October 2022 - Oregon, Fall Splendor and Halloween

 OCTOBER

Starting with a recap of our September Travels.  Google seems to keep track of us and shows us the reality of our past.  October was filled adventures but not nearly as many miles traveled - we needed time to reset for the last three months of the year!

September Travels logged 

We started and ended the month with these groups of amazing young people in our home.  Oct. 1 was our semi-annual tradition of Cinnamon Rolls after the Saturday night session of General Conference.  

We ended the month with an Oktoberfest Dinner Sunday evening with another group of young friends.  Always a great time with Schnitzel, spaetzle, bread and apple cobbler.

Cinnamon Roll Night

October brings such beauty in nature.  We really enjoyed our drives into the mountains and watching the changing of the season.  

This spider web is on our back fence and was so perfect - our own Charlotte's Web!  

MT. NEBO area.  Our favorite part is stopping at The Red Barn for a Caramel Apple ice cream Slush to drink on the drive.  We were about a week early for the quaking aspen to be their golden color but it was still an explosion of color.

ALPINE LOOP

This was two weeks later and the colors were quickly falling and it had its own beauty with the end of Fall.  This was two days before the first snow fall.

I graduated up to a full size electric bike just in time for a fall ride to Bridal Veil Falls.  Emily was able to join us and to ride my smaller bike.  SO BEAUTIFUL!  We were not just seeing the foliage from a distance - we were in the trees and the brilliance of color.  The most amazing bike ride I have every been on.  Canopy’s of color over our heads.  Our destination was Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon.  When we arrived there were four bus loads of students enjoying the beauty as well.  They were on a science field trip.  

Russ in the Trees

The final picture of Fall with the barren trees and falling leaves.  

Winter is calling!

RECIPE TIME:  GREAT FALL IDEAS FOR NOVEMBER

Pumpkin Hummus Recipe

Want a quick fancy dessert?  My Sister-in-law, Kris made these fancy tarts using a pumpkin pie from Costco.  Using a metal Biscuit cutter (needs to be deep) she cut out circles with the cutter, topped with whipped cream.  You could sprinkle with cinnamon, drizzle with caramel, etc. and you quickly have a delicious dessert with very little prep.  The best part is eating all of the pieces left over after cutting the circles!

DAVID'S BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

1 medium Butternut Squash or Pumpkin, ( about 2 pounds) peeled, deseeded and cubed

2 1/2 cups Vegetable /Chicken Broth

2 medium Onions

3 Cloves Garlic

1/2 cup Cinnamon Apple Sauce

1/4 tsp Salt

Dash ground Pepper

Dash Cayenne Pepper (to taste)

Dash Cinnamon & Nutmeg- optional

3/4 cup Cream 

Saute' onion in butter until soft.  Add Garlic and cook 1 min.

Put all ingredients into Slow Cooker EXCEPT Cream.  Stir and let cook on Low for 6-7 hours

(I use an Insta Pot and Cook for 15 min.)

Use Immersion Blender (can use Blender) and blend until Smooth.  Add in Cream.  

Garnish with Pumpkin Oil, Pumpkin seeds, drizzle of cream, fresh parsley, etc.  to taste.

OREGON

The HIGHLIGHT of our Month.  There are experiences and people that are a part of our lives that have changed us for the better and continue to enrich our life.  Serving in the Alpine German Speaking Mission for 20 months and meeting the other Senior Missionary Couples changed our lives more than we could have ever imagined.

The BROTHER'S

We had the unique opportunity of serving with the Blanchards and Bretzings in the Zurich Zone.  We fast became friends and enjoyed spending time together.  We arranged for a few P-Days together and always looked forward to serving lunch at Zone Conferences together.  We talked often of gathering together when we all returned home.  We were transferred to Vienna and no longer serving in the same Zone, but that did not stop us from gathering when possible and staying close.  It took two years to plan and make our "Gathering" a reality.  

Heidi, Claudia and Linda

We started our adventure on Monday, October 10 with a Road Trip. Randy and Claudia flew to Utah to spend time with their family and we picked them up bright and early to begin the trip.  

First Stop:  Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls, Idaho.  My hometown did not disappoint.  The water was not at full flow but they were still majestic and worth the time to stop and see.  

We stopped in Buhl at Old Home Cafe and had a delicious lunch with my brother, Tad and Kris.  So fun meeting up and having a delicious local lunch.  We shared stories of Germany and Austria and it got them thinking of planning a trip - looks like they will be going in December!

We traveled on to Ontario, Oregon and spent the night with my sister, Brooke and Kirt.  It is always a special treat to be with them.  Playing card games is always fun and sooo competitive! LOL. We found out Randy is a quick learner and hard to beat.  He continue on a roll as the trip continued.  We ate another delicious dinner at Ling & Louie's Asian Grill.  This was the beginning of a week of delicious amazing food!

