart is the second largest in Germany next to Munich. They had a blast. It sounds like Zmo had a good time too. The tent is about the size of a football field and there were a couple others. Jim said they were pretty loud in the afternoon and didn't close till 3 AM. Probably a little more gusto then. The car behind Zmo is a Messerschmitt, which was built by the Airplane company before WWII. They drive with a joy stick and the insides are like a cockpit. Driver in front and passenger behind. Jim says he walks about 3 miles a day doing his shipping. He's going to be in good shape. I received a letter from L&I and they have OKed the surgery. Hopefully it will be done by the end of the month, but who knows. Annette and I went to dinner at Tendrils at the gorge last night. Wonderful setting and a great meal. Gary and Nancy know that if come by you'll get to go there. Dixie knows this place too.

All hooked up and ready to communicate

2009-10-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

After I posted yesterday we caught the cat in interesting position. Annette has started to hand quilt her "Grandmother's Flower Garden" and it looks like Peaches has found a comfortable place to spend some time relaxing. And if she's bothered by the flash bulbs, she digs a little deeper. I think probably that Annette will find another place to leave the quilt when not working. After talking yesterday about the skype connection to Germany, we got connected this morning. It seems strange that Kathleen was having a beer after work and we were just getting up. We hadn't had breakfast and they were getting ready for dinner. Jim took the cam around their apartment and showed the living quarters and also the outside view. It was beautiful. Kathleen said they have about as much space as the house in Wenatchee, but not the basement. They still have some furniture to get, but are comfortable now. Kathleen has a 10 minute commute to school by bus and walking. She says she is enjoying the kids. The top picture is maybe the last rose of summer. Cindy took it after she trimmed the bushes last week. We were in the 80's and 90's last week and now we are in the 50's and 60's. Hopefully the heat will be back soon. We don't want to drop off that quickly. Generally it is nice here until the middle of November.

2009-09-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

Wow, I woke up this morning to fall. We've been having such good weather you just didn't think about having to wear long pants. I didn't today either, but it was certainly cool enough. I saw the surgeon last week and he felt the physical therapy was not accomplishing what he wanted, so it looks like surgery sometime in the future. He said that L&I sometimes takes two months to OK the procedure. So, with that in mind I'll probably not have anything done till December. At least I should be able to get back golfing in the Spring. Cindy is working hard developing a client base for her recruiting. Hopefully she will get a placement soon. She thought she would have one by the end of the month. That's today. Kathleen is thoroughly enjoying the teaching in Germany. Sounds like a great bunch of kids and a good climate to teach. She has 5 classes. She has two planning periods some days and three planning periods some days. Hopefully, they will get their skype fixed so we can share online. We are looking forward to spending some time in Germany next year.

The Coast Was Beautiful.

2009-09-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful area and it was a really beautiful day. This is the lighthouse at Newport, OR. We spent two days there visiting Gary and Nancy and Craig and Sue. The food was superb. Craig had caught a salmon, so we had salmon and they had also gone crabbing, so we had dungeness crab. Now, that's really at the top of the food chain. Had razor clams for breakfast one moning and oysters for dinner one night. All of my want list for eating seems to be covered. It was a great time to relax and have fun. We stopped at Spirit Mountain Casino on the way. It is one of the newest Indian Casinos and is really quite a show place. My surgeon has decided to try therapy on my arm instead of surgery. I have had four treatments and this morning was able to raise my arm above my head. Hopefully, I won't need the surgery. I see the surgeon again next Tuesday. I might even get to swing a club before too long. Grape and Apple harvest are in full swing. That means that fall is not far behind.

Fun in the Sun

2009-09-01T17:22:00.000-07:00

Gary and Nancy Adams, cousins, were here over the weekend. We had a great time eating, viewing and sipping. Gary and Nancy left for Seattle this morning to visit Nancy's brother-in-law. They will proceed to Newport, OR to see Gary's brother Craig. Craig and his wife have a condo for the week there. Annette and I decided that we really haven't been anywhere exciting this summer, so we will go down next Tuesday. We'll stay with Stan, Annette's brother on Tuesday and on to Newport Wednesday. We are looking forward to seeing Craig and Sue and maybe have a little fresh Salmon. Annette asked if she had to eat Salmon. The answer is no, that leaves more for the rest of us. We'll tell you about the trip when we get back. I might even throw in a few pictures.

2009-08-23T19:15:00.000-07:00

I'm sure glad we took the camera. Cindy and I took Kady for a run. We are below the Priest Rapids Dam. This is the last free flowing stretch of the Columbia River in the state of Washington. This gravel bar is generally covered with water. Why today and why we took the camera. Yesterday Annette and Cindy went down and the bar was an island and it had a number of pelicans. We decided to take the camera to get a shot or two. No island, but here came a donkey dick. Seriously that's what they are called. We have had a fire over the ridge and here they came to get water to fight the fire. for once we were at the right spot at the right time. Quite an experience to see them come in, squat and load 1500 gallons of water in about 3 or 4 minutes. Very impressive. We've lived here 16 years and I have never been down to this spot when the river was this low. I might take the pole next time.

