A day with family

I spent the day in Ellensburg, mainly at my brother's house. My job was to watch the two boys, ages 3 and 1, so that my brother could work outside on the building that has beena work in progress for over two years. He built a large garage/shop next to the house, and on the back side of the garage is an apartment, where my mom is scheduled to move when it is complete. Meanwhile, she has been living in the house with my brother's family since November.

There are just a few tasks left on the apartment, but my brother works weekdays, and his wife works weekends, so there is not a lot of time when he can be out there and not have to worry about the little ones getting into something. So I came down to help. Jay spent several hours out at the shop relocating a door just a couple inches because it hit the garage door mechanism when opened. After a lot of sawing, he had the space opened, and I helped him position the new door. I was able to help because his wife had come home from her work just a bit early. When I left, it looked like that task would be finished today with trim and weather stripping installed.

On my way out of there, I took a detour out to the old homestead thatg used to be my grandma's farm, located about 10 miles north of town. My mom owns 64 acres on the north side of the farm, mostly sagebrush and no development, while her sister owns the southern 96 acres, which also includes the house, barn, pastures and corrals. Since I had not been out there in years, it was interesting to drive past and see how things had changed. It is definitely much more run down, and a lot of the large older tress are gone -- perhaps from age, perhaps from neglect. And the great big green grassy yard is mostly gone, replaced by some goat pens and such. The small house my grandfather built by hand looks dilapidated, and the huge evergreen tree the once provided shade and concealed much of the farmhouse is now gone, its stump capped by a small flower pot. I am glad I have my memories of the farm, so the sights did not disappoint me too much.

I checked out the area my mom owns, as well. It has a nice view of the valley since it is so far to the north, and development is creeping cloaser with some new homes in the area. Kittitas County is a hot commodity now, with its proximity to urban areas via the freeway, and many people are moving east to escape the urban and suburban problems and for cheaper cost of living. The local paper , of which I have now read four days' editions, had a series of articles comparing Ellensburg and the Kittitas Valley to the areas of Bend, Ore., and Bozeman, Mont. I think that is a bit of a stretch, but the population in Ellensburg is poised to explode. The good news is that the planners have done a good job, and local ordinances have also ensured strict design rules are followed, so the town maintains some of its historic character while allowing new national retailers.

Now I am at one of the local coffee shops with free wireless Internet. Thank goodness for that, I say. I am enjoying a delicious mixed berry smoothie, and it is a very relaxing environment. Sometimes it is just nice to get away from home to the home that used to be.

-- Ellensburg, Wash.