A Quick Visit to Traumhof

Last weekend I drove up to Maple Valley, Washington, for Ian's State Gymnastic Meet, then on to Traumhof overnight and back home the next day. It was a short stay up there but I was able to spend more fun time with all three of them than usual... probably because it was not a dressage clinic weekend, which is when I usually go up. Clinic weekends are very busy.

Ian had been sick for several days before the meet so it was uncertain if he would be well enough to compete. I had been scheduled to go up on Friday but since he was sick and I didn't want to be, I did not go until Saturday morning when I got the word that he was determined to compete.

I left early enough to stop and say hi to Kinnera and John, who live in Maple Valley just a few miles from the gymnastic center. Hazel was off at the roller skating rink competing so I missed seeing her. It was a tough drive up for me in the rain and I was glad to have a stopping place to regroup and relax for a few minutes. Plus it was nice to hear a little of their news... John's new business venture and Kinnera's beginning piano lessons.

 Ian did fine but, alas, left out a straight jump by mistake in one of his runs on the mini-tramp and so "was terminated"... a rather dire way to say he earned no score. But he had fun. Here is my handsome grandson at the start of the competition, holding the Northshore Gymnastics banner.

After the competition, we went home to feast on Jessica's delicious chicken soup and salad. And I got to see Ian's new computer server. He saved money to buy the components (with a little help from family) and then put them together himself. Here he is at his work station under his bed.

Sunday I rose early (as always) and took a walk up their quiet, woodsy road and then around Traumhof. I like to check on the trees I brought up many years ago and planted. This row of evergreens along the barn is doing very well. Someone has pruned them nicely; likewise the dwarf ones in pots.

Kevin, Ian and I played a board game that was intriguing: Pandemic. Players, each with a different role and different skill sets, must cooperate to save the world from a pandemic. It is the most cooperative game I've ever played and takes a lot of brain work. I left that part to the two brains I was playing with and let them tell me where to move and what actions to take to save the world. We succeeded, but just barely.

Ian also played bowling with me on his X Box since that is the one game I'm good at. Wish I was that good at real bowling. If the Lanes had bowls that didn't weigh anything, I might be.

Their beautiful Bengal cats entertained us. Well, Bangle mostly sat around looking elegant.

Jasmine is the playful one, but here she is stretched out full length, relaxing. What a gorgeous cat!

I also enjoyed spending time in the Traumhof barn of horses. This boarding and dressage training barn is full! Here Jessica combs her beloved Elfin's forelock. I missed getting photos of them kissing. Elfin likes to give and get kisses and Jessica loves obliging.

Here are those lips eating honey off a spoon. A spoiled horse? Well, honey is good for her digestion... and she loves honey.

Since I always get photos of Ian, cats, horses and sometimes even Jessica... but almost never Kevin, I took one of him in his natural habitat: at the computer.

After lunch it was time for me to leave. Ian sat down to do his homework. Like father, like son.

 The trip home was easier than the trip up. The weather was lovely and I was well fed and well rested.

It has not been restful since I've been home. We are in super spring cleaning mode thanks to the sometime-resident chipmunk and an outbreak of carpenter ants... plus a winter's build-up of dust and grime that we have ignored too long... but can ignore no longer with company coming.