Two big events in the month of August.  First off was the 90th Birthday/70th Anniversary for John's Dad and Mom. (Dad's 90th)

We knew they would tell us no way, so we had to keep it secret.  Everyone started showing up on Friday.  We had a great family time even before the big event began.  Our house was filled to overflowing, including a trailer in the driveway and a tent in the back yard. 

It was a relief when his parents finally showed up and they had smiles on their faces.  Whew!!  We were not in trouble for throwing a party. 

 A last minute decision to ask Mick to grill the steaks was a wise decision.  He definitely knows how to grill!

 Five of the Eight kids were here.  

And even after they left, the party continued.  So much fun to see everyone have fun together.

I have not gone as often as I thought I would, but I made a trip to see my goose family at Blue Lake.  When I found them in the spring, they had 6 goslings with them. So I looked for a set of geese with 6, but all of those groups would walk off when I headed to them.  Suddenly a group came hurrying up to me!  The 6 baby goslings are now only 4 but they are almost fully grown. I started talking to them and squatted down with a handful of grain, Mamma did not hesitate one bit and began eating from my hand as if it were still last fall when I said goodbye to them.  I am so happy that I have been able to meet up with them at least a few times this summer.  Even happier that she still knows me!

I liked the heart shaped rock I found too, 

I don't know why I have not posted a photo of the pergola that John built for me for my birthday last April.  We planted a wisteria on each corner.  That is the one plant that was not already growing in this yard when we moved in and I really miss the huge one that I had growing at my house on Rugg Road.  It will take a couple of years, but they should be growing and covering that pergola.  I can't wait to see those purple clusters of flowers falling down the rack.  And the scent...I can't wait.

 When we first looked at this house, there was a teepee in the field across the canyon.  Six weeks later when we moved in, the teepee was gone.  Well, at the end of July, the frame went up...and not only one, but two! (Our neighbor says he can see three from his place).  A couple of weeks later they added the skins.  And then nothing happened.  We watched and watched and could see no action.  I was hoping for glowing teepees at night to take photos of.  Our speculation went on and on until I finally took a drive around the canyon and I started going door to door asking if anybody owned that land.  Nobody even knew they were down there!  So I came home with no answers.  But last weekend, trucks and tractors started showing up and people and a huge amount of tiny tents were put up along the treeline and they had little fires and for a whole night the teepees glowed.  I still don't know what was happening. 

 Since they live so close, we are lucky to get to spend time with these kids.  I sure wish we could have as much time with the other grandkids that live so far away.  You should have heard Arianna giggling hysterically as Grandpa ran her around the yard.  Josiah liked it, but Lina was just not real sure about it all.   

 Hot Chocolate.  Always Hot Chocolate.  They always have a huge decision deciding which cup and pot they are going to use.  And each one gets their own pot to keep filling their tiny cup. Sometimes the cup is bigger than the pot.

 Friday mornings mean it is our garbage day, which means Josiah gets to come and wait for the trucks to pick it up.  Sometimes we are lucky and get to have them overnight so that he is here early enough to see ALL of the trucks pick up.

 The annual School Clothes shopping trips were different this year.   For one reason or another, the kids were not able to go together, so I had one on one time with each of them.  (except Arianna and Lina).  I might just plan it that way on purpose next year.  I didn't get to take Gabe and Daniel since they live so far away, so I mailed them their new outfits.

The yard.  August was just as gorgeous as the past months.  As soon as one flower is done blooming, another kind takes it place.  

We had other visitors to our place too.

Not sure what kind of bee this was.  I have never seen anything like them before.  They were all over this flower and when they stopped blooming the bees went away.

 This little hummer was having so much fun in the sprinkler.

There are so many cute little chipmunks and squirrels here.  The little squirrels are called Douglas squirrels.  They are as tiny as a chipmunk.  The thistle seed is supposed to be for finches, but I rarely see any at this place, even though the seed is always going empty.  Now I figured out where it goes.

 It got pretty hot here this month.  This is what happens to a cube of butter when it sits out in the hot weather.  HAHA!  I learned not to put everything out on the table until it is time to eat.  

We had our annual McCool spa day.  For our birthdays, us girls give each other a $25 gift card to Ruby's and then we all put in for a card for Mom for Mother's Day.  Then in the summer we all go get a massage.  That day we topped it off with dinner at Punchbowl Social.  It was different than our usual McCool Christmas dinner cards we buy each other.  This place has dinner, then all sorts of games or activities you can do together afterwards.  THere is shuffleboard, bowling, karaoke, pool, you name it.  We bowled.  It has been a long time since we bowled.  The guys were top in score, but we all had a fun time anyway.

 Bonnie and I finally found time to get out and shoot.  We went to Frog Lake on Mt. Hood. We started shooting and walking around the lake when all of a sudden I fell over.  Really!  I was just standing there and fell.  I guess the ground was a little uneven from the rocks.  Well, while I was down there, I spotted a tiny tiny tiniest ever frog.  Bonnie and I zooomed in on him and shot a zillion pics.  And then we resumed walking.  That is when we noticed frogs everywhere.  hundreds of the littlest ever frogs were hopping to and away from the lake.  Now we know why it is called Frog Lake.

 On the way back home, we stopped in to see Trillium Lake.

another view of Trillium

 I had to smile when I took this photo...a Cannabis shop with a ProGrass trucked parked by it.  lol

 Kim, Katie, Bridget and David and their kids came for dinner one night.  

And then came our second Big Event...Arianna's 4th birthday.  She was just glowing with excitement.  That is what she does.  Always.  The party was a princess theme and everyone was supposed to wear a costume. Lucky for Jessi and me that I made Dennis some pretty nice princess dresses a few years for Halloween.

Great Grandma made the cake as always. 

  The Royal Family

 She even had her own red carpet.

The last of August brought the full moonrise.  Along with that were pretty patches of fog and gorgeous clouds.  The first one below made me think of 'purple mountain majesty'.  That is exactly how it looked with not editing!

 I really have learned to love clouds.

 Mt. Hood on a normal sunny afternoon.

 As the sun sets...and you can see those teepees too.

 just after moonrise.

 This is a sunrise.  I loved how it made that field glow.

 love those rays

 another night with a gorgeous moonrise

 each night, the moonrise got later and later, I sat there waiting, it was almost like a sunrise, only darker. and with stars

 then came the stars...

 see the Big Dipper?

August was a great month!  Full of family and friends and BBQ and smores by the fire.  And as if a light was switched...Sept 1 it was Fall.