Haiti Trip - day 2

After a morning nap we took a walk around the hotel. When we got back to the hotel, Dave and Kim were there with a rental car. We had a great afternoon exploring Miami in a convertible. We saw Kim's childhood home and school near University of Miami. Then it was off to downtown, Little Havana and Little Haiti. We ate at a Hatian restaurant to help climatize our stomachs. I had goat, and it was great. We ended the evening connecting with other team members. Tomorrow will be a big day.

Haiti Trip - day 1

We are enjoying an afternoon tropical thunderstorm from the comfort of a Miami hotel. Yesterday was a travelthon with delayed flights and layovers. We landed in Miami at 1:00 am. After searching the unsecured areas of the airport for the best accommodations we set up camp for the night near the rest of the vagabonds. It reminded me of disaster shelter pictures with every family setting up their territory on the floor. After a couple hours of reading and trying to get comfortable, we drifted into a series of naps, interrupted by intercom all calls and passing service carts. By 7:00am, the airport was filled with departing travelers jockeying their luggage into long lines. After a fast food breakfast in the airport, we caught a shuttle to the hotel, hoping to check-in early as we wait for the rest of the team to rendezvous. Fortunately, we were able to check in at 9:30 and enjoy overstuffed beds for a two hour nap. We woke to an afternoon thundershower which put a damper on our poolside plans. So for now it is chillin in the cushy hotel room, waiting for our coming adventures.

packed and ready to go

Tomorrow Esther and I embark on our Haitian adventure. We brought Calvin to the airport to spend a week in Arizona with Corbin. So Markus will be holding down the fort. We fly to Miami tomorrow and Port-au-Prince on Friday. After a week in Haiti, we will take a few days to enjoy the Florida Keys. I will be attempting to blog when I have a chance, but no promises. Please pray for our safety, health and a fruitful time of ministry, both through us and to us. BON VOYAGE

Markus' 21st birthday

Markus' 21st birthday - Thai Kitchen, Queen Ann
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

We spent most of the day in Seattle, celebrating Markus' birthday. After a great meal at a Thai restaurant, we went downtown to the Bose store for some birthday headphones, then walked down to the waterfront and sculpture park. Downtown Seattle was abustle with summer tourism. Esther and I are getting excited about leaving for Haiti in three days!

wonderful work setting

the deck is an extension of the patio
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

I just finished a deck for some friends from church. They have a beautiful beach front home near Rich Passage. They asked me to build a small deck near their bulkhead. I built the support structure out of cement so that they can face it with rock later. Trex decking of course. This deck will last! It was a gorgeous setting to work at for the last couple of weeks. I watched boats pass by all day, including a nuclear sub. And the weather was great as well. I think this will have to be my last project before the Haiti trip next week. Esther and I are getting anxious.

summer saturday sailing on the sound

Tim at the helm
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

This afternoon Tim de Lacy joined me for a sail around Blake Island. The wind was good with just a couple of lolls. The scenery was great with clear skies and lots of sun. After the sail we took our wives out to dinner and a stroll through the Chris Craft boat rendezvous at the Port Orchard marina. A well appreciated summer day on the sound.

Cleaning out the homestead

garage sale madness
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

Please excuse the lack of blogging for the last week or so. My Mac went on the fritz! I had to send it in to have it fixed. All is well again. In the meantime, we had a working fourth of July week/weekend. Esther spent the entire week in Lynden, working with her brothers and sister-in-laws, sorting through everything in her parent's home. There were at least three generations worth of collected stuff. Some of it had some value as antiques, some of it was just junk. But Esther and her brothers are quite sentimental, so every piece needed to be reviewed and items distributed amongst them. We worked hard on the fourth, preparing for the garage sale/antique sale on Saturday. The sale went OK, with lots of customers. The remains went off to Value Village.

foothills trail

foothills trail with Conner and Collin
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

