Gus the Bus Lives On

When I looked back on my Facebook memories yesterday there was post after post, year after year, of Gus the Bus attracting cheers and peace signs in the Normandy Park 4th of July Parade. 

 Last year was Gus's swan song, as Jill and Jake, his current owners, put him up for sale.

Gus joined our family in 1979 when SIL Jan bought him as a two year old.He supplied her with many fun trips into the wilderness and often served as back up transportation too. When she finally outgrew him - when you get older you want something a bit more comfortable - she turned him over to my kids, her neice and nephew Jill and Jake. Over the next chapter of Gus's life he went on more camping trips into the wilderness. As he aged he became a bit more shaky and harder to get up and down the hills. Finally he became a pain to drive and many of his parts didn't work too well. 

But Gus is an icon of his era and Jill and Jake were sure that someone would want him. Eventually they found a buyer who offered then $3000. They took it and said goodbye to Gus. 

As this year's parade approached, there was both relief and remorse at not having the parade fun anymore, but on the morning of the 4th Jill got a text from a man in Nashville, Tenn. Gus was there!

The new owner sent photos. Gus was reborn!

There he was in St Louis, on the road to Nashville, looking pretty spiffy for an old guy.

All of us who knew and loved Gus and his people are celebrating. Sometimes old things just need new parts, and a good cleaning, and probably a bunch of cash. 

4th of July Pie

 

It's almost Independence Day again already. We'd better celebrate it while we still have it.

I made pie. For our family 4th of July celebration dinner at SIL Jan's house.

It's tripple berry pie. Jill wanted cherry. Don't you know you have to have cherry pie for the 4th of July?  But I didn't want to make a special trip to go buy pie cherries. I had berries. So she's making her own. Good. Jake likes berry pie. We'll all be happy. 

I also made Macaroni salad. And I picked a mixed bouquet from my garden now that I actually have some flowers. 

Tomorrow we'll go to a parade and and eat brunch. We'll come home and rest. Then we'll go to Jan's and eat some more and watch neighborhood fireworks on Henderson Bay. 

We'll celebrate our freedom, because we can.

Happy 4th of July!

Gig Harbor Garden Tour

 We spent the day Sunday touring some lovely and varied gardens on the Gig Harbor Garden Tour. SIL Jan Reeder is on the organizing committee and it seemed like a great way to spend a mildly sunny day and support her cause.

I didn't try to document the gardens. I just wanted to share some pretty pictures. There was plenty of pretty to share. 

I loved the use of sedums in the hillside garden.

Extensive rockeries and hardscapes allowed for full enjoyment of this view. 

So many wonderful uses of stone.

Tom blended right in to this blue and yellow garden.

Fun yard art.

Lovely shade garden, and by then we were happy for shade.

We saw all six gardens, liked them all, and then I was ready for a rest, and another one of those iced mocha frappes with caramel drizzle from Starbucks. :-)