Fire Watch

2009-08-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a very windy day. The fires had been started the previous day by lightning strikes. All in all we had about 3000 acres burn. If the wind doesn't pick up tonight, it will probably be over. We were never at risk, but as you can see by the picture on the right, we had good viewing last night. We have had this happen two or three times since we've been here. The far side of the river is the Yakima firing range. They believe in the let burn policy. Because of that the road south out of here was closed last night and is still closed this morning. We have heard from Jim and Kathleen and they have found an apartment with a view. Needs some kitchen work, which will give Jim something to do. Cindy came yesterday with Kady, Jim and Kathleen's dog. We are enjoying a beautiful day with no wind. It's about 80 degrees and we love it. Will write more when information is available. Left click on the fire picture to see the interesting effect of the digital camera.

Thank God the Mariners Won

2009-08-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

Well, this is another wonderful day in the desert and as you can see there are things going on away from the desert that is okay also. Cindy and I went the Mariner-Yankee game on Sunday. It was a great win for the little guys 10-3. We cheered our local favorites as if they were world champions. They are not and will not be in the forseeable future. From the other pic you can see that Zmo is saying . Hey look I'm in real undies. I'm a big girl now and don't you forget it. It was neat to converse by facebook with Kathleen at the game. Stuttgart is 9 hours different. We enjoyed the game and the time on facebook seeing what was going on in Germany. Annette's Mom is with us now. She is having some problems with an infection. We are happy that we are close enough to help. Hopefully she will be able to return to the Manor and make do on her own. We know this is the forewarning that the time will come when we will have to seek a different place to house her. Keep her in your prayers.

And the summer continues

2009-08-09T16:59:00.001-07:00

It looks to me that Jim is having too much fun in Germany. I would certainly like some of that beer. I'll bet it's just as good as Budweiser. They went to a Wedding on Saturday and sounds like they had a good time. We don't know if it was Jim's relatives, someone from the school or a friend that went to Berlin this Spring with Kathleen. I'm sure we'll find out at some point. We are conversing mainly on facebook. Kathleen's laptop went plop and she is using her Ipod, I think. The picture on the right is from a webcam in Glacier National Park. I have been watching it this summer. The picture changes every minute. There has been three osprey raised this summer. It is fun to watch. There are some great pictures of feeding and such. The Website is http://www.nps.gov/glac/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm They have seven cams that give you a good glance of the park. We picked two baskets full of tomatoes today, so I guess we will have some salsa soon. I go for my arthrogram tomorrow. I will keep you informed as to what the choices are. I know that I'm ready to have something done. We'll talk again soon.

2009-08-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

Well as you see, we have received our first pics from Germany. The one on the left is from their hotel room. I guess they deliver beer anywhere. I will enjoy that part of the trip. Information is slow and hopefully will increase when they get settled. If you are on facebook, you can follow the travels on Kathleen Mullen Ralf. In the pic on the right you can see all are in the pool of the fountain. Kathleen said it was 85 degrees there and people were using the fountains to cool off. It was 107 here and not a fountain in sight. The weather is supposed to continue on the warm side. Cindy is moved in and enjoying the new surroundings. The animals seem to be doing well. I hope that all works out on both sides of the Atlantic.

2009-07-29T14:42:00.000-07:00

The trumpeter vine is almost finished blooming and the Goldfinchs are just getting started on the sunflowers in the garden. We have volunteer sunflowers from the bird feeder which are close to the garden. It seems everything is running as planned. All except the shoulder and getting it resolved. I saw the surgeon yesterday and he said it looked like I had a massive tear. He said that probably he would have to scope it to tell whether or not he could fix it. I am to have an arthrogram on August 10th and will see the doctor again on August 27th. I asked why so long and the nurse said he would be out of the office. I asked her if he would be playing golf while I couldn't. She replied probably. I didn't want to hear that it possibly couldn't be fixed. We are hoping it will be taken care of. Cindy is now moved into Kathleen and Jim's house in Wenatchee. Kathleen, Jim and Zmo will fly to Stuttgart, Germany tomorrow. Keep them in your prayers. This will be an interesting time in the Mullen household. We look forward to seeing Gary and Nancy in late August. We'll keep you posted.

In the Good Old Summertime......

2009-07-23T14:35:00.001-07:00

It sure is nice that the neighbor has a swimming pool. I'm his Cabana Boy and keep it shipshape. Sorry Annette's not here to enjoy it today. The temperature is 95 degrees and the pool is 85 degrees. It's just enough difference to feel nice and cool. Although this picture was taken last year, it looks the same this year. And the water feels just as good. We have been having a Junior Golf Camp this week. Al the grandparents have their grandkids for the week and they all have a blast. We have 43 this year. They will play a Tournament tomorrow and have lunch afterwards. I have been working the shop so the pro could teach. After tomorrow, I'm taking a few days off. Cindy is moving to Wenatchee on Monday. Annette is in Kent helping her get her stuff together. It is supposed to be 106 on Monday. It will be a very hot move. I'll go over Tuesday after my Dr. appointment to make sure they are ok. Come on up, the pool is open to friends.

Here's looking at you . . . . kid!

2009-07-15T19:05:00.001-07:00

Although this picture was taken in the winter, it was taken just a few miles from here. What a nice face to see on your morning walk. We are getting into fast shuttle mode. Kathleen flew into Wenatchee last night and Cindy is coming over tomorrow. We will go to Wenatchee on Friday and see what has to be accomplished to get the change over done. You know, like Larry the Cable Guy. "Get er done" We are going to a double 80th birthday on Saturday in Chewelah, WA. Two good friends celebrating on the same day even if it isn't the date for both. We will enjoy seeing Earl and Edna Packer and friends. Cindy and Annette will leave Monday to start the packing job for Wenatchee. If everything works as it should the move will take place Monday the 27th. Kathleen is leaving for the Cape on the 22nd I think. We'll know more Friday. Keep all in your prayers, as this will be trying time for all concerned. Left click on the picture and see what a really cute guy this is.