Esther and I got some practice at being grandparents this week. (Not that anything is happening soon, nor are we anxious) Conner and Collin Snell have been staying with us the last part of this week, as their parents are with the youth trip to Salt Lake City. Today we decided to include them in our new biking hobby. We checked out the 'foothills trail' that passes through Orting and several other rural communities in the Puyallip River valley. It was a hot day and one of our young riders got overheated, so we just got a taste of this wonderful trail. The 30 mile trail is impressive, and we plan to explore it some more later. We enjoyed an hour in Orting City Park watching the boys play on the Big Toy. It brought back lots of fond memories:)

summer employment

retaining wall for neighbor
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

The last two weeks of 'summer break' have found me working hard! I poured a retaining wall using fifty 60 lbs. bags of concrete mix, poured a slab of concrete (4 yds.) and power washed a neighbor's roof for two days. The change of pace from the classroom is invigorating and I enjoy working outside in reasonably nice weather. However, when the end of August comes, I will be ready to get back in the classroom. Calvin left for Challenge (church youth conference) in Salt Lake City and Esther finally got to start her 'summer break' on Thursday.

skipper jenny

skipper jenny
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

Jenny dropped by last night and this morning we brought her to the airport for her flight to Atlanta to visit her sister. We had time in the evening for a quick sail. The wind has alluded previous attempts at taking Jenny sailing; and it looked like it was going to again. When we left the house the wind was lively, but by the time we got the sails up it had died. To complicate matters, my safety cord fell off my outboard, rendering it inoperable. Not a problem, unless your becalmed in front of a ferry! After a little sweat and ingenuity, I jerry rigged a solution with popsicle sticks. The motor sputtered to life and we were off. In a few minutes the wind picked up nicely and we had a great sail. Jenny learned how cold it can get on the Sound on a hot day. But that was only minor discomfort compared to the headache she got after I dropped the boom on her while taking down the sails:(

Scott Pierson bike trail

tacoma narrows
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

For our Sunday afternoon bike ride Esther and I rode the Scott Pierson bike trail in Tacoma. We started just on the Gig Harbor side of the bridge and followed the trail to its east terminus near Sprague Ave. The paved trail skirts Hwy 16 and only crosses a couple of streets. The weather was great and we really enjoyed the ride. Surprisingly, there were very few people on the trail, despite it being a sunny Sunday June afternoon in the middle of the city. The trail is named after a Tacoma city planner who was passionate about cycling and making Tacoma bicycle friendly. It's really quite amazing. Using the Cushman trail in Gig Harbor and the Scott Pierson trail, bicycle commuters can easily commute from Gig Harbor to downtown Tacoma or Tacoma Community College. With rising fuel prices and bridge tolls maybe it will become more popular.

a day for Elliott Bay

sailing to Elliott Bay
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

After a week of manual labor, this old body needed a restful day of sailing. I don't think I have ever sailed into Elliott Bay from my home port of Southworth. So, since I had the time for a long day sail, I ventured north to the bustling bay and got a look of the city by sail. It was an overcast sky, so everything had a grey look to it. The emerald city was still impressive. The homeward leg brought a freshening wind, so it was an exhilarating, though chilly ride home.

summer and cycling

new bicycle
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

Do I really need another recreational hobby? With some hesitation as to whether it will 'stick', I have begun an interest in cycling. With the gas crisis, I longingly considered the motorcycle option, but my loving wife poured a huge bucket of cold water on that idea. I have decided to give bicycling a try. We don't live in a setting conducive to bicycle commuting, but I enjoy a long ride for recreational purposes. I have been combing craigslist for the past couple of weeks, and last night I went down to Olympia and bought a nice used bike in great condition. It even came with clip-in shoes that are my size. I took my first ride to Manchester this evening-everything works great. On a more domestic note, I completed a small carpentry job for a neighbor and received my first summer pay check.

