Milton and Kay are here from Mississippi! Day One and the Evening Before ...

Our buddies, our adopted family members have driven up to see us, all the way from Mississippi! The left Byram, where they spent Mother's Day with their children's families, at 2 a.m. Mississippi time and were in Pueblo, Colorado, by 6 p.m. Colorado time! By noon Friday they were just about at our apartment. It's a great big thrill for all of us to be together again. When I get some more time, I'll fill in the details of our friendship that is seven years old.

As they used their wits, their GPS, their Chevy Silverado diesel, and their driving talents to make their way from Mississippi to Oregon, both of them took pictures, too. Kay and I have made one trip already to Walgreens to put the photos on our cards onto CDs. We're gonna see lots and lots more this week, so we have to be ready!

Friday afternoon Leland came by for a visit before he went to work. Later that evening, after dining on roast, potatoes and carrots that Mama had cooked in our cute apartment, the four of us took the #15, then the #14 over to Three Doors Down so we could surprise Lamont. I should point out thatn We just went for dessert--Mama got the bread pudding, Milton and Kay got the banana cream pie, and I got the bocca negra (I thing I spelled that correctly). Every morsel was divine.

Today we met Lamont, Lindsay and Leland at a restaurant at 23rd and E. Burnside, the Screen Door, for brunch at 11 a.m. today. (Christina had to work, doggone it. But she sent her love, sweet gal that she is!) We rode the #20 over and enjoyed looking at the flowers in a couple of front yards across and down the side street from the restaurant. Then we dined on some great breakfast foods; there's a good chance we'll go back there again. After riding the #20 back towards the west, we got off and walked down the stairs to the Saturday Market, an arts and crafts show. The kids came on their bicyles. Next we rode on home to get ready to watch the NASCAR All Star Challenge.

As we walked down the hill from Burnside, I took the last few pictures of those light green blossoms. They are on several different trees. Once again, I need your help. What is that tree, please? Thanks!



Milton took the first pictures is of the road out of Jackson Hole. The next two pictures show our Mt. Hood, as Kay drove them towards Portland on I-84.





We waited for the #20 Saturday morning right across the street from the Walgreens. Lo and behold, this is the exact same place I used to wait for the bus back to the Benson Hotel on our first visit to Portland in the summer of '04! I'd go into that store and put my photos on CDs, print some of them, and cross the street and get onto the #20 when it arrived.




You can see the building called The Big Pink; Lamont and Leland used to work on the 30th floor at the Portland City Grill.








Kay and I couldn't believe it when a lady on the porch where the iris bloomed told us to smell them, that they smelled just like grape KoolAid--it was astonishing!







Here're the bike riders! Leland, Lamont and Lindsay arrive! Seeing those helmets makes a Mama proud, let me tell you. We did miss Christina, though, because she had to work!