Time flies when you have nothing to do.

2009-07-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

I'm still waiting for a call from the Doctor saying that my claim is open and I can meet with a surgeon and get the shoulder process going. I do have an appointment with a surgeon for my knee on July 30th. If the claim isn't done by then, I think I will talk to him about doing both at once. That ought to be good. Cindy is packing her wares getting ready to move to Wenatchee. Kathleen flys in today to Wenatchee to start packing for Germany. We'll see her near the end of the week or sooner if she nees help. Annette will go home with Cindy on Monday or Tuesday and help pack for the move. We have the use of a panel truck from our neighbor here. It's in Seattle and they will pick it up and the move will be on the 27th. The only good thing about my condition, is that I can't be of any use going up and down three flights of steps. I can help on level ground in Wenatchee. Cindy will start her new business offically on the 1st of August. She will be recruiting medical staff. The group she will be involved with has coverage all over the U. S. We are hoping this will be a good fit for her skills. Keep her in your prayers.

Sightings from Old Cape Cod

2009-07-07T07:12:00.001-07:00

I guess that this is as close as we will get for a while. Kathleen called last week and said it had rained almost everyday since they had been on the Cape. It looks like the Fourth was nice weather for them as it was for us. I wonder if there is a beach like that in Stuttgart? Sounds like Jim is working on the house between showers. Cindy is coming over today and will be here a couple days. She will be back on the 17th to take a walk through with Kathleen. She will move to Wenatchee the last week of July. It will be nice to have her closer. She will also be starting a new business of recruitment from her home. We hope she will be successful. Kathleen will spend next week packing for Germany. We'll get to see her then, but not Z.

It was a Great 4th of July

2009-07-05T10:57:00.000-07:00

This is getting to be a big local event on the Fourth of July. The Senior Center sponsors a classic car and golf cart parade each year. The parade is growing in stature and size. The picture on the left is taken by the side of our house. We have two large birch trees which produce some of the best shade on the parade route. It's full every year. You can see by the bag that the carts throw candy to the kids. All the carts are decorated and judged at the Senior Center. We had friends for dinner and celebrated the holiday with ribs on the Traeger. It has been very hot the last few days and yesterday we hit 101. We are supposed to cool down this week somewhat.

What happens next????

2009-07-01T08:40:00.001-07:00

What about an old relic among the new guys on the block? I thought it was very interesting that they would build an old windmill to show the differences in that have come about over the years. I went to the surgeon's office to fill out the paper work and was told since it happened on the job, I would need to go L&I. So, I guess that another month will go by before any decisions will be made. I guess truthfullness is not always the best policy. Annette is starting to look for fares to Stuttgart. It looks like about $600 to $700 round trip. Depends on carrier and time of the year. We will probably go over, just don't know when. I would enjoy Octoberfest. You know me and the brew. None of the light stuff for me. Looks like we are going to have a warm 4th. They are projecting near 100.

It's been a while

2009-06-25T06:32:00.001-07:00

I know it's been a while since I had a posting, but time flies when you're having fun. Max and Joyce Fiskin, who are both classmates dropped in for a few days and we showed them the area. Good food and a little wine and lots of talk. This picture is taken at the wind farm visitor center, which is about 25 miles from here. It has just opened and is a great place to take people. You have a commanding view of the area from the top of the ridge. There are 127 wind machines producing enough electricity for 58,000 homes. Quite a sight. The picture to the right is Dry Falls which is located about an hour north of us. During the Great Missoula Floods, this was the largest waterfall in the world. Max was very impressed with area.

The last time I wrote, I mention that I had destroyed my rotator cuff. I have been going to physical therapy and finally have a date with a surgeon. I will see him on June 30Th. Hopefully he has an open date in the near future for the surgery. I don't have much pain, but can't lift my arm. It's not a nice way to spend golfing season.

Sometimes there's a reason

2009-06-11T07:13:00.000-07:00

This is one of our favorite places, 30 minutes from the house. We took Annette's brother and wife there for dinner on Tuesday. The food is wonderful and they are running a special that all Grant County Citizens get 25% off. What a deal. We took Dixie there on her way to Alaska. She said she could spend two-weeks there just sitting on a patio and reading. Not a bad view. We I went to the PT Tuesday also and he said plan on playing golf again next year. I've decided to take advantage of the down time and get weight down to where it should be. That's more pounds than I want to say. Hope all of you are having a great summer. If you get this way, let us know. I can get off the diet for a few days.

Another Beautiful Day in the Desert

2009-06-07T22:17:00.000-07:00

Our friend was checking us out today. He thought that the weather was great, but didn't like the taste of the roses. He was checking if the misses were in the area. I didn't see them and I guess he didn't either. Our weather has been very good and we love it. We had our big best ball tournament this weekend. I didn't play for the first time. I think I might have torn my rotator cuff on Friday. I'll see the doctor tomorrow and hope for the best. I threw a garbage bag up into the bin on Friday and shoulder gave out. I hope this doesn't mean the end to the season. I have been playing very well. Will tell you more later.

