Driving south on Pacific Hiway from Oysterville yesterday was a tad hazardous.  Every side street, or so it seemed, was marked by arrows and signs to garage sales, many of them obliterated by cars waiting to enter the traffic mainstream.  There wasn’t much waiting for a break – cars darted in and out, willy-nilly.  Definitely a day for defensive driving.

We reached Long Beach and the Pickled Fish without incident, though.  We were meeting Kay Buesing, her daughter Kim and son-in-law Bob for lunch – a long-time-no-see situation all the way around!  It was comfort food for all of us – pizza and cassoulets and mac ‘n cheese.  But, in reality, who noticed?  We were having so much fun catching up that the time flew by and the food just seemed to disappear!

It wasn’t a bit crowded – a ‘first’ for our visits there.  The rest of the world was apparently otherwise occupied, still hard at it in the quest for the perfect garage-sale item.  We covered all ‘the usual’ topics – what we’ve been doing, what our kids are doing, the changes on the Peninsula and in our world.

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And there was lots of catching up on the status of things.  Things like the Kite Museum that we really don’t keep up with now that Founder Kay has retired.  They still have no Director, apparently, and Patty Rolfe (bless her!) who was hired to run the gift shop, is holding down the fort.   But that has meant that new exhibits and programs and important kite contacts are on hold – or at least that’s what I surmised.  Kay was reluctant to talk about it.  I know the feeling…

Later in the afternoon, just as I was thinking about a nap before dinner, Cousin Abby came down from the Red House.  “I heard you might need a hug,” she said.  “Always!” was my response.  Her visit was the perfect ending to a day highlighted by friendship and fun!  When we take flowers up to the cemetery later today, I’ll have lots to share with the old folks…  I know they’ll be interested.