Welcome to the September 2004 BLOG.

Sept. 30, 2004

here's a link to Eric's Alaska Page 
Very fine work, Eric. Looks like a really good time!

Sept. 28, 2004

Whoa! Another month about gone. Here is the news: The Honda GW is still in the shop. Missed riding in the Oyster Run.
Fae's 1990 Honda Accord is still for sale. We are parking it on the main drag during the day. Kelly blue book says it's worth 3945. We're starting out at 3000. Might be lucky to get two, once word of the oil leaks gets out. . .
My trusty Saab had a dead battery this morning, and I have no idea why? Charging it now.

Sept. 26, 2004

OYSTER RUN, 2004
Ann and I reflected in the air cleaner of a lean mean chopper.

The Oyster Run was bigger than ever, this year. And that's saying something! The day started out foggy and mid fifties. By noon it was burning off nicely, and the afternoon was Anacortes beautiful, near seventy and sunny. We heard (and saw) the bikes arriving over the last two days, especially last night, and in force this morning. Now, (at five-thirty PM) the constant roar of thousands of motorcycles is almost second nature.

Ann and I walked Commercial for several hours, enjoying the sights and sounds, and the food. That smoke in the air is from the BBQ'd beef tent.

Cassady had his work cut out this day, they were lined up ten deep to even get in the door, at The Brown Lantern, where he works.


I was surprised to see this 1949 Whizzer motorbike, at the Vintage Show. A friend of ours in grade school, rode just such a critter, in the early fifties.


The merriment will go on until the wee small hours. Twenty odd years of this 'Oyster Run' have allowed it to grow into a huge event. I'm betting that the citizens of our fair town were out numbered by the enthusiasts, this fair day. Good Food, good entertainment and every type of two or three wheeled conveyance that one might imagine was available for all to enjoy. There is virtually no police presence, and the event monitors police themselves.

Sept. 25, 2004

Oh boy! The motorcycles are pouring into town. We were out and about a few hours ago, and the main street is getting pretty thick with in bound scooters. We were parking Fae's 1990 Honda Accord in a highly visible location on the main drag, in hopes of selling it. We'll try and get some pictures, tomorrow.

Oh! Look! Ann is moving the 'compost' pile. Well, as things turn out, it wasn't really a compost pile. It was a yard waste storage area. I had that wrong, these last few months. Well, this is a relief. The yard waste doesn't have to compost! It just has to sit somewhere, until it is hauled off, in one from or another, to one place or another. There might be a monthly fee, for these services. We live. We learn. Life is always easier than one supposes. This is a blessing, for sure.

Sept. 24, 2004

Devin (brother Adam's son) had a birthday! Outfit courtesy of Aunt Sue Marx. Photo thanks, to Adam!

Evelyn's 2004 school picture. This would be her first year in middle school. Which would be: seventh grade! (Hair, courtesy of FAE!)

A picture from Mount Erie, taken by our friends, the Kerrs, while they were in town. We do live on an island, in the San Juans, you might recall. . .
Pictured here, is the island on a lake on an island, that is mentioned in the Trivial Pursuit game! The question: What island, located in the Pacific N'west, has it's own island? Answer: Fidalgo Island! (Campbell Lake, right at the end of Barb's driveway, has it's own wee island, as seen here, in Dave's picture.)

David also captured the top going down on the Saab! This is always fun to watch. Hi tech, at its best.

Sept. 23, 2004

Another month going the way of all flesh. Cheery thought, no?
This is Bob, my neighbor from across the street. Bob is in his seventies. This picture was taken with his HP digital camera. He has owned this camera for some years, and it still works great! However, he can now download to his computer, forward pix in email, etc. Bob, you might recall, wanted me to solve a small problem (lost tool bar) he was having in Outlook Express. Instead, I talked him into trying to use another computer he had laying around. He was using an old (64 MGHZ) 486. That means Windows 95. Or, earlier. His 486 had been upgraded to win 95, I think? It had a 1.5 gig hard drive. That's less than three CD's.
The other computer that he had laying around turned out to be a task specific network computer, that wouldn't suit his purposes, and wouldn't go online. It was a (slow, 500 MGHZ) pent III, but no USB ports, two gig HD, small RAM memory, etc. I ended up giving him a souped up pent II (450 MGHZ) that was gathering dust around here. Now, everyone's happy!
A fast pent II and cable access is not all bad. He can now back up files on CD's, has a ten gig plus memory, and tons of software.
I'm using his old HD in the external USB HD reader, for back up. I was planning to use the ten gig HD out of the pent II, but. . .

Sept. 21, 2004

Ann has returned from AZ.

Ann and Tracy

My favorite character - Kokopelli -

Where KISS got their idea for makeup

Sunrise early today - over the Bay - from the front porch. I don't know why, I just felt like it.

Evelyn and Talyn doing homework

Two photos sent from Russia thanks to brother John

Sept. 13, 2004

Friend David and wife Suzanne were kind enough to visit on their way back to TX. This was not nearly enough time to catch up on the forty or so years that have elapsed since David and I last had a chance to chat. . . This is what makes life fun!
We did have barely enough time to get 'On top of Mt. Erie'.

Sept. 11, 2004

Linda and John (and Cody) are back from Alaska. A few (very few) of her pictures follow. Linda took really GREAT photos. She seems to have a knack for composition, framing, lighting, etc. She says, 'I just aim and shoot'! The photos belie that notion! So does her camera, a very cool Nikon, with a lot of bells and whistles.

We just can't imagine what it would be like to cruise through these waters, for weeks on end.
John and Linda are traveling in a Grand Banks motor yacht. Forty some feet of luxury.

This sailboat gives some perspective to the spectacular view. That is a glacier, creeping down into the water.

Seen here is another (tho some ten or so feet smaller) Grand Banks.

Is this a beautiful place?

Capt. and first mate. . .

Yes, we believe that is a whale, right by the boat. This would be the tail end.

The other end. . .


Just another beautiful small town in a beautiful place at a beautiful time of year.

That is the Voyageur, on the right.

Like anyplace else, Alaska has its old and its new. . .
We thank John and Linda for sharing their pictures.

Sept. 06, 2004

Ann cooling her tootsies after walking four miles.

Dave and Suzanne stopped by on their way to Victoria, B.C. Haven't seen David since high school. We'll get together again next week, when they swing back through town. The ferry leaves from Anacortes, you see. . .
Photo by Evelyn

Did you see the balance of the camping/fence pictures from last month? They are
HERE 

Ann's daughter, Fae, was in Spain for her twenty first birthday! What a treat! Here are just a couple of her pictures:

Fae took some really great photos.

Also hot off the wire are these shots -
Jarvis and the 'Demonic Duo'

Jack in recovery mode


A fine picture of the Michigan Central Depot - where I hired out on the railroad in 1965. Then, it was still a going concern - barely. This is how it looks today.
Photo: D. Kerr

Sept. 05, 2004

A little slow getting started, this month. I think this makes sense.
We'll go (back) to a general 'month' page, instead of a 'BLOG' page and a 'monthly picture" page.
I separated them when I was spending way too much time doing 'blog' research.
Now, I think it might be ok to recombine these two pages, again. I think we'll combine them under a monthly 'BLOG' heading, since this still remains a 'weblog'.