I Think Summer Is Here

2009-05-31T07:13:00.001-07:00

Only in Summer can you have this beautiful evening sky where you have the warm wind, the shower on the hill and the clear sky and sunshine behind. About an hour after I shot this pic, we were sitting on the deck watching the fire in our chimeria and the sky was clear.

I has been very warm the last few days. We hit 95 on Friday and about the same yesterday. Jim, Kathleen and Z are leaving on the 17th of June to go to the Cape and Max and Joyce Fiskin will be arriving on the 16th at Wenatchee via Amtrax. We are looking forward to three days of "remembering the good old days" and doing a bit of the tourist thing. Probably a Wine Tour, a little Golf and some sight seeing.

Here Comes Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-21T07:36:00.000-07:00

This is the 18th hole from the tee. It is peaceful and serene today, but starting tomorrow there will be people everywhere. We have many weekenders here at Desert Aire and most will be here for the Memorial Day Weekend. The traffic is hectic at the boat launch and the course is full all weekend. Cindy is coming tonight and will be here for a week. We think that Jim, Kathleen and Z will be here for a day. The weather is beautiful and we are ready to rock.

A couple of interesting happenings in the last couple of weeks. I got an Eagle on a long par four in the Tri-Cities last week. I knocked it in the hole from 170 yards out. That's as good as a hole in one, but you don't have to buy for those. Last Friday a old student stopped by and spent the night. We played golf and caught up. I hadn't seen him in about 20 years. He graduated in 1985. We have agood visit and I received an email from him that he was bringing over a group of guys from the same time period. That will be a blast.

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

Kathleen and Zmo came for dinner today to make grandma's day. We did a brisket on the Traeger and it was very good. Thank you Mike Tucker. I have changed the recipe a little, and am using the rib rub and it is very satisfying. Zmo said we were eating chicken. It was sure good chicken. I don't know if Z was smelling the roses or the Brisket. Either one would put that look on your face. It was a beautiful day in the desert and we are looking for more to come. We are enjoying our new fountain on the patio. The old one finally gave up the ghost. It gave us a good excuse to find a replacement. It has lights and such a tranquil sound. Maybe that's what bought out the look. Whatever, it was a great day.

The Ides of May

2009-05-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

I haven't written in a while, but from the pictures you can see that I have been very busy. The burn pile behind the tree is ready to burn, the yard is mowed and the garden is tilled and ready to be planted. The sun has been in and out today, but the temperature is in the 60's and the golf course is beckoning. We have had a very different spring. Very little warm temps and a lot of wind. The outlook is for good weather is building and should be getting into the 80's next week. Hopefully that happens, for the arthritic body needs some lubrication.

Annette left this morning to go see the grandchild. She needs her fix ever so often. Dave and I have a tee time a little later and then ribs on the B-B-Que. That should culminate a wonderful Sunday afternoon. Zmo and family went to the Apple Blossom Parade yesterday and had a great time. Zmo told grandma on the phone what all happened. Maybe that's what brought on the need for a fix.

Spring hath come!!!

2009-04-06T16:54:00.000-07:00

As you can see the weather is great. It was 75 here today. The picture on the right is grandma pulling Simone' in her car. On the left is a shot of the 5th hole. They were hydro-seeding today and I wanted to get a picture or two of the process. Everything is starting to look okay.

Annette and I went to Jackpot, NV last week. It was kind of a booze and party run. We had a great time, but left our money as usual. The booze we brought back. Kathleen was in Berlin for a workshop. There were 14 teachers from Washington went during spring break. It had to do with the Holocaust. She really enjoyed the time and the information. Jim's cousin met her and spent some time with her. They came to the Cape last summer.

We are getting the water on and the garden ready for planting. Much more weather like this and things will be sprouting. It sounds like all are coming here for Easter. Annette will pick her Mom up Thursday and Cindy will be over Saturday. It sounds like a ham is on the agenda.

Zmo's Second Birthday

2009-03-24T07:50:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a little while since I've written. As you can see this is certaining worthy stuff. The birthday was on Saturday March 21st. We went and spent the night. There were four other kids and four other adults. It was a fun time. Zmo seemed to have a great time and is very laid back about all of the hub-bub. I guess she gets that from her granpa. She got some fun toys and some nice clothing and some good books. She really enjoys the books. Kathleen reads to her everyday. Grandma likes to read to her too. It took Annette about an hour to find just the right books. I guess these big book stores have just too many books. We had a guy stop in the Pro-shop yesterday. Quite unsual. I asked him what he was doing and he said he had a catamaran anchored in the harbor. He had come from Revelstoke, BC. He said it was his 23rd day out. He plans to go all the way to the coast. Most of the Columbia River in the State of Washington is dammed up, so it's a alot of rowing. His next run to the Tri-Cities is the only free flowing section of the River in the state. He said that two other friends started with him, but bailed. I'd like to talk to him when he finishes.

Happy St. Pat's Day

2009-03-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

It's time again for the wearing of the green. That sure doesn't seem to be a big deal anymore, as few people check whether you are or not wearing. In my last post I said if the next day was good I would take pictures and post them. You haven't seem a post have you. We are supposed to get into the fifties this weekend, but I won't believe it till I see it. They even had snow in Seattle last weekend. At least we didn't have any of that. It's just been cold and the last few days very windy. Just like Kansas only harder. Zmo turns two on Saturday, and now I wonder where we will be. We had some child sweatshirts with hoods come into the shop for grandparent's only. The have the course logo on them and of course very cute, and of course they are almost all gone. Annette is going to embroider Zmo just below the logo and she will the only kid in day care with a Desert Aire Logo. Ya sure, Ya betcha!

