August pictures

The bliss of summer-August at A Way Back

August is always a full and fun month. July rolls right into August. We had the Harts and Chaplain Katie with her husband and friend here. What fun that was for us-they are a delightful group, even the rain could not discourage this hearty group. Then we have birthdays at the end of the month and at the beginning of August. We celebrated the 3 D's (Dee, Deb, and Don) birthday on the deck. This year we honored Dee who turned 80. It was definitely fun. Then, son-in-law Gary came out to help Don with painting the outside of the house-a big job. It was great having him here for a few days. We look forward to his next visit. There is always work, but vacationing is good too. Whichever he chooses, we look forward to his return. On a bittersweet note, just shy of her 101 birthday, Don's mother changed residence and went to her eternal father's mansion. Don flew back for the funeral. Even though she lived a long and full life, saying goodbye is difficult. Don flew back to Oregon on the same day that dear friends from San Diego flew in to spend a few days at A Way Back. It was delightful to have Rob and Becky here. Rob had been in Afghanistan this year and had just been home for a month. It was time for him to take the pack off and rest, before returning to his new duty as regional chaplain. And what better way to rest than working on trees, cleaning the creek, and creating stakes for my garden. Becky helped with the creek project and helped me with the gardens. Now it is time to harvest and put up beans and peas, while we wait for tomatoes and squash to ripen. The summer flowers are magical and very aromatic. Our backyard has the delicious smells oriental lilies in full bloom. It is hard to imagine that summer is coming to an end, but you can see it in the leaves, and the shorter days. But, we are not letting go of summer just yet, and we look forward to September and October sharing some of those spectacular days with more friends and couples who need time at A Way Back.