Shrimp Salad

We got another early start and continued our journey to Carlton, Oregon and the Blanchard Home.  We stopped in Baker City, OR to show the Bretzings that quaint little city.  The little shop with homemade fudge was calling.  We found a fun quilt shop and enjoyed seeing all of their beautiful fabrics and quilts.  

Carlton is located in the middle of Wine Country with about 25 vineyards and wineries in the County.  Grapes, Olives, and Hazelnuts dot the landscape.  It is absolutely beautiful and such an amazing place to have a Gathering!

Carlton Oregon

The Gathering officially began on Wednesday morning when we picked up John and Carol Homer at the Portland Airport.  We were off to our first activity - attending a session in the Portland Oregon Temple.  David and Heidi were working their morning shift at the Temple and it was a very special experience to walk in the front door and have David waiting at the desk for us to enter.  The Gathering had begun and we were all together in a most sacred and special place.  There is nothing like being in the Temple with people that you love - a little piece of Heaven.  We gathered for pictures outside and then were off to Applebee's for lunch.  It is always a little nostalgic for me to go to Applebee's - it was one of my Dad's favorite places for French Onion Soup and a Wedge Salad.  

We were off to Multnomah Falls for a nice easy hike and to see the beauty of the water and the fall foliage.  We met so many people along the trail - there is no stranger to David Blanchard.  He told everyone we met that we were missionaries together in Germany and were gathering as friends.  He is amazing as he fast becomes a friend to anyone he meets.  

The Columbia River Gorge from the viewpoint at Vista House.  It was built in 1917 on one of the most beautiful scenic points on the Columbia River Highway.  It is an example of German "Art Nouveau" architecture.  Native Italian craftsmen built retaining walls and bridges for the Columbia River Highway and laid the rockwork surrounding Vista House.

VISTA HOUSE

Back to the Blanchard Homestead for the absolute best Steal Head Trout Dinner.  The Trout was grilled to perfection and we feasted on it for days.  It was a full day and we were all ready for a good nights rest so we could be ready for another adventure in the morning.

We were off to see the Oregon Coast.  There are no freeways - only small backroads with stunning views and sights -reminding all of us of Germany.  We came upon a logging camp and stopped to watch as they loaded the large logs into a pile getting ready to load on a truck.  

A small river along the way that was worth stopping and taking photos.

First View of the Ocean

We stopped in Tillamook and took a tour of the Cheese making Plant.  We had been there with Josh and Julie but it was fun to go again.  They make really good cheese.  It was too early for lunch but not too early for a dish of Ice Cream!  We got their TRIO Sampler and split it.  Most of the group got the Trio and ate it themselves!  We decided that Mudslide, Orange and White Raspberry Chocolate were the favorites.  Oh, the fun begins!  

 On to the Oregon Coast and Cannon Beach.  We walked along the beach and found jelly fish all over.  It was a hazy day that made for some wonderful pictures.

Cannon Beach

Next stop was Astoria to visit the Columbia River Maritime Museum.  It was fantastic and so educational.  I had no idea what happens when the Columbia River meets the Ocean and the amazing stories of Shipwrecks and all that the Coast Guard does to keep it working and safe.  The Museum is a unique combination of experiences where an extensive collection of seafaring vessels, maritime artifacts, and fine art come to life through exciting and informative exhibits, demonstrations and hands-on-activities.

You can experiences the terror and fascination surrounding the shipwrecks on our shores.  We learned what causes shipwrecks and how people have responded to such tragedies.  The map at left shows the major shipwrecks that have occurred.  The waters can be very violent and today there are very specialized "Pilots" (Coastguard trained individuals) who are the only ones authorized to bring in the ships.  They are taken out to the Ships on a special craft and board the vessel they will be piloting.  

LIGHTHOUSE SHIP

Along this great waterway of the Columbia and Snake Rivers, vast amounts of grain and other commodities find their way to nations throughout the world.  Barges play an invaluable role in a bustling intermodal transport system that links the resources and products of the Pacific Northwest to oceangoing vessels bound for distant ports.  

The Salmon Fish industry is also very valuable to the area.  The fish are caught by two kinds of gillnet, the floater and the diver.  The net hangs vertically in the river like a curtain.  

This fishing boat was carried out to sea during a Tsunamis in Japan and landed on the Oregon Coast.  It had one hole in the side but survived otherwise.  The owner was notified and he said to keep it at the museum as a memorial.  