What a great day.

2009-03-04T15:53:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess Spring is finally here. It was beautiful here today, and the golfing was wonderful. Our team eagled the last hole to finish tied for first place. There was fresh snow across the river, but we don't care. We probably got to the high fifties today and I hope that continues. Annette is in Wenatchee baby sitting Zmo. She has some type of eye infection and Kathleen doesn't want her in pre-school, so that gives grandma some time with her. If it's as nice tomorrow, I'll take some pictures and post them on site.

Is Spring going to be late this year????

2009-02-25T23:06:00.000-08:00

Well, this picture was taken a couple days ago, but it still isn't what you call nice out there. I took this picture to show the new fairway bunkers on the 5th hole. We will be finished with the front nine's new water system in a few days. Hydroseeding will take place in mid-March and we will have a great looking course by Memorial Day. We have been quite busy lately, Annette and Cindy baby sat in Wenatchee last weekend and we drove to Issaquah Monday to attend a funeral of a good friend from our church there. We had dinner with our friends Mary Jo and CJ and Jake, who had his last supper before leaving for a couple of months on Maui. Poor Guy. We drove home in the snow, but by the time we reached the Columbia River it was 64 degrees. Today it got to about 50, but the wind was about 25 mph. Our first big tournament is this weekend and hopefully Dave and I can put a few shuckles in the account.

There they are again!!

2009-02-16T15:22:00.001-08:00

We had to return to the Tri-Cities this morning. Annette is struggling with this flu whatever. She got some anti-biotics and steroids today. I don't know if she's going after a batting title or just the long ball. Cindy came over Sunday afternoon and will be here a few days. Annette is supposed to granddaughter sit over the weekend. We'll see. Not much Sun today, but it is warmer. We even had some snow yesterday. None of it stuck thank goodness. The elk today were a lot further from the road. I didn't know if the camera would pick them up. I'm always impressed on what it will do. Hopefully we won't have to go back to town for a few days. It is affecting my golf game.

They were there!!!

2009-02-13T13:32:00.000-08:00

We didn't see them on the way in, but on the way home they were there. My guess probably a couple hundred elk and with the close up look I needed three shots to cover the herd. The first shot they were mostly lying down and the bottom shot they were on the move. It's really neat to be able to see these animals even if they are quite a ways from the road. Left click on the photos and see how many you can count.

It's a new day

2009-02-13T07:10:00.000-08:00

As we say, "it's going to be another beautiful day in the desert." It's cold, but at least we will see some sun and maybe some Elk as we travel to the Tri-Cities for a Doctor's appointment for Annette. Nothing major, just check-up. It can be a beautiful ride across the Hanford Reservation at this time of the day and there is always a chance to see wildlife. There's a couple hundred elk wandering around out there and sometimes we get to see them. If we are lucky today I'll give you a shot on the blog of the herd.

A Foggy Day in Desert Aire

2009-02-06T08:21:00.000-08:00

This is one of those mornings that you say, I might as well go back to bed. This shot would normally show you the hills across the river. This morning I can't even see the river. Oh well they say that pain is temporary. Not only foggy, but I bet a little icy and I have to go to Yakima today. Annette is in Wenatchee doing the Grandmother thing. Jim has the flu and is in the hospital. They it's type A. Kathleen is doing ok, but has concerns about Zmo. I would guess that Annette will come home today or tomorrow. Maybe when I get back from Yakima the sky will be clearer and I can follow a golf ball a little. At least the ground is uncovered.

Friday was a day to Forget.

2009-01-31T14:05:00.000-08:00

Friday started real early. I had to get Bob Anders to the Pasco Airport for a 6:30 AM flight. We were up at 4:00 AM and on the road by 4:30. We arrived at the gate by 5:30 and I left to come home. I picked up a few groceries and gas and was home about 8:00. About a quarter till 9:00 the phone rang and it was Bob saying that the plane couldn't land in Seattle and had returned to Pasco. Dixie Anders was due into Bellingham by ferry at 8:00 AM. Annette drove into the Tri-Cities to pick up Bob and we were on the road to Seattle by 11:30. Dixie's ferry was 4 hours late and her flight from Bellingham was cancelled and so, we all met at a Azteca Mexican Restaurant in North Seattle. Bob, Annette and Dixie went to the Airport and I started back with Dixie's Car. Traffic was terrible and I was only half way to Cindy's when Annette called and said they had deposited Dixie and where headed home. We met in North Bend and got both rigs home by about 7:00 PM. I was nice to see Dixie, but it was a long, long day. Bob left for Nebraska at 8:00 this morning. Dixie arrived in Sidney at 1:00 this morning. The picture is from the top of Snoqualmie Pass. It was beautiful when we went over, and raining hard when we came home.

