TULIP FESTIVAL TRIP - PT. 2 Eugene, OR

     Left California over the famous Golden Gate bridge in a mist which turned to pounding rain that did not let up during our whole day of driving.  Next stop, Eugene Oregon area.  Victor has called this the "Trip of the Nephews."   With the visit of Mike and Kevin behind us in California we moved on to Deming nephews: 

Patrick and Heather Deming and cute family in a wonderful, charmingly decorated house were great hosts who fed us good food, let us watch General Conference, and let ME hold their newest little addition, Austin Jett Deming.  (I'm getting all warmed up for my two new grandbabies due later this summer!)

Patrick was more attentive to Conference than Victor I'm afraid!  (We have a LOT of these kinds of pictures of Victor - which doesn't mean I don't nod off from time to time too!)

Patrick when Jett was born with Marcus, Jana & Elaina

Austin Jett Deming all full of smiles  (half the family call him Austin;  half call him Jett).  I just hug him!

Patrick and Heather (pre-Austin's birth) on the day of Markus' baptism

 

Had a wonderful visit during our time in Eugene with our long-time friend Carolyn Flatley Gilkey.  Carolyn is always a fascinating conversationalist.  She creates incredible quilts, sings complicated music with local groups, plays ancient instruments, attends story-telling conventions, weaves her own yarn and makes sweaters, travels fascinating places, collects depression glass, has a dry imaginative wit, volunteers her time for the local branch genealogy library and generally loves her life.  (Though I love MY life too it seems unimaginative in comparison!)

Out her back window we watched the deer eat blackberry bushes while she regaled us with stories of her recent visit to France with her daughter Emily (who creates intricate scissor-cut artwork).  

My camera somehow malfunctioned and the following photo got cut in half!  Sorry, Carolyn!

One of Emily's works of paper cut art on Carolyn's wall

What are the chances?  Later in the trip we visited the little tourist town of La Conner, Washington.  Victor pulled to a screeching stop so I could photograph this for Carolyn!

While in Eugene we also visited with our "not exactly relatives" Wade and Marie Bell.  (Marie Deming Bell is Jim Deming's sister.  Jim is Victor's brother-in-law).  We have spent lots of camping and visit time with the Bells over a lot of years so they are like family.  Wonderful people.  Sat with camera in hand and forgot to take their picture of course.   (And the fun coincidence was that the Bells live in the same ward as Carolyn's daughter Emily.  Small world!)