Settling in at Lacey

Nearly a month ago we stopped in to visit Jamie and Jordan at their duplex outside Lacey, Wash. Last weekend, they returned the favor. Though they only stayed long enough to grab a quick meal from Chiptole -- their favorite take-out place -- they had Jamie's parents with them and her two horses in a trailer they were hauling up to their new home.

It's always nice to visit with her parents, Jeff and Linda. They are so down-to-earth, unpretentious people. They included Jamie and Jordan in an annual rafting trip they do with extended family on the Rogue River before hitting the road with them to bring the horses up from southern Oregon. One of the animals is Jamie's long-time favorite, Blazer. The other is a younger horse that needs to be broken before they can ride it. Evidently, the horse trainer up there is doing a good job with the horse and expects they will be able to ride it in a matter of weeks.

I don't have a photo of either horse, but I do have this one from when we visited the newlyweds. We got a tour of the property that included a stroll through the stalls and a walk in the woods behind their duplex. I'm glad things worked out for them. It's got to be a wonderful respite from the urbanized areas around them -- especially now that Jordan has Comcast internet service. They can be in the country but still be within minutes of the city.

It's good to have them back in the Northwest, two hours -- instead of two time zones -- away.