We really enjoyed our time at this museum.  The Snake River was a big part of my growing up years.  I have been to the headwaters of the Snake, but had never been to where it meets the Columbia and how it goes out to the ocean.  I have a greater appreciation for what it supplies and how important it is to the transportation system of this country.

Next stop was the Astoria Column.  Built in 1926, this 126 ft. column features murals of Oregon history and an observation deck.  It was built and dedicated by the Great Northern Railway as a memorial to the hardships, bravery, and awe experienced by the first people to live in this corner of the world.  

At the base of the monument:  "May all who visit be moved by the grandeur of this majestic site and inspired by the History of the region."

Looking out over the Bay with the ships waiting to get into Port.

We had to climb over 100 stairs to the top.  David does not like high places and was going to stay at the bottom.  When he took his kids he would never go to the top.  He did not want to miss out on the experience and asked Russ if he would walk behind him.  He made it to the top and was supported by the three wonderful friends he calls "Brothers".  It was a great experience.  Going down was a lot easier for him!

On Top of the Tower with these dear "Sisters".  We truly have experienced the highs and lows of life together and love these adventures.

ASTORIA COLUMN

We timed our day that we would go to Seaside Beach just at Sunset.  We made it at the perfect time with just minutes to spare.  It was so beautiful!  We captured the setting sun that took about 5 minutes.  It was stunning.  

We finished the night at Mo's Seafood for Dinner.  They are famous for their Clam Chowder.  I had Shrimp Salad and Chowder.  It was not the best Chowder I have ever had but it was good and a great environment.  Russ is NOT a fish eater so he missed out on a lot of good food.  He settled for a Burger.  

It was certainly a full day of adventures.  We had so much fun being with this group and seeing so many beautiful places and eating good food together.  The ride home was a little quiet as we were all worn out!

THE SUN HAS SET -

EVERGREEN AVIATION & SPACE MUSEUM, MCMINNVILLE OR

We spent a few hours Saturday closer to home and visiting the museum that houses the historic "Spruce Goose" or Flying Boat.

Howard Hughes, Jr. made a name for himself as a brilliant engineer and a larger-than-life record breaking test pilot.  He set a land-speed record of 352 miles an hour in 1935.  He went on to establish a new coast to coast record of seven hours and 28 minutes.

Inside of Plane

These and other accomplishments gained him national attention and awards including ta Presidential Citation for his round-the-world flight of 1938.  In August 1942, Hughes and Henry Kaiser joined forces to design and build the world's largest airplane, known today as the Spruce Goose -

Fun Facts:  The wingspan is longer than a football field by 20 feet.  The nose and the tail would extend well into the spectator sections.

The tail span is wider than the wingspan of a Boeing B-17!

The tail is as tall as an eight story building!  80 feet high

Beach balls filled the floats!  Hundreds of beach balls were used to fill empty spaces in the back of the hull and in the floats under the wings, to ensure buoyancy in case of an accident.

As the largest airplane ever constructed, and flown only one time on November 2, 1947, the Hughes Flying Boat represents one of man's greatest attempts to conquer the skies.  It was designed to fly trans-Atlantic to avoid the WWII German submarines that were sinking Allied ships.  It took from 1942-1947 to construct at a price tag of $18,000,000 federal dollars and $7,000,000 of Hughes' own money.  It was not completed before the end of the War.  It was flown one time by Howard Hughes.  The flight went only a little over a mile at an altitude of 70 feet for about 1 minute.  But, the short flight proved to skeptics that the gigantic machine could indeed fly!

This painting was so beautiful and depicts the airplanes in WWII flying over ground that had been fought over for decades.  The picture depicts courage to the pilots as they flew over and could see those who had fought before and defended their territory.  

Fooke Wulf Fw 190

There are two buildings that comprise the Museum.  The second building is an air and Space display.  

On Sunday, July 20, 1969, little more than eight years after Pres. Kennedy's directive, human beings walked on the moon.  Neil Armstrong awkwardly climbed down his spacecraft's ladder and jumped onto the moon's dusty surface.  

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."  A few minutes later his crewmate, Buzz Aldrin, followed him.  

President Kennedy's mandate had been fulfilled.  AMERICA was on 

                                                      the moon.

Sunday was a welcome relief after 4 full days of traveling, lots of food, card games - we found we had some very good game players, and some of the best spiritual discussions that filled our souls.  

We attended Church with David and Heidi and met family and friends.  It was a delightful day.

David treated us with another OVER THE TOP Dinner with the largest T-BONE steaks I had ever seen.  Russ and I shared one.  It too was grilled to perfection along with grilled onions, peppers, and zucchini.  And we always topped off with our favorite TILLAMOOK Ice-cream .  

