THE ONION FESTIVAL

WALLA WALLA WAS HAVING THEIR SWEET  ONION FESTIVAL.....WE WENT TO CHECK IT OUT!

WE  SAW ONIONS GROWING IN THE FIELDS ON THE WAY  OVER.

IT LOOKED LIKE MOST HAD BEEN HARVESTED.

THERE WERE FOOD DEMONSTRATIONS AND FOOD TASTINGS!

THEY MADE SWEET ONION ICE CREAM!

IT WAS VERY GOOD!

WE WERE DISAPPOINTED THERE WERE NO ONION RINGS AT ANY OF THE FOOD STANDS, SO WE BOUGHT A WALLA WALLA SWEET ONION AND CAME HOME AND MADE OUR OWN.

THEY WERE DELICIOUS!

THE PARK WAS DECKED OUT FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY...EVERY SITE HAD A FLAG......

THE PARK WAS FULL AGAIN!

THERE WAS A FIRE PRETTY CLOSE TO US CAUSED FROM FIREWORKS.

HOT.......THEN COLD

THE WEATHER WAS WARMING BY THE FIRST WEEK OF JUNE, WE WERE TO BE IN THE TRIPLE DIGITS! THE RETURNING WORKAMPERS WARNED "THE HEAT WAS ON!" WE WENT TO WORK AT OUR REGULAR TIME  AT 9:00. BY NOON IS WAS 103  DEGREES AND I GOT OVERHEATED!  THE NEXT DAY WE STARTED AT 7:30 AND WE WERE DONE BY 10:30 BEFORE IT GOT HOT.

I WAS WONDERING IF THIS IS THE WAY IT IS GOING TO BE ALL THE REST OF THE  SUMMER IF I WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO WORK OUTSIDE. THANKFULLY, IT COOLED OFF!
 THE WIND BLOWS HERE ALMOST EVERY DAY AND WITH THE FIELD BEHIND US IN DIRT, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP ANYTHING  CLEAN. PAM AND RON WARNED US ABOUT THE WIND, THEY WERE RIGHT ON!!
SHERRY TEXTED SHE WANTED TO COME FOR ANOTHER VISIT, JUNE 15-18,  I WAS DELIGHTED! ...I TOLD HER TO BRING  A WINTER COAT!!  I ASKED HER  IF SHE COULD BRING ME SOME RAW OYSTERS FROM TACOMA, SHE SAID "SURE!". WE PLANNED TO EAT TOGETHER THE FIRST NIGHT SHE GETS HERE. SHE ARRIVED EARLY AFTERNOON. WE HAD STEAK, FRIED OYSTERS AND SCALLOPS, SALAD, BAKED POTATOES. WE ATE OUTSIDE AT THE PICNIC TABLE. IT WAS ALL DELICIOUS, SHERRY TRIED THE OYSTERS, DIDN'T CARE FOR THEM.
SHERRY AND I WENT TO SPUDNUTS THE NEXT MORNING FOR DONUTS. SHE HAD A SEATTLE MARINER DONUT.....

AFTERWARDS,  I WANTED TO SHOW SHERRY THIS LOVELY PARK WE FOUND ON THE COLUMBIA, AMON PARK.  I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THESE SHIPS, I'VE NEVER SEEN THEM HERE BEFORE......WE HAD TO GO CHECK IT OUT!

WE JUST SAT BY THE RIVER AND WATCHED THE PEOPLE, FOUND SOME INFORMATION ON THESE SHIPS. SHERRY THOUGHT SHE MIGHT LIKE TO BOOK A CRUISE.
OUR NEXT STOP WAS TAGARIS WINERY, ONE OF THE  WORKAMPER GALS TOLD US THIS WAS HER FAVORITE WINERY.

WE DID THE WINE TASTING FIRST AND WE BOTH FOUND A WHITE WE LOVED! WE  WERE PLEASED TO FIND OUT IT WAS HAPPY HOUR AND  APPETIZERS WERE HALF PRICE. WE ORDERED A FLATBREAD AND ARTICHOKES TO SHARE.

SHERRY BOUGHT TWO BOTTLES, I BOUGHT ONE.

