Freedom Folly: 7/4/20 Zoe and Gabe's New Home Cedar Flats Road

Mount Hood view from street of rental house

Zoe touching Pacific at Waikiki Beach near Astoria

Here we are in Washington state to help Zoe and Gabe pack and move to their new home about 10 miles north of their current home in White Salmon, a small town on the Columbia River gorge. A short walk down the street reveals a wonderful view of Mount Hood. At 8 pm every night you begin to hear wolf howling here and there and then the kids and the rest of us start howling, with brings more howling from nearby neighbors. This goes on for several minutes as a sign of thanks and respect to the covid workers.

We have a break between houses and go to Salem, Oregon with Zoe to visit cousin Meghan, John and Aunt Shirley. On the way back we tour some Lewis and Clark venues near Astoria, Washington where the expedition finally met up with the Pacific Ocean. Zoe sends Jack and Michelle greetings from one Waikiki beach to another.

They move into THEIR house, they own it, on Cedar Flats Road in Cook, Washington! It is closer to Mount Adams (like Hood, another non-dormant volcano) in the spectacularly beautiful Monte Cristo Mountain Range surrounded by thousands of acres of timber lands and national forests. The second night here we were sitting on the back porch and noticed a deer munching flowers in the yard. She looked up at us then continued to munch. A few nights later out from the forest comes a doe with two speckled fawns. There are many trails cut into their 5 acre wooded lot, with a bridge across a creek and a barn with an unfinished attached apartment. From their trails, they join up with other property owners trails for a short walk down to the White Salmon River. There are only 3 houses on their dirt road so why 7 mailboxes at the entrance? Because there are only 4 houses past theirs on the main road before it also turns into a dirt road through the forests and mountains. Last stop for the mailman!

Had a wonderful July 4th with sparklers and cooking in the heart shaped fire pit where Gabe built a wonderful fire and Zoe and the girls collected cedar and other local flowers to smudge and purify their new home and property. The house is beautifully built and may have used local cedar beams throughout. We had great fun planting the peony's that originally came from Great-Grammy Dot Smith ( Phyllis's mom) via Phyllis's yard, Debra's yard, Dee's and Sherrie's yards!!! Also brought out the hope chest from my great-great auntie Ruth (Dot's Aunt) filled mostly with family treasures.