12-21-04 Frankie says "MERRY CHRISTMAS"!! as he takes a break from eating the tree!! 

12-15-04 Mt St Helens, this is the view of the south side of the mountian taken 3 blocks from our house. The building in the picture is part of the Washington St University at Vancouver campus. The new growth in the crater is actually starting to cause some swelling on the south side...hopefully she'll just keep filling in and growing up and not out!! 

12-13-04 Fort Vancouver, Wa... former headquarters for the Hudson Bay Company's Columbia Dept. Time to explore close to home!! I went to the fort for the annual Christmas at Fort Vancouver. They were having reinactments of what a typical Christmas would have been like for the fur traders. This pictures shows the gardens out side of the fort, they had over 2500 acres planted so as to be totally self sufficent. I think in the next picture if you look to the right you will see the I-5 bridge going over the Columbia river and get an idea of how the fort was situated along this major water way. 

12-13-04 The first orchards planted in the Northwest were planted here outside Fort Vancouver. I'm told that some of the original apple trees are still standing. 

12-13-04 Inside the Fur Warehouse, the furs were cleaned and pressed into bales here before being sent to England. 

11-13-04 Reinactor playing Dr John McLoughlin, he is considered to be the "Father" of Oregon. He served as Chief Factor for most of the years at Fort Vancouver, his responsible for keeping peace with the Indians and squeezing Americans out of the trading market and to establish the British claim to all of Oregon. Seems he did more to help the Americans much to the criticism of his superiors than to discourage them. He ended up retiring to what is now Oregon City, Or and becoming an American citizen. Saying he helped the American settlers coming to the northwest would be a huge understatement as he personally supplied them and provided safe passage thru the treacherous waters of the Columbia for many. 

12-13-04 Chief Factor's residence, home of the forts most senior officer, the building in the background was the kitchen. Officers and clerks ate meals in the Factor's house. 

12-5-04 Kyle just wants to have fun!! He loves his puzzle books and his book about the bus with the wheels that go "round and round".........stupid song is really stuck in my head but good!! Thanks Kyle!! ha ha 

12-5-04 Kate was quite intent on getting the tree put together correctly!! 

11-5-04 Kate helping Uncle Chuck and dad put up Grandma Van Horn's Christmas tree 

12-4-04 Kyle and Kate playing at Grandma & Grandpa Van Horn's 

11-30-04 Kyle munching down on a box of baking soda!! Not sure what that says about his taste buds!! My adventures in Washington took a detour thru Pennslyvannia for 3 weeks as Chuck's mom had surgery. Renee and the kids came to help out and keep me out of trouble !!!
 

11-11-04 Eagle perched at the Toutle River. It was quite content watching the cars go by and people pulling over to take his picture. There were others flying by to visit but none of them stopped to grace us with there company! It's a nice drive up to Mt St Helens with this river beside you most of the way. 

11-11-04 He finally had enough of people taking pictures and took off! 

11-11-04 Young buck at Mt St Helens. Being the first to hike the loop outside the Coldwater Ridge visitors center I was rewarded with this guy!! 

11-11-04 Mt St Helens........steam clouds....look like everyday ordinary clouds.....isn't she beautiful... in an oddly dangerous way. The viewpoints I can get to don't show inside the crater but the new dome is still growing at an incredible rate, scientist estimate that at the current rate the crater will be filled up and the mountian will have a new top in 11 years!! Isn't that amazing!!  

11-11-04 Mt St Helens lettin off some steam. I had gotten up early this morning and was rewarded with being the first visitor to the mountian. It was such an amazing experience having the place virtually to myself!! I had wanted to go on a helicopter ride over the crater for my birthday present to myself but the company doing it was closed for the season...bummer......she might not be rumbling next year!!