Methow Valley autumn

We spent the weekend in eastern Washington with Amanda, Nova and Tom. The weather was perfect-- the kind of days you wish could last forever. Here's Amanda on the main street in Twisp.

How could you not be happy around this sweet little face?

Relaxing on the front porch and watching the world go by...

Precious story time. Our little Nova is only 14 months old, but she already says many words. Plus, she expresses her opinions with baby sign language that she's trying to teach to slow Nana and Grandpa John.

On Sunday, we took a morning hike together though a beautiful canyon, with Nova riding happily on dad's back. Here's a family picture of Tom, Amanda, Nova and Roger.

After an hour, we stopped for play and a snack of banana bread...
And we met trail riders out in the wide open country. Oh, my heart ached for Sizzle when I saw them.

One of the highlights of the weekend was the "Blessing of the Animals" service at the Catholic church in Twisp, where we saw many beloved pets, great and small. It was a special time for me to remember Sizzle. More on that later...