The Days are Getting Longer

With the Winter Solstice behind us, the days are thankfully getting longer. YES! Dad and Sam came home from hunting around noon on Saturday - birdless - but to a clean house and folded laundry. It started to snow mid-afternoon - about the time we headed up to Jim and Jerre Coleman's for their Open House. They built and moved into a beautiful home this summer on Grandview (above Hayden View and Lookout Drive). Courtney and Joe were there - as was Vincent who is a corporate pilot and flight instructor down in Tucson. Nice gathering of people - Longwells, Covingtons, Yates, Dugdales, Robnetts, among others.

Unfortunately, we couldn't stay too long because we had to travel the icy roads back down to Indian Meadows for the Progressive Dinner. The itinerary: Bullards, Smarts, Chisholms, and then Nelsons. We took appetizers - shrimp and our usual Smoked Duck. I enjoyed the evening more than I expected - among the other attendees: Bells, Wandrocks, Larsens, Framptons, Charlie & Matt Bean (and Matt's finacee), Larina Helm & parents, and CDA's Captain of Police - Steve Childress (Wayne Long is the Chief of Police now, by the way).

Newsy tidbits:
Larina: Senior at Boston University, is applying to graduate schools in Public Policy
Matt Bean: Got into Georgetown Medical School where his fiancee' is finishing medical school this spring - they're hoping she'll get a residency near Matt.
Kelly Nelson: In the process of interviewing for a family medicine practice here, in Oregon, the Tri-Cities, etc. She finishes her residency this spring.
Allison & Nick Granier: In Sacramento where she's doing her Opthamalogy residency - sounds like Nick has a good job there, too.
Bells: Still working on a major kitchen and house remodel - they think we've priced our house WAY too high. In this market, any price is too high.
Nelsons: Proud to host the Dessert Leg in their newly remodeled kitchen. Showed us pictures of Lori, her husband and little boy.
Jenny Smart: Doesn't come home until today, so we didn't see her, but she works for Head Start in the Portland area - for pennies. Jim Smart and his wife are expecting their 1st child.

Sam went out with Tyler, Hillary, Allison and Nick G, so he may have more interesting stories.