The Gathering was coming to an end.  We took John and Carol Homer to the Airport Sunday evening and that gave us an opportunity to spend the night with Josh and Julie and kids in Portland.  We really enjoyed spending a few hours with them- learned a new card game with the boys.  They are so fun to be with.  

We returned to Carlton and the Blanchard Home and played more games and visited for our final night.  We took Randy and Claudia Bretzing to the airport on Tuesday morning for their return flight to Texas. We will always cherish these friendships and look forward to the next Gathering.  

 We stopped by Josh's house for a quick minute and then hit the road for our drive back to Utah.  We decided to take the Washington Side of the Columbia River Gorge for a change of scenery and it was so beautiful.  We always like a new adventure and it was a great way to end our week.  We stopped again in Ontario with my Sister, Brooke and it is always a fun time.  More card games, great food and a restful nights sleep.  We had a sunny day of travel with a 2 hour stop in Buhl to visit with my Brother, Tad and Kris to help them finalize their plans for Germany and surrounding Countries.  So fun!  

We finally arrived safely back home and enjoyed a few days of rest.

We end the month with HALLOWEEN!  It has been a week of parties, Trunk or Treat, etc.

Pumpkins at our Dentist's Office

TRUNK OR TREAT.  We had a bean bag toss and they got a treat for every bag they got through the hole.  It was a fun beautiful Fall evening.

Sunset from the parking lot

Emily and Ian were asked to be in charge of a Halloween Party for Adults at our Church.  It was a Costume Party. They ROCKED IT!  85 people came for the Chili/Cornbread Cookoff, Costumes, and Mystery Dinner Theatre.  It was a lot of work but a very festive evening.  We could not believe how creative the costumes were and some very elaborate ones.  I was one of the Top 4 in the Chili Contest out of 13 pots of Chili.  I made all of the Desserts for the evening.  We had Pumpkin Crumble, Apple Crisp and Brownies with Ice Cream.  

Ian in Costume

Guests were greeted at the door with a Video of a Butler welcoming them to his Mansion.  The Gym was decorated as a Dinning Hall of a large Mansion.  Inside was a video projected on the back wall of the inside of a mansion.  

Bishop and Sister Wiest

The Witch served the Root Beer with Dry Ice.  It was authentic down to the smallest detail.  Emily was in her element and loved being in charge.  Everyone was still talking about the amazing party on Sunday.  Many Tender Mercies and Blessings happened along the way.  

Halloween Night we had our Traditional Dinner in a Pumpkin - it never gets old.  I have been making it for about 40 years.  The Pumpkin just got a little smaller for the two of us.  

The Front of our House on Halloween.  Because we live on a steep hill we don't get very many Trick or Treaters.  That is hard for Emily because she puts so much into decorating the house and yard.  

A Halloween Message:

This week we have been studying Ezekiel in the Old Testament.  It has been a very spiritual experience as we have studied a book that we have not read in a long time.  We have learned so much.  I want to share from Ezekiel 37 where Ezekiel is shown the valley of DRY BONES.  

"... the Lord set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones.  And caused me to pass by them round about and, behold there was very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. "

He is being told to bring ALL SOULS to Christ, even ministering among the dead.  The dry bones had NO HOPE, they were dried out spiritually.  

"And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? . . . Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones hear the word of the Lord.  Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall life, and ye shall know that I am the Lord."

Here we learn of the Gathering of Israel and the Resurrection.  God can RESTORE all things - bring life back into the spiritually weak, relationships, suffering, sick or otherwise afflicted.

"So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking and the bones came together, 'bone to his bone.'  And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above but there was no breath in them.  Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God:  Come from the four winds, O breath and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.  So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came unto them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army."

There is so much to learn in these few short verses.  We learn of the Gathering of Israel - those who covenant with the Lord, the Resurrection, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  We can ask ourselves,

How do I return to the Lord to restore my dry bones?  

For me, I know I can allow the Atonement of Jesus Christ to take place in my life as I repent and feel of His redeeming Love for me.  What a glorious Doctrine.  I will never look at a skeleton again without thinking about the "DRY BONES". and the HOPE I can find through knowing that.

He concludes in verses 12-14:  ". . . Thus saith the Lord God, behold, O my people, I will open our graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.  And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves.  And shall put my spirit in you and ye shall live, and I shall place yo in your own land:  then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord."

Again, the Gathering of Israel and the opportunity for each one of us to return to the Lord.  

This is not the World's view of Halloween, but for me it was a great analogy and will forever change my perception of DRY BONES.

Winter is upon us.  We look forward to all that November and December will bring.  How can it get any better than the year we have had - stay tuned!

Much Love,

The Grimmett's