Father's Day Fun

bulthuis bikers
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

This father's day I chose to do something separate with each family member. Since I share certain pleasures with each, which are not necessarily shared by all, I broke up my day. I played basketball and watched the NBA finals with Markus. I played tennis with Calvin; and I went for a bike ride with Esther. It worked great, and every one enjoyed their day without having to spend the whole with me. Yesterday I dusted off the our bikes and fixed some leaky tires. I convinced Esther to do Beach Drive for our ride today. At first she was reluctant because of the traffic, but it turned out to be manageable. The weather was great and we had a great ride. Tomorrow is the last day of school!

Windy Weekend in Walla Walla

Whitman memorial near Walla Walla
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

Last weekend we took a quick getaway trip to Walla Walla in search of sun and warmth; instead, we found cloud and wind. We had heard a lot about Walla Walla recently as an up and coming destination, and we wanted to check it out. The town has definitely been influenced by the influx of wineries in the valley. There are lots of Bed and Breakfasts and a really cool renovated downtown hotel, called the Marcus Whitman. We enjoyed a self-guided stroll past turn of the century homes under a canopy of wonderful shade trees. The downtown shops are starting to come, but still have a ways to go. We explored the Whitman Mission grounds and some of the history of this unique town. We would give the place a four out of five stars as a getaway destination.

Pete and Repete get awards

Pete and Repete get awards
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

I guess this is my year for teaching awards. This morning I was honored along with other teachers in the district by receiving the Rotary Students Choice Award. The elementary school teacher awards are selected from seventh grade student nominations. Pete Darragh, friend and colleague, also received the award. I feel doubly honored as this is the same award that Don and I received last year.

sailing at last!

sailing at last!
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

With the lousy weather this spring and my mooring buoy gone, it took me longer to get the sailing started. Yesterday, Calvin helped me launch the boat and drop a new mooring anchor system. This afternoon I went for a three hour sail down Colvos Passage. The wind was moderate to slight - good conditions for the first sail of the year. Another first today was a craigslist purchase. Esther has been looking for end tables on craigslist for quite some time. She saw some she wanted, so it was a quick call and trip to Mercer Island. It was good to be home this weekend and get some things accomplished.

Makah Munchkins

Shi Shi Beach
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

I feel like I missed the Saturday scorcher in Puget Sound. But I'm not complaining, because we had a great time in Neah Bay with the students and some of their parents. Our annual trip to the Northwest tip of Washington was once again blessed by nice weather. Saturday, which holds the bulk of our activity was sunny, though not extremely warm. It didn't stop the kids from enjoying the water. No low tides this year to explore tide pools; but there was a heavy surf, which enhanced the spectacular setting of Shi Shi Beach. (which was accessed by a three-mile muddy trail) Our campsite was at Hobouck Beach which is much flatter and more conducive to beach games. Sunday morning brought in a cold fog which chased the kids to a campfire while they waited for their bacon, eggs and pancakes. Then it was off to Cape Flattery with it's fog shrouded cliffs and caves. We topped the trip off with a visit to the Makah museum which so tastefully depicts the ancient culture of these 'people of the Cape.'

'new' principal for Sidney Glen

Orchard Heights hat day
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

After an intense two weeks, the new principal for our school was announced. Jason Shdo is a veteran teacher at Sidney Glen and a long time friend. He is currently the Assistant Principal at Orchard Heights, where Esther works. Our gain is their loss, so it is a bitter sweet announcement for our family. After teaching at Sidney Glen for fifteen years, Jason taught and was a dean at the high school. He has been at Orchard Heights for two years, but couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a shot at his old stomping grounds. Our staff has been very excited at the prospect of his return and leadership. Just goes to show that sometimes a prophet does have honor in his own country. Congratulations, Jason!

mother's day

mother's day
Originally uploaded by Southworth Sailor

Esther had a warm Mother's Day despite the winter in the air. Markus came home for the day. Bjorn and Jenny called and wrote a nice daughter-in-law blog. Dinner was Kim's teriyaki take home and we went for a cool walk. Different this year is the need for a cozy fire in the fireplace.