Crystal Mountain Gondolas

On our recent trip to Washington to visit the boys, Bryan took Jennie and me to Crystal Mountain.  There is a ski resort there with a gondola ride that takes you to the top of the mountain.  On a clear day, there's a great view of Mt. Rainier.

We got our tickets, hopped on one of the gondolas and headed up the mountain.

After we had ridden a few thousand feet up the mountain and were several hundred feet in the air, I got to wondering...

"Where is the BIG RED BUTTON you push to summon the Mountain Rescue Team with the helicopters and the St. Bernards?"

"Where are the parachutes, if we have to bail out of this thing?"

"Is there a rope ladder or something we can climb down?"

As usual, my stomach wouldn't be ignored for long. "Where is the Seven Day Supply of Emergency Food Rations if we get stranded up here?"

A quick examination of the interior of the gondola revealed none of those things.  There was a sign on one wall.  It gave a phone number to call "IN CASE OF EMERGENCY".  Not very comforting.  It didn't help that the sign continued, "If no answer: call 911."  

There was some more gibberish about car numbers and tower numbers and the sign ended with "...climbers left side."  CLIMBER?  Who's climbing? I'm not climbing up or down or out of anything here.

White knuckles were displayed for much of the ride.  Holly was the only one who wasn't nervous.

We eventually reached the top of the mountain and set foot on solid ground again.

The views from the top of the mountain were pretty amazing.  We even got an almost clear shot of Mt Rainier while we were up there.

We hiked around the top of the mountain enjoying the scenery for a while before the realization struck me, the only way back down the mountain was to climb in that gondola death-trap again.

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The photos above and many more of our trip to Washington can be viewed in a Google Photos Album at Washington Trip 2019.

Clyde's Fathers Day

I reported on Jennie's Mothers Day so I guess I need to review my Father's Day.

From Matt, I got an Amazon gift card, a wallet and a couple of shirts (that I'm sure Jennie picked out.)

From Bryan, I got a Google Play gift card and the promise of a place to sleep when Jennie and I go to Seattle in a few weeks.

Erik didn't write a poem for me.  Not enough words rhyme with "Redneck".  He did call and say that he and Veronica had signed me up for one of those " ______ of the Month" clubs.  He didn't reveal what so it'll be a surprise when it arrives. I'm hoping it's something like "Lazagna of the Month" but it'll probably be more like the "Mustache Wax of the Month Club."

Matt also got me a card that gave me a good laugh...

He thought I laughed a little too hard.  I can't figure out who he got his sense of humor from.

Happy Father's Day Up in Heaven

I can't help but remember the good things about you.  I am trying my best to forget the bad things. I know you were too old fashion. You didn't know a lot about keeping up with the times. When you went to school, you got to go barefooted and very dirty but so did all of the other children. You only had to go to school just seven months a year, cause that was all there was. You only went to sixth grade. You told me when you went to school you didn't have to study for a test and you didn't have any homework assignments to do.

You couldn't understand how it was like to have to go to school nine months a year. You couldn't understand that we had to go to school with shoes on our feet and dressed without big tears, big stains, and bad smells. If we did we were sent home. You didn't seem to know if we didn't go to school every day the teachers will fuss about it and you will have to pay fines for it. You also couldn't understand what it was like to have to wait in a bus line every morning and every evening; cause you got to walk to school.

I have to admit you did keep us all in school supplies and we always had lunch money.  I always wished I had good learning abilities. I would have behaved a lot better. I was so worried that I would fail another year in school. 

I love you, Daddy. I do miss you. I tried my best to see to it you lived past ninety and you did. I tried to see to it that you had it good the last half of your marriage to mother. I felt like I did. I did my best to give you flowers while you lived. Thanks for keeping me with a car when I needed it and a lot of other things.

Posted by Sherry

Headstone Photo

Sherry requested a photo of Mom & Dad's headstone after engraving.

CLICK on the photo to view in FULL SIZE.

Memorial Day in the Rear View Mirror

Jennie complains each Memorial Day that every photo we take at her family's cemetery shows her bending over, working on the decorations.  She doesn't think that is a flattering pose.

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Just to set the record straight, I found one photo of her from 2007 where she is not bending over...yet.