THE NEXT DAY WE WERE HEADED TO PROSSER, SHERRY HAD FOUND SOME REVIEWS IN A TRAVEL MAGAZINE AND WE WANTED TO CHECK THEM OUT.. BUT  FIRST  A QUICK STOP BY  CHUNK-AR CHERRIES.

 DARRELL AND I STOPPED BY HERE EARLIER IN THE YEAR. THEY SELL DRIED FRUIT, NUTS AND CHOCOLATES.....AND THEY HAVE TASTINGS!

 THEN IT WAS ON TO  AIRFIELD ESTATES WINERY, A FRIEND OF SHERRY'S TOLD HER ABOUT THIS ONE.

WE DID THE WINE TASTING HERE AND DIDN'T LIKE ANY OF THE WINES, IN FACT THEY LEFT  SUCH AN AFTERTASTE IN OUR MOUTHS! SHERRY BOUGHT A FEW GIFT ITEMS.
THE NEXT STOP WAS THE  BUNNELL  FAMILY CELLARS. WE "DID" THE WINE TASTING AT A LITTLE TABLE OUTSIDE AND THEN ORDERED LUNCH..  WE DIDN'T CARE FOR ANY OF THE WINE, WE STILL HAD THAT BAD TASTE IN OUR MOUTHS. LUNCH WAS DELICIOUS, AN ANTIPASTO PLATTER.

WE TOLD OUR SERVER, AS NICELY AS WE COULD, WE DIDN'T CARE FOR ANY OF THE WINES. SHE RECOMMENDED A NEW WINERY, WIT CELLARS,  WHICH WAS ON OUR WAY HOME. SHE JUST HAPPENED TO BE ONE OF THE OWNERS.
WE STOPPED TO CHECK IT OUT.

BY NOW, SHERRY AND I WERE SHARING THE WINE TASTINGS. WE DIDN'T CARE FOR ANY OF THESE EITHER. OH, WELL........WE WILL  JUST HAVE TO  KEEP TRYING. SHERRY WILL COME THROUGH KENNEWICK IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, SO WE STILL HAVE TIME TO FIND HER A RED!

WINE TASTING AND CHERRIES, CHERRIES, CHERRIES!

TRI-CITIES IS KNOWN AS "THE HEART OF WASHINGTON WINE COUNTRY,"  THERE ARE MORE THAN 200 WINERIES WITHIN A 50 MILE RADIUS.
MY FRIEND, SHERRY, THAT I MET IN MESA AT SUN LIFE,  LIVES IN TACOMA, WASHINGTON,  NOT TOO FAR FROM HERE. WHEN SHE LEFT MESA IN APRIL, SHE PROMISED TO COME VISIT ME IN  KENNEWICK. AND SHE DID!!
SHE AND BAXTER ARRIVED IN EARLY  MAY, BAXTER IS HER 14 YEAR OLD  BLACK/TAN MINIATURE DACHSHUND. WE BOTH WANTED TO GO WINE TASTING! AFTER A LITTLE RESEARCH, WE DECIDED TO TRY BOOKWALTER WINERY, THEY HAVE LUNCH AVAILABLE AT THEIR LITTLE RESTAURANT, FICTION.

WE ENJOYED THE WINE TASTING, SHERRY FOUND ONE SHE LIKED AND BOUGHT A BOTTLE. 

 AND THEN WENT OUTSIDE TO ENJOY A DELICIOUS LUNCH OF FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH AND BACON WRAPPED DATES THAT WE SHARED, IT WAS DELICIOUS!

THE GROUNDS ARE BEAUTIFUL, IT WAS SO RELAXING AND PEACEFUL!

WE ARE ALSO IN "CHERRY"  GROWING COUNTRY....I  FOUND A PLACE ONLINE WHERE  YOU CAN GO PICK YOUR OWN. THEY WERE FINALLY RIPE MAY 28. SO, WE HEADED FOR HATCH PATCH. THIS FARM IS IN PASCO, WA. JUST A SHORT DRIVE FROM THE RV PARK.

FARMER PAUL GAVE US A CONTAINER TO PUT THE CHERRIES IN AND WE HEADED OUT!

 THE CHERRIES WERE RIPE AND PLENTIFUL! 

FARMER PAUL SAID THERE WAS ONLY ONE RULE......IF YOU EAT ONE.....YOU HAVE TO PUT TWO IN THE BUCKET! THEY WERE DELICIOUS!

