Dad’s Weekly Report

For those of you who aren’t aware, I am a farmer.  Please see my membership card below.

Dear Family,

The month of September is nearly half over. It seems like the time really goes quickly. Allen and I had good things happen this week in our search for jobs. Tuesday I was trying to stay awake in the afternoon when I got a call from a company near Seattle. They asked that I come in for a job interview the next day. The call came from their corporate HR in Wisconsin, the guy thought that since I lived in Washington that I was local to the job. I surprised him when I told him it was a three hour drive. Anyway I drove up on Wednesday morning and had a good interview with the hiring manager. I thought it went well. I should hear back from them in a couple of weeks. The company is Spacelabs Healthcare and they make patient monitoring equipment for hospitals.

When I called home after the interview Allen told me that he had also been invited to an interview, in Maryland. Sandy and I took him to the airport this morning. He will interview on Monday and come back late Tuesday. He quite nervous as it is the first time he has gone on such a trip on his own. Oh, also Wesley called and told us that he got a job interview on Friday. I hope that some of these result in employment.

Yesterday I harvested our Plum tree. There were not many this year. I got about 3 gallons of plums. I filled up the dryer and then there are a few more to eat. Since there are so few they are quite large and really good. I am afraid that I ate too many the last few days, as it is hard not to.

Yesterday was the candlelight tour at Fort Vancouver. It is a nighttime program at the fort. The fort is open from 5PM until 10PM. As it gets dark they light candles to guide the path between the buildings and inside the buildings. We were instructed to not respond to visitors but to only act like it was 1846, discussing topics of the day with each other. I am afraid that the folks at the blacksmith shop didn’t follow the rules as we talked a lot to the visitors. But we had all 4 forges working with a couple of others there to help. We were supposed to make chain but none of the blacksmiths wanted to so we made other things. I guess we are a disagreeable lot. I made a small axe. One smith made a knife and some sewing awls. One smith made steel flowers. It was a lot of fun but longer than I am used to working and so I got tired and very dirty.

I think that we are ahead in the giant pumpkin growing contest. We measured our pumpkin at 60 inches circumference today. I can still lift it but just barely. Actually this is Ruth’s pumpkin, I keep forgetting. Or pumpkin is only 45 inches around.

Well that is all the news. I include a picture of a flower taken at the Oregon coast. This is a picture that I took when DeHarts came to visit.

Love,

John