There it goes again

2009-01-24T09:20:00.000-08:00

Not so long ago I sent this picture, showing you all that the snow was gone and we were enjoying the sunshine. Well, today we awoke to this stuff again. By the sounds of the weather report, the cold weather isn't going to go away anytime soon. I guess that I will have to start doing some of the inside jobs I've been putting off for a couple of years. I don't want to, but what's a guy going to do. Hopefully this will be gone soon and we can get back to normal. One good thing is the amount of moisture that this leaves is very helpful later on. It also gives me a reason to write in the blog.

A New Beginning

2009-01-20T12:50:00.000-08:00

Well, I watched until he finnished his acceptance speech and then decided that I hadn't played golf for a week and I needed some fresh air. It was really fresh, 29 degrees, but I did enjoy getting out and about. The grounds a little hard, but the ball does roll farther. Putting is a little different too. There were only three of us on the course. The cart's heater was maintaining a nice warm glow inside. The only problem, you have to get out to hit the ball. It's hot toddy time. See you later.

Where has the Sun gone?

2009-01-19T13:07:00.000-08:00

We have not seen the sun since my last posting. Hopefully in the next day or two we will see it again. With Dixie moving form Alaska, Bob will be here the 27th through the 31st. We will pick him up in Pasco on the 27th and he will fly back to Bellingham on the 30th to pick up the car as Dixie will take the ferry from Ketchikan to Bellingham. Bob will bring the car back here and probably leave the next day. It is three days from here if you don't push it. I'll probably send him by I-80 which runs through Sydney, NE. We look forward to seeing Bob and hearing all the plans for Sydney. The cat will travel with Bob. The last time he was here he disappeared, the cat that is. He is a shy cat. Cindy is here for the week. She and Annette are working on a fleece quilt. More later.

2009-01-09T21:44:00.000-08:00

No wonder there's still feed in the bird feeder, we have a guard bird standing watch. Annette shot this photo this morning. What you can't see is there must be twenty small birds in the bush below the feeder. When the hawk left, the bush erupted. Golf was great today and we'll try again tomorrow. Just think, another six weeks and we will be in Spring mode again. Doesn't seem possible.

Here comes the Sun

2009-01-07T15:40:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a change in the weather. Our low last night was 50 degrees and our high today was 62 degrees. I can see the grass and know that in a few days we'll be back on the course. This view is across the street looking at the 2nd and 8th fairways. We opened the driving range today and hopefully we might get on the putting green tomorrow. This is what it's supposed to look like around here in the winter. It has been a long time coming.

Happy Aniverisary Two Weeks Late

2009-01-04T14:16:00.000-08:00

The weather has been so bad a times that we put off going out to celebrate our 46th anniversary.

Today we drove to one of our favorite places about 30 miles from here. The area is called Sagecliffe and the restaurant is Tendrils. It is overlooking the Columbia River Gorge. They have started having a Sunday Brunch and as we found out today it is as good as any of the meals we have had there. It was 10 degrees when we got there, but the atmosphere inside was warm and wonderful. They are also having a special till April 30th at $15.00 if you're 65 or older. I think we'll do it again soon. Hopefully warmer weather is on the way. They say we could get snow tonight, but it should change to rain tomorrow. We are supposed to warm up to the mid forties. Let's hope!!!!

FORGET IT

2009-01-02T09:39:00.001-08:00

I don't know what to tell you. It did it to us again last night. The front yard was bare. It is beautiful though. Left click on the photo and see all the snow blowing on the ridge in the background. I guess we are in it for the duration.

2009-01-01T21:12:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!

Hello 2009, good-bye 2008. I guess what that really says is we are another year older and no chance of ever heading the other direction. What you have to do is love life and enjoy the wonderful things that are all around you. With that said, I guess you could say that grandkids are really special. As you can see, Annette really likes the one she has. We spent New Year's Eve Babysitting this cute young girl. What a pleasure. The bad thing it snowed again last night. I am really getting tired of this. The good thing is, it got to 46 degrees today and I can see my front yard. Grass that is. A couple more days of this and we'll be back on the course. Can you tell I'm getting antsy. As the Cable Guy would say "Get her done" Lets hope this will be a great new year,, with plenty of outstanding golf.

2008-12-30T18:03:00.000-08:00

Although these were shot on Christmas Day, I am a bit slow getting them to the blog. We had a wonderful time in Wenatchee watching little one open presents. She seemed to be much more excited in the tearing of the paper wrappings than for what was wrapped up within. We had a great dinner and as you can see by the above picture just tried to stay warm. We had a blazing fire Christmas evening and the house was almost to warm to go to bed. There's something about a wood fire. I really miss our old wood burner, but Annette says no more mess. We are leaving again tomorrow to go back to Wenatchee to babysit for a New Year's Eve party. I guess we will have to have our own. We went to Yakima today and I think that we have finally broken the cold spell. We have been over freezing three straight days. Maybe there is hope for golf in the near future.