IT WAS EASY PICKIN' THE TREES WERE LOADED!

IT WASN'T LONG AND OUR BUCKET WAS PRETTY  FULL!

TOOK OUR BUCKET UP TO HAVE IT WEIGHED......WE HAD PICKED TWELVE  POUNDS OF CHERRIES! ONLY A DOLLAR A POUND!!

HATCH PATCH WILL ALSO HAVE PICK YOUR OWN VEGETABLES AND MELONS...THIS IS ONE PLACE THAT WE WILL BE RETURNING.

THE GROUNDS ARE BEAUTIFUL!!

WE GOT OUR CHERRIES HOME AND REALIZED THERE WAS NO WAY WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO EAT ALL OF THOSE BEFORE THEY SPOILED. SO, I MADE LITTLE BAGS OF CHERRIES UP AND GAVE THEM TO ALL THE WORKAMPERS THAT WERE HOME THAT AFTERNOON. I ATE CHERRIES TO MY HEART'S DESIRE!!

ANOTHER CHECK OFF THE BUCKET LIST!!!

THIS WAS ALSO MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND......THE PARK WAS FULL!

WORK, GETTING SETTLED IN

WE STARTED WORK ON MONDAY MORNING, WE ARE SCHEDULED TO WORK MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY.  DAVE, OUR BOSS TOOK US DOWN TO THE SHOP AND FIXED US UP WITH A GOLF CART. WE MET CAMPER, THE STRAY KITTY THAT COLUMBIA SUN RV PARK ADOPTED.

DAVE DIDN'T ASSIGN US A JOB TO DO, WE DECIDED TO DEADHEAD THE HANGING BASKETS........33 IN ALL.

WE WILL BE WEEDING THE FLOWER BEDS AND DEADHEADING THE PLANTS. IT LOOKED LIKE THERE WOULD BE PLENTY OF WORK FOR US. THERE ARE 338 TREES!
 WE WERE ENJOYING THE HOT TUB. MAGGIE AND MARLEE WERRE ENJOYING THE GREEN GRASS. THERE IS A LARGE GRASSY AREA WHERE WE CAN TAKE THEM OFF LEASH.

RICKY AND ART, OUR CANADIAN FRIENDS, PASSED  THROUGH HERE THE FIRST WEEK WE WERE HERE. . WE HAD BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO MEET UP WITH THEM IN MESA AND WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THEM AGAIN.
WE WERE ENJOYING THE SHOPPING/RESTAURANTS HERE. KENNEWICK IS PART OF WHAT THEY CALL THE TRI-CITIES. PASCO AND RICHLAND ARE THE OTHER TWO.

I GOT SOME FLOWERS PLANTED.

IT WAS BEGINNING TO FEEL MORE LIKE "HOME".

I WAS WALKING AGAIN AND FOUND A CHURCH I REALLY LIKED.

THE RV PARK IS A GREAT PLACE TO WALK, LARGE, WIDE OPEN STREETS!

WE ARE CONVENIENTLY LOCATED TO BOTH WALMART STORES.

LIFE IS GOOD!

OUR HOME FOR THE SUMMER

WE WERE WELCOMED WITH GIFTS AND MET SOME VERY NICE FOLKS IN THE OFFICE,

THE LITTLE SIGNS SAY: "WE ARE SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE" AND" YOU'LL FIT IN JUST PERFECT"

WE FOUND OUT LATER THAT MISSY MAKES THESE!

JOE LED US TO OUR SITE.

IT WAS LARGE AND A PULL THRU!!

WE WERE HAPPY CAMPERS!!

MISSY, OUR BOSS, EMAILED THAT SHE WAS BUSY WITH GOOD SAM FOLKS AND AN

ORIENTATION  MEETING AND DINNER  WAS PLANNED FOR SUNDAY NIGHT. WE WASHED CLOTHES FRIDAY AND WENT OVER TO THE HOT TUB...NICE.

 ON SATURDAY,  APRIL, 23, WE CELEBRATED MY 69TH BIRTHDAY!

 DARRELL TOOK ME TO RED LOBSTER....... YUM!! 

ON SUNDAY WE WENT TO THE MEETING AND HAD DINNER AND MET OUR BOSSES. VERY NICE FOLKS AND A VERY GOOD DINNER!