Roaming Through Retirement



October--Boo!
With decorations, costumes and candy, Americans spend about eight billion dollars each year on Halloween (that's about $86 per person).  Mike and Carmen do their fare share to keep the economy rolling about this time of year. Between birthdays, Halloween and some fun projects, it is always a fun time for us. 

We winterized and stored the RV in Washington, where we will be having some minor remodeling done over the winter months. Should be ready next June for another exciting summer in the states.

The month of October began with an RV road trip from MN to WA, with stops to visit family and friends.  Here we are in NE with brother Bob.  After playing lots of cards, Francie encouraged something more active--so we settled on Chinese Horseshoe.	After lots of windshield time and a couple of days in Boise visiting former colleagues, we stopped in Bend, OR to visit Allistair (Larry's golfing buddy) and Donna, friends we met in Ajijic.  No doubt we had the best meal and a lovely visit.
The Oregon Clan of Barnhardts kept us busy for better than a week.  Sister Claudia's birthday gave rise to this occasion, which brought us and her entire family together.  When not eating, we were playing cards.	Glorine's niece, Vickie and Mike hosted us for a wonderful evening in West Portland.  After great food and lots of cards, we joined Vickie at the Columbia Gear Employee store, where we got some great bargains on hiking shoes.
We drove the car to Seattle and spend a couple of nights with Larry's cousin, Jerry and Mary.  Eating and playing cards must run in the family.  They may join us in Ajijic this winter--more eating and cards!?!	In route to California, we spent an afternoon with Larry's nephew Steve, Elaine and most of their kids.  Here we are at an orchard--hiking, frolicking and checking out their apples.
The wildfire raging through Northern CA kept us from driving the CA coast highway.  None-the-less, we made it to Oakland to spend two nights with friends Chuck and Jean.  Here we are overlooking the Oakland Estuary--later they took us hiking up a nearby canyon.  Always a fun time!	We arrived in Fullerton to spend ten days with our CA kids and grandkids.  As usual, they were busy with all sorts of activities.  Dakota started junior high this fall and just moved from fourth chair to second chair playing her flute.  Must mean she is getting better.
Hunter was having a hay-day, knocking confetti eggs over his classmates heads during the annual school's Harvest Festival.  He is in the second grade, in Boy Scouts and loves gymnastics.	Penny and Lucy are first cousins and pretty much have the run of the house.  The are well behaved and fun to play with.  However, eating and sleeping takes up most of their day.
Did I mention Hunter loves guns??  This is the gun rack we built together in February and now displays most of his guns.  None are under lock and keys!	We met up with another friend we made in Ajijic who lives a couple miles from our daughter's.  Phil lost his wife, Mary, after 50 years of marriage.  He plans to return to Ajijic this January through April.
Sierra has an October birthday and is a 5th grader.  She just started taking Karate and loves it.  She continues to play soccer, where she gets nearly half of the goals each game.	The tradition we love is "breakfast in bed" on the morning of their birthdays.  Here the entire family joined in while presents are being opened.  Somehow, the breakfast rarely gets eaten.
Grandma and Grandpa made one of Sierra's wishes come true--pierced earrings.  Why would you want to go through the pain?  Well, to look pretty of course.	For Sierra's birthday party, friends were invited to an "Escape Room" where they had to solve puzzles, riddles and other clues in order to escape the room.
After "escaping" from the ROOM, Sierra had a slumber party with a half dozen friends.  The merriment began with chocolate, laced with chocolate, which kept them up most of the evening.	On Saturday morning it was Dakota's turn in the barrel.  However, she sleeps in the top bunk, where she has her traditional breakfast.  She choose not to have her ears pierce and settled for cash!
Her birthday party included a half dozen friends that were treated to pizza and chocolate on chocolate for her birthday cake.	These girls all went to elementary school together, but now all go to different junior high schools.  The slumber party included catching up to the wee hours of the morning.
With the kids working and the grandkids in school we were kept busy on projects.  Larry checked over the plans for a swimming pool and found a better location that would save some bushes and trees.	Glorine worked on the inside, actually on the atrium that can be seen from three rooms in the house.  She replanted small trees and flowers and re-did the entire irrigation system.  We both got "thumbs up!"

October's web page includes October 1 through October 31.