And It Is A White Christmas

2008-12-25T08:50:00.001-08:00

What a beautiful morning. This picture was taken about 8:30 AM and as you can see the Sun is shinning. What else do you need to start the day? We had a Prime Rib dinner last night here at the house. Dave and Maggie, Vic and Mary Jane, and Cindy shared a wonderful meal with some very good wine with us. We will head for Wenatchee around noon. We will have dinner with Kathleen, Jim and Simone' and spend the night. Hopefully our major snowfall is over and we can start watching it recede into the ground. I'll bet the grass will still be green when it shows again. May all of you and yours have a very Merry Christmas

It will be a White Christmas

2008-12-21T12:32:00.001-08:00

What a wonderful day to be inside. I've already shoveled snow and fed and watered the birds. That means the rest of the day is for watching the Jets and Seahawks play in the snow. That should be fun although it means nothing to the Seahawks. They are pretty bad this year. We've had snow on the ground since last Sunday, but last night we received about 5 to 6 inches more. Annette is in front of her sewing machine, and expect that is the way she will spend the day. We have had a rash of break-ins in Desert Aire. Most have targeted snow birds. Very few peaple that live here year around have been hit. With the new snow, I'll probably go out later and drive into driveways to make it look like someone is around. This is a real neat community in that regard. We met with the sheriff yesterday and they really have few leads to go on. Someone asked about guns and he said even if you don't hit them, it would scare the hell out of them. Cindy will try to come over either tomorrow or Tuesday. The weather report doesn't really look good either day. The good news is we are slowly headed towards 32 degrees. We should see it the day after Christmas. All I want for Christmas is bare ground. I haven't swung a club since a long time ago.

Our Chrismas Letter

2008-12-15T21:21:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Year to All

We have had another wonderful year in the Mullen household. Our illnesses and injuries have been minor and we are looking forward to a great holiday season. We look forward to seeing family and friends over the holidays and spending some time with granddaughter.

Cindy has had a rough year in the job market. She was laid off by Starbucks and then found a contract job with Washington Mutual. As you probably have heard they are no more. She has interviewed for a recruiter position with Providence and she feels everything went well. She should hear from them early next week. We are hoping that will lead to a secure job going into next year. Cindy has moved and is in an apartment complex where she used to live. She will be here over the holidays and we hope we can celebrate a new job.

Kathleen and Jim just purchased a new car, a Honda Element. I guess that as the family grows you find needs you didn’t have a short while ago. It is much easier to get the little one in and out of. We will be spending Christmas day in Wenatchee. Hopefully there will not be all the snow that there was last year. We are supposed to get our first of the season in the next few days.

Kathleen, Jim and Simone’ had another great summer on the Cape. Jim had relatives from Germany this summer. They have found a day care within walking distance of the house and Zmo is taking it all in stride.

Annette had Gall Bladder Surgery in late November. It is certainly a much simpler operation than it used to be. She is back in full force and the quilt room is buzzing again. She went to Salem, OR to participate in a craft show with her brother Stan. They didn’t sell as much as hoped, but had a great time together at the show. It was the show’s 40th anniversary. I’m sure we’ll go back next year. It’s on the Oregon State Fairgrounds and there is plenty of room for a lot of vendors. I think there were about 150 this year. Many had been there before and said it was tough this year. Not near as many sales.

We haven’t planned a winter excursion this year. We felt that with the economy and all that we just would stay home and enjoy what we have. I played golf yesterday and the weather was beautiful. It got to 50 degrees. That’s as good as it gets. We are hoping to have a lot of that kind of weather this year. The last two winters have been hard. We are due for a good one. At least that’s what we are telling people.

We have developed a blog to take over from the web site. It is much easier to control and Dave doesn’t have to do it. If you have the internet, go to http://www.abmullen.blogspot.com/ and we’ll try to keep you up to date with the comings and goings of the Mullen Family.

As it gets ever closer to the big day, I guess I’d better get this finished and on the way. I will post it to the blog site and sent to those who don’t have the internet. We have had our first snow and it will be here a while as it will be below freezing for a couple of weeks. This will be the longest cold spell like this since we have been in Desert Aire. I don’t know why they continually talk about global warming. If that’s the case why are we so cold? If they get enough of those wind machines and point them north, maybe it will blow it all back to the poles.

Well, it sounds like Dixie is headed back to the lower 48. I know she will be warmer and happier in Nebraska than Craig, Alaska. It is a beautiful place, but the weather is gloomy most of the time. I’m glad we got the opportunity to go up and see her while she was there. We will put another Alaska trip on the back burner. I’ve always wanted to drive the Alcan, so maybe that will happen.

We were very sad to hear of Cara’s passing. We are reaching that age of you better do today rather than put off till tomorrow. It’s good to hear Ralph is retiring and I know that he will be busier than he was when he was working. He’ll probably develop into a great novelist. Who knows, they might even make a movie of one of his books. We could all go to the red carpet.

It was great to see so many of you this summer at Branson and at Aunt Ruth’s 90th. Hopefully some of you will make it out this way in the near future. We would love to show you the great area that we are in.

May you all have a Very Merry Christmas and A Very Prosperous New Year. We hope that we are able to see our economy grow and our fortunes start the other way. God Bless and May the Lord be with you every step of the way.

Love,
Brian and Annette

2008-12-14T22:13:00.000-08:00

Well, we've had the first snowfall of the season. Hopefully this will be a Very Merry White Christmas. The weatherman says it will not be in the 30's until after Christmas. Then the ground should clear and we can play golf in the sunshine. We were at the kids over the weekend baby sitting. Annette can't get enough of that. Zmo certainly enjoys the snow as you can attest. We are going over to Wenatchee for Christmas and I think we have signed a baby-sitting commitment for New Years Eve. I guess that means I can drink at home and not worry about the drunks on the streets. We saw two roll-over accidents in a five mile stretch on the way home today. They were both 4-wheel drive vehicles. I have always questioned as to their safety. I still believe the driver has a lot to do with it. Oh, by the way, You can left click on the picture and see it full size.

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas

2008-12-11T15:45:00.000-08:00

Well, the Christmas Tree is up and almost decorated. The cat is really not very interested. I guess nothing on the tree tastes good. Annette found this tree in Oregon at a Michaels store. It was on sale like everything else. It's a pretty little tree and will fill our needs quite well. The kids of course will expect bigger. I played golf again today, but it looks like a storm on the horizon. We could get some snow tomorrow. We are supposed to get into the single digits this weekend. The 15 day outlook is cold. Hopefully it will get better. We certainly don't want to miss anymore golf than necessary. We hope to get to Kathleens and Jims this weekend, but might have to defer to the weather.

Craft Show

2008-12-09T09:03:00.000-08:00

We spent a very good weekend with Annette's brother Stan and his wife Teri. Stan and Annette had a booth at a craft show in Salem, OR. It was on the state fairgrounds in a very large hall. The Salem Garden Club puts this on every year. This was their 40th year. Lots of people, but you can sure tell the economy is down. Annette did OK, selling enough to pay for the entry and make a few bucks. I'm sure that we will do it again next year. They spent the days at the show and I stayed at the house and watched football. What could be better than that. We forgot to take the camera so there are no shots available of the site.

2008-11-30T20:39:00.000-08:00

Was the Morn after Thanksgiving and Zmo was the only one at the table. She was probably the only that had room for more food. I guess the rest of us did eat a little later. We had a wonderful weekend. All but Cindy were gone by Saturday morning. Cindy and I watched with delight as Kansas dumped Missouri and later Oklahoma and OSU, thenOregon and Oregon State. We enjoyed most of the games and we are very happy that Ralph didn't have heart failure, cause Auburn didn't even get close. Maybe Washington will have a new coach this week, maybe not. We are looking forward to next weekend as we travel to Oregon to visit Stan and Teri and Annette and Stan's products will be in a craft show. Maybe we will have enough money for Christmas.

What a Ham

2008-11-27T07:36:00.000-08:00

As you can see, dinner hasn't been served yet. When it was there was more than enough to feed the 14 that were here. It's really neat to have family for the holidays. Today we move to the north end of Desert Aire to share a Big Ole Turkey with Dave and Maggie. The temperature is cold, so I don't think there will be much Thanksgiving Golf today. You would certainly need some bourbon.

This was my first attempt with Traegerizing a ham. I was very good. The outside temperature yesterday was in the thirties and I don't think the temp in the Traeger got above 200 degrees. It smoked about 5 hours. And now we must set our sights on a beautiful bird today. The holidays are tough on the diet.

2008-11-25T06:46:00.000-08:00

Well, it looks like little one is getting ready to come to Grandma's house for Thanksgiving. And by the temperature outside it must bet getting close to the day. We have had heavy frost the last couple of days and the sun is exiting the Western sky much too early. Dave and I had to quit yesterday after 6 holes. I guess I'll have to fire up the heater and get serious. We hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and hope that friends and family will be with you to enjoy the vast variety of goodies available to all of us this time of year.

2008-11-24T06:42:00.000-08:00

As you can see, Simone' is learning first hand from the specialist on how to make a great crust for a pie. Hopefully she will continue to have great learning experiences, so that grandpa will get a pie one of these days. Thanksgiving is upon us and we will be seeing Annette's two brothers, Stan and Phil and their wives, along with Mom Van Wagner. Dave and Maggie Bevers also live here in Desert Aire. Maggie is Annette's sister. We all enjoy having the family here at the holiday season. Cindy, Jim, Kathleen and Simone' will be here too. We look forward to having lots of good grits and libations to celebrate the occasion.

This is Desert Aire

2008-11-23T12:44:00.000-08:00

This is Desert Aire. We were developed in 1974 and have grown consistantly since that time. The golf course was started in 1974 and the second nine was completed in 1992. We have just been selected by "Golf Digest" as "Best Places to Play in 2008-2009." We are excited to see what effect this will have on the amount of play we get from the outside world. The reason you see no buildings near the water is that the shoreline is controlled by Grant County PUD. The water you see is the Columbia River backed by Priest Rapids Dam. The river below the dam is the last free flowing water in the Columbia in the state of Washington. Priest Rapids Dam generates electricity and is owned by Grant County. We have one of the lowest electric rates in the United States.

The Mullen Family Site

2008-11-23T11:47:00.000-08:00

Hi all, this is a site developed to help keep you informed on what's happening in our family. We hope that we will be able to up date this site on a regular basis. Our previous website is now gone. We will continue by using this google blog site http://www.abmullen.blogspot.com/

Annette tried a new Quilt Retreat this fall in Prosser, WA. It was on the same weekend as the balloon rally. The balloons touch down in the Yakima River which runs right next to the property where the Quilt Retreat took place. Annette took many shots of the balloons. It looks like we might have to spend a day or two down there next year. It's about an hour from our house. There is also many wineries in the Prosser area. I probably would sample a few or their products. Want a reason to come to Washington? There are many.

Mark this on your calendar and we'll have a party. Last weekend in September. Golf is still very good with temps in the 70's and 80's. Wine tasting is good any time. It's almost Thanksgiving and we will be celebrating the the holiday with family. Annette's Mom and children will be here for the weekend. We will enjoy the fruits of our labor and the fellowship of our family. May you all have a great holiday time with friends and family.