Well, Cousins, I'm coming out of the lurkers closet where I've spent quite some time- with few comments- and joining the party! I must say, when I first heard the idea, my left-brained practical nature suggested it was a bit crack pot. BUT then my right brain kicked in and I've decided that the world needs a bit more silliness and the camaraderie which this obviously engenders. The genuine caring carries a warmth of spirit which is absent from other lists. I gather that this will be a traveling party with many stops (sounds like we need to take a week for this one) to sample foods, culture, foods, historic sites, foods, and perhaps, foods. Yup, you're my kind of folks!! I live and teach in Vader, a small (pop. fewer than 800) ghost town in SW Washington state (we're in books about ghost towns of the west). We're about halfway between Seattle and Portland (a little closer to Portland, though). To be anywhere, we have to drive about 30 min. north or south on I-5. In the 1920s, Vader was the biggest city between Tacoma, WA and Portland, OR due to a huge brick factory, logging, and some mining. There was a hospital, several hotels and restaurants, and all the other businesses supported by such industry in that time. When a fire wiped out the brick factory, there followed a mysterious spate of house fires and subsequent exodus with insurance money... which, I'm told, led to insurance companies omitting coverage for arson fires. Now, there's the historic jail, the post office, K-6 school, the Little Crane Cafe and store; the Mt. St. Helens Grocery/Gas/Deli; and Brook's Nook, a restaurant/bar. PARTY INFO: When you come, wear jeans and boots, cuz I'm inviting you out to the barn to ogle our quarter horses. One will be about 9 mos. old when you're here and I think you'll enjoy him. DOES THIS LIST SUPPORT ATTACHED PHOTOS??? As you come down the driveway, go slowly. There may be deer grazing around the yard, and I get cranky when people scare them. One doe has come around for years. You'll recognize her by her front leg which doesn't extend. She limps along and can still clear a fence with ease. And don't mind the cat- in the past year, he decided that being a wild barn cat wasn't for him and he's become tame enough to pick up if you want to. Ignore the condition in the house; we LIVE here. Be comfortable; make yourself at home! I must admit to being no lover of cooking, but I will bake cookies, the recipe which I begged from my maternal Grandma Fahlstrom (whose mother was an Armstrong). They are Divinity Cookies, but are nothing at all like divinity candy. (I'll give you the recipe before you leave.) I'll also attempt to fry some chicken Marshallese style: shoyu (soy sauce) put into the skillet while the chicken is frying. Mmmmm! I'd offer some Swedish lefse, but mine was a brutal failure. The beverage will be plenty of sweet, cold well water and raspberry tea, hot and cold. After we eat, there are several choices of activities: 1) We'll be playing authentic cowboy music by Ian Tyson, Michael Martin Murphy, and Don Edwards, and I think you'll enjoy dancing the Poop Scoopin' Boogie (don't worry- I'll teach you!); I'll even provide the carts and manure forks! 2) You can visit Mount St. Helens Nat. Volcanic Monument if the roads are clear by then. It's beautiful and there are about 5 interpretive centers, 3 of which are Forest Service operated. You'll have a chance to be within 3 miles of the crater; it's truly AWEsome. 3) You can go to Portland, OR and visit Powell's Bookstore. It's the largest privately owned bookstore in the U.S. The 3 story main store takes up an entire city block. In addition, there are a number of specialty stores (travel, technology) and satellite sites. If you love books, you love Powell's! It's always worth a pilgrimage. 4) If you're unfamiliar with horses, but are willing to learn, I'll give you some 'lessons' on my gentle mare, Tia. It'll be in the round pen and I'll be on the controlling end of her lead rope, so you won't have to worry. And before you know it, you'll be able to pick up her feet, move her any direction you want from the ground, and guide her from in the saddle. You'll be surprised at how quickly you'll learn- in about an hour! I taught my very fearful, almost 79 yr. old mom last summer! She glowed over that for weeks!! If you can stay into the night, we'll sit around a camp fire, steam oysters to dip in melted butter, and share our genealogy stories and anything else that comes to mind. Who knows where the crackle of a good fire will take us! And because we're out in the country, we can enjoy a very black sky filled with stars!- that's if it doesn't rain, of course. We ARE in Washington! :-) I'm already looking forward to your visit! Your 'new' cuz, Jill OnYerPockets Quarter Horses PS- Pat T, I visited the Tyler area in June a few years ago; it was absolutely beautiful! I had some of the BEST catfish I've ever eaten there, so how much arm twistin' will it take to get you to serve some when we visit you? :-) __________________ "Gypsy gold does not chink and glitter. It gleams in the sun and neighs in the